Harvest the Sun
Origin information
Published Dec 6, 2010 | Author Matt Walker
Link to article » bbc.co.uk
Made aware of by Twitter user » @AskNatureTweets
QUOTE:
Xanthopterin (a pigment) works as a light harvesting molecule transforming light into electrical energy. [...] “We assume that some of the energy is transformed in a photo-biochemical process which aids the hornets with their energy demanding digging activity,” Dr Plotkin told the BBC.
DESCRIPTION
Seems like not only plants are able to process solar energy:
This article desribes the surprising ability of Oriental hornets to harvest the sun with the help of structure, pigments, photo-biochemical processes and even store the energy metabolically.
FULL ARTICLE
Link to article » bbc.co.uk | Download of scientific article » springerlink.com
Slimy Simulation
Origin information
Updated 1/21/2010 by Clara Moskowitz
Link to source » msnbc.msn.com
Made aware of by Twitter user » @pauldavidwaltz (RT)
QUOTE
Since the best city planners around the world have not been able to end traffic jams, scientists are looking to a new group of experts: slime mold [...] a funguslike, single-celled animal that can grow in a network of linked veins, spreading over a surface like a web.
The scientists let the mold organize itself and spread out around these nutrients, and found that it built a pattern very similar to the real-world train system connecting those cities around Tokyo. And in some ways, the amoeba solution was more efficient. What’s more, the slime mold built its network without a control center that could oversee and direct the whole enterprise; rather, it reinforced routes that were working and eliminated redundant channels, constantly adapting and adjusting for maximum efficiency.
CORRESPONDING LINKS
Article published via » treehugger.com
Referring to » popsci.com (including videos, further videos are to be found via YouTube)
SCIENTIFIC PAPER
“Rules for Biologically Inspired Adaptive Network Design” available via » sciencemag.org
Science 22 January 2010: Vol. 327. no. 5964, pp. 439 – 442 | DOI: 10.1126/science.1177894
A Matter of Structure
Origin information
Published August 6, 2009 by gd
Link to original source » robaid.com
QUOTE
The discovery that butterfly wings have scales that act as tiny solar collectors has led scientists in China and Japan to design a more efficient solar cell that could be used for powering homes, businesses, and other applications in the future.
DESCRIPTION
Goes quite into detail of the preparation process; interesting related articles are listed.
FULL ARTICLE
Link to original source » robaid.com
BIONICS SECTION
There are more articles to be found in the » bionics section
Spider Silk & Steel
Origin information
Published July 29, 2010 | Author Andy Soos, ENN
Link to original source » enn.com
Made aware of by Twitter user » @greencounternet
QUOTE
Spider silk is as strong as many industrial fibers. There is commercial interest in duplicating spider silk artificially, since spiders use renewable materials as input and operate at room temperature, low pressures and using water as a solvent. However, it has been difficult to find a commercially viable process to mass produce spider silk.
DESCRIPTION
Easy to read article, describing the fascinating characteristics of spider silk and the difficulties producing a similar fibre artificially. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, the Republic of Korea, came up with an interesting solution – they let bacteria do the work.
FULL ARTICLE
Link to original source » enn.com | Link to scientific institute » kaist.edu
CORRESPONDING ARTICLE
Including video “See how silkworms and spiders work their magic.”
Press Release 10-129 | July 29, 2010
Link to » nsf.gov
Hippo & Sunscreen
Origin information
Published by Tudor Vieru, Science Editor, 17th of March 2009
Interviewed scientist: Christopher Viney, University of California in Merced (UCM)
Link to original source: softpedia.com
QUOTE
Turning to nature for inspiration is the key to constructing a lot of things, from very tall buildings, shaped after bamboo, to, apparently, sunscreen, which now researchers believe can be successfully made from hippo sweat. While this may disgust some, it could, indeed, prove to be the best protection anyone could hope for. The bulky animals seldom stay in the shadow, and spend most of their day submerged in water or in mud, but with their backs exposed to the Sun.
DESCRIPTION
Concise article, describing how the crystaline structures of hippo sweat shatters light and therefore works like a sun blocker. And as things in nature are multi-functional more often than not, the sweat has also antiseptic and insect-repellent characteristics.
FULL ARTICLE
Link to original source: softpedia.com