What can nature teach us? A lot. Biomimicry is the design and production of materials based on nature. In this public radio story you learn about how shellfish can stick so stubbornly to rocks underwater. You also hear from a scientist who has devoted his life to trying to figure out the secret of why oyster glue is so strong.
Story Length: 6:40
© 2013 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
AIR DATE: 03/28/2013
A new source of energy is being developed by using Michigan's industrial food waste. Using existing technology for converting manure into electricity, these anaerobic digesters are doing their work on pudding packs and canned peaches, among other delicacies. Listen to learn how they are turning waste into electricity.
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Copying the way a desert beetle gets water, scientists have designed a membrane that can extract water from the air. Since all air contains water, even in the desert, this could provide a very inexpensive way to supply drinking water. This audio story describes an application of the idea of “biomimicry,” or using ideas from nature to solve technological problems. This can help solve the problem of scarce drinking water.
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In this story we hear from the head of Ecovative, a company that uses mycelium fibers from fungi to create useful and environmentally-friendly products. The audio story discusses the advantages of using mycelium fibers in place of plastics and foams, as well as the challenges faced by the inventors in trying to create useful products. The Engineering design process is described, as well as how scientists used this process to get to where they are today. Students will get to explore the properties of Ecovative’s products, and evaluate their usefulness. Listen to this story and think about the idea of technological trade-offs.
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