I guess I was trying to draw a distinction between biological systems and man made machines. I find the difference striking. I can look at a car engine, and if I stare at it long enough, I can make sense of it. The engine makes sense to me not just because it was designed by another human but also because its design is non-random. When I stare at the protein KcsA, which is the biological system that I study, I cannot make sense of its design. My conclusion is that its design is an outcome of chance. The protein works and has a design but it is not one that I can figure out.

Man made machines have a rational design. Biological systems have an "irrational" design. The most striking characteristic of a randomly designed system is that you cannot restart it. Once you shut it off it dies permanently.