Buzz
We often forget how much we depend on extraordinary technologies inspired by nature. While new inventions are exciting, how original are they, really?
Animals might think we’re a bit slow on the uptake. But let’s not worry about that—let’s take a moment to marvel at the shared advantages of nature's design. Here are 10 innovations you thought were human-made, but animals got there first.
10. Air Braking Mechanism
Have you ever seen the small slats rise along an airplane's wing just before it lands? These slats are designed to stop the airplane from stalling as it slows down.
Birds have a similar innovation in the form of specially designed feathers. These feathers are divided into primary and secondary types, some essential for flight and others primarily for display.
But the feathers located on the 'alula'—the front edge of the wing where a bird’s 'thumb' would be—serve a practical function. Birds can adjust these feathers to create a small opening that stabilizes them and prevents stalling during slow flight or landing. Fascinating!
9. Sonar Technology
Ships, submarines, and other seafaring devices often use sonar to navigate, avoid obstacles, and detect targets underwater. Sonar works by sending out sound waves at a specific frequency, which then spread through the water.
The sound waves bounce off solid objects and return to the sonar device that emitted them. This allows the sonar system to gather details about the shape, size, and distance of the objects. While this technology is invaluable for the military, it was actually whales and dolphins who perfected it first!
These incredible animals can distinguish even tiny objects from 15 meters (50 ft) away using only their sonar abilities. They don’t need any electronic devices to send out frequencies across the ocean—they use their voices and the receptors in their bodies to navigate the sea.
It is believed that these animals create a 'soundscape' in their minds from the constant feedback, forming a mental map of their surroundings. They also rely on their sonar to locate food and communicate with others.
Military sonar technology is so similar to that of whales that it uses the same frequency range: between 100 Hz and 500 Hz. Some have speculated that this similarity may be responsible for the mass strandings of dolphins and whales, as they might confuse their own signals with those from military equipment.
The navy has tested sonar up to 235 dB, while whales typically emit sonar signals at around 170 dB. The louder signals could disrupt the marine animals' sense of direction, possibly leading them off course. Nevertheless, it’s remarkable that a system perfected by whales remains so effective, and humans have yet to develop anything superior.
8. Bioluminescence
When it comes to sea creatures, these underwater residents have mastered numerous survival strategies. Long before humans created glow sticks, glow-in-the-dark stickers, or night lights, fish in the deepest parts of the ocean had already been glowing for centuries.
Fireflies, glowworms, and even some fungi also use bioluminescence to their advantage. These organisms have evolved the ability to glow in the dark for a variety of purposes, such as attracting mates, luring prey, warning predators, and communicating with others of their species.
A great deal of research has been—and continues to be—focused on bioluminescence as a potential biotechnology with a wide range of applications. The key chemical behind this process is luciferin, which has a short lifespan in its active light-emitting state. Various companies are working to address this challenge, with the future potential of using bioluminescence in streetlights and medical procedures.
Bioluminescence is the result of a straightforward chemical reaction involving luciferin, an enzyme, and several other cofactors that are unique to each individual creature or plant. Humans are only beginning to catch up—but it's never too late to learn!
7. Solar Energy
A recent study involving scientists looked into spotted salamanders and discovered that the embryos of these creatures contain algae that thrive inside them before they hatch. The algae survive by feeding on waste produced by the developing salamanders. In return, the algae generate energy and nourishment for the embryos.
These salamanders (which are amphibians, not reptiles like lizards) are essentially nurtured through photosynthesis, just like the way tree leaves convert sunlight into energy. It's also similar to how solar panels (photovoltaic cells) turn sunlight into electricity.
6. UV Light Detection
Humans are constantly exposed to the effects of UV light, but we can't naturally perceive it. That's why sunburns are so common. Today, you can purchase light detectors that “convert” UV rays into something visible.
Typically, we cannot see UV light due to the proteins present in our eyes. What on Earth?
An animal's eye structure contains proteins known as opsins. Some animals only have one or two types of opsins, which means they perceive fewer colors and light waves than humans. In contrast, we have three types of opsins, allowing us to perceive a wide range of colors.
However, some animals, like the chameleon, possess more than three types of opsins. This allows chameleons to see UV light rays, in addition to the colors visible to humans. They likely see many more details in plants, objects, and other animals that we cannot detect.
Chameleons do all this without any devices, using only their natural vision. Many other reptiles, insects, birds, and aquatic creatures may also be able to perceive UV light.
5. Agriculture
Farming might not seem like a technological breakthrough, but it’s quite recent in the scope of human history. When you compare the scale of mass production and livestock numbers, things look a lot different today than they did 50 years ago.
However, ants have been practicing farming for much longer than 50 years. They thrive on the sweet, sticky secretions aphids produce after consuming plants.
To ensure a steady supply of this “honeydew,” ants go to great lengths to keep the aphids close to the colony. They’ll even bite off the aphids’ wings and release chemicals to prevent them from growing back. Clever!
As if that weren’t enough, ants have also been observed creating a ring of chemical footprints around groups of aphids, normally used for marking territory. These chemical trails seem to slow the aphids down, preventing them from moving away, and giving the ants easy access to their beloved sugary snack.
Similar to how humans manage farm animals, aphids too gain an advantage from their situation. The chemical traces they leave behind discourage predators like ladybugs from attacking them. This means that even though aphids are essentially under the control of ants, they are shielded from the predation of the large, fearsome ladybugs.
4. Acoustic Isolation
If you’ve ever been inside a soundproof room, you probably noticed the tranquility that surrounds you. This peacefulness is created by a combination of insulative barriers, absorbing materials, and other methods that block unwanted sounds from infiltrating the space.
Owls have adapted these same soundproofing techniques, but for a much more dangerous purpose. In order to swoop down and capture their prey with deadly accuracy, they must move without a sound. The animals they hunt, like rodents, have sharp hearing, and even the slightest noise could give away the owl's presence.
For example, the barn owl’s feathers are so light and fine that they must avoid hunting in wet weather, as the moisture would make them heavy and chilled. This is the price of their almost silent flight—a crucial trait that lets them approach their prey in complete stealth, only to pounce with deadly precision. The only sound to be heard is a faint squeak as they make the kill.
The design of the owl's feathers is what makes this possible. Delicate partitions and fibers in the wings channel air flow in such a way that it eliminates any rasping sounds caused by air resistance, which is typically heard in the flight of other birds.
3. Concealed Blades
Once again, the clever domestic cat has a trick up its sleeve. Its claws can be extended or retracted with ease, keeping them razor-sharp while also ensuring the cat avoids injury when using its paws to groom itself. These claws are hidden in soft, built-in pockets within the cat’s paws, safe from damage.
Could this have been the inspiration for those nifty retractable tools on your pocket knife? It's fun to imagine that your feline friend may have sparked the brilliant design behind such a versatile and safe gadget.
2. Global Positioning System (GPS)
The migration patterns of birds continue to baffle scientists. There are numerous theories about how birds manage to navigate—whether it's by the position of the Sun, using a star map, their sense of smell, detecting the Earth’s magnetic field, or even relying on memory from past travels.
However, none of these explanations seem to fully account for the birds’ remarkable ability to navigate accurately and reliably to distant places, even under tough conditions and sometimes without prior knowledge of the routes. It almost seems as though they possess some kind of advanced GPS technology, one that far surpasses human capabilities, embedded within their small bird brains.
The magnetic field theory appears to be the most plausible, given that foxes have also been observed to align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field while hunting. If other animals are capable of sensing magnetic fields, it's reasonable to assume that birds have this ability too. After all, it’s not all that different from the compasses humans use for navigation!
1. Reproductive Cloning
After the furor surrounding Dolly the sheep, you might think that cloning is a modern and unusual phenomenon. But if you ask a starfish (also known as a sea star), you’ll get a different perspective altogether.
Starfish have been reproducing asexually for a long time, long before the concept of cloning even existed. Interestingly, starfish that reproduce this way tend to live longer and healthier lives compared to those that reproduce sexually.
Cloning seems to be an ideal method for these creatures. Moreover, if a starfish loses a limb—or even parts of its body—it can simply regenerate whatever it needs to restore itself. Some species can even grow a new starfish from a severed arm.
Given their expertise in cloning, perhaps we should leave this process to the starfish after all?
