What knows best about getting energy from the sun? Flowers. Now, using some inspiration from nature, massive solar power plants can get a little smaller and a lot more efficient.READ»
We might have planes, trains, and automobiles, but nature has a monopoly on creatures that can move around as quickly and efficiently as possible. Now everyone from car designers to city planners are looking to the natural world for ...READ»
In the deep recesses of the ocean, there are bacteria that could be the key to creating a new, sustainable fuel source. Learning how these little bugs make their own energy might lead to cleaner fuel for the rest of us.READ»
"Shrilk," made from proteins found in crustacean and insect shells, is strong, stretchy, and fully biodegradable. It may be how you carry your groceries home in the future.READ»
When you look at a computer or a battery, butterflies and ant swarms may not be what first comes to mind, but engineers and scientists are more and more often turning to the natural world to find new ways to approach technological ...READ»
Scientists working on breakthroughs that will help save the planet are going back to the source. By looking at the way the planet manages resources, we can find better ways to manage ours.READ»
The military will look for innovations and advantages anywhere, including the natural world. From using artificial hummingbirds for surveillance to making body armor like snails make their shells, nature is providing inspiration for ...READ»
This year’s James Dyson Award goes to a low-tech device for harvesting moisture from the air to irrigate crops in drought-stricken regions. The winning entry comes from Edward Linnacre, a student at Swinburne University, in ...READ»
Machines can seem like the opposite of nature, but engineers and materials scientists are taking more and more cues from counterparts in the natural world, developing concrete that can bend and heal itself or robots that crawl through ...READ»
The idea of taking inspiration from nature may be gaining traction in many industries today, but the natural world has always been a powerful inspiration for designers and inventors. Here are some of the most important innovations ...READ»
Thinkers at IDEO are working with scientists to find a way to have E. coli bacteria form objects--like a coffee cup--when exposed to light. It's nature's version of 3D printing.READ»
Biomimicry is design inspired by nature. With 7 billion humans on Earth today -- and demand for natural resources growing, while supplies remain fixed -- people are looking for innovative ideas to ...READ»
The new facility is Singapore's latest bet on regional dominance in education, research, and development. In time, the U.S. may also be a competitor.READ»
As the Great Recession slowly recedes, it's clear that we're not going back to the world of 2006. But where exactly are we going? In his State of the Union Address, President Obama spoke about investing in innovation to move our country and our economy forward.READ»
This running robot uses the same leg design as Oscar Pistorius, the bi-amputee runner with carbon fiber feet who was denied entry to the Olympic games because his artificial lower limbs gave him an unfair advantage over able-bodied human runners.READ»
Traditional sonar is disrupted by bubbles--a problem dolphins appear to circumvent. Some University of Southampton researchers thought their way into the position of dolphins to come up with their innovative new technique.READ»
