technologu from nature--part 2

Hypodermic syringe		Snake fangs, also mechanism used by viruses to inject into cells
Antibiotic medicines		Immune system
Hydraulic shock absorbers		Knee joints
Dust filter		Nostril hairs
VCR, magnetic storage media		Memory, recording/viewing images
Gyroscope, top		Planetary rotation
Magnets		Lodestone
Internet		Brain, also Society
Mirror		Reflection on water
Wheel		Animals that curl and roll (armadillo)
Plastics (of many varieties and qualities)		Carbon-based life forms (of bone, cartilage, tissues, transparent lenses, wood, feathers, etc., and all bio-degradable!)
Gasoline (expensive, dirty)		Methane (free, clean)
Barb wire fences		Briar bushes, thorns
Bridge supports and weight distribution		Elephant / Dinosaur skeletal framework
Robots		Humans
Nuclear energy or bomb (fusion) / Lamp		Sun
Electric and propulsion motors		Mechanical components of flagellum of bacteria & protozoan
Theme Parks		Nature / State Parks
Helicopter		Bumblebee / Hummingbird / Maple seed pods
Camouflage clothing		Camouflage skin and fur, chameleons
Armor		Exoskeletons
Movies, cast, film crew, director		Life, people, angels, subconscious
Night lights / street lights		The stars and the moon
Baby formula		Breast milk
Water filtration techniques		Same filtering techniques as found in nature and swamps and rivers - charcoal, silt
Fishing		Angler fish
Sponge (synthetic)		Sponge
Satellite		Moon
Cloning experiments		Reproductive systems, asexual reproduction
Pulleys, fulcrums, and levers		Foot joints and ligaments
Smoke detectors		Noses
Cup		Cupped hands
Greenhouse		Earth
Clock		Solar system
Fishing net		Spider's web
Magnifying glass		Droplet of water
Water filter		Kidneys
Irrigation canals		Roots in plants
Fires set to aid heath in agriculture		Naturally occurring forest fires
Protective environmental suit		Egg shell
Key and lock		Enzyme and related substrate
Suspension bridge		Spider web
Shock absorbing helmet		Woodpecker skull
Fix-a-flat for punctures in tires		Coagulants found in the blood
Smoke screen as a defense		Octopus ink
Fuel & air for mechanical engines		Food & air for biological engines
Chemical warfare		The Bombardier Beetle
Snowshoes		Penguin's feet
Frames of Buildings		Skeleton of living organisms
Weaving in a basket		Weaving in a bird's nest
Medicine		Herbs
The inventions of Da Vinci		Leonardo Da Vinci
Religions with rules about God		A relationship of love with God
Evolution of civilization and technology		Evolution of the universe and life
Beaver dams		Water dams
Dreams		Movies
Circular appearance of sun and moon		Wheel
Pliers, tongs		Lobster/crab claws
Fur coats		Fur coats
Hang gliders		Butterflies
Vitamin pills		Fruits and vegetables
We invent nothing		We simply discover
Interlocking teeth of a zipper		Linkages between barbs in feathers
Radiator, heat exchange system		Elephant's ears, blood vessels in a whale's tail

technology from nature

Our Invention	or	nature?
Camera (lens, focus, iris, film)		Eye (cornea curves to focus, iris, retina)
Microphone		Ear drum
Amphitheatre shape		Outer ear shape
Pump		Heart
Valves		Heart valves
Plumbing and hydraulic systems		Circulatory system
Communication / telephone cables		Spinal cord / nervous system
Ball joint		Shoulder joint
Windshield wiper		Eye lid
Wiper fluid		Tears
Knife		Incisor teeth
Mortar and pestle		Molar teeth
Woodwinds		Voice box
Computer / Electronic circuitry		Brain
Computer program		DNA
Bubble level		Inner ear tubes for balance
Construction crane (jointed arm, scoop)		Arm and hand
Honeycomb reinforcements		Bee's honeycomb
Solar panel (energy from light)		Leaf
Fish hook (reverse barb design)		Bee stinger
Light stick (light from chemical reactions)		Firefly, glowworm, deep sea creatures
Airplanes (airfoil wings, hollow struts, tail)		Birds (airfoil wings, hollow bones, tail)
Submarine ballast		Fish (ballast bladder)
Sonar		Bats, dolphins
Paper from wood pulp		Wasp hives
Velcro		Thistle burrs (actually inspired Velcro)
Blu-blocker sunglasses		Orange oil in eagle eyes to improve acuity
Suction cups		Octopus
Inboard propulsion (boats)		Squid
Batteries (electricity from chemicals)		Eel
Navigation by stars / magnetic fields		Bird and butterfly migration
Music		Song birds
Anesthetics		Venoms and poisons
Swim fins, paddles		Webbed feet (frogs, ducks)
Water cooled systems		Sweat glands and perspiration
Core aeration for health of lawns		Worms, insects and moles

study skills poster

study smarter..less time 1st edition

Learning Holistically

The alternative strategy is to focus on actually using the information you have to build something. This involves linking concepts together and compressing information so it fits in the bigger picture. Here are some ideas to get started:

1. Metaphor – Metaphors can allow you to quickly organize information by comparing a complex idea to a simple one. When you find relationships between information, come up with analogies to increase your understanding. Compare neurons with waves on a string. Make metaphors comparing parts of a brain with sections of your computer.
2. Use All Your Senses - Abstract ideas are difficult to memorize because they are far removed from our senses. Shift them closer by coming up with vivid pictures, feelings and images that relate information together. When I learned how to do a determinant of a matrix, I remembered the pattern by visualizing my hands moving through the numbers, one adding and one subtracting.
3. Teach It - Find someone who doesn’t understand the topic and teach it to them. This exercise forces you to organize. Spending five minutes explaining a concept can save you an hour of combined studying for the same effect.
4. Leave No Islands – When you read through a textbook, every piece of information should connect with something else you have learned. Fast learners do this automatically, but if you leave islands of information, you won’t be able to reach them during a test.
5. Test Your Mobility - A good way to know you haven’t linked enough is that you can’t move between concepts. Open up a word document and start explaining the subject you are working with. If you can’t jump between sections, referencing one idea to help explain another, you won’t be able to think through the connections during a test.
6. Find Patterns – Look for patterns in information. Information becomes easier to organize if you can identify broader patterns that are similar across different topics. The way a neuron fires has similarities to “if” statements in programming languages.
7. Build a Large Foundation - Reading lots and having a general understanding of many topics gives you a lot more flexibility in finding patterns and metaphors in new topics. The more you already know, the easier it is to learn.
8. Don’t Force - I don’t spend much time studying before exams. Forcing information during the last few days is incredibly inefficient. Instead try to slowly interlink ideas as they come to you so studying becomes a quick recap rather than a first attempt at learning.
9. Build Models – Models are simple concepts that aren’t true by themselves, but are useful for describing abstract ideas. Crystallizing one particular mental image or experience can create a model you can reference when trying to understand. When I was trying to tackle the concept of subspaces, I visualized a blue background with a red plane going through it. This isn’t an entirely accurate representation of what a subspace is, but it created a workable image for future ideas.
10. Learning is in Your Head – Having beautiful notes and a perfectly highlighted textbook doesn’t matter if you don’t understand the information in it. Your only goal is to understand the information so it will stick with you for assignments, tests and life. Don’t be afraid to get messy when scrawling out ideas on paper and connecting them in your head. Use notes and books as a medium for learning rather than an end result.