Biomimicry

Tiny Town: A Cabinet of Curiosities at the Rhode Island School of Design

Karin Fong — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:25:36 -0500

There was no better place to spend part of a Halloween afternoon than in the basement room of the Nature Lab at RISD, a wonderful collection of flora and fauna specimens--most dead, some alive--made available for study at the Rhode Island School of Design. And in its corner stands a true cabinet of curiosities...an old library card catalog named Tiny Town.

Using Nature as Divine Design Inspiration

Joe Duffy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:11:02 -0400

We've probably all experienced that day in our childhood, lying on the front lawn, when the clouds overhead reminded us of something--a dancing elephant, Ben Franklin's profile, or that '52 Packard.

For many, finding form and function inspired by nature has played a significant role in creating brilliant design. For me, nature is at the heart and soul of nearly everything I do and create, and it often provides metaphors that have led to solutions that have subtle impact.

Biomimicry, the Zoo, and San Diego Too

Glenn Croston — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:11:49 -0400

The Biomimicry Symposium held October 1-2 in San Diego brought together engineers, designers, scientists and others turning to nature as a source of inspiration. For cities, businesses, and entrepreneurs looking for the next great thing, the growing field of biomimicry is

How to Grow a Cleantech Cluster

Glenn Croston — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:40:54 -0400

The green revolution is not evenly dispersed. The companies that are revolutionizing how we drive, produce electricity, and build often stick together in specific locales forming cleantech clusters. As old industries struggle, cities are building up their emerging cleantech clusters as new centers of economic growth. read more

Fabric That Works Just Like a Pine Cone

Cliff Kuang — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:40:23 -0400

We all hate wet clothes, but why are they so uncomfortable? A materials engineer would tell you: Not only is your skin getting wet, but the function of the material breaks down when it's soaked, because the wet fibers plump up with water. Porosity goes down, and thus, a really wet jacket takes exponentially longer to dry than a merely damp one--and it feels gross on your skin.

Nature's 10 Simple Rules for Business Survival

Adam Werbach — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 -0400

In the emerging fields of biomechanics and biomimicry, scientists are decoding rules that can help form businesses as hardy and long lasting as a forest. After all, nature is far harsher than the market: If you are not sustainable, you die. No second chances and no bailouts. Businesses that are capable of dealing with the challenges of a changing world will be better able to respond and to lead.

1. Diversify across generations.

2. Adapt to the changing environment -- and specialize.

Biomimicry: Color-Changing Cuttlefish Inspire Green TV Screens

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:35:11 -0400

Cuttlefish are camouflage experts that can change skin color in under a second to hide from predators, or prey on others. They're inspiring more than just awe from scientists. Now researchers at MIT are working on electronic screens and ink that use less than one hundredth the energy of traditional screens--all modeled on the color-changing abilities of cuttlefish.

Asking Nature for Business Solutions

Glenn Croston — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:42:15 -0500

Engineers and designers are always searching for innovative solutions to the problems they face. Are there more efficient, less polluting ways to make things? How can cars be stronger, lighter and more fuel efficient, all at the same time? Humans in the business world are increasingly looking to nature for solutions to these and many other problems.

Biomimicry Innovation Poll Closing Soon

James Todhunter — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:46:12 -0500

Our informal poll on biomimicry & innovation closes this Friday.

Last week I participated in a PDMA SecondLife panel discussion on green innovation. The event was very well attended with so many people asking to attend that some were turned away due to capacity constraints. Eco/Social-innovation is expected to be a major driver of product and business innovation in the coming years. How does biomimicry into your vision, or does it?

Biomimicry: Nature-Inspired Designs

Kate Rockwood — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:30:45 -0400

The inventor of Velcro ripped cockleburs from his dog's fur. Da Vinci and the Wright brothers studied birds in flight. And now a rising number of designers are looking to nature to nurture their creativity. "It's about taking the genius of the natural world and learning something from it," says Janine Benyus, who coined the term biomimicry in her 1997 book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.

Biomimicry: Gain Competitive Business Advantage By Tapping into Nature's Reservoir of Design Knowledge

Adiel Gavish — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:03:09 -0400

Imagine a system that has been conducting research and design not for tens, hundreds or even thousands, but billions of years. What if you took these time-tested principles, and applied them to other systems? From a systems perspective, mother nature is a design expert, and has been the greatest frontier for innovation.