Abstract
Biologists routinely deploy the language of intentional design in describing and explaining the characteristics of the entities they study. For example: The eyespots on the wings of some moths function to misdirect the pecks of avian predators, increasing the moths’ chances of escape. Upon emerging from their long subterreanean sojourn, male 17- year cicadas have just one purpose: to find a mate and pass on their genes, thereby completing the bizarre life cycle that defines their existence. The exquisitely sensitive infrared heat sensors of pit vipers are superbly designed for detecting warm-blooded prey, even in total darkness.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1044-1046 |
| Journal | BioScience |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| State | Published - 2004 |
Disciplines
- Philosophy