Page 10 - Design in Nature

Introduction

et us for a moment think of an aspirin; you will immediately recall
the mark in the middle. This mark is designed to help those who take
L a half dose. Every product that we see around us, even if not as
simple as the aspirin, is of a certain design, from the vehicles we use to go to
work, to TV remote controls.
Design, in brief, means a harmonious assembling of various parts in an
orderly form designed for a common goal. Going by this definition, one has
no difficulty in guessing that a car is a design. This is because there is a
certain goal, which is to transport people and cargo. In realisation of this
goal, various parts such as the engine, tires and body are planned and
assembled in a factory.
However, what about living creatures? Can a bird and the mechanics of
its flight be a design as well? Before giving an answer, let us repeat the
evaluation we did in the example of the car. The goal, in this case, is to fly.
For this purpose, hollow, light-weight bones and the strong breast muscles
that move these bones are utilised together with feathers capable of
suspension in the air. Wings are formed aerodynamically, and the
metabolism is in tune with the bird's need for high levels of energy. It is
obvious that the bird is a product of a certain design.
If we leave aside the bird and examine other forms of life, we encounter
the same truth. In every creature, there are examples of extremely well-
conceived design. If we continue further on this quest, we discover that we