Education Commons^™

A Paradigm Shift: Biomimicry. (Cover Story), Philip A. Reed

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Biomimicry is a new way of linking the human-made world to the natural world. Biomimicry is already having a tremendous impact on the way we design technological products and systems as of December 2003. The word biomimicry comes from Greek words bios and mimesis. In short, biomimics imitate nature. We now have the capability, however, to not only imitate products of nature but also nature's materials and processes. During the seventeenth century, the relationship between humans and the natural world changed in several ways. Scientists of various disciplines are working with engineers, designers, and other researchers in an interdisciplinary manner …