This one at the creationist blog of the Discovery Institute is very difficult for your Curmudgeon. Either the Discoveroid post is so brilliant that we can’t grasp a bit of what they’re saying, or it’s so bizarre that no one can grasp it. We’ll let you decide. The thing is titled Fleshing Out a Theory of Biological Design, and it has no author’s by-line. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:
On a new episode of ID the Future [Ooooooooooooh! A Discoveroid podcast!], author and engineer Steve Laufmann delves into the theory of biological design he develops in Your Designed Body, his new book co-authored with physician Howard Glicksman.
We mentioned Laufman and his book a few weeks ago — see Pregnancy Is Proof of Intelligent Design. As we said then, his book is published by the Discovery Institute — your guarantee of quality!
Okay, let’s get back to the new Discoveroid post. They say:
Laufmann explains how his engineering background has helped him further develop design theory and, with help from Glicksman, apply it to the human body.
Thrilling, isn’t it? After that they tell us:
In exploring the causal capacities of intelligent design [The what?], Laufmann spotlights four elements: (1) intentional actions, which in turn require mind, agency, and foresight; (2) adaptive capabilities, which involve, among other things, control systems that employ sensors, logic, and effectors; (3) design properties (e.g., modularity); and (4) degradation prevention.
We don’t know what they just said, but those things are “four elements” of “the causal capacities of intelligent design.” The Discoveroid post continues:
The last of these features [degradation prevention] is implemented by engineers to get a system to last longer. In the case of living organisms, it works at the individual level, as with our immune system and other bodily repair systems; but as Laufmann notes, it also works across generations to slow genetic degradation.
The Discoveroids seem to be experts on degradation. Let’s read on:
Laufmann and host Michael Egnor explore these and other insights at the intersection of biology and engineering.
That’s a busy intersection! And now we come to the end:
Download the podcast or listen to it here. [Link omitted!]
Okay, dear reader — you’ve been wanting to dive deeply into essence of intelligent design. This is your big opportunity. And if you can figure out what’s going on, get back here and explain it to us.
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