Scientists and engineers are always looking for ways to solve problems that people face. They come up with new ideas and also try to make existing solutions better. For example, if runners are slipping on certain surfaces, they might design shoes with better soles to prevent slipping. They might also work on making airplanes fly faster, quieter, or use less fuel.
When scientists and engineers need ideas, they often look to nature. Nature has been solving problems for millions of years! Animals and plants have developed some incredible abilities. For example, owls can see in almost complete darkness and fly silently. Spiders can spin webs that are stronger than steel. Geckos can climb walls and hang upside down without any trouble. Even plants have clever ways to spread their seeds using wind, water, and animals.
Biomimicry is when people use ideas from nature to solve human problems. One famous example is Velcro. In 1941, an engineer named George de Mestral noticed that seeds from burdock plants stuck to his clothes and his dog’s fur. When he looked at the seeds under a microscope, he saw tiny hooks that grabbed onto loops in fabric and fur. This inspired him to create Velcro, which is now used everywhere to attach things together easily.
Birds have inspired many inventions. Engineers have studied bird wings and body shapes to make airplanes that fly better and use less fuel. The kingfisher bird, with its long beak, inspired the design of the Shinkansen train in Japan. The train’s nose is shaped like the kingfisher’s beak, making it faster and quieter.
The ocean has also given us great ideas. The bumps on whale fins have helped engineers design better blades and propellers. Shark skin, with its tiny tooth-like structures, has inspired swimsuits for athletes. The sleek shape of fish has influenced the design of cars and boats, and fish scales have inspired body armor.
With your friends or classmates, think about a problem people face today. Then, look to nature for inspiration on how to solve it. Nature might have already come up with a great idea!
See you next time!
Take a walk around your school or neighborhood and observe different plants and animals. Note down any interesting features or behaviors you see. Think about how these could inspire solutions to human problems. Share your observations with the class.
In small groups, choose a human problem, such as reducing waste or improving transportation. Discuss and brainstorm how nature might solve this problem. Create a poster that illustrates your ideas and present it to the class.
Imagine you are an engineer tasked with creating a new product. Use inspiration from nature to design your invention. Draw a detailed diagram and write a short description explaining how nature influenced your design.
Using materials like clay, cardboard, or recycled items, build a model of a nature-inspired invention. Explain how your model works and how it mimics a natural process or feature.
Choose an example of biomimicry, such as Velcro or the Shinkansen train. Research how it was inspired by nature and its impact on society. Create a presentation to share your findings with the class.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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[Music] Scientists and engineers are constantly identifying problems that humans face and designing and building solutions. They also evaluate existing solutions and investigate ways to improve them.
An example of a problem could be runners slipping on certain terrain, and a solution could be designing a shoe with an improved sole to increase friction. Improving an existing solution could involve designing an airplane that can fly faster, quieter, carry more passengers, or be more fuel-efficient.
Often, when designing solutions, scientists and engineers turn to a place that has been testing and refining solutions for hundreds of millions of years: nature. Plants and animals have come up with some amazing innovations. For instance, owls can see in almost complete darkness and can fly at fast speeds without making a sound. Spiders can spin webs that are several times stronger than steel of the same size. Geckos can crawl up walls and sit effortlessly upside down. Motionless plants have developed many ways to disperse their seeds with the help of wind, water, and other animals.
All of these innovations, and many more, can provide scientists with ideas and inspiration to use technology to solve problems that nature has already addressed. This process is called biomimicry.
One example of biomimicry came from observing seed dispersal in plants. In 1941, electrical engineer George de Mestral was on a hunting trip and noticed that seeds from burdock plants were stuck to his clothing and the fur of his dog. He examined the seeds under a microscope and discovered that the hooks surrounding the seed caught easily on anything with a loop, like clothing and animal fur. This led him to design Velcro. Today, Velcro is used in many applications where we need objects to be reversibly attached.
Other examples of biomimicry include observations of bird wings, feathers, and body shapes in the design and improvement of airplanes. This has allowed engineers to design aircraft with less air resistance, enabling them to fly further, faster, and quieter while using less fuel. Birds have also inspired engineers in the design of high-speed trains. For example, the kingfisher, a bird with an elongated beak, uses it to silently pierce the surface of the water to catch prey. Incorporating the kingfisher’s beak into the design of the nose of the high-speed Shinkansen train resulted in a faster, more fuel-efficient, and quieter train.
Biomimicry has also come from our oceans. Bumps on the fins of whales have inspired engineers to design blades and propellers with less drag. The teeth-like tentacles on shark skin have inspired the design of swimsuits for athletes. The streamlined body of most fish has influenced designs for cars and boats, and fish scales have influenced the design of body armor.
With your classmates, identify a problem facing people today and discuss how to design and build a solution using an existing design in nature. See you next time!
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This version maintains the core content while ensuring clarity and coherence.
Biomimicry – The practice of designing products and systems that are inspired by nature – Engineers used biomimicry to create a new type of glue based on how geckos stick to walls.
Nature – The physical world and everything in it that is not made by humans – Scientists study nature to learn how different ecosystems work together.
Scientists – People who study or have expert knowledge about science – Scientists discovered a new way to generate electricity using solar panels.
Engineers – People who design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or structures – Engineers are working on building a bridge that can withstand strong earthquakes.
Problems – Situations that need to be solved or dealt with – Engineers often solve problems by creating new technologies.
Ideas – Thoughts or suggestions about possible courses of action – Scientists share ideas to come up with better solutions for environmental issues.
Animals – Living organisms that feed on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous systems – Researchers study animals to understand how they adapt to their environments.
Plants – Living organisms that typically grow in a permanent site, absorbing water and inorganic substances through roots – Scientists are studying how plants can be used to clean polluted water.
Inventions – New devices, methods, or processes developed from study and experimentation – One of the most important inventions in history is the light bulb.
Designs – Plans or drawings produced to show the look and function of a building, garment, or other object before it is made – Engineers create designs for machines that help make our lives easier.
