Biomimicry, Recycling

Host Richard Mabion looks into local endeavors into biomimicry and recycling.

Biomimicry or biomimetics is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. [1] The terms biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate. A closely related field is bionics.[2]

Over the last 3.6 billion years,[3] nature has gone through a process of trial and error to refine the living organisms, processes, and materials on Earth. The emerging field of biomimetics has given rise to new technologies created from biologically inspired engineering at both the macro scale and nanoscale levels. Biomimetics is not a new idea. Humans have been looking at nature for answers to both complex and simple problems throughout our existence. Nature has solved many of today’s engineering problems such as hydrophobicity, wind resistance, self-assembly, and harnessing solar energy through the evolutionary mechanics of selective advantages.


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