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Following the Example of Nature Following the Example of Nature
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“The Sacred Egyptian Bean”, drawing from “Temple of Flora”, Robert Thornton, 1807.
Science

Following the Example of Nature

Six Inventions Inspired by the Natural World
Paweł Kafarski
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time 6 minutes
Paweł Kafarski:
A Polish chemist born in 1949 in Gdańsk. He is a professor at Faculty of Chemistry at Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

We are not able to fully comprehend nature, and we don’t know how to imitate it in an ideal manner, but we are trying and we’re getting better at it. Engineers spy on mechanisms developed in the course of evolution and put it to good technical use. The effects are often remarkable. Here are six inventions of nature that were copied by humans.

What can be more beautiful than a trail in the woods, sun shining, carriage rolling?
What will the next turn bring, what will fill our surprised eyes?
Mirosław Hrynkiewicz, The Trail in the Woods (O drodze w lesie)

Immaculate in the Swamp

For many Asian cultures, the lotus flower is the example of perfection. It symbolizes beauty, purity, sanctity, and reincarnation­. The beautiful flower grows in muddy rivers and lakes­. The leaves of this plant are amazing; although they are often immersed in muddy water, they never get dirty.

The German botanists Wilhelm Barth­lott and Christoph Neinhuis explained the unusual self-cleaning capabilities of the lotus. The cells of the external layer of the leaf create protrusions about 20–50 micrometers in size, which in turn have smaller protrusions of 0.5–3 micrometers in size covered with wax

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Paweł Kafarski:
A Polish chemist born in 1949 in Gdańsk. He is a professor at Faculty of Chemistry at Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
Translation: Mark Ordon
Publish date: 06.12.2019

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“Arctic Fauna”, Gustav Mützel
Nature

The Polar Bear and the Penguin

A Tale of Two Hemispheres
Mikołaj Golachowski
Mikołaj Golachowski:
a polar explorer with a PhD in natural sciences, who spends four months every year in Antarctica and in the Arctic. Mikołaj writes about nature for both children and adults. His latest books are “Czochralem antarktycznego słonia” [I’ve Ruffled an Antarctic Elephant] (Marginesy, 2016) and “Gęby, dzioby i nochale” [Gobs, Beaks and Schnozzes] (Babaryba, 2016).

A few years ago at a petrol station, I saw a nice big picture across the entire wall with the caption ‘Arctic Alley’. Below the sign was a row of refrigerators, which would have made sense. That is, if it wasn’t for the fact that the lovely picture presented a flock of penguins. I heaved a sigh.

I have a confession to make here. I am generally a very calm person, but every time somebody confuses the Arctic with the Antarctic and puts a penguin next to a polar bear, well, it just makes my blood boil. Granted, I’m not being totally objective here. I’ve been working in the Antarctic for over 15 years and I’ve spent two winters there. I started as a biologist studying elephant seals, while for 10 years now, I’ve been regularly showing people both polar regions as a tour guide. I work on a ship, where I tell stories of the wild inhabitants and explain the history of the places visited. That’s why I think that it’s time to clear the fog of confusion cloaking the poles of our imagination. Because while it’s very cold both in the Arctic and in the Antarctic, in many ways they are two different worlds.

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