Float Like a Butterfly – With Janine Benyus

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Humans are social creatures, meaning we like to copy each other. We start copying people from the moment we are born and continue to do so as we grow older. This is a concept that many developmental psychologists have studied and written about. Marketers also understand this concept very well and use it to create trends and make things popular. For example, if something or someone is considered cool, people will want to be like them or use the same things as them. This can even extend to things like the way we smell, as we may wear a certain cologne because it's popular or associated with someone cool.

However, we don't just copy other people; we also copy nature. Biomimicry is a design concept that specifically looks at and emulates naturally occurring phenomena in order to develop sustainable technologies. Biomimicry can be used to create things like air conditioning systems that are inspired by termites' ability to build homes that maintain constant temperatures despite existing in extreme conditions. Another example is creating adhesive glue from mussels and the development of hyper-strong fibers by emulating spider silk. Even the Beijing Water Cube, a famous building, reached new heights in environmental design by using the natural formation of bubbles in soap foam to help insulate it.

The industry of biomimicry is still relatively young, but its environmental, social, and economic impact is becoming increasingly significant, with both industries and communities looking for cleaner, greener, more natural carbon-neutral solutions to everyday needs. As more people focus on design processes that mimic nature, the way we talk about emulation may also change. For example, it may become acceptable to say things like “I eat like a pig” as a compliment instead of as an insult.

Humans have a natural inclination to copy and imitate others. This is a concept that has been studied by developmental psychologists and is well understood by marketers. They use this concept to create trends and make things popular. Biomimicry is a design concept that takes inspiration from nature to develop sustainable technologies. It involves emulating naturally occurring phenomena to create cleaner and greener solutions for everyday needs. Examples of biomimicry include creating air conditioning systems inspired by termites, adhesive glue from mussels, and hyper-strong fibers by emulating spider silk. The industry of biomimicry is still relatively new, but its impact on the environment, society, and economy is becoming increasingly significant. As more people focus on design processes that mimic nature, the way we talk about emulation may also change.

In conclusion, humans are social creatures who like to copy each other. We start mimicking people from the moment we are born and continue to do so as we grow older. Marketers understand this concept well and use it to create trends and make things popular. However, we also copy nature, and biomimicry is a design concept that specifically looks at and emulates naturally occurring phenomena in order to develop sustainable technologies. The industry of biomimicry is still relatively young, but its impact on the environment, society, and economy is becoming increasingly significant. As more people focus on design processes that mimic nature, the way we talk about emulation may also change.