Biomimicry

Home > Other > Biomimicry > Page 40
Biomimicry Page 40

by Janine M Benyus


  indigenous peoples’ respect for, 1, 3, 9, 11, 293, 294–295, 297

  nine basic laws of, 7

  reductionist views of, 236–237

  Naval Research Center, 216–217

  Nelson, Richard, 294

  neural nets, 196–198

  neurotransmitters, 194, 199, 222

  New Alchemy Institute, 39

  Newsweek, 234

  Newton, Isaac, 226

  New York Botanical Garden, 173–174

  nitrates, 19

  Nixon, Richard, 17

  Odum, Howard T., 251

  Office of Naval Research, 106

  Old Dominion University, 140

  olfactory senses, 156–157

  oligio machines, 208

  One Straw Revolution (Fukuoka), 37

  opportunistic systems, 249–250

  ozone layer, CFC destruction of, 122–123, 281

  Pacific Northwest Laboratories, 112

  packaging, waste reduction in, 256–257

  Pagels, Heinz, 185

  paint, primers for, 119–120, 121

  Papago agriculture, 43

  paper industry, 95

  parallel processing, 190, 191, 196–198, 231, 234

  Patagonia, 257–258

  pattern recognition, 190, 195, 203

  PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), 91–92

  Penrose, Roger, 220, 226, 227, 228

  pesticides, 13, 14, 18–20, 47, 48–49, 179

  petroleum products:

  in agriculture, 18–20

  photosynthesis as source of, 61

  Pfizer, Inc., 173–174, 179

  pharmacology, see medicines

  phase inversion, 124

  pheromones, 130

  Phillips-Conroy, Jane, 166

  photosynthesis, 60–94

  artificial models of, 62–83, 86–94

  defined, 60

  digital technology and, 84–86

  early studies on, 60

  efficiency of, 59, 79, 80–81, 90, 260

  molecular process of, 62–63, 215, 217

  photozyme creation and, 86–93

  photovoltaics (PVs), 62

  photozyme, 86–93

  Picattiny Arsenal, 123, 124

  Pimentel, David, 19

  Pimm, Stuart, 31, 32

  Piper, Jon, 15–16, 23–26, 29–35, 46, 47, 51, 56

  plants:

  animal fertility and, 170–172

  annual vs. perennial, 12, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26–30, 46–47, 249–251

  extinctions of, 147

  medicinal use of, 161–169

  photosynthesis of, 59–94, 215, 217

  poisonous, 147–149, 150

  see also agriculture

  plastics industry:

  solid foam production in, 122–124

  toxic emissions produced by, 95

  plowing, damage from, 13, 16

  polarizing light microscope, 133, 141

  pollution, see environmental degradation

  polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 91–92

  polystyrene, 113, 123–124

  population levels, 240, 249, 292

  prairie ecosystems, 12

  four classic plant types of, 26

  lack of soil damage in, 14–19, 25

  sustainable agriculture modeled on, 20–35, 44–53

  pregnancy, dietary preferences in, 157

  Priestley, Joseph, 60

  primates, dietary choices of, 147, 149–172

  discrimination abilities for, 156–159, 169

  medicinal plants in, 161–169

  nutritional values vs. toxic levels in, 149–151

  sampling behaviors in, 158

  for seasonal fertility, 169–172

  soil ingestion and, 153–154

  primers, 119–121

  productivity, optimal vs. maximal, 263–264

  Profet, Margie, 157

  profitability, environmental costs considered in, 278–281

  proteins:

  digestion of, 148–149, 170

  self-assembly of, 103–104

  sequencing research on, 105–106, 107, 108–109, 111

  as structural templates, 102–105, 110–117

  synthesis of, 106–108, 109–111, 208

  see also computing, molecular

  PVs (photovoltaics), 62

  quantum theory:

  brain function and, 225–228

  parallel scanning and, 206, 226–227

  radar, 6

  Rámon y Cajal, Santiago, 185

  Reenchantment of the World, The (Bergman), 236

  Reidel, Evie Mae, 55

  resource levels, maintenance of, 269–271

  rhinoceros, 139–145

  rice, 17

  Richter, Curt P., 152

  Ride, Sally, 273

  Rieke, Peter C., 112–114

  Risch, Steve, 34

  Rittmann, Stephanie, 45–46

  Roberts, Pat, 49

  Rodale family, 44

  Roddick, Anita, 257

  Rodriguez, Eloy, 146, 165, 166, 182

  Ryan, Christopher, 282, 284

  Sachs, Aaron, 95

  salad dressing, emulsified, 123–124

  Sales, Kirkpatrick, 277

  SAMs (self-assembled monolayers), crystal growth on, 112–114

  Sapolsky, Robert M., 182

  Sarikaya, Mehmet, 95, 99, 101, 105

  Sauther, Michelle L., 159

  Schapiro, Mark, 19

  Schrödinger, Erwin, 227

  Schultes, Richard Evans, 177

  Science, 62, 176, 230, 233, 234

  Science News, 132

  Sciences, The, 177, 182

  Scientific American, 199

  Scientific Revolution, 5, 241

  Scott, Thomas, 157

  Scripps Research Institution, 209

  SCS (Soil Conservation Service), 16–17

  Seifu, Mohamedi, 161

  self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), crystal growth on, 112–114

  Shadows of the Mind (Penrose), 220, 228

  Shaman Pharmaceuticals, 177

  shark, dogfish, 180

  Sigsted, Shawn, 167

  silanes, 121

  silk, 97, 127, 129–139

  silkworms, 131

  smart materials, 6

  Smith, Adam, 279

  Smith, Ben, 21–22

  Smith, J. Russell, 12–13, 41–43

  soap, chemistry of, 90–91

  sodbusters, 16

  soil:

  agricultural impact on, 14–19, 25

  dietary ingestion of, 153–154

  Soil Conservation Service (SCS), 16–17

  solar energy:

  man-made efforts in usage of, 59, 81–82

  in photosynthesis, 59–94

  solaron beads, 92

  solid foam, 122–124

  sorghum, milo grain, 29

  Spanish dancer, 180–181

  spider, golden orb weaver, 129

  spider silk, 97, 129–139

  production process for, 132–136

  protein synthesis research based on, 136–138

  Stealth bomber, 142

  steel industry, 95

  Stegner, Wallace, 46

  Strange, Marty, 50

  Strier, Karen B., 146, 163–164, 170–171, 178, 182

  Stuckey, Galen, 111, 112

  Styrofoam, 122, 123–124

  Sunshine Farm project, 51–53, 55

  superconductivity, 22

  superimposition of states, 226–227, 228

  Swan, James A., 238

  Swan, Roberta, 238

  symbiosis, 258–259

  Syracuse University, 216

  tactilizing processors, 203–207, 208–209, 229

  take-back laws, 256–257, 278

  Tallgrass Prairie Producers, 55

  Tate, Ann, 216–217, 235

  teeth, crystalline structure of, 101

  tendons, structure of, 99–100, 119, 125

  Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, 258


  termites, 6

  thin-film technology, 112–114

  3M, 267–268

  Tibbs, Hardin B., 239, 241, 246, 247, 254

  Todd, John, 39–40

  Todd, Nancy, 39

  torsional strength, 143

  Total Quality Management (TQM), 243

  toxins:

  in animal defense systems, 179–181

  dietary avoidance of, 147–149, 150–151, 158–159, 178, 183

  in self-medication, 168–169

  Tree Crops (Smith), 41–43

  Tributsch, Helmut, 200–201

  Trimble, Stephen, 288

  Twain, Mark, 8

  Type I systems, 249–253

  Type II systems, 250

  Type III systems, 250–253

  Ubby, Russell, 56

  Uenohara, Michiyuki, 259

  Ulmer, Kevin, 231

  Ultimate Computing (Hameroff), 230

  Understanding Chimpanzees (Goodall and Wrangham), 164–165

  United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 174

  Van Orden, Ann, 140–145

  Velcro, 4

  Vermeer, Donald E., 154, 183

  vervets, 151

  Viney, Christopher, 129–136, 138–139, 141

  Voisin, André, 45

  von Neumann, John, 192, 196, 224

  Waite, J. Herbert, 118–129

  Washington, University of, 99, 106, 129

  waste:

  annual tonnage of, 240–241

  industrial output of, 95, 243, 246

  public awareness on, 244–246

  as resource, 254–258, 274

  water, chemistry in, 90–94

  Waterman, Peter, 151

  water supply, pesticide residues in, 19

  Watt, Rich, 222–223

  wave function, quantum, 227, 228

  wheat cultivation, 13, 16

  Whiten, Andrew, 151

  wildrye, mammoth, 28, 33

  Wilson, E. O., 285, 289–290, 296–297

  With Bitter Herbs They Shall Eat It (Johns), 154

  Woodbury, Neal, 70–74, 80, 83, 88, 91

  Worman, Jack, 53

  Wrangham, Richard, 146, 151, 156, 159, 162, 163–165, 166, 168, 178, 182

  Wyoming, University of, 127, 133, 138

  X-ray crystallography, 71

  Young, John E., 95

  Zasloff, Michael, 180

  zoopharmacognosy, 166, 182

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I wish to express my appreciation to all the biomimics I interviewed and especially to those kind enough to review a portion of the manuscript. The reviewers were: Dr. Wes Jackson, Dr. Jon Piper, and Dr. Marty Bender of The Land Institute; Dr. J. Devens Gust, Jr., Dr. Thomas Moore, Dr. Ana Moore, and Dr. Neal Woodbury of Arizona State University; Dr. Clement Furlong, University of Washington; Dr. Paul Calvert, University of Arizona; Dr. J. Herbert Waite, University of Delaware; Dr. Christopher Viney, Oxford University; Dr. David Kaplan, U.S. Army Research; Dr. Kenneth Glander, Duke University Primate Center; Dr. Richard Wrangham, Harvard University; Dr. Karen Strier, University of Wisconsin; Dr. Michael Conrad, Wayne State University; Dr. Braden Allenby and Dr. Thomas Graedel of AT&T; and Thomas Armstrong of Matfield Green, Kansas. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Dr. Christopher Viney, who critiqued the entire manuscript with a rare combination of enthusiasm and a fine-tooth comb.

  I was fortunate to have a literary agent, Jeanne Hanson, and an editor, Toni Sciarra, who really understood this field-without-a-name and were biomimicry champions from the start. For transcribing my notes with a curious mind, I thank Nina Maclean. My flock of friends and family were tremendous, as always.

  Many people shaped my understanding of this book, both while I was writing it and afterward. In particular, I thank Wes Jackson and Wendell Berry for recognizing themselves as biomimics years ago and thinking so clearly and carefully about what it all means. Emily Hunter, also of The Land Institute, was waiting in an eddy for me when I finished. With her help, I was able to reflect and recharge for the next phase.

  Finally, I want to thank Laura Merrill, who, with patient ear and open heart, helped midwife the birth of biomimicry. Her otterlike joy and rock-steady support has meant the world.

  About the Author

  JANINE BENYUS is a biological sciences writer and the author of six books, including her latest—Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature; an animal behavior guide entitled Beastly Behaviors; and three field guides: The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Western United States, The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States, and Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher’s Guide to Habitats.

  A graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey, with degrees in natural resource management and English literature/writing, Benyus acts as a “biologist at the design table” for various sustainable companies and governments, and lectures widely on biomimicry. She lives in the northern Rocky Mountains of Montana.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  Praise for Biomimicry

  “The colors of Benyus, a splendid Stevensville, Montana, science writer with a grasp of several sciences, contain far more shades of green than of chrome…. Valuable and stimulating.”

  —New York Times Book Review

  “Beautifully written and told with the passion of a true believer…. Benyus delights us with the cleverness and inventiveness of nature in dealing with our greatest technological challenges.”

  —San Jose Mercury News

  “Benyus writes like an angel from the moment of her opening sentence.”

  —Vancouver Sun

  “An enlightened alternative to Darwinism…. The scientific effort to discover how we can live lightly and sustainably by learning from nature may well be the most important task now going on. If we cannot answer this question, the other answers may not matter much in the long run.”

  —Christian Science Monitor

  “The author ably brings together many disparate tracks of biomimetic work in a wide-ranging overview of this emerging and still speculative field.”

  —Scientific American

  “This book will help bridge the dangerous chasm between technophiles and environmentalists.”

  —Booklist

  “In the months and years to come you are going to be hearing a lot about biomimicry—the design of human technological systems on a nonhuman biological basis—and this will have been the book that started all the talk.”

  —SUE HUBBELL, author of A Country Year

  “Biomimicry is a book like no other: It is a primer that will teach you how to think like a blade of grass, a duck pond, a wheat field, a redwood forest, and thus to live within the natural order. It is not about ecological thinking; its instructions and revelations come straight from nature. This book may save your life.”

  —GRETEL EHRLICH, author of This Cold Heaven

  “Don’t be fooled by the gentle humor, earthy stories, and graceful writing—this is a revolutionary book! Biomimicry fires the imagination with the exciting possibility of taking the best designs from nature’s storehouses of invention and applying them to the challenge of building a sustainable and creative future.”

  —DUANE ELGIN, author of Voluntary Simplicity

  ALSO BY JANINE M. BENYUS

  Beastly Behaviors: A Watcher’s Guide to How Animals Act and Why

  Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher’s Guide to Habitats

  Northwoods Wildlife—Knapsack Edition

  The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States

  The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Western United States

  Copyright

  BIOMIMICRY. Copyright © 1997 by Janine M. Benyus. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be
reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Adobe Digital Edition June 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-195892-2

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  About the Publisher

  Australia

  HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

  25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)

  Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au

  Canada

  HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

  55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900

  Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca

  New Zealand

  HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited

  P.O. Box 1

  Auckland, New Zealand

  http://www.harpercollins.co.nz

  United Kingdom

  HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

  77-85 Fulham Palace Road

  London, W6 8JB, UK

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk

  United States

  HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

  10 East 53rd Street

  New York, NY 10022

  http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com

 

 

 


‹ Prev