Man Continues to Learn From Design Features in Living Things

If God created all living things, and if He has used wisdom and intelligence in the design of these living things, then man should be able to look at the world around him and see things he can copy to meet the needs he has in the physical world in which we live. If everything is the result of chance, then survival is the only issue and the processes of genetic mutation and natural selection will produce only what is necessary for survival, and there will be no pattern of purpose or design in the living things around us. As we learn more and more about living things, we find more and more ways to do things to make our lives easier and more comfortable. In the Smithsonian magazine (July 2002, pages 78-84) there is a list of things that man has discovered by copying things that man saw in the world around him. Many of these things are not survival issues, but what we see in nature shows such wisdom and intelligence that we have used it to build the things that make your life better in material ways. Consider these examples.

Chain Saw Teeth: Built by noticing and copying the mandibles of a wood-boring beetle larvae. Barb Wire: Built by noticing the thorns of the osage orange tree by Michael Kelly in 1868. Velcro: Built by George de Mestral in the 1940s by copying the cocklebur. Entropy Carpet: Gets its color by refraction of light, not dye. Discovered by copying snake skin and the way some birds and reptiles have color. Entropy Carpet: Gets its color by refraction of light, not dye. Discovered by copying snake skin and the way some birds and reptiles have color. Multifrequency Echolocation: Copied from bats. Torsion Tips on Wings of Airplanes: Discovered by Wilbur Wright by studying the flight of buzzards. New Navy Weapon and Unexploded Ordinance Locator: Discovered by studying the small hairs on the antennules of spiny lobsters. New Directional Hearing Aids: Examination of the ormia fly which uses directional microphones in locating food. Reusable Adhesive Tape: Discovered by studying the microscopic hairs in the gecko. Use All Glue: Found by studying a protein in mussels that enables these creatures to stick to all kinds of rocks in all kinds of condition Dirt Repelling Fabric Called Lotusan: Discovered by studying the surface of the lotus plant which grows in filthy places but has no dirt stick to it. Water Based Lubricant: Found by studying the saliva of giraffes.

Romans 1:19-22 tells us we can know that there is a God through the things that He has made, but it is also true that we can gain great practical knowledge by studying the design features on what God has made and learn how to copy it to solve our problems here on earth. We would suggest that we can also solve our problems of how to live with one another if we will just follow God's plan for living. Following Christ's example and living the way He taught us to live can bring us the best in life. Timothy says it best: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man (or woman) of God may be complete--totally furnished to all of life" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God's wisdom surrounds us, and we need to allow him to be the guiding force in what we do and how we live. 

--John N. Clayton

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