Knocking Evolution Over with a Feather

Deuteronomy 32:11
“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:”

The foundation of evolution is so weak, the flight feather of a bird can send it crumbling to the ground. Perhaps no one is better equipped to speak on the amazing design of flight feathers than Dr. Stuart Burgess, the engineer who designed the solar array deployment system on the European Space Agency’s earth observation satellite. In addition to his engineering work at Bristol University, he is the author of Hallmarks of Design: Evidence of Purposeful Design and Beauty in Nature.

While evolutionists admit that the feather is an amazing structure, they insist that it evolved by a long series of genetic mistakes. But Dr. Burgess makes it clear that this is just impossible. The interlocking barbs and barbules must all be in place simultaneously for the feather to function.

To borrow a phrase from the Intelligent Design folks, the feather is irreducibly complex. All it takes is a single feather to show that the theory of evolution is a theory that just won’t fly.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, whenever I see a bird in flight, remind me that it is You who gave them their remarkable ability to fly. Amen.

Author: Steven J. Schwartz
Ref: S. Burgess, Hallmarks of Design, pp. 38-39 (Day One Publications, 2002). Photo: Budgerigar feather, magnified, showing interlocking barbules. Courtesy of Hoodedwarbler12. (CC-BY-SA 3.0)