News and Ideas from the Biomimicry Institute
The Extractive & Toxic Nature of Color, and How Biomimicry Can Solve This
At first glance, the importance of replacing existing pigments and dyes with nature-inspired alternatives may not be obvious. The environmental impacts from pigments are hard to quantify, but it is a $20 billion industry heavily reliant on mining and high energy usage.
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The Transition
The Biomimicry Institute’s Executive Director, Beth Rattner, writes about the Institute’s transition into a new Executive Director.
Biomimicry Finding Success in Deep Tech
3 Ray of Hope Prize Alumni Win Big at the Hello Tomorrow Deep Tech Global Summit.
Why Startups with the Right Sustainability Data are Poised to Thrive
Navigating the landscape of sustainable reporting frameworks is not easy or affordable for most startups. Instead, they need to focus on being lean and flexible to survive the early stages while striving for an ambitious impact-focused mission. However, some recent news from the White House and UN make us believe that startups that are prepared with the right sustainability data will thrive with a unique value proposition.
Not the “Zombie Fungus” from The Last of Us, But Disruptive Just the Same
With the hit HBO series The Last of Us, we wanted to take some time to talk about Fungi. While the zombie causing fungus makes for must watch TV, we have another type of fungi we are watching. Let’s dive into the fantastical world of fungi.
A Startup Support Program Focused on Founders and Their Connection to Nature
The Biomimicry Institute helps startup founders challenge themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally by taking them to camp (literally). Read about how this approach helps to unlock creativity, tap into next-level networking connections, and expand opportunities for business that would have otherwise been missed.
6 Ways Education Can Mimic Evolution
Traditional and antique educational systems require their next evolution. Learn Biomimicry asks: what can we learn from nature in how we create evolutionary education using biomimicry?
Biomimicry and Philosophy
The biomimicry movement is highly practical in orientation. And yet, underlying and motivating the practices of biomimicry, there lies a distinctive philosophy–a profound way of understanding and relating to nature that challenges many of the core assumptions of contemporary thought. In this blog post, Dr. Henry Dicks discusses the relationship between biomimicry and philosophy.
5 Nature-Inspired Ways to Do Good This Giving Tuesday
The countdown to the biggest celebration of generosity has begun. On Tuesday, November 29, communities worldwide are joining together to support a cause, issue area, culture, or identity. Giving Tuesday is a day that encourages people to do good, and this simple idea kickstarts the holiday season with a tone of selfless kindness.
A Ray of Hope: Top Biomimicry Startups Making an Impact
“From nature’s blueprints, these companies are commercializing what our world so urgently needs—products that solve problems without creating new ones… ” Learn more about this year’s Ray of Hope Prize® First Place Recipient GreenPod Labs, an India-based agricultural biotechnology startup focused on tackling food loss problems in developing countries, and Second Place Runner-Up Fusion Bionic, a company that has engineered a nature-inspired solution for surface textures to eliminate the need for harmful chemicals.
Looking Within: Design Inspired by Teeth and Bones
It’s easy to focus on the salient features of any living being: the color of a bird’s plumage, an elephant’s immensity, the musculature of the human leg. However, when you look deeper, the incredible durability and structure of bones is an engineering marvel. It turns out bones and teeth are capable of inspiring innovation in a variety of fields, including aeronautics, architecture, and automotive engineering.
Disappearing Freaks of Nature—and the Secrets Going With Them
The ultimate freak show is an understatement: Armed worms, sex-crazed fish, poison-hungry butterflies, polka-dotted flying good luck charms, and the most despicable creature born with a grin whose blood fights gravity. No one knows all the secrets they hold, but what’s clear is that the strangest amongst us are showing us a better way to live. The catch? They are teaching us their survival skills as they disappear.
6 Innovations Shaped by the Most Powerful Force on Earth
What does it mean when a shrimp shapes the future of aircraft, dolphins predict tsunamis, and invisible organisms help solve the plastic crisis? It means in a world dominated by market-driven solutions and rushed progress, it’s our billion-year-old planet that’s shaping the future of technology and commanding the attention of obsessed innovators, conservationists, and hardcore business folks. Just by being. Makes you think: Who are the real masters of technology?
Opening Doors: STEM Learning and Access for all
As both a teacher in a public school for over 20 years, and a nonfiction writer, the question of how to deeply engage my learners and readers is always on my mind. What is their entry point? How do they connect? I’ve discovered there are so many ways.
An Invitation to Be Curious, Learn, and Adapt
A decade ago I felt lost, confused, and anxious. I had just learned about climate change and was shocked the state of our planet wasn’t introduced to me sooner. Once my privilege bubble popped and I realized I was actively contributing to the problem, I immediately began changing my habits. But the more I learned, the more wicked the global quandary became. I marched for climate action, was trained by Al Gore and his team through the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, and joined a full-service public relations firm focused on sustainability. Still, I found myself paralyzed and distraught to find my place in the agency of change.