“Intelligent design” refers to a scientific research program as well as a community of scientists, philosophers and other scholars who seek evidence of design in nature. Through the study and analysis of a system’s components, a design theorist is able to determine whether various natural structures are the product of chance, natural law, intelligent design, or some combination thereof.
For example, consider Mount Rushmore:
The pattern of the rocks in the talus slopes below the faces is due primarily to chance and natural law. The pattern of erosion alongside the faces is due primarily to natural law and chance. The pattern of the presidents’ faces is due primarily to intelligent design.
In nature, design theorists cite information rich systems like the genetic code, irreducibly complex systems like the bacterial flagellum, and the fine-tuning of the laws of physics as evidence of intelligent design.
Design theorists are currently engaged in research in the fields of biology, bio-chemistry, genetics, astronomy, information theory, cosmology, physics, and paleontology.
For more information contact Discovery Institute or Access Research Network