Overdesign – Part 3

9900900 – montage of woman pulling different expressions

This month we wrap up our series on overdesign in nature, times when a system has design features that are above and beyond basic functionality, and far beyond what would give any survival advantage. I want to now consider overdesign in humans. There are a number of areas that we could discuss, including finger dexterity, rich verbal skills, consciousness, and our vast creativity. But I want to particularly focus upon facial expression. This is something we don’t typically think about. Creationist Stuart Burgess notes, “The ability to make facial expressions is very important in human communication and relationships. People constantly observe and react to the facial expressions of others around them, even though they may not be aware they are doing this.” Humans have approximately 50 separate facial muscles, almost twice as many as apes. All these muscles permit as many as 10,000 discernible facial expressions! Think about how many different shades and intensities there are for a smile. Proverbs 15:30 tells us that a cheerful look brings joy to the heart. But all these unique expressions must also be recognized by the human brain. Our mind has the remarkable ability to recognize facial subtleties very quickly, making it difficult for someone to hide their emotions. All of these tiny shades of communication tremendously enrich our lives. But evolutionists have no credible explanation as to why so many precise facial muscles and intricacies of communication helped in basic survival.

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Dave.