Beastly Bionics

Discover more than 40 examples of technology influenced by animals, meet some of the scientists and the story behind their inventions, and learn about some of the incredible creatures who have inspired multiple creation

People use machinery in their lives every day. But how do we make machinery more efficient? We turn to nature! Biomimicry has led to many innovative robots and machines, and readers can explore them here.

Medicine is always improving. One way doctors find new treatments is by observing nature. By studying animals like spiders and sharks, doctors can help their patients heal faster and more efficiently with biomimicry. This title explores how biomimicry is used in surgeries, in healing wounds, and more.

Where do inventors find inspiration? Sometimes they look to animals—which is known as bioinspiration! Author Sandra Markle presents twelve animal adaptations and the amazing technological advancements they've inspired. Readers get a fun peek at the creative process that led to the creation of inventions that help people stay safe, live more comfortably, and go places and do things that weren't previously possible. From dolphins and bats inspiring sonar and lidar to sharks and pangolins inspiring different types of armor, explore the marvelous world of nature-based inventions.

Animals build unique and beautiful homes. So do humans. But sometimes human-made buildings harm the environment. Learn how architects mimic nature to design eco-friendly buildings.

The ABC TV series The Bionic Woman, created by Kenneth Johnson, was a 1970s pop culture phenomenon. Starring Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers, the groundbreaking series follows Jaime's evolution from a young woman vulnerable to an exploitative social order, to a fierce individualist defying a government that sees her as property. Beneath the action-packed surface of Jaime's battles with Fembots, themes such as the chosen family, technophobia, class passing, the cyborg, artificial beings, and a growing racial consciousness receive a sophisticated treatment. This book links the series to precedents such as classical mythology, first-wave feminist literature, and the Hollywood woman's film, to place The Bionic Woman in a tradition of feminist ethics deeply concerned with female autonomy, community, and the rights of nonhuman animals. Seen through the lens of feminist philosophy and gender studies, Jaime's constantly changing disguises, attempts to pass as human, and struggles to accept her new bionic abilities offer provocative engagement with issues of identity. Jaime Sommers is a feminist icon who continues to speak to women and queer audiences, and her struggles and triumphs resonate with a worldwide fanbase that still remains enthralled and represented by The Bionic Woman.

★“Fascinating...An appealing resource sure to spark an interest in biomimicry, from casual readers to budding scientists. Recommended for all libraries.”—School Library Journal, starred review Did you know that lamps can be powered by glowing bacteria instead of electricity? That gloves designed like gecko feet let people climb straight up glass walls? Or that kids are finding ways to make compostable plastic out of banana peels? Biomimicry, the scientific term for when we learn from and copy nature, is a revolutionary way to look to nature for answers to environmental problems such as climate change. In Design Like Nature young readers discover innovations and inventions inspired by the environment. Nature runs the entire planet with no waste and no pollution. Can humans learn to do this too? It's time to step outside and start designing like nature.