Discovery of Design

Can you name the bird after which some bullet trains are designed or what an Osage Orange Tree and barbed wire have in common? Biomimicry is a process through which we discover and utilize designs from nature; useful features that benefit living things and also can be employed for the welfare of mankind. This book looks at design examples from 8 different categories of nature: microorganisms, insects, flight (bats, birds, flying reptiles), underwater life, land animals, people, vegetation, and nonliving objects like the Opal, nanoparticles, and water flow. The chapter on vegetation even includes a chart of medical benefits we receive from certain plants and animals. Each two-page spread tells about the example, what we have learned, and its application. Each passage is followed by questions for further study and either internet search words or references. Answers to the questions and a glossary are found at the back of the book.

FYI: The front of some bullet trains is designed to look like the bill of a kingfisher to cut down on noise. The kingfisher is able to dive into water without much splash despite the change in pressure. This is similar to the change in air pressure experienced when a bullet train exits a tunnel, and the shape decreases sound that would normally be caused by the change in air pressure. Scientists are studying nature everyday in order to benefit mankind and this book looks at those discoveries through the lens of a Christian worldview. ~ Donna