Postcripts to letter to God: On why the eye lacks intelligent design

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1454-d

BMJ 2006;332:1454 (17 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1454-d

Letter

Postcripts to letter to God

On why the eye lacks intelligent design

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—If the eye was designed, the designer is in needof urgent reappraisal.¹

The eye is an organ of unsurpassed beauty, its evolution thoughtto be "absurd in the highest possible degree."² But it is hardlya perfect organ or represents perfect design. Its lens becomescloudy, causing visual loss; its anterior chamber may be toonarrow, predisposing to angle closure glaucoma. The vitreousdetaches causing visual obscuration and predisposes to retinaldetachments. The retina is back to front, prone to holes andtears. The blood supply of the retina and optic nerve is proneto occlusion or inflammation with resultant irreversible visualloss.

The nerve supply of the extraocular muscles also shows quiteremarkable design flaws in their origin, pathways, and terminations.The optic pathways are hardly organised in a sensible fashion,indeed they may be affected by a stroke, resulting in visualloss with anatomically untouched . . . [Full text of this article]

Andy Wood, senior house officer, ophthalmology

Glasgow andydjw@yahoo.co.uk