Biomimicry
I believe that the answer to some of our most vexing problems may be in the study of Biomimicry. “Biomimicry” is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements in order to inspire innovation for problem solving, taken from the time-tested solutions in our natural surroundings.
For about 3.8 billion years nature has gone through the time-consuming process of natural selection in order to create life as we know it today. I think it was worth it, don‘t you? Unfortunately, for the ten thousand years of human evolution, we have shunned the time proven processes and techniques that nature has handed us on a platter. For example, wouldn‘t it have made sense to create our buildings in more organic shapes from nature, like circles? Trees, birds, bears and cells do, but why not us? The answer to this question is that humans have grown arrogant and ignorant of their surroundings here on the blue planet earth. We have come to believe that our “humanness” gives us dominion and the right to manipulate the earth: Imposing our own rules and solutions that are, in terms of how long the earth has been here, relatively untested.
What I am learning, from my own tiny scratch at the surface of knowledge, is that everything is truly and unequivocally connected. And the more we understand about the extraordinary innovation that is built into Natural Selection, the quicker we can access nature’s wisdom. And if we choose to ignore those connections and that wisdom, we do it at our own peril as a species.
I believe that the study of biomimicry will be the path of the future for people like me, who have a passion for science, engineering and design.
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~Chief Seattle, 1855
Video
Here are some fabulous videos explaining and demonstrating the greatness od Biomimicry!... Enjoy!
I truly believe that biomimicry IS the future of the world, it HAS to be…
If you haven’t already found out about TED then find out now…
Websites
A few illuminating websites for anyone curious about who is doing or wants to get involved...