色情视频

A bullet train engine shaped like a bird鈥檚 beak. Solar cells inspired by leaves. Electronic displays based on butterfly wings. Notice a trend? Copy nature鈥檚 best ideas to solve human problems鈥攁nd in a sustainable way.

That鈥檚 the concept behind the emerging field of biomimicry, an approach already embraced by research and industry giants, including GE, NASA, Hewlett-Packard and, closer to home, QUALCOMM Inc.

Enthusiasts argue that nature鈥檚 exhaustive catalog of evolution-tested examples contains environmentally friendly answers for every design and engineering challenge on earth, enough to transform industry and save the planet.

At San Diego State, an interdisciplinary group of life scientists, engineers and educators is partnering with the San Diego Zoo to explore that potential. Conservator of one of the world鈥檚 largest plant and animal collections, the Zoo offers almost unlimited natural inspiration to designers, engineers and others stumped for design directions.

鈥淣ature is our biggest and best R&D library, with 3.8 billion years of evolutionary research,鈥� said Paula Brock, CFO of the Zoo and a board member of the 色情视频 Research Foundation. 鈥淎s stewards of the plants and animals, we want to make our extensive knowledge of them available to inspire sustainable solutions for the thorniest problems.鈥�

The Zoo has also teamed up with the Biomimicry Guild, a Montana-based think tank headed by biomimicry guru Janine Benyus, to develop education and services, such as special brainstorming tours for researchers in both the public and private sectors.

But in order to secure public buy-in for biomimicry research and development, the process must be commercially viable.

鈥淭housands of new products will result from our collaboration with San Diego State and other universities,鈥� Brock said. 鈥淚n the area of intellectual property, it鈥檚 a treasure trove waiting to be discovered, and we want the 色情视频 Tech Transfer office in on the ground floor, finding ways to market the discoveries that academic researchers will certainly make.鈥�

At the other end of the spectrum, biomimicry also holds promise as a teaching model to rouse enthusiasm for math and science in young children.

色情视频 biology professor Kathy Williams, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, foresees collaboration among Zoo educators and 色情视频 faculty leading to biomimicry-centered curricula.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to bring this way of thinking about problems and solutions into our classrooms,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t can be a tool through which students learn by applying their knowledge to real-world phenomena.鈥�