the biomimicry manual, Tag

If you’ve ever admired the work ethic of an art colony and wished you could apply those principles to your company, you’ll do well to check out Dr...

Once upon a time, there were three scientists––a biologist, an engineer, and a chemist. Each of them loved the ocean and liked nothing better than to walk its shores and study its inhabitants. They were curious and observant,...

What exactly is biomimicry? I think of it as a way of unlocking a whole world of super-powers for humanity. It is literally the next stage of human evolution. Leonardo DaVinci himself said, "Those who are inspired by a model...

  When I think of monkeys, I don’t think of them living in the desert, namely because primates love trees, water, big juicy leaves, and fruit...

Dung beetles eat poo. It’s what they do, and they do it many different ways. Rollers tumble it home in little balls; they cradle their eggs in it or save it for a snack. Tunnelers bury it right where they find it, and...

Cephalopods are the undisputed masters of camouflage. While their relatives, the clams, stayed brainless and safe on the seabeds-of-old, the ancient nautilus (think squid-in-a-shell) made a daring foray into the world of...

3D printing is the coolest thing since sliced bread, but what should we print with? This could go horribly wrong if we don't take the opportunity to stop and ask how the rest of nature would do it...

The platypus is a funny little mammal found in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. Aside from echidnas (the also-very-weird Australian spiny anteaters) they are the only living mammals that lay eggs. This bizarro egg-laying,...

Mother Nature doesn’t give her information for free. Her minions cloud their enemies’ judgement with devilish deception, and make plain the truth for their friends. Birds flock and fish school, predators are confused,...

About twelve thousand years ago, humans hit on a bright idea. Why not grow food in our backyards instead of having to go look for it every time our tummies grumble? It was a masterful stroke of conscious evolution, but hardly...

In business, innovation is non-negotiable. Stay fresh, rot, or go stale. That’s never been truer than today, with volatile prices, weather, regulations, supply chains, and public sentiment. You don’t know what’s going...

Image via Shutterstock Halloween is tomorrow, and this young girl's fancies are turning to, what else? Zombies! Yes, we all secretly worry about the coming zombie apocalypse, though not enough to assemble the disaster-preparedness...

Did you know a coven of vultures swirling overhead is called a 'kettle?' I love that. It makes me think of a fortune teller's black magic tea-leaves, steeping in her stove-top cauldron. And of course, we all know what this...

I’m fascinated by creatures that create new ways of life for others. Ecologists talk about ‘keystone species,’ ones which support entire ecosystems, like the central stone in a renaissance archway. Pull it away, and...

It's frightening to think, but one of every six people in the world today don't have enough safe water to drink. Within 30 years, thirst will spread to three-quarters of the world’s population. But surely this clever ape...