Recent studies describing sophisticated plant traits, and some of the insects that feed on those plants, highlight once again how biology may be interpreted very differently. But usually, these interpretations are largely dependent on a researcher’s preexisting beliefs about the origins of living things.

When you observe nature, especially living things, does what you see look purposeful or messy? In other words, do living things have body parts that look like they have a proper fit and function, or do they seem as though they were cobbled together through some kind of tinkering process?