Biomimicry Institute
AskNature
Structural Color: Physics meets Biology in the Morpho Butterfly
The morpho butterfly is a popular example of structural color – that is, how the properties of light can be manipulated to create colorful, iridescent surfaces without pigments or dyes. Nature employs this strategy often in insects and feathers. The video above,...If Plants Do It, Shouldn’t We?
Sometimes biomimicry is literal — emulate the chemistry of blue mussels to make a formaldehyde-free glue, or mimic shark skin to create an anti-fouling surface for sea-going vessels. But sometimes biomimicry is metaphorical, and these ideas can often be the most...Genius of Place: Learning in the Wind
A week after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the United States, I stood on a beach in Massachusetts feeling the brunt of a strong Nor’easter. The wind was so strong that if you jumped in the air, it would blow you inland a foot or two. Joining me were equally...Miracles of Nature and Biomimicry
In an awe-inspiring and engaging new BBC series called Miracles of Nature, Top Gear’s Richard Hammond reveals animal abilities with beautiful footage and discussions with scientists. He then shows how those same animals have inspired a series of unlikely human...The Latest on Spider Silk Research
The Guardian recently published an interview with Oxford professor and spider researcher, Fritz Vollrath. At the beginning of the interview, there’s a quote that reveals a lot about the man and the spiders he studies. When asked how he first got interested in...Support nature-inspired problem-solvers
Want to write for AskingNature?
Contact us at hello(at)biomimicry.org!