The Shark's Paintbrush

Why does the bumblebee have better aerodynamics than a 747?
How can a seashell keep a microchip from overheating?
What structural design is shared by a tornado and a blood vessel?
How can the design of a butterfly wing reduce the world’s lighting energy bill by 80%?

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, manufacturers have built things by a process now known as "heat, beat, and treat.” They’d start with a raw material, use enormous amounts of energy to heat it, twist it into shape with heavy machinery, and then maintain its design, strength, and durability with toxic chemicals. Now, in a world of depleted natural resources, where people increasingly long for environmentally-conscious innovation, entrepreneurs and scientists are turning to nature to find inspiration for future products, and to build them in a way that is more energy and cost-efficient, and friendlier to the environment. Biomimicry, the science of employing nature to advance sustainable technology, is arguably one of the hottest new business concepts attracting a spectrum of markets. A force of change in industries as diverse as construction, biomedical devices and pharmaceuticals, transportation, and information technology, biomimicry is inspiring a new industrial revolution that will dramatically alter the landscape of the business world.

At the center of this growing movement has been award-winning inventor and biomimetic entrepreneur Jay Harman. In his debut book,THE SHARK’S PAINTBRUSH: Biomimicry and How Nature is Inspiring Innovation, Jay introduces us to pioneering engineers working in a wide array of businesses who are making technological breakthroughs by uncovering and copying nature’s hidden marvels. He shows business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs how we can rectify the oft-competing desires of creating more powerful, lucrative technologies while preserving the planet and maximizing sustainability. He injects a whole new vocabulary and way of thinking into the business sphere that speaks to both small start-ups and corporate giants.

Among the many fascinating topics Jay explores:
What the human heart and dust devils have in common, and how this parallel structure can lead to better technologies in medicine
How studying seaweed can lead to resistance-free antibiotics
How the noxious-smelling durian fruit can offer ideas for helping humans live on Mars
How a single whale affords us a vast library of design expertise and information that can revolutionize industries as diverse as medical, aerospace, and emergency pollution response following oil spills and catastrophic tsunamis
How the blowfly maggot could lead to breakthroughs in materials science, helping to lower production costs and manufacture higher-efficiency substances
How the tiny scales making up the skin of sharks are being replicated on boats and airplanes to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency