Dear Resident Theists

[Cyberman]

Are you really trying to appeal to Stephen Hawking's authority here? As though he supports your assertion about fine-tuning, or in any way even vaguely suggests that the universe was 'designed'? His works, and many of his musings, repeatedly talk about how no god is required and go against completely your own assertions. The conclusions you make from the universe are poles apart from his. Just read any of his books.

Yes, I'm perfectly aware of what scientists like Stephen Hawking say on the topic of the universe being designed, doesn't appear that you are however. It's very disingenuous to namedrop someone like Hawking as though he would in any way endorse your own views.

Not at all Napoleon.  I'm quite aware that Hawking's conclusion and my own are polar opposites.  I merely mentioned that even scientific leaders such as Hawking lend credence to the immense design and, precision and fine-tuning of the universe.  He reaches a different conclusion than I do.

This is part of the 1991 Royal Institution Christmas Lecture given by Richard Dawkins, "Designed and Designoid Objects". The video description says:

The problem of design.

Most objects in our world can be divided into two types: simple or designed. A pebble on a beach is a simple object, smoothed and rounded by physics alone. The same is true of stars and planets. A microscope or a calculator, on the other hand, is designed. Their existence has been moulded by humans with foresight to aid the examination of specimens, or help with mathematical sums.    

But there also exists another type of object which is neither simple, nor designed. These so-called ‘designoid’ objects have an internal and external complexity that makes us believe they have been exquisitely created for a specific purpose.

In his second lecture, Richard Dawkins explores the world of designoid objects. He reveals how the evolution of these beautiful creations has relied on natural selection over generations of time. Simple foundations have evolved into complex objects, like the inefficient webs once spun by spiders to the beautifully complex and efficient means of catching prey we see today.

But not everyone believes in evolution by natural selection. Creationists believe in the idea of a ‘watchmaker’ – a divine being responsible for creating everything in existence. But if there is such a being at work, why do designoid objects contain imperfections? Richard reminds us that designoid objects cannot come about by chance, but instead rely on a gradual process of selection that determines their function on Earth.