Introduction to Biomimicry

Where do ideas come from?

BIOMIMICRY

• Bio – life

• Mimicry – copy or emulate

• The science and art of studying nature's best ideas and then imitating these designs and processes to solve human problems.

So, what does this mean to YOU?

Shoe soles that grip like a mountain goat

T-shirts that wick sweat like a horned

lizard

Fasteners that stick like burrs

Vitamins based on the diet of forest

apes

Clothing colored without dyes like a butterfly, peacock, or sea slug

Sandwich bags that biodegrade like tethers of blue mussel and zip closed like a feather

Computer screens that create color

the same way as butterfly

wings

Computers as fast as neurons

Systems interconnected like trees in a old-growth forest

What creatures will inspire you?

What possibilities can you imagine?

Can YOU look to nature for inspiration?

Here are some ways to start

• Get outside, take a hike!

• Sit quietly outside and observe

• Read books about the natural world

• Ask questions in science classes

• Research your favorite creature and all its cool functions

Always ask Why? and How?