| Published 2009 |
In 1958 a researcher with the United States Air Force by the name of Jack Steele
coined a new word—bionics, which means the process of drawing inspiration from
nature for manmade designs.1 Now also known by several other names including
biomimicry and biomimetics, this concept has led to many inventions that have
benefited mankind. The implications of bionics or biomimicry are important in the
debate over intelligent design.
Here are just some biomimicry examples:
Velcro--In 1948 Swiss engineer George de Mestral had gone on a hunting trip with
his dog. Upon returning, he took a close look at the burrs (seeds) of burdock (left)
that were sticking to his clothes and his dog's fur. Under a microscope, de Mestral
noted the hundreds of hooks on the burrs that caught on anything with a loop,
such as clothing or animal fur. This inspired him to invent manmade materials that
would stick together based on the same pattern of hooks (right, top) and loops
(right, bottom). He named his invention Velcro, a registered trademark in most
countries. 2
Gecko tape--A gecko (picture, left) is a small to average-sized lizard belonging to
the family Gekkonidae. Many species of gecko are known for their specialized toe
pads that allow them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces and even walk on
ceilings with ease. Without the use of surface tension or liquids of any kind, the
gecko footpads (right) achieve adhesive forces by means of structures called
setae. There are about 14,000 setae in each square millimeter of a gecko's toe
pads which accomplish their work by means of the principles of electrostaticism,
the science of what seems to be stationary electric charges. Scientists are now
working on a special tape that achieves adhesion in a similar way. And a robot
gecko invented at Stanford University and called "stickybot" can turn this adhesive
property on and off at will. 3
Bullet train--The Japanese have invented a train that can travel over 200 miles
an hour, the fastest train in the world. They call it the Shinkansen bullet train
(left). There was one problem with the train that had to be overcome. Every time a
bullet train would exit a tunnel, it would produce a very loud bang because of the
change in air pressure. The train's engineers noticed that a kingfisher (right), a
small, brightly-colored bird, can dive into the water with little splashing. This
inspired them to redesign the bullet train so that its front end looks like a
kingfisher's beak. The result is not only a quieter train but a train that could go
even faster and use less energy. 4
Eastgate Centre Harare, Zimbabwe--This modern office building in the South
African city was designed so that it could be heated and cooled efficiently. In
examining African termite mounds, its architects were intrigued by the ability of the
mounds to self-cool. As their primary food source, the termites farm a fungus
inside the gigantic mounds (left) that must be kept at a temperature of exactly 87
degrees F despite outside temperatures that can range from 35 degrees F to 104
degrees F. To do this, the termites constantly open and close a series of heating
and cooling vents throughout the mound over the course of the day. Convection
currents help keep the temperature stable. The Eastgate Centre (above) has a
ventilation system that operates in a similar way and does not need conventional
air-conditioning or heating. 5
Better Solar Power-- Progress in the use of solar power has been held back by
the lack of a low-cost, effective way of storing it when the sun is not shining. Two
MIT chemists have helped solve this problem by studying common plants. During
photosynethesis, plants change solar energy into a chemical form. A key aspect of
this conversion involves splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen
is then converted into sugars the plants store as fuel. The chemists developed a
similar procedure to store solar power, using cobalt to split the water molecules.
The hydrogen is stored as a gas and later turned into electricity in a fuel cell. 6
Fan Blades-- Engineers have long thought that smooth surfaces were the best
design for propeller blades. Studies of whales though are changing this way of
thinking. A whale flipper has a bumpy edge. Studies have shown that these bumps
help reduce drag, increase lift and fluid flow efficiency, and decrease the risk of
stalling. Dr. Frank Fish of West Chester University has picked up on this feature,
designing experimental fan blades with bumpy, irregular features. "This design
has been shown to be more efficient and also quieter, but defies traditional
engineering theories," he says. 7
Body armor-- Engineers are looking to an African fish called Polypterus senegalus
(left) for ideas on creating better body armor. They have measured the properties
of a single fish scale and its four layer materials which includes bones and
dentine. The chemical properties of each material, the shapes and thicknesses of
the layers, and the junctions between layers help achieve the remarkable strength
of the fish's “armor.” The lessons learned from this fish have great potential for
eventually leading to improved structural materials for soldiers and military armor
applications. 8
Smart Clothing-- Julian Vincent wanted a nonliving system for a new type of
clothing fabric which would respond to changes in moisture by changing shape.
He got his inspiration by studying pinecones (right). Pinecones and some other
plants respond to higher humidity by opening their scales to disperse their seeds.
The “smart” fabric does the same thing, opening up when the wearer is warm and
sweating and shutting tight when cold. 9
Other examples: Cat's eye reflectors from the study of cats eyes; self-cleaning
paints and roof tile from the study of lotus leaves; a modular carpet system copied
from designs seen in the randomness of colors and patterns of forest floors; new
ideas for cooling fans, impellers, and aerators inspired by mollusk shells;
“morphing aircraft wings” that change shape according to speed and duration of
flight from the study of bird wings; and the harvesting of water from fog similar to
how a beetle does it. There are many more examples, the best 100 of which are
included in Nature's 100 Best as compiled by the Biomimicry Institute.
The implications of biomimicry for the debate over Intelligent Design are obvious.
How do evolutionists who believe everything is the product of blind chance explain
why there is so much apparent intelligent design in nature, so intelligent that
modern day researchers and engineers using their own intelligence copy the
designs into modern products? The simple answer: time. This is why Darwinists
need so much time, millions and billions of years. Given enough time, the
improbable becomes probable. So time is an evolutionist god. It can do anything.
The fact of the matter is that the amount of time available even in a world 4.5 billion
years old is far, far from being enough. Computer studies by Dr. William Dembski
have shown that the creation of even a simple body protein from amino-acid
components is next to impossible, even in a universe billions of years old. We
would hope and pray that those secular scientists would come to their senses who
for some reason feel they must hold onto a godless theory that is fast becoming
even more and more untenable. Then they might be led by the Holy Spirit and the
Word of God to eventually accept their Savior and the real hope of a future
heavenly world which the Creator God is now designing for all of us. LSI
References
1. ww.scq.ubc.ca.
2.http://en.wikipedia.org
3.http://en.wikipedia.org; www.designboom.com/contemporary/biomimicry.html
4.www.designboom.com/contemporary/biomimicry.html
5.http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/12/10/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-
centre-in-zimbabwe/
6.Discover magazine, (January, 2009)
7. http://www.icr.org/article/3971/
8.www.msnbc.msn,com/id/25886406/
9.www.en.wikipedia.org
coined a new word—bionics, which means the process of drawing inspiration from
nature for manmade designs.1 Now also known by several other names including
biomimicry and biomimetics, this concept has led to many inventions that have
benefited mankind. The implications of bionics or biomimicry are important in the
debate over intelligent design.
Here are just some biomimicry examples:
Velcro--In 1948 Swiss engineer George de Mestral had gone on a hunting trip with
his dog. Upon returning, he took a close look at the burrs (seeds) of burdock (left)
that were sticking to his clothes and his dog's fur. Under a microscope, de Mestral
noted the hundreds of hooks on the burrs that caught on anything with a loop,
such as clothing or animal fur. This inspired him to invent manmade materials that
would stick together based on the same pattern of hooks (right, top) and loops
(right, bottom). He named his invention Velcro, a registered trademark in most
countries. 2
Gecko tape--A gecko (picture, left) is a small to average-sized lizard belonging to
the family Gekkonidae. Many species of gecko are known for their specialized toe
pads that allow them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces and even walk on
ceilings with ease. Without the use of surface tension or liquids of any kind, the
gecko footpads (right) achieve adhesive forces by means of structures called
setae. There are about 14,000 setae in each square millimeter of a gecko's toe
pads which accomplish their work by means of the principles of electrostaticism,
the science of what seems to be stationary electric charges. Scientists are now
working on a special tape that achieves adhesion in a similar way. And a robot
gecko invented at Stanford University and called "stickybot" can turn this adhesive
property on and off at will. 3
Bullet train--The Japanese have invented a train that can travel over 200 miles
an hour, the fastest train in the world. They call it the Shinkansen bullet train
(left). There was one problem with the train that had to be overcome. Every time a
bullet train would exit a tunnel, it would produce a very loud bang because of the
change in air pressure. The train's engineers noticed that a kingfisher (right), a
small, brightly-colored bird, can dive into the water with little splashing. This
inspired them to redesign the bullet train so that its front end looks like a
kingfisher's beak. The result is not only a quieter train but a train that could go
even faster and use less energy. 4
Eastgate Centre Harare, Zimbabwe--This modern office building in the South
African city was designed so that it could be heated and cooled efficiently. In
examining African termite mounds, its architects were intrigued by the ability of the
mounds to self-cool. As their primary food source, the termites farm a fungus
inside the gigantic mounds (left) that must be kept at a temperature of exactly 87
degrees F despite outside temperatures that can range from 35 degrees F to 104
degrees F. To do this, the termites constantly open and close a series of heating
and cooling vents throughout the mound over the course of the day. Convection
currents help keep the temperature stable. The Eastgate Centre (above) has a
ventilation system that operates in a similar way and does not need conventional
air-conditioning or heating. 5
Better Solar Power-- Progress in the use of solar power has been held back by
the lack of a low-cost, effective way of storing it when the sun is not shining. Two
MIT chemists have helped solve this problem by studying common plants. During
photosynethesis, plants change solar energy into a chemical form. A key aspect of
this conversion involves splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen
is then converted into sugars the plants store as fuel. The chemists developed a
similar procedure to store solar power, using cobalt to split the water molecules.
The hydrogen is stored as a gas and later turned into electricity in a fuel cell. 6
Fan Blades-- Engineers have long thought that smooth surfaces were the best
design for propeller blades. Studies of whales though are changing this way of
thinking. A whale flipper has a bumpy edge. Studies have shown that these bumps
help reduce drag, increase lift and fluid flow efficiency, and decrease the risk of
stalling. Dr. Frank Fish of West Chester University has picked up on this feature,
designing experimental fan blades with bumpy, irregular features. "This design
has been shown to be more efficient and also quieter, but defies traditional
engineering theories," he says. 7
Body armor-- Engineers are looking to an African fish called Polypterus senegalus
(left) for ideas on creating better body armor. They have measured the properties
of a single fish scale and its four layer materials which includes bones and
dentine. The chemical properties of each material, the shapes and thicknesses of
the layers, and the junctions between layers help achieve the remarkable strength
of the fish's “armor.” The lessons learned from this fish have great potential for
eventually leading to improved structural materials for soldiers and military armor
applications. 8
Smart Clothing-- Julian Vincent wanted a nonliving system for a new type of
clothing fabric which would respond to changes in moisture by changing shape.
He got his inspiration by studying pinecones (right). Pinecones and some other
plants respond to higher humidity by opening their scales to disperse their seeds.
The “smart” fabric does the same thing, opening up when the wearer is warm and
sweating and shutting tight when cold. 9
Other examples: Cat's eye reflectors from the study of cats eyes; self-cleaning
paints and roof tile from the study of lotus leaves; a modular carpet system copied
from designs seen in the randomness of colors and patterns of forest floors; new
ideas for cooling fans, impellers, and aerators inspired by mollusk shells;
“morphing aircraft wings” that change shape according to speed and duration of
flight from the study of bird wings; and the harvesting of water from fog similar to
how a beetle does it. There are many more examples, the best 100 of which are
included in Nature's 100 Best as compiled by the Biomimicry Institute.
The implications of biomimicry for the debate over Intelligent Design are obvious.
How do evolutionists who believe everything is the product of blind chance explain
why there is so much apparent intelligent design in nature, so intelligent that
modern day researchers and engineers using their own intelligence copy the
designs into modern products? The simple answer: time. This is why Darwinists
need so much time, millions and billions of years. Given enough time, the
improbable becomes probable. So time is an evolutionist god. It can do anything.
The fact of the matter is that the amount of time available even in a world 4.5 billion
years old is far, far from being enough. Computer studies by Dr. William Dembski
have shown that the creation of even a simple body protein from amino-acid
components is next to impossible, even in a universe billions of years old. We
would hope and pray that those secular scientists would come to their senses who
for some reason feel they must hold onto a godless theory that is fast becoming
even more and more untenable. Then they might be led by the Holy Spirit and the
Word of God to eventually accept their Savior and the real hope of a future
heavenly world which the Creator God is now designing for all of us. LSI
References
1. ww.scq.ubc.ca.
2.http://en.wikipedia.org
3.http://en.wikipedia.org; www.designboom.com/contemporary/biomimicry.html
4.www.designboom.com/contemporary/biomimicry.html
5.http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/12/10/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-
centre-in-zimbabwe/
6.Discover magazine, (January, 2009)
7. http://www.icr.org/article/3971/
8.www.msnbc.msn,com/id/25886406/
9.www.en.wikipedia.org
