Biomimicry & Materials

This topic is not exactly what I had in mind when I started my ‘materials’ document to write this, but I listened to the podcast a few days ago and it’s a perfect frame for the rest of the Dispatch. The book is old (1997) but the interview is fantastic. Krista Tippett at The On Being Project covers a lot of ground around Janine Benyus’ biomimicry book and professional work as well as her life and view of nature.

The idea behind biomimicry is to learn from nature and understand how it solves problems and performs seemingly miraculous functions, such as running on sunlight, fitting form to function, recycling everything, and creating conditions conducive to life. For me, the most important insight in the conversation is Benyus’ view on fire and heat. Almost everything humans make goes through fire and heat, where nature does things within the body of living things, and thus …