Beauty in Stem

Source If you’ve ever noticed those weird bumps on humpback whale flippers, it turns out they aren't just for show. They're actually nature’s ingenious engineering to give whales incredible maneuverability underwater. This discovery isn't just cool marine biology; it's transforming how we design everything from wind turbines to airplane wings. I came across this article, … [Read more...] about How Humpback Whales Inspired Wind Turbines

Today I wanted to share an interesting article from the Nautilus Magazine that I read about the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, and how its architecture mimics the self-cooling mechanisms of termites. Back in 1991, architect Mick Pearce was faced with the challenge to design Zimbabwe's largest commercial building with unconventional air conditioning. Peculiarly enough, … [Read more...] about When Nature Inspired Architecture: The Surprising Story of the Eastgate Centre

I read a mind-blowing article by Advanced Science News that talks about how scientists are unraveling the secrets behind seal whiskers, and I can't stop thinking about how incredible these structures are. While most of us probably imagine seal whiskers to be similar to those of cats or dogs, some species like harbor and grey seals have evolved something far more sophisticated - … [Read more...] about How Harbor Seal Whiskers inspired Wind Turbine Technology

Scientists have spent decades trying to replicate spider silk's properties in synthetic materials. Unlike silkworms, which can be farmed, spiders are territorial and cannibalistic, making large-scale silk production impractical. This challenge has led to innovative approaches, including: Genetically modified bacteria that produce spider silk proteinsSynthetic polymers that … [Read more...] about How Spider Silk is Revolutionizing Modern Materials

Nature has long been a source of inspiration for human innovation. But perhaps one of the most elegant examples of biomimicry comes from Japan's high-speed rail system, where engineers found their solution in the most unexpected of places: the beak of a kingfisher. The other day, I stumbled across a YouTube video by Vox called “The world is poorly designed. But copying nature … [Read more...] about How a Bird Revolutionized Japan’s Bullet Train Design