The art of imitating nature – Biomimicry

Description

Exhilarated by its technological feats achieved since the Industrial Revolution, humanity seems to forget the mountains of waste, the damage to the environment and the depletion of resources which have accompanied its formidable successes. It is becoming urgent to change our ways of doing things before it is too late. But where to find inspiration? Simply ask nature! Indeed, a new method, biomimicry (bio: life; mimicry: imitation), consists of knowingly imitating the solutions that nature has found in the face of the technical challenges that humanity must meet today if it wants to live sustainably without damage the planet or threaten its own existence and that of other living beings that share its habitat. The results presented in this richly illustrated book are both surprising and spectacular. In the first part, you will see that nature is the undisputed champion of sustainable development and that physical constraints have made it a master of design. You will also see how it is possible to innovate by carrying out technological transfer from nature to industry. The second part of the book illustrates with numerous examples the strategies and structures that living organisms have developed to satisfy their needs and adapt to their environment. Several of these organisms have already inspired scientists and designers and others are currently under the microscope of researchers and practitioners of the art of imitating nature. Finally, the third part addresses cooperation as a process leading to innovation, the importance of biodiversity and the philosophy of biomimicry beyond imitation.

Author: Andrée Mathieu and Moana Lebel
Publication date: October 2015
Publisher: Multimondes
Pages: 120
ISBN: 9782895444923