Behe's Mouse Trap Example

Behe's mouse trap example illustrates the concept of "irreducible complexity," which argues that certain biological systems, like a mouse trap, require all their parts to function. Just as a mouse trap won't catch a mouse if any part is missing, Behe suggests that some biological systems cannot operate if any components are absent. This idea is often used to argue against the theory of evolution, claiming that complex systems couldn't have evolved step by step. Critics, however, argue that evolution can build complex structures from simpler ones over time, and that parts can have different functions before contributing to a new system.