Superfluous Splendor
In search of a film that dazzles the senses while enlarging the mind? I cannot recommend The Story of Everything highly enough. This masterfully produced documentary, written by Stephen Meyer—philosopher of science and author of Return of the God Hypothesis—is deeply thought-provoking. I watched it with a friend during its theatrical release, and the experience left me awestruck.
The film takes viewers through three majestic realms: the immense cosmos with its finely tuned laws, the molecular machinery of the living cell, and the elegant information code inscribed in deoxyribonucleic acid (dna). It reveals how modern science—from the tuned constants that govern galaxies to the sophistication within every cell—points not to blind chance but to transcendent intelligence beyond space and time.
During my undergraduate studies in biology at Central Michigan University, I immersed myself in the creation-evolution debate. Late nights in the library and passionate discussions with professors and fellow students shaped my thinking. I knew the core argument Meyer makes in his book and in this film: Even the simplest living cell brims with vast quantities of functionally specified, complex information. Nucleotide sequences function like sophisticated software, directing the assembly of intricate molecular machines—tiny motors, pumps and factories working with awe-inspiring precision.
Charles Darwin knew nothing of genetics or the information system inside the cell; his theory of natural selection was formulated decades before the discovery of dna and the genetic code. Such information-rich systems resist explanation by undirected material processes alone; they cry out for a designer.
Yet the documentary unveiled a fresh insight: the reality of gratuitous beauty.
This concept struck me more deeply than I expected. Nature does not merely function: It overflows with artistry that far surpasses any demand of mere utility. Consider the peacock’s iridescent train; a sunset ablaze in hues no palette can capture; the geometric displays of color on butterfly wings; the shimmering aurora borealis; or the lace-like symmetry of a snowflake.
None of these wonders is strictly necessary. A peacock could survive without an iridescent green tail. A simple hexagonal prism would suffice for snow. While water’s polar molecule structure mandates basic six-fold symmetry in ice crystals, it does not require the exquisite fractal branching that graces the finest specimens.
Yet such artistry saturates creation at every level. From the microscopic to the cosmic, it whispers that the mind behind the universe delights in beauty for beauty’s sake and lavishes these gifts upon creatures designed to perceive them.
The Story of Everything also shares a striking anecdote about Francis Crick, co-discoverer with James Watson of dna’s iconic double-helix structure. Upon discerning the molecule’s exquisite geometry—its graceful twists and proportions aligning with striking precision to the golden ratio—Crick was awestruck by its unexpected, transcendent elegance. He exclaimed, “It’s so beautiful, it’s got to be right.”
That reaction is profound. In a universe forged solely by random chance, beauty should appear as a rare, accidental byproduct. Instead, it proves universally pervasive—woven into the very fabric of reality. Scientists have long invoked a “beauty principle”: the more elegant and harmonious a theory, the more likely it mirrors the deep reality of the universe. In short, beauty becomes a reliable guide to truth.
We take beauty for granted only because we inhabit a universe inundated with it. Yet such superfluous splendor only makes sense if we are the handiwork of a Master Artist. “Gratuitous beauty,” exclaims biochemist Michael Behe in the film: “It’s like God grabbing us by the neck and getting our attention.”
Beauty is not merely in the eye of the beholder. While personal taste, cultural background and individual experience add nuance, a deep objective reality underlies it all, encoded into the cosmos itself.
This foundation reveals itself everywhere: in the golden spirals of nautilus shells; in the bilateral symmetry of attractive faces; in the harmonic frequencies of music; in Fibonacci patterns of pinecones; in fractal branching of rivers; in the wave patterns that create rainbows; and in the rich color palette of the visible spectrum—those precise wavelengths are perfectly tuned to the sensitivity of the human eye.
These are not random accidents. They are signatures of intentionality—order, symmetry, proportion and harmony embedded throughout reality. A chance-driven universe, besides being impossible, should trend toward chaos and ugliness. But our very real universe is suffused with elegance and beauty.
Thousands of years ago, King David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, marveled at creation and declared, “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Psalm 104:24, 31; New International Version).
The Story of Everything does more than present evidence; it captures David’s sense of wonder. In a skeptical age dominated by materialism, it reminds us that the universe is not a cold machine but a masterpiece overflowing with splendor. Beauty arrests our attention, stirs our souls, and lifts our gaze toward the one who crafted it all—not out of necessity but out of love for the delightful and the true.