Biodiversity for Innovation
In this well-researched and wonderfully inspiring article, evolutionary biologist and author Dr. Tamsin Woolley-Barker describes the sheer hope and brilliance of nature’s system for evolution. Her premise is that nature provides us with the ultimate Creative Commons, in the form of billions of years of evolutionary wisdom through failures and successes.
In her own words:
“Evolution is mostly a lot of imitation, mixed with a little innovation. A lot of copying, a heaping helping of diversity, and a dash of sex. That’s true for humans especially- if we are specialized for anything, it’s mimicry and mixing. It’s in our nature. And if a good idea is a diverse network of neurons firing together for the first time, then lets dig deep within our collective Earthling Commons and connect more neurons. Then, just maybe, like the wolves of Yellowstone, exponential abundance may delightfully surprise us. And I believe it will. Because our evolution requires it.”
I couldn’t agree more: we are heading for a future that will delight us with surprising innovations that mimic nature’s genius. It is already happening with biomimetic innovations in fashion, architecture, education, and much more that I’ve written about.