In complete opposition to Francis Bacon's views of Nature as a thing to be subdued, here comes biomimicry: Nature as the supreme engineer! If so many girls are attracted to biology, this might be a way to attract them to physics.
I cannot wait to introduce elements of biomimicry into my physics teaching! Many students are overexcited by the subject.
TEd talk by the founder, Janine Benyus:
http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs.html
See also the biomimicry website
and the biomimicry institute
Among my favorite projects: the wind turbine that imitates whales' flippers, natural air cooling system borrowed from the termites and how a shell can teach us how to build a windshield.
Application to space technology: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FYMRH3XVlo&feature=related
Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, a mistress above all masters, are laboring in vain... (Leonardo DaVinci)
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A blog for any man, woman or transgender, who feels physics could be more welcoming to the feminine.
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