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Sunday, July 13, 2014

The Encyclopedia of Life


The Encyclopedia of Life: Biomimicry

By:Emilie Baxter

For 3.7 billion years, living things have inhabited our planet Earth. While much of life from our ancient past is still a mystery even today, there are many life forms on this planet. Who knows the kinds of organisms that hide in the deep ocean floor and the depths of the jungle? What if there was a way to instantaneously gain wisdom about life on Earth? The Encyclopedia of Life’s goal is to gather information of all biodiversity in the world so people can learn about Earth’s living nature. Thanks to the help of Marie Studer, director of the EOL Learning and Education Group, we were informed about the Encyclopedia of Life.

                On July 7, 2014, the EarthScope team conducted an interview with Dr. Studer. We discussed biomimicry. This field is relatively new in the world of science. According to Dr. Studer, biomimicry or biomimetic is the imitation of models, system, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human issues. Living organisms have adapted to the Earth’s habitat way better than humans. We have looked to nature to solve problems such as self-healing abilities, environmental exposure tolerance and resistance, and self-assembly. One example of biomimicry that Marie pointed out was the design of wind turbines. They have been engineered to resemble the structure of a humpback whale's flippers in order to catch more wind. Another example of biomimicry is aircraft wings. They were modeled after the flight techniques of birds and bats. Animals like the beaver sharpen their own teeth. We looked at their self-sharpening skills to design and modify cutting tools to be sharper and more precise. The tread on our tires have been modeled after the padding and grip on tree frogs’ toes. Ceramics have been increasingly improved because their composition was copied by a seashell’s composition. Polar bear fur has qualities that have inspired thermal clothing. Modeling the arrangement of leaves stimulated humans to create better solar power collections. As you can see, we see biomimicry every day.

                One of the main goals of the Encyclopedia of Life is to capture the essence of open science. Marie talked about the beauties of the Encyclopedia of Life. There is an ample amount of information, data, and records about living nature in our world. The problem is that everyday people don’t have access to these resources. If scientists aren’t willing to share their research, people won’t put in the effort to learn about Earth’s living nature. That’s where open science comes in. The Encyclopedia of Life’s website is open to the public. In fact, the public can add information to the website. There will just be a little note saying “Unreview.” Marie strongly stated that just because it is unreviewed, doesn’t mean it isn’t quality research. Encyclopedia of Life allows us all to contribute to spreading awareness of Earth’s living nature.

                As a society, how can we contribute to the Encyclopedia of Life? Every day, ten to twenty thousand different species are being discovered. The vast world is bursting with biodiversity. Marie Studor has been able to travel to Australia to work with the creators of the Atlas of Living Australia. She went to Conabio, the Biodiversity Institute in Mexico. Marie has explored India, South Africa, Costa Rica, Taiwan, and many other places on the quest for the Encyclopedia for Life. According to Marie, as we receive help from the public all over the world, we will reach our goal to catalog all living organisms in the Encyclopedia of Life. Whenever you have something to share about a specific part of our biosphere, go to the Encyclopedia of Life at eol.org. We are thirsty for facts. With the Encyclopedia of Life, you really can learn something new every day.

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