Engineering Designs Found Throughout the Biosphere
December 16, 2013
News from biomimetics is coming in so fast, there's only time for brief mentions in a growing list of living designs worth copying.
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Bacteria Take Up Dead DNA, Scrambling Evolution
November 20, 2013
It's not just horizontal gene transfer that can obscure evolutionary history. Scientists have found bacteria recycling fragmented DNA from long-dead organisms. The impact on evolutionary theory could be substantial.
Better Health Through Nature
October 3, 2013
Humans were meant to thrive in the environment. We sequester ourselves from the natural world at our own peril.
Reverse Engineer Living Solutions
September 20, 2013
Need solutions to practical engineering problems? Save time and effort; see how animals and plants do it.
What's a Hairy Wood Ant Good For?
August 31, 2013
A humble, rare ant might help humans learn how to communicate better with networks. It's just one of many ways nature is inspiring technology that approaches perfection.
Parallel Universe of Microbial "Dark Matter" Revealed
July 20, 2013
As scientists continue to find incredible diversity in the smallest of organisms, realizations of all we've been missing are changing conceptions of life.
Quantum Secret of Photosynthesis Revealed
June 22, 2013
The magic of light capture by plants is so small and fast, its secrets are only now being understood.
"Very Unreal and Fantastic": Electric Cables Created by Bacteria
November 10, 2012
Researchers discovered bacteria at the ocean floor that conduct electrons at distances more than a centimeter through elaborate cables.
Don't Hate Bacteria Irrationally
June 2, 2012
It should be well known by now that we are surrounded by bacteria, mostly benign, all the time -- inside and out. Some reporters still attempt to gross out the public and make misleading statements from scientific findings.
Bacteria as a Vast Unexplored Medicine Chest
May 28, 2012
Most of our therapeutic agents have been derived from bacteria. A new survey shows we have barely tapped the surface of potential medicines beneath our feet.
Biomimetics for Your Christmas Wish List
December 8, 2011
Biomimetics (the imitation of nature) continues to promise cool gadgets and useful materials that will someday yield prized gifts under the tree. Some of them might even save your life.
Wave the Stripes on the Zebra
October 21, 2011
One of Kipling’s Just-So Stories is “How the Leopard Got His Spots.” In the fanciful tale for children, the sandy-colored leopard and the Ethiopian make an arrangement to share features so that they can camouflage themselves in the forest. Spots and stripes are widespread in the living world, but how do they come about? Surely science can come up with a better explanation than Kipling’s. Just so, a recent scientific paper suggests that understanding the process is still a long way off.