Wouldn't it be great to find natural solutions to some of our most basic problems? Or to find simple solutions to those little annoying or perpetually troublesome problems and challenges? What if there was an holistic and natural solution to such challenges. What if we simply opened up our eyes and saw them. Where? How about in Nature? Every day we come across possible solutions to human needs. But, if only we'd wake up to the idea of 'seeing' that we could potentially apply Nature's solutions .. learnt, developed and adapted over millennia .. to our needs. In design, in engineering, in fact to almost anything we can imagine!
A leaf is able to support a huge structure by very efficient design engineering. It also acts a a highly efficient solar energy converter. A bumble bee can propel itslef through the air at almost impossible speeds and power in proportion to it's body mass and size, and yet it does, and because someone took the trouble to investigate how it does this and simply woke up to how this is done, the same technology is now used in jet propulsion engines.
Some people call this whole area biomimicry - a term coined by Janine Benyus - President of the Biomimicry Institute. Its a good term, and looks like it'll stick.
I have been thinking about this whole 'biomimicry' thing without having given it such a clever name - for about 20 years now. I'm so glad people such as designers and engineers are taking note and working more closely in was are on the surface quite disparate fields. Biomimicry is actually bringing the sciences together in wonderful ways that will make man's work and influence on planet Earth so much more harmonious and sympathetic to Nature, which is after all probably the most intelligent 'learned' body that we know of that has developed as such over millennia.
So, if you are interested in contributing to my thoughts on this, or offering some advice or insights, please do get in touch. I'm building a datablse of contacts and ideas slowly but surely. And I hope to be able to do something quite special with these ideas and my database in the very near future. Lets face it, we need better solutions and more efficient, less costly and more harmonious and holistic solutions to life for both us humans and all life here, just as soon as humanly possible .. naturally!
