I can’t resist… one last story about our trip to Costa Rica. On the last day of our tour through the beautiful country, we stopped for a boat ride up and down the Tarcoles River to see crocodiles, birds, and other Costa Rican wildlife. Our tour guide pointed to the Osprey, a bird that acts similar to the Kingfisher, where they descend from high up in the air at high rate of speed into the water to catch a fish as their prey. Turns out, the Japanese improved the aerodynamics of their high-speed train after modeling them after the Kingfisher bird.
This is an example of biomimicry, which is the emulation of models, systems, and/or elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems.
Other obvious examples include the Wright brothers emulating flight by watching birds fly. Another is where researchers studied termites’ ability to maintain virtually constant temperature and humidity in their termite mounds in Africa despite a wide range of outside temps in that country. This led to a unique design of the Eastgate Centre, a mid-rise office complex in Zimbabwe that stays cool by mimicking the termites’ architecture. In the end, the building uses only 10% of the energy of a conventional building of the same size.
Another example is that currently, researchers have discovered that certain spider silk is tougher than Kevlar used in bulletproof vests. Engineers could bio-mimic this material for safer protection of our police and armed forces.
Bottom line, nature is amazing!
And the fact that we humans are relying more and more on how it all works to solve our own problems is simply impressive. I have a hard time believing that this all happened in one big bang. To me, the intelligent design of nature leads me to believe there was an Intelligent Designer.
And whether a researcher is using biomimicry to solve a complex human problem, or you are using the neuro-wiring and synapses in your brain to create a repeatable process that allows for more efficiency at your job, I’m fascinated by the entire thing.
Throughout history, we humans have used our minds to invent, create, build, decipher, decide, hammer, saw, carry, and solve our way out of complex problems. Sometimes, we emulate nature to solve them, sometimes computers, sometimes each other, sometimes focused thought.
In the end, you are unique.
Your fingerprint is like no one else’s.
Even identical twins have different fingerprints!
You were made for such a time as this.
You matter.
Your impact on this world matters.
The solutions you’ve come up with thus far are appreciated by your family, your friends, your employer. And, you’re not done.
There are so many problems yet to be solved. So many puzzles, so many issues.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and do it. Make a difference, make an impact.
Can’t quite figure it out? Look around, perhaps you’ll find a solution in nature… Biomimicry.
Go for a walk, look around, breathe, take it all in.
Humanity awaits.
Live on purpose today.
