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The BioLogos Forum is designed to foster a serious and comprehensive discussion of Christian faith and the sciences. We believe that charitable engagement of different perspectives within the Church helps sharpen our thinking and deepen our commitment to the truth that is hidden in Christ. So while many of the articles and videos under the distinctive Forum banner come from BioLogos staff and Senior Fellows, we feature a range of voices, including those that disagree with us and with each other. Unless otherwise noted, views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of The BioLogos Foundation. You can read more about what we believe here, and join the conversation in the comments section at the end of each post.
Understanding Evolution: the Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity
One of the challenges for discussing evolution within evangelical Christian circles is that there is widespread confusion about how evolution actually works. In this installment, we examine evidence that proteins in irreducibly complex (IC) systems can form and refine new interactions through gradual mechanisms.
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Understanding Evolution: The Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity, Part 1
I will take some time to clarify exactly how Michael Behe, the biochemist and Intelligent Design (ID) proponent who has most extensively developed the "irreducible complexity" argument, uses the term.
The Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity, Part 2
Not only is this gene brand new, it is also essential for survival: if you remove it, the fly dies.
The Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity, Part 3
The evidence strongly suggests that evolutionary processes can add new components to already complex molecular systems.
The Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity, Part 4
Taken together, these results suggest that the ability to form new protein-protein interactions may be much easier than Behe has estimated.
The Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity, Part 5
In a chapter called “The two binding-sites rule”, Behe lays out his argument for defining the “edge”– the limit of what random mutation and selection can do to create new protein-protein binding sites.
The Evolutionary Origins of Irreducible Complexity, Part 6
In this experiment, the researchers observed the new irreducibly complex system form step by step through “numerous, successive, slight modifications” to the previous IC system. At no point did those modifications remove the function of the original system, but in fact improved it.