LESSON 3.1: WELCOME TO ASKNATURE

AskNature About Strategies + Functions

For those not used to researching scientific literature (or without access to academic libraries), biological research may be intimidating. That’s why the Biomimicry Institute created the AskNature Links to an external site. database—to help designers find inspiring natural strategies as models, with credible research citations and summaries written in approachable language. Every biological strategy on AskNature is organized by function according to a three-level taxonomy.

 

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NOTE: The AskNature.org website got a new look since this video was made. The content and organization of AskNature.org is still the same -- it just has a different look.

 

WHAT IS A FUNCTIONAL CHALLENGE?

A functional challenge (as found in AskNature) is the problem that the organism or living system must face to survive a specific situation.

Example: An organism -the blue whale- needs to collect food from its habitat to survive.

 

WHAT IS A STRATEGY?

Strategies (as found in AskNature) are the ways that organisms and systems have adapted in response to functional challenges. Or, in other words, a STRATEGY is a characteristic, mechanism or process that does something (a function) for a natural system. An adaptation that a natural system has in order to survive.

Example: The strategy on AskNature would be all about how the blue whale captures its prey.

The blue whale doesn't have teeth or claws to capture its prey. It has baleen, which are huge plates that serve as filters in its mouth. The whale takes huge gulps of ocean water into its mouth and presses the water back through the baleen. In doing so, it captures huge quantities of its prey, called krill, which are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans.

See the AskNature strategy page - Baleen Plate Filters Food: Blue Whale Links to an external site.

 

WHAT IS A FUNCTION?

Functions (as found in AskNature) are things that the strategy does for the organism or living system. The function can also be thought of as "what you need your design solution to do".

  • LEVEL 1: represents a BROAD FUNCTION performed in nature. (Example: GET food)
  • LEVEL 2: provides a sub-function. (Example: FILTER or CAPTURE food)
  • LEVEL 3: combined with the second level, is a SPECIFIC FUNCTION. (Example: ORGANISMS (aka krill))
  • Note: every biological strategy on AskNature is connected to one or more specific functions (since nature tends to showcase multifunctional design).

 Example: Using the blue whale strategy as described above, the 3-levels of function on AskNature would be:

 

 **There will be short quiz at the end of this Lesson.**