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Evidence ID: PHIL-EV02
Evidence: Design Patterns Found Throughout Creation
Summary: Creation is marked by fundamental patterns of design. They appear in all facets of creation. Notable patterns include Fibonacci's Golden Rule, symmetry, and interdependency. Because these patterns are ubiquitous in nature, they speak of a single Intelligent Designer who finds joy in creating constancy, order, and purpose.
Description: In 1977, Christopher Alexander, a British architect and design theorist, influenced the building industry with the notion of reusable designs [REF-ALEX01]. His concepts quickly spread to all corners of the building industry, as well as numerous other industries.
The idea of reusable design patterns meant that common design elements could be standardized across all applications. His catalogue of reusable design patterns included window systems, door systems, wall systems, and other common architectural elements. Essentially, reusable design patterns codified the best design practices in the building industry. They made it easier for architects to design buildings by stitching together proven architectural elements.
We observe numerous patterns of design in creation. This begs the question, "Is it possible for these patterns of design to emerge randomly in creation?
The cosmological constants and physical laws that govern creation are universal [COS-EV16]. They can be observed on earth and in the furthest reaches of outer space.
For example, the constants and laws of gravitational attraction apply between the proton and electrons in an atom, and between planetary bodies. They do not vary from location to location. Nor do they vary with different types of matter.
The Fibonacci sequence is perhaps the quintessential example of design patterns in the natural world [REF-FIB02]. Fibonacci numbers appear often enough that they warrant our attention.
The Fibonacci sequence consists of the following numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, and so on. Each number in the sequence is the sum of the proceeding two numbers. The ratio between any two consecutive numbers is always 1.618! This ratio is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule or Golden Ratio.
The range of examples that conform to the Fibonacci Golden Rule is astounding. Here are some examples [REF-FIB01].
The important thing to note about Fibonacci numbers is that they broadly span all facets of creation from solar systems, to planetary systems, to living systems. This fundamental principle of numerology is ubiquitous throughout all creation.
Other notable patterns in nature include trees, fractals, voronoi, and tessellations [REF-PAT01].
In addition to patterns of design, creation is marked by various design properties. This includes such properties as symmetry, duplication, uniformity, simplicity, and others.
Symmetry is a property involving organization. With symmetry, an object can be divided into two or more pieces that are identical. For example, the human body can be divided into two halves that are a mirror image each other. This is known as bilateral symmetry.
Similarly, a starfish can be divided around its center into five identical pieces. This is known as pentagonal symmetry. Most biological object have some form of symmetry.
Duplication is a property involving composition. For example, many organs in the human body are duplicated. Humans have two arms, two eyes, two ears, two livers, and so on. Similarly, all starfish have five arms.
Many designs from the engineering community are influenced by patterns found in the natural world. This is because natural designs have proven over time to be practical, reliable, and robust. Why reinvent the wheel?
In our highly independent culture, we rarely acknowledge our dependence on others. That is not the case with physical systems.
Most, if not all, systems in creation are highly interdependent. Each subsystem cooperatively depends on the other subsystems for survival. This is certainly the case with all astronomical systems and biological systems.
The best example of this principle is the human body. The circulatory system consisting of the heart, arteries, and veins, greatly depends on all other systems to function properly. It depends on the nervous system to electrically stimulate the heart muscles to pump blood. If depends on the respiratory system to provide oxygen to the heart muscles. It depends on the digestive system to provide amino acids to nourish the heart. If any one of these systems fails, the circulatory system fails as well.
In addition, each system is dependent on all other systems. Life on earth is dependent on the physical planetary properties such as gravity, atmosphere, and solar energy. In turn, our earth is dependent on our solar system, our solar system is dependent on the universe, and so on. Essentially, all creation is in a state of equilibrium [COS-EV16].
Clearly, creation is marked by patterns of design. They are all around us. We observe them with the telescope, the microscope, and the naked eye.
What is remarkable about these patterns is they transcend all creation. This points to a single source, namely an Intelligent Designer.
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