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Recent technology has produced fibre optics - a glass strand, about twice the thickness of a human hair, that can conduct signals in the form of light pulses. A special coating on the fibre prevents light escaping, so that signals shone into one end of the fibre emerge unaltered over distances of up to 50 km. This has great advantages over electrical transmission by copper wires and has revolutionised the communications industry.

But the "Venus flower basket", a humble deep-sea sponge, has always had its own light-conducting fibres that are far superior to the man-made ones.

In a recent issue of Nature a team of Israeli and US scientists describe how these fibres - called spicules - consist of a fine silica glass thread covered with a reflective coating. These are thinner than man-made ones and are more flexible. They can be tied into a knot without breaking.

Unlike modern fibres, spicules are formed at normal temperatures. This lets the sponge include special chemicals that enhance the passage of light - something modern technologists would like to be able to do.

Living in the complete darkness of the deep sea floor, it is believed that these 5-50 cm long fibres detect the light emitted from bioluminescent organisms. This helps the sponges find their meals.

In describing these finds, one of the scientists, Dr Aizenberg, said: "We're in the Stone Age compared to nature"

How much better to acclaim the wisdom and power of God - as seen in his Creation - who "saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).