When you think of laser beams, peacocks—with their fabulous tails—probably don’t come to mind. But apparently, they should! A new study found that the eyespots on the male peafowl’s tail “have unique properties that align light waves
The researchers used a special dye to mark areas on the tail feathers, searching for “structures that may emit a very different signature glow.” And they found it. Now you may wonder how a biological system can create a laser but here’s how it works:
Shine a light on atoms in certain materials, such as certain dyes or crystals, and they’ll collectively excite one another into releasing a flood of photons. . .
To become a bona fide laser beam, however, the buildup of stimulated waves must be neatly aligned so their phases march in step. One way to achieve this is to reflect the waves back and forth in a confined space known as an optical cavity.
The researchers found evidence of optical cavities in the form of resonating nanostructures in different parts of the eyespot, all faintly emitting two different wavelengths: green and yellow/orange.
Researchers hope that their findings can inspire new designs in biological lasers—another example of biomimicry where people copy God’s amazing designs (much of our technology is invented that way).
Now, of course, the popular science article reporting on this had to tie the findings into supposed evolutionary history: “As for the peacocks, we can only guess why evolution built lasers into their stunningly iridescent plumage.”
Evolution had nothing to do with this incredibly complex design! The genetic information to create these stunning feathers was put in the landfowl kind (which includes peafowl) when God created them on day five of creation week. The complexity of biological lasers points to the handiwork of the Creator, not random chance over millions of years. A reminder that God thought of lasers first!
God’s glory is seen in everything he’s created, no matter where we look: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
