Coconut husks, made of tough fibers, are abundant in tropical regions. Coconut farmers have most often discarded the husks, but science is finding creative ways to use them.

Scientists are discovering engineering details of the biological structures that enable some animals to jump exceedingly far for their sizes. Froghoppers are insects that can jump 100 times their body length, and it turns out that sheer muscular strength is not nearly sufficient to account for this feat.

Computerized tomography (CT) scans use computing power to compile two-dimensional X-ray images into a three-dimensional view, and researchers are optimistic that a new form of high-resolution CT scanning at the molecular level will give “scientists precious new information about how Mother Nature forms shells, bones, and other hard structures.”¹ They hope to learn how to mimic the st

In another instance of scientists borrowing design elements from natural systems (a process known as biomimicry), researchers have developed a chemical catalyst modeled after peroxidase enzymes. Peroxidase is a complex protein that converts certain chemicals from harmful to benign and is found in almost all living cells.

Biomimicry is the science of designing machines that follow patterns that can be observed within God's creation. One example of this is the helicopter, which Ukrainian-American aviation pioneer Igor Sikorski designed after a lengthy study of dragonflies. Another case is the cutting-edge, self-cleaning boat coatings modeled on shark skin.¹