Would you propose “design” if you receive a radio signal — 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17,… — that you recognize as a long string of prime numbers?
William Dembski, a prominent design theorist, uses the concept of complex specified information to describe signs of design. A short string of prime numbers (like “2 3”) is not complex, so it could easily occur by chance. A long string of random numbers is complex, but is not specified because it has no pattern or function. But a long string of prime numbers is complex and (due to its conceptual functionality) is specified. Other types of specification due to functionality occur when you read a paragraph and understand the meaning, or when a combination of metal is a “bicycle” you can pedal to the store.
