EP 599 Human Advances Can Be Linked to Mimicking Animal Behavior

 

  How you heard of the field of bio mimicry?  It’s a relatively new scientific field in which innovations inspired by the natural world enrich our lives every day and, in some cases, help save them.  Let’s take one example among the many described on the podcast.  Take kingfishers for example: the design of their beaks allows the birds to plunge head-first into the water at speeds nearing 25 miles per hour without damage.  These unique beaks helped improve millions of Japanese people’s daily commutes when an engineer used them as inspiration for designing a faster, quieter, and more powerful bullet train.  Termites, mosquitoes, elephants and other creatures, including our own dogs, when observed by keen scientific minds can unlock fascinating advances for humankind.  Patrick Aryee, our guest, and the author of “30 Animals That Made Us Smarter: Stories of the Natural World That Inspired Human Ingenuity” joins us to explain how the harsh conditions around the globe, requiring animal adaptation, has become a scientific tool of great importance in unlocking the keys to many benefits for all of us.

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