Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Just Read: Biomimicry - Innovation Inspired by Nature


www.betterworld.com

I may be behind the times, as always, since I am reviewing a book published in 1998. None-the-less, this book features some really cool stuff! From trying to create super-strong yet somewhat flexible materials based on spider silk to trying to grow replica rhinoceros horn to help preserve the animals from extinction caused by people killing them for their desirable bodily feature, this book takes on many aspects of using nature as inspiration for innovation. Super-fast computers built out of tiny biological parts - maybe coming down a pipeline to you. Watching animal behavior to learn more about natural medicinal cures - happening as we speak. Figuring out how the "mind" is attached to the physical body and using those properties to create cool new functions - an anesthesiologist's dream.

I think in the ten years since this book was published, a lot of people have picked up the mantle of biomimicry. But I don't think it has really started to reshape the world in the meaningful and comprehensive ways the author imagines. Something to think about!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

So funny that you posted about this! Doug and I heard her speak at ASU just about 2 weeks ago. Pretty interesting stuff.