Learning from insects and animals

Most of the people think that the study of physics focuses on the phenomenon in our surroundings, and think that the study of the organisms is in the realm of the biology. However, the truth is different from what people generally believe. A field of study, named biophysics, is getting more and more popular. This field of study is aiming to understand the physics of different organisms. Biophysicists try to understand how different organisms interact with the environment and how the physics apply to the mechanisms of their behaviors. Scientists believe that if we can understand the physics behind the interaction between animals and environment, we may be able to apply those mechanisms on the technology and create some innovative inventions.

Nowadays, we have a lot of advanced technology. We have aircraft, vehicles, internet and etc. However, the evolution of the technology has not been stopped. By analyzing the locomotion of organisms, we may be able to bring the technology to the next level. By understanding how hawk moth adjusts its nervous system to maintain vision in low light situation, we may find a way to improve our vision in the dark. By studying how some animals fly in the way that our aircraft can't, we may be able to create a new type of aircraft that can fly in a more complex pattern. Some scientists are also studying how e coli moves in different medias. This project is aiming to create a molecular motor that can be used on microscopic robots. Those microscopic robots, once created, can be used for medical purposes. These are the examples that demonstrate how our lives may be changed by learning from organisms.

Apart from making the technology evolve, analyzing how organisms interact with the environment may also change some of the scientific research. If we have more understanding of the mechanisms of organisms, we can create a robot version of organisms. Those robots can be very powerful tools for understanding complex systems. Scientists can do the experiments on those robots that they couldn't do on the real animals to see how they interact with complex environments.

As our knowledge of science increases, we know our surroundings better, no matter it is living or non-living. When we open our eyes, we will be amazed how our lives have changed and where our knowledge has led us to. I am sure that there are more to be expected in the future. Keep your eyes opened, or you may miss extraordinary things that are now happening.