Biomimicry

[August]

I don't know how many of you know about this relatively new field of science. Here is a description from the website (http://www.biomimicry.net/intro.html)

"Biomimicry is a new science that studies nature's models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems, e.g., a solar cell inspired by a leaf.
Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge the "rightness" of our innovations. After 3.8 billion years of evolution, nature has learned: What works. What is appropriate. What lasts.
Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature. It introduces an era based not on what we can extract from the natural world, but on what we can learn from it."

I will wait to read some of your comments before I post my own. I will just start off by saying that I would love to know how "nature" can design anything, and then also learn from it. Design and learning imply purpose, and if there is purpose, where did the purpose come from?

[AttentionKMartShoppers]

Yeah, I find that people will first say evolution is a mindless/purposeless process, and in the next breath say the opposite. Read an article about the "GOD GENE" and one person is quoted as saying, to the effect, that the gene is the result of evolution's or mother nature's scheming...but, I think the field is good, but it will not be analyzing nature's designs, but God's....which is all the better, I wouldn't want to see a design made by something without a mind or intellect, would you? (assuming such a thing is possible, which it isn't)

[kateliz]

Well, what it's all about is learning from God's designs, just while calling them nature and evolution. I really like this "new" field, (what do you call trying to fly with man-made wings?) God is the keeper of all secrets, and by searching out these secrets, which is what science is, you can then do pretty cool things with them! I believe God greatly enjoys our frenzies to discover the secrets He's hidden in the things all around us. We praise His intellect and creativity in doing so! It's kind of like a really complex hidden picture puzzle, or a crossword puzzle. He designed it and enjoys watching His Creation play with it.

New attempts in the field is a very wise thing to do, and it makes me wonder why in the world they didn't try it on this level before! To instead of just manipulate, mimic. It's one of those, "No, duh! Why didn't I think of this before?" kind of things.

[weaverweaver]

I dont mind the field either. I applaud it. God put leaves out in the open for man to see, not oil. Oil He put in the depths of the Earth. I was taught you don't bring up what God put down. I dont believe what Bush says that using oil is using one of God's gifts. I truly believe that what God wishes us to use, he sets before us in plain sight. Would He really want us to be dependent on non-Christians for our lives? No, I believe He would want us to look around and see the beauty of the Earth and say, "Why does that work?" I think it is interesting that just when America is coming to solar power and wind power, when we are recognizing the damage to His gifts that we have caused, that more people are coming to Christianity. Denmark has said they wish to power their country with wind power and at the same time are having more people come to the faith.

[kateliz]

Let's not get overzealous. God told us to take care of the earth and the things in it, but He has never said anything against making use of what we find, whether it be on top of soil or under it. That's really just a technicality. What do you think about humans exploring space? Should we not go there just because we'd have to build a rocket to get there, and rockets aren't natural? Or is it okay simply because it's above the soil?

I think I get your point, but I don't agree at all. I believe God designed the earth and all the universe for us to explore it and make use of it for ourselves. I have nothing against plasitc, yet I wish it were easier for the earth to handle. We have not done our job of taking care of the earth too well. And that out of ignorance and selfishness. But if we could strike a balance between maintaining nature and utilizing it in creative ways for our enjoyment and convienience there's, nothing you could biblically hold against it.

[Felgar]

I think I get your point, but I don't agree at all. I believe God designed the earth and all the universe for us to explore it and make use of it for ourselves. I have nothing against plasitc, yet I wish it were easier for the earth to handle. We have not done our job of taking care of the earth too well. And that out of ignorance and selfishness. But if we could strike a balance between maintaining nature and utilizing it in creative ways for our enjoyment and convienience there's, nothing you could biblically hold against it.

I agree. And even further to that, it is a good thing that we've used our resources to provide better lives for so many people. Now, if we could help the poor better instead of hording, and also if we could progress without destroying our planet then that would be ideal. But consider that if we never moved forward, we would never get to a position to be able to slow down or stop. You need a certain level of productivity to feed everyone in the world, so until we get there I think we should continue to consume. But no doubt, we all need to do better at helping everyone else from our blessed positions.

[kateliz]

But we have gotten to the point where we could feed everyone! It's only that the food's not in the right places. Too much of it is sitting on the hips of Americans! McDonald's, I've heard, just by what it produces already, could feed the whole world. But stuff gets thrown away, and people eat more than their share. Production is really not such a problem, if we cared enough.