| They were less than a dozen in total, all outstanding | | | | Sparking great interest were well-known items from |
| scientists, serious doubters of the conventional | | | | today's science, a thimble-full of cultured organic liquid |
| wisdom that Darwinism was proven fact. All highly | | | | containing billions of single-celled bacteria, each packed |
| credentialed, they were American and foreign | | | | with complex circuits and microscopic molecular |
| nationals, having in common a dissatisfaction with the | | | | "machines". The common bacterium, propelled by its |
| accepted belief that the theory of | | | | rapidly rotating whip-tail flagellum, was analyzed in |
| Darwin-Evolutionism completely explained the origins | | | | detail. "Just like an outboard motor", commented Dr. |
| of life, and was established scientific fact. Yet that is | | | | Behe. Dr. H. Berg of Harvard had termed it "the most |
| what they had all been taught - and what they knew | | | | efficient motor in the universe." Dr. Scott Minich with |
| was still being taught - even in advanced biology | | | | two decades of study of the phenomenon, described |
| curricula. Michael Behe, world-renowned biologist from | | | | it: ".. rotates at 100,000 rpm, stops in a quarter turn |
| Lehigh University, expressed his dismay (anger) at | | | | then rotates in the opposite direction, while |
| having completed a doctoral program without having | | | | constantly receiving and processing inputs from the |
| ever been exposed to the solid arguments against | | | | environment for obstacle avoidance." He explained |
| conventional Darwin theory that was presented in a | | | | that detailed examination of the microscopic |
| book by Michael Denton, " Darwin in Crisis". Dr. Dean | | | | mechanism disclosed component parts and functions |
| Kenyon, Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Biology | | | | analogous to the optimized mechanical complexity of |
| from San Francisco State University was there, as | | | | a standard out-board-motor engine-propeller system. |
| were Drs. Paul Nelson, Stephen Meyer, William | | | | As an approach to their scientific evaluation of the |
| Demsky, Jonathon Wells, Jed McCosko and Scott | | | | whipping tail, the concept of "irreducible complexity" |
| Minich - biologists, chemists, philosophers. | | | | was discussed. Using the common mousetrap as an |
| They discussed the ramifications of modern | | | | analogy, it was very clear to all - five components: a |
| laboratory equipment such as the electron-micrograph | | | | bait-holder; a capturing (or killing) mechanism; a |
| with 50,000-times magnification of living cells - | | | | hold-back device; a trigger device; and a platform to |
| unknown technology until recently, and the advanced | | | | which all elements are fastened in proper relationship. |
| knowledge in many related fields which raised | | | | Of great significance to the scientists were three |
| substantive challenges to the century-and-a-half-old | | | | specific Darwinian factors, which should be applicable |
| Darwinism - all ignored by the popular media, courts, | | | | to living entities: |
| colleges and the public. Through their studies and | | | | |
| personal experimentation, these scientists had all | | | | 1. until all elements of a system are present and |
| come to question the conventional belief system of | | | | functional, the system will not operate; |
| Darwinism, and most certainly disagreed that it was | | | | 2. until the system works, the non-functioning |
| proven science. In an unlimited atmosphere of free | | | | elements are not a benefit but a hindrance to the |
| expression, they then exchanged ideas and concepts, | | | | entity's survivability; and |
| theoretically exploring the mystery of life - including all | | | | 3. by Darwin 's own theory of natural selection, such |
| rational scientific options. | | | | non-beneficial appendages would be eliminated in |
| Later, many would describe the gathering as a | | | | follow-on generations. |
| defining moment in their technical lives. | | | | The complex marvel of function as shown in the |
| Charles Darwin | | | | microscope was broken down into the analogous and |
| They started with Charles Darwin, who in 1831, during | | | | numerous elements of a common motor-propulsion |
| a five year voyage of exploration, spent a month on | | | | system - forty parts, equivalent to rotor sections, |
| the isolated Galapagos islands, finding unique animals, | | | | drive shaft, stators, brakes, flexible joints, etc. (plus |
| plants and birds, differing from any seen elsewhere. | | | | an additional feed-back sensor). Each part of such |
| Among the latter he discovered thirteen species of | | | | mechanical systems, with modern competitive |
| finches, with varying shapes and sizes of beaks, | | | | technology, is specifically engineered and designed for |
| which, twenty-five years later in his revolutionary | | | | maximum overall operational efficiency - in stark |
| book "On the Origin of Species", became the | | | | contrast to Darwin's theory of random-chance |
| center-piece of his theory. His theme was that time | | | | mutations, small, accidental steps, (somehow) |
| and random-chance-mutations had occasionally | | | | continuous generational improvement via |
| provided a natural advantage for obtaining | | | | advantageous overall functioning. The visual evidence |
| seed-foods in various localities with differing plant life | | | | of the whipping-tail was obviously and completely |
| - which had, over time, resulted in the optimization of | | | | incompatible with Darwin 's theory. To their rational |
| the various beak shapes relative to a particular local | | | | minds, the theory of small changes by happenstance, |
| food source. That was the significant conclusion from | | | | which somehow fortuitously combine to achieve a |
| his observations - slight variations in beak shape | | | | wonderment of operational complexity and efficiency |
| during generations, initiated by random happenstance | | | | was totally unacceptable by any scientific standard. It |
| mutations, but providing beneficial advantage in the | | | | was not just a challenge to Darwin- Evolutionism |
| competitive struggle for existence by a functional | | | | theory - it was a shattering of it! |
| improvement, would gradually result in an optimized | | | | Inference to the Best Explanation, |
| beak-shape for a specific source of food. There was | | | | They were scientists, searching for understanding. |
| no need for "intelligent" guidance by a supreme being | | | | While Darwin's theory was brilliant and clearly |
| - Darwin thenextrapolated his thesis beyond the | | | | applicable at the sub-class level (for finch beak |
| finch's beak-shape optimization - to major variations | | | | shapes - or skin-colorings for bears or humans - |
| of all basic life forms of animals, drastic physical | | | | optimizing the amount of Vitamin D absorption for |
| changes in appearance and function which improved | | | | different locale sun-exposures, either deleterious or |
| chances for success in the competition for survival. | | | | beneficial), for the basic and initial origin of living |
| Darwin 's terminology: "natural selection via survival of | | | | entities, however, the analogy to the outboard |
| the fittest." | | | | motor was inescapable. The end result, by logic, could |
| As the scholars and scientists reviewed Darwin 's | | | | only be achieved by end-objective "intelligence", |
| words, ".. cannot take a sudden leap, but must | | | | driving specific detailed "design-engineering" elements. |
| advance by short and sure, but slow steps", they | | | | The methodology of Science is specific with regard |
| noted what he had also said (and what his | | | | to acceptance of the "inference to the best |
| supporters never seem to acknowledge), "However, | | | | explanation". With Darwin's theory clearly inadequate |
| if it could be demonstrated that any complex | | | | and absent other feasible theories, the alternate |
| organism existed which could not possibly have been | | | | concept - first introduced by Behe in his book |
| formed by numerous successive slight modifications, | | | | "Darwin's Black Box" - was firmly selected by the |
| my theory would absolutely break down." (Emphasis | | | | group of scientists as the best possible explanation |
| added.) | | | | for the origin of life forms - "intelligent design"! |
| Bacterial Flagellum Motor, | | | | |