
Specified Complexity
Specified Complexity
By Les Sherlock Feb 2021 (Originally posted c 2014)
Arguably, one of the greatest evidences for the impossibility of Darwin’s theory of the Evolution of Species is that of specified complexity. Every form of life on Earth is largely controlled by DNA, the ‘computer code’ in every cell that determines body size, shape, and many other things. There are just four different ‘letters’ in DNA: A, C, G and T. DNA, therefore, with a huge number of these ‘letters, all of which must be in the correct place and order, is both specified and complex.
It is specified because the order in which those four letters appear is absolutely critical. Just one mistake in one letter can be the difference between life and death. For example, an error of one letter through mutation in humans, has resulted in sickle cell anaemia: a highly debilitating defect in the blood that usually results in early death.
It is complex, of course, because there are so many ‘letters’ contained in DNA, with just over one million of them in the smallest living thing capable of independent life, and over three billion in humans.
Mutation is the only means any evolutionist has ever been able to come up with that could change existing DNA to produce the ever-increasing amounts of DNA information required to enable the first, single-cell organism they claim randomly appeared from inanimate matter, to develop different physical features and thus produce all the many millions of different life-forms on the planet. However, mutation is random mistakes in copying DNA letters, and while this certainly will produce change, random activity can never increase specified complexity.
An example of specified complexity would be a pack of playing cards, arranged in numerical and suit order. Shuffling the pack would make it less specified, while not changing the complexity. Adding a second pack of shuffled cards would increase the complexity but would not make it any more specified. For new organs to evolve, which is essential to enable all the forms of life on earth to form from a single cell, additional DNA coding must appear (increased complexity), accurately coding (increased specificity) for the new organ.
It is certainly possible for mutation to increase the complexity, since there are observations of occasions when sections of DNA have been duplicated: for example, the cause of Down’s Syndrome, where the DNA has an extra chromosome. However, as can be seen from the ailment, the result is damage, not improvement. It is absolutely impossible for mutation to go on to increase the specificity of this extra chromosome in order to enable it to code for an additional feature that did not previously exist in humans, in the same way that shuffling a pack of cards cannot increase its orderliness.

Half a pack of cards:
specified complexity
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Now a full pack of cards:
greater complexity, but because the new cards are in no particular order, they are no more specified
Another example is the craft of dry stone wall building, found in parts of England. The photo below and at the top of the home page shows such a wall in Derbyshire. Stones of different sizes are carefully chosen by the builder, and laid upon each other in such a way that they interlock and produce a wall that can remain standing for many decades. No mortar, cement or any other agent is used to hold the stones in place, and as can be seen from the photo, the top layer of stones is laid differently from those below.

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