Nature’s Wild Ideas by Kristy Hamilton
Did you know that California’s giant redwood forests create their own cloud environment that keeps them watered? And that a myriad of species inhabits the trees, benefiting from the moist environment? And that scientists are modelling these natural structures to collect air-borne moisture to provide drinking water in deserts?
Written by science journalist Kristy Hamilton, Nature’s Wild Ideas: How the Natural World Is Inspiring Scientific Innovation reveals how natural processes could solve many of our modern challenges. If only we would pay attention!
An astonishing number of discoveries have been made while scientists were conducting basic research stimulated by their own curiosity. The serendipitous recognition of reactions that led to the development of insulin by Banting and Best is one of the most famous of these. Hamilton is careful to stress that just finding something is insufficient; years of additional research and product development are needed to make life-saving discoveries part of accepted practices.
Such research benefits businesses and consumers. Ants and bees thrive through what is termed “swarm intelligence”, in which the activities of the colony surpass the brain power of any single member. Scientists are working hard to mimic this phenomenon in the design of distributed light efficient batteries. For example, future electric cars may not be weighed down by a heavy central battery pack; it could be replaced by battery capability spread throughout the body of the vehicle.
Nature’s solutions for light perception have created eyes of incredible dimension. For example, the lobster eye can see in murky waters that blind humans. Space scientists are adopting some of the designs to improve the performance of telescopes. Even bacteria sense light, by using their bodies as a lens. In fact, bacteria may be the most prolific and potent source of many solutions to address the challenges we face.
… if only we don’t destroy the world’s environment of multiplicity. We all know now that many animals and plants are becoming extinct, and most of us are sensitive to the downside of monoculture. In her fascinating and upbeat book, Kristy Hamilton both subtly and directly advocates for intelligent environmental stewardship.
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