Rube-Goldberg Cascades of Molecular Reactions

RPM found this on The Disgruntled Chemist's blog: the most awesome Rube-Goldberg machine I have ever seen. Much better than the one built by the Mythbusters guys. Just follow this link and watch the movie!

RPM complains that it does not appear to actually do anything, but, who cares? The thing is so intricate! Think of it this way - this is a metaphor for a cell: the (circadian) clock sounds an alarm and as a result a large number of molecular interactions occur resulting, in the end, in the opening of the curtain an ion channel.

I have already mentioned here, here and here that a Rube-Goldberg machine is a better metaphor for the circadian mechanism than the Clock, but it is also a better metaphor for all things intracellular as well: one biochemical reaction leading to another, to another, to another....

More like this

Sometimes a metaphor used in science is useful for research but not so useful when it comes to popular perceptions. And sometimes even scientists come under the spell of the metaphor. One of those unfortunate two-faced metaphors is the metaphor of the Biological Clock. First of all, there are at…
Sometimes a metaphor used in science is useful for research but not so useful when it comes to popular perceptions. And sometimes even scientists come under the spell of the metaphor. One of those unfortunate two-faced metaphors is the metaphor of the Biological Clock. First of all, there are at…
An oldie but goodie (June 12, 2005) debunking one of the rare Creationist claims that encroaches onto my territory. ------------------------------------------------------- I got homework to do. PZ Myers alerted me to an incredible argument that the existence of circadian rhythms denies evolution!…
An oldie but goodie (June 12, 2005) debunking one of the rare Creationist claims that encroaches onto my territory. ------------------------------------------------------- I got homework to do. PZ Myers alerted me to an incredible argument that the existence of circadian rhythms denies evolution!…

"a Rube-Goldberg machine is a better metaphor for the circadian mechanism than the Clock, but it is also a better metaphor for all things intracellular as well: one biochemical reaction leading to another, to another, to another...."

I think all you pro-evolution folks should adopt and expand on this theme. If everything intracellular is Rube Goldberg, that should be pretty convincing evidence for random mutation and natural selection. I doubt that the ID folks would like to see their "intelligent designer" revealed to be Rube Goldberg.