Nature's R&D: Duplicating the Mysteries of Natural Design

If you look closely at nature, you will see a vast ocean of design solutions. Skin that changes color to blend in with the surroundings. Shells that are flexible, but provide protection from predators. Structures in wings, hair, and skin that create color by deflecting light. Small factories (also known as spiders) that spin one of the world’s lightest, but strongest, fibers. The designs, functions, and chemistries of nature offer a vast, creative universe of ideas. And somehow, these amazingly complex systems do what they need to do with little fanfare, next to no toxic effluent, and often in a way that blends seamlessly with the surrounding environment.