Meaning of Beauty Explained in Beautiful New Illustra Film

Why is there beauty in the living world? We all recognize it. The implications take center stage in the design-vs-Darwin debate.

A beautiful short film is being released today by Illustra Media on its flagship web page, The John 10:10 Project (thejohn1010project.com). And the subject is Beauty itself!

Titled Beauty, Darwin and Design, this 8-1/2 minute feature begins with the peacock tail and launches into a thought-provoking narration about the meaning of beauty in the living world. What does it signify? Can Darwin’s chance-and-survival worldview account for breathtaking beauty?

As the film shows, there are often levels of beautiful design even deeper than the overall impression one gets looking at a peacock. Learn why the sight of a peacock’s tail made Charles Darwin sick to his stomach! He would have been even more sick if he knew then what we know now about what goes into making such a marvelous natural work of art. Watch for the short animation of intersecting Fibonacci spirals in the arrangement of eyespots, and the complexity of barbules at the microscopic scale.

The peacock is just one instance among dozens of glorious examples of pageantry and color that parade across the screen in this film. Charles Darwin said, “Beauty created for its own sake… would be absolutely fatal to my theory.”

Philosopher of biology Paul Nelson explores the implications of natural beauty in his usual clear, expressive way. Watch and see this new release right here:

This short film can be shared easily using the paper-airplane icon at the top right. It deserves to be shared widely. When sharing, point your friends and contacts to the website, thejohn1010project.com, and to its many other wonderful short films like this.

If you appreciate the work of Illustra to produce films of this quality, visit the John 10:10 Project and Sign Up. Consider becoming a regular donor to support their ongoing efforts. Many new projects are in the queue. Also, join their Facebook Page, and follow them on Twitter at label: @illustramedia