IT TAKES a remarkable book to deflate the adherents of both Darwinism and intelligent design (ID) in one fell swoop. In Kluge, Gary Marcus chronicles nature’s efforts to perfect the human mind. He points out that, while evolution can achieve impressive feats of engineering – as scientists often remind the ID folk – it is also capable of some sloppy work.
A “kluge” is a patched-together solution to a problem – a jury-rig assembled from whatever materials are at hand, MacGyver-style. Science and engineering labs abound with kluges. A physics professor once told me, “The best piece of equipment is one that…
