Life creates conditions conducive to life
Synergy and discovery at the fourth annual design science symposium at RISD:
Baumeister shared the brilliant work of designers who have embraced the notion of biomimicry, “consciously emulating nature’s genius” to solve a wide range of problems. Reflective fibers inspired by spider webs and all but invisible to the human eye are now being embedded into the windows of tall buildings to keep birds from crashing into them. The shingled structure surrounding the light-emitting organs in fireflies is being reproduced in design labs in order to increase the magnification of LED lighting. Nets made of air bubbles inspired by the fishing methods of humpback whales are cutting down on the bycatch of sea turtles and dolphins. “Life creates conditions conducive to life,” Baumeister concluded. “Designers should do the same.”