Post by account_disabled on Mar 4, 2024 22:13:31 GMT -6
In 1941, the engineer and inventor George de Mestral went out, like any other day, for a walk with his dog in the Swiss Alps. However, that was not going to be a day like the others. Upon returning, he observed the tiny hooks of the Alpine thistle that had adhered to both his dog's fur and the fabric of his pants . Instead of simply removing them and continuing with his routine, the Swiss felt the need to find out how they could stay so stuck. With a microscope in hand, he discovered that they had something similar to a set of mini hooks and loops, whose purpose was precisely to adhere to other objects and be able to disperse the seeds to larger areas. Fourteen years later, George de Mestral replicated this process using textile fibers , with the aim of creating a different solution to traditional zippers: thus, Velcro was born . Can we learn from the natural world and imitate its patterns to solve many of the problems we face? The answer is yes. This process of observation and innovation inspired by nature is called Biomimicry and also has the ability to reduce costs in climate terms. According to a study by Swiss Re Group , solutions born from “animal” observation could generate added value of hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide.
Do you want to know what biomimetics is and its impact on the current economy? Below, we tell you how we have taken advantage throughout history of the thousands of years of trials and errors carried out by nature. CTA Post What is biomimetics? Biomimetics is a concept that refers to the study of the forms, processes and systems of Europe Mobile Number List nature, with the aim of using them to solve human problems or challenges. The central idea of this way of creating is based on the fact that our companions on this planet (plants, animals and microbes) have been adapting and perfecting for more than 3.8 billion years - since the appearance of the first bacteria - to overcome all challenges. those they have had to face as species. Why is biomimetics important? Observing, learning, copying and adapting nature's models can provide humans with different visions and work methodologies when addressing the challenges we face as a society .
While it is true that copying nature is not something new - Leanorado da Vinci already used this technique in the design of his flying machine, inspired by birds and insects - the concept was popularized by author Janine Benyus in her book Biomimicry . : Innovation Inspired by Nature in 1997. Precisely, in this book, the American scientific writer points out that: “In a society accustomed to dominating or improving nature, its imitation is a radically new approach , a true revolution. Unlike the Industrial Revolution, the Biomimetic Revolution introduces us to an era based on what we can learn from nature and not on what we can extract from it .” For example: how should we grow our food? What should we do to create more efficient materials ? Could we act differently to do business in a more sustainable way? Nature knows how to answer these types of questions in a different way than people do. Hence the importance of promoting and promoting this observation, since it will allow us to address current challenges in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way . Something especially important in a global environment that has the priority challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and minimizing global warming.