The Hearing Ear Has Something to Say

The Bible boldly affirms, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both” (Proverbs 20:12, emphasis added throughout). These remarkable sensory organs take in the surrounding world, but they also declare something to us: They were clearly designed, the handiwork of a Master Designer. Besides the intricate mechanism of the inner ear, let’s consider the form of the outer ear and the substance protecting the entryway.

The outer ear—shaped for sound reception

In presenting his evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin regarded the human outer ear as lacking development since it did not move like those of many other mammals and did not seem to help in hearing. He wrote in his book The Descent of Man: “The extrinsic muscles which serve to move the whole external ear, and the intrinsic muscles which move the different parts . . . are in a rudimentary condition in man; they are also variable in development, or at least in function . . . The whole external shell of the ear may be considered a rudiment, together with the various folds and prominences” (1871, Vol. 1, pp. 20-21).

Yet it’s now known that the external ear is vital to good hearing. During the Afghanistan War, Taliban forces engaged in extreme punishment of those suspected of collaborating with Western troops, including gruesomely chopping off their ears and noses. Journalist Christopher Beam wrote: “Can the victims still hear and smell? Yes, but with more difficulty. The outer part of your ear, known as the pinna, funnels sound into your ear canal, like a megaphone in reverse. If someone cut it off, everything would sound quieter . . .

“The pinnae also tell you where sounds are coming from: The ridges and grooves shape sound waves differently depending on where the sound originates. As a result, the brain learns to associate certain amplification patterns with certain directions. So, if you lost your ears, you might be able to tell what music you’re hearing, but not where the speakers are” (“Can You Hear Without Ears?” Slate, March 21, 2007).

So Darwin was wrong. The outer ear helps substantially in sound amplification and localization. Dr. Geoffrey Simmons has pointed out: “Our ears act like satellite dishes, capturing and focusing sound waves centrally down the ear canal. Although they cannot move to better capture the sounds, our heads will automatically turn to improve reception. Notice how a hard-of-hearing person might cup a hand behind an ear. The irregular shape of our outer ears, with a broader, curled back half, acts like a cupped hand” (What Darwin Didn’t Know, 2004, p. 120).

From the outside in—a protective coating

And then there’s the passage from the outer to the inner ear—the ear canal with its special coating. As Simmons further noted: “Earwax seems to protect us from mites, and tiny hairs keep out small debris.”

Now, for most people, earwax is rarely thought about or is regarded as a minor nuisance—something to be cleaned out with a swab. Yet scientists have discovered that earwax is crucial to the health of our inner ears and essential to good hearing.

Also known as cerumen, earwax is an oily substance produced by specialized glands in the ear canal. Made up of a precise blend of fatty acids and cholesterol, it acts like a powerful yet gentle push broom, sweeping out harmful elements that enter our ear canal.

More specifically, here are four features we should be thankful for, as they keep our inner ear healthy:

1. It protects the inner ear from dust, microorganisms and water. Due to its oily nature, it repels water from getting further inside the ear canal and possibly damaging it. At the same time, it still permits air and sound to enter the inner ear.

2. Earwax mixes with hair fibers to provide a natural filter that traps dust and other harmful particles. When it combines with dust, its chemistry changes and the viscous liquid becomes crumbly, allowing the wax to separate and fall out of the ear.

3. It contains antibacterial and antifungal properties which kill germs and fungus.

4. Its oily nature helps lubricate the ear canal as the earwax moves toward the outer ear, made possible by motions of the jaw, allowing it to exit with all its debris.

While evolutionists would insist that earwax is just another accidental and unplanned feature that evolved over time, the idea that this remarkable substance with just the right properties suddenly appeared to protect mammalian ears is not truly rational.

An optimal design engineers want to mimic

Furthermore, Dr. Fazale Rana points out: “Earwax is worth thinking about, because it is a remarkable substance with extraordinary properties, as recent work by engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) attests. In fact, the GIT researchers think that they can use their new insight about earwax to develop specialized filters for electronic devices that must perform in dusty environments.

“By using earwax as an inspiration for new technology, these researchers have unwittingly provided more evidence for intelligent design, while at the same time raising a powerful challenge to the evolutionary explanation for the history and design of life” (“Earwax Discovery Gives New Hearing to the Case for Intelligent Design,” Reasons to Believe, Feb. 22, 2017).

The engineers have been encouraged by the fact that cerumen is not limited to human ears, the GIT team noting: “The properties of earwax are extremely consistent across different mammals, which have a variety of ear shapes and sizes. The thickness, the way it flows, and even the appearance is highly similar. This indicates that those properties of earwax seem to be a solution that works well across species” (“The Technological Potential of Earwax,” Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Jan. 6, 2017, p. 1).

The GIT researchers were so impressed with the effectiveness of earwax that they want to use it as a template for “some sort of biomimetic earwax adhesive surface that can be used in a ventilation system for robotics or for other kinds of machinery” (ibid.).

As Dr. Rana summarizes: “It has become rather commonplace for engineers to employ insights from biology to solve engineering problems and to inspire the invention of new technologies. This activity falls under the domain of two relatively new and exciting areas of engineering known as biomimetics and bioinspiration. As the names imply, biomimetics involves direct copying (or mimicry) of designs from biology, whereas bioinspiration relies on insights from biology to guide the engineering enterprise.”

“From my perspective,” he adds, “the use of biological designs to guide engineering efforts seems fundamentally at odds with evolutionary theory. Generally, evolutionary biologists view biological systems as the products of an unguided, historically contingent process that co-opts preexisting systems to cobble together new ones. Evolutionary mechanisms can optimize these systems, but they are still kludges [clunky and inept], in essence.”

Hear the message loud and clear

As it turns out, then, these features of our ears are not rudimentary but vital elements to hearing and health. Without the biological reception dish of our outer ear, sound would be insufficiently directed to the inner mechanisms. And without earwax as a debris filter and cleansing lubricant, our ear canals would constantly clog and get infected, and eventually we could lose our hearing and suffer other ailments. No wonder our Creator made  sure all mammals had this essential feature as a protector against harmful elements.

Sadly, we live in an increasingly unbelieving world. Yet the testimony of God’s careful design of life can be seen even in its tiniest details.

God gives reprimand to vain men who deny Him in these terms: “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law” (Psalm 94:9-12).

Be instructed by the miraculous creation of God. As Jesus Christ said on multiple occasions, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”