In the world envisioned by science author Janine
Benyus, a locust's ability to avoid collision within a roiling
cloud of its brethren informs the design
of a crash-resistant car; a
self-cleaning leaf inspires a new kind of paint,
one that dries in a pattern that enables simple rainwater to wash
away dirt; and
organisms capable of living without
water open the way for
vaccines that maintain
potency even without refrigeration -- a hurdle that can prevent
life-saving drugs from
reaching disease-torn communities.
Most important,
these cool tools from nature pull off their tricks while still
managing to preserve
the environment that sustains them,
a life- or-death lesson that
humankind is in need of
learning.
As a champion of biomimicry,
Benyus has become one of the most important voices in a new wave of
designers and engineers
inspired
by nature. Her
most recent project, AskNature,
explores what happens if we think of nature by function and looks at
what organisms can teach us about design
"The sophisticated, almost pro-growth
angle of Benyus shows the great potential profitability of copying
some of nature's time-tested, nonpolluting, room-temperature
manufacturing and computing
technologies."
New York Times