 
For far too long, we have gone
against Nature. We have tried to tame it, avoid it or ignore it. We
invented airconditioning because we could not take the heat literally.
We put lights on at midday in some buildings so that we are shielded
from the harsh sunlight.
We take the car to the junction because we are too lazy to walk. But
it is time that we learn from and even mimic nature, instead of fighting
it. Scientists are increasingly turning towards nature in designing
buildings and in various other fields. There’s even a name for it “
Biomimicry”.
Japanese scientists are at the forefront of this technology. One of
the best examples for their work is the Osaka University’s Frontier
Research Center which has a “forest cover” all over the building to give
shade.
We are talking about a vast array of products here: ceramics with the
strength and toughness of abalone shells, self-assembling computer chips
that form by processes similar to the way that tooth enamel grows,
adhesives that mimic the glue that mussels use to anchor themselves in
place, and self-cleaning plastics based on the structure of a lotus
leaf.How about a solar cell that imitates the way that trees collect
sunlight from various angles with their leaves?
Manufactured by a Japanese company, the solar cell called Sphelar,
has spherical cells that can be incorporated into a building’s windows.
Unlike standard photovoltaic panels, Sphelar can absorb light from many
directions, providing more consistent power generation as the sun moves
across the sky.
 Ever
heard of kinetic glass? Under development by a company appropriately
called The Living, the glass is made with a slit silicone surface that
allows air to pass through, and it has tiny sensors that can detect the
levels of certain gases.
In the presence of, say, excess carbon dioxide, the material opens
and closes its gills to exchange the air. In other words, it is a
living, breathing glass.
Scientists are also studying air- and soil-purifying abilities of
plants and fungi to make products that have similar capabilities.
Concrete that absorbs carbon dioxide, highway barriers that break
down smog, and paint that eliminates odors in a room are among them.
The SuperAbsorber highway barrier reduces local airborne pollution
through a process known as photocatalyzation. Italcementi, an Italian
maker of photocatalytic cement says the airborne pollution of a large
city could be cut in half if pollution-reducing cement were to cover
just 15 percent of urban surfaces. At last, Man is working with, and
learning from, nature. |
