Point: If you’re stuck on how to solve a problem, see if nature has already solved that problem.
Story: Nature has already solved many challenges; the best solutions have survived and improved through evolution.
Consider this example: termite mounds such as those of the Macrotermes michaelseni exist in African environments where the external temperature varies from 35°F at night to 104°F during the day. The living areas inside the termite mounds, however, maintain a constant internal temperature within one degree of 87 °F, day and night. Millions of years of evolution perfected the termites’ construction habits so that their mounds’ passive solar design and networks of air conduits create a self-cooling ventilation system.
To read the original article: Innovation: Harnessing 3.8 Billion Years of R&D | Working Knowledge ®
