Biomimicry
Fabulous talk today by biomimicry guru, Janine Benyus. Biomimicry is the study and application of functions in nature to design problems. Like Japan’s bullet train redesign mimicking the unusual shape of the head of an unknown bird species, giving the train substantially more quiet and speed than any traditional engineering could achieve. She gave countless examples of natural ways of creating materials from the simplest of natural elements that far exceed design and performance specs.
One of the more elegant bits of wisdom: nature designs in ways that eliminate friction.
September 26th, 2007 06:51
Does nature design to eliminate friction? Or does nature follow the path of least resistance?