Title: Biomimicry (the topic): Very Exciting
1Biomimicry (the topic) Very Exciting
- Great (old??) idea!!!
- Those who are inspired by a model other than
Nature, a mistress above all masters, are
laboring in vain. - Leonardo Da Vinci - New word level of understanding??
- Google? Benyus (bad news??)
- Spelling error on MS word (more bad news??)
- Part of bigger picture ? Biotechnology??
- Montana??
- The core idea is that nature, imaginative by
necessity, has already solved many of the
problems we are grappling with. Animals, plants,
and microbes are the consummate engineers.
Biomimicry Institute - http//brainz.org/15-coolest-cases-biomimicry/
- http//www.biomimicryinstitute.org/about-us/biomim
icry--tool-for-innovation.html
2A self-proclaimed nature nerd, Janine Benyus is
the author of Biomimicry Innovation Inspired by
Nature, a book that has galvanized scientists,
architects, designers and engineers into
exploring new ways in which nature's successes
can inspire humanity. Other books Beastly
Behaviours, The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats
of the Eastern U.S., The Field Guide to Wildlife
Habitats in the Western U.S.,Northwoods Wildlife
A Watchers Guide to Habitats.Degrees in Natural
Resource Management and English
Literature/Writing (Rutgers)
- In the world envisioned by science author Janine
Benyus, a locust's ability to avoid collision
within a roiling cloud of its brethren informs
the design of a crash-resistant car a
self-cleaning leaf inspires a new kind of paint,
one that dries in a pattern that enables simple
rainwater to wash away dirt and organisms
capable of living without water open the way for
vaccines that maintain potency even without
refrigeration -- a hurdle that can prevent
life-saving drugs from reaching disease-torn
communities. - Most important, these cool tools from nature pull
off their tricks while still managing to preserve
the environment that sustains them, a
life-or-death lesson that humankind is in need of
learning. - Much more than a reporter, Benyus is a champion
of biomimicry she's become one of the most
important voices in a new wave of designers and
engineers inspired by nature. - "The sophisticated, almost pro-growth angle of
Benyus shows the great potential profitability of
copying some of nature's time-tested,
nonpolluting, room-temperature manufacturing and
computing technologies."New York Times
3Biomimicry (the book)Innovation Inspired by
Nature
- Agriculture
- Energy!!! (and Water??)
- Manufacturing
- Health and Medicine
- Computing??
- Business??
- Call to Action??
4My Comments on Biomimicry
- On Form
- Excellent writing style and language. Her
language degree serves her well. Nice choice of
juicy words in places where the content could
become dry very quickly. No clear rational for
the sequencing of topics or the choice of the
titles of the chapters. - On Content
- Some technical issues get quickly complicated
for the unsuspecting reader. No clear picture of
where we stand in the big picture. Appears to
have changed her philosophy while compiling the
different chapters. Book may have taken over 10
years to complete. - Interesting comment about the economics around
the Exxon Valdez (281), and Quantum Theory
Philosophy (227) - Recent Progress of Biomimicry
- Some interesting success stories but mainly for
marginal gains example in aero or
hydrodynamics. Nothing dramatic in photosynthesis
for harvesting hydrogen or carbon dioxide. - Can this approach save us from the threat of
global warming consequences? - Not in the way it is presented in this book.
The speeds of discovery and change seem to
extremely slow and it is not clear how far we are
from breakthrough components. - Is it moving us in the right direction?
- Getting inspiration from the natural way to
handle some of the burning problems of energy and
water in order to solve them effectively with one
system is great. Arguing that all the population
on earth will or should convert to a nature
loving cult is extreme. Some of us are happy to
do this but we are nowhere near a majority. The
prospect of a cataclysmic catastrophe (drowning
billions of people) triggered by global warming
appears to be a potential cleansing experience
for nature and explicitly presented in this book
as a hitting a wall situation for humanity.
The urgency of doing something to avert the
catastrophe does not appear to be an important
topic for the book. I am concerned about the
social dimensions of this message. - Natures way of introducing change and evolution
is wise but the human ability to catalyze change
through much quicker information exchanges and
design/production of new systems is ignored as
reality (except in a negative sense). The
spiritual, artistic and social complexities of
humanity are downplayed as a strong component of
evolution. Although humans have been very
arrogant in the monopolizing of the rational and
decisions on resource use, we still need some
credit for having reached the point to be able to
do it! - I have the same concern I had with all the
previous books. They do not seem to be able to
put their philosophy and teachings in the context
of the big picture and/or be inclusive in their
plans for most of the population.
5Sustainability What is the Question?
- Conservation??
- Only the natural way??
- Allowable Footprints??
- Stop Human Contributions to Global Warming??
- Alleviate Global Warming Impacts??
- Moving in the Right Direction??
6Practical Issues
- How do we decide on the line of action??
- How are technologies/solutions diffused??
- Is there a transition time limit??
- The dimensions of the sustainability
- Biological??
- Chemical??
- Social??
- Philosophical/Ethical??
- Political/System??
7Range of Responses to the Sustainability Challenge
- Mine (!) this planet and move to the next one
when done - This is an important topic for all of you to get
together and discuss/act in a remote area (NIMBY) - I will do what my boss/government/spouse says
- Nature has its special way of removing the
unfit in the evolution process - I exit my cave only when nature needs me to
perform my duties in the cycle of life - This is the challenge/opportunity for humans to
show one new level of capability/responsibility
in several areas.
8The NAE View
- The Engineer 2020
- The Grand Challenges (???!!)
- The Curriculum Workshop Intro to End
- Industry and IABs
- ABET
- Impact????
9Epilogue
- Is this the Real BABEL???!!!
- Or the start of a New ENLIGHTENMENT period??!!
- Or both with undecided outcome!