irreducible complexity

collocation in English

meaningsofirreducibleandcomplexity

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withcomplexity.
irreducible
adjective
uk
/ˌɪr.ɪˈdʒuː.sə.bəl/us
/ˌɪr.əˈduː.sə.bəl/
impossible to make smaller ...
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complexity
noun
uk
/kəmˈplek.sə.ti/us
/kəmˈplek.sə.t̬i/
the state of having many parts and being difficult to understand or find an ...
See more atcomplexity

(Definition ofirreducibleandcomplexityfrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofirreducible complexity

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Strong positive epistasis is sometimes referred to by creationists asirreduciblecomplexity(although most examples are misidentified).
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Ifirreduciblecomplexityis an insurmountable obstacle to evolution, it should not be possible to conceive of such pathways.
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In their theory, they describe how certain mutation and changes can cause apparentirreduciblecomplexity.
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His work has been discussed in arguments concerning intelligent design andirreduciblecomplexity.
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He argues thatirreduciblecomplexityin an object guarantees the presence of intelligent design.
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Irreduciblecomplexityis not an argument that evolution does not occur, but rather an argument that it is incomplete.
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By raising the question of the need for a designer for objects withirreduciblecomplexity, intelligent design also raises the question, what designed the designer?
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Such an argument bears similarities toirreduciblecomplexity, a common argument against evolution.
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This model fits the definition ofirreduciblecomplexityexactly, yet it evolves.
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Such publications introduced concepts central to intelligent design, including "irreduciblecomplexity" (a variant of the watchmaker analogy) and "specified complexity" (closely resembling a fine-tuning argument).
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Specified complexity is one of the two main arguments used by intelligent design proponents, the other beingirreduciblecomplexity.
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It is frequently cited by intelligent design and creationism advocates as an example ofirreduciblecomplexity.
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There has also been a theory that challengesirreduciblecomplexitycalled facilitated variation.
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Theirreduciblecomplexityargument assumes that the necessary parts of a system have always been necessary, and therefore could not have been added sequentially.
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If empirical evidence supported this instance, it would be affirmation of the creationist argument in favor ofirreduciblecomplexity.
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Critics point out that theirreduciblecomplexityargument assumes that the necessary parts of a system have always been necessary and therefore could not have been added sequentially.
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Behe has stated that the results of the paper support his notion ofirreduciblecomplexity, based on the calculation of the probability of mutations required for evolution to succeed.
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Behe additionally testified that the presence ofirreduciblecomplexityin organisms would not rule out the involvement of evolutionary mechanisms in the development of organic life.
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Bothirreduciblecomplexityand specified complexity present detailed negative assertions that certain features (biological and informational, respectively) are too complex to be the result of natural processes.
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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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