Learning from Nature

Humans have been able to create technology that would seem to our predecessors like magic. Yet when we look at the web a spider weaves, we might not grasp the full wonder of what this little creature is accomplishing. The forces of nature drive living things toward maximum efficiency. Nature fills niches by evolving technologies that optimize use of the energy provided by the sun or the earth. The spider for instance, is able to spin many different kinds of webs for different applications that are stronger than steel. The spider can assemble its super strong fibers from the simple ingredients in its food using a tiny fraction of the energy it would take to create a fiber from petroleum-derived plastic, and the material is completely biodegradable.  On the other hand, thanks to the abundance of fossil fuel, we humans of the modern industrial world develop technologies that are incredibly wasteful and will be with us for thousands of years. We have a lot to learn from nature about reducing waste, and about conserving and storing energy.

In Our Time from BBC radio did this great show about Macromolecules that talks to experts about the potential for using polymers based on those found in nature for creating more sustainable products. Usually the show is an eclectic mix of topics across many disciplines, but this episode seems to touch on many topics relevant to making our lives more sustainable. This is a fun little listen that teaches us that if we look to nature for guidance, we can learn to reduce our impact on the planet.