One chapter therein was of particular interest to me: a chapter about inventions inspired through bio-mimicry. I had previously been aware of the idea of looking at nature a source for engineering design ideas, but I didn't know the proper name for it.
It occurs to me that nature could be an endless source of innovative inventions and the book provided many examples to support that notion. The coolest idea described was pioneered by a company which froze water as it spiraled down the drain in a bathtub and used the shape of the vortex to make a super-efficient propeller blade. There are innumerable applications for something that moves fluid more efficiently. If the shapes exist in nature, it's probably because they are the most efficient thing the universe could come up with, so far.
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| The Lily Impeller |
Mad Like Tesla refers to another book called Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature which I will have to read sometime soon. The book is by Janine Benyus. It should have more examples of bio-mimicry which might inspire me further!
It seems like an excellent way to begin the process of inventing something is to ask, "What would nature do?" Nature has been doing billions of years of trial and error experiments and what's left is the best it has to offer. Asking this question to oneself seems like an excellent way to delve into a previously unknown field.
The more I learn about bio-mimicry, the simpler and more obvious it seems. I think that it will serve as a great source of creativity and insight for me in the future.
This is really interesting soups! I think the propeller blade example is very neat. I'll have to look into those books when I get back to some recreational reading. Can't wait to see what kinds of innovative ideas you come up with due to what you see and experience in nature.
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