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Natura geniale: Come il mondo naturale ispira l'innovazione e costruisce tecnologia

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Per costruire un telescopio che catturasse le emissioni a raggi X dei corpi celesti, gli astronomi hanno studiato l’occhio dell’aragosta, e ora noi conosciamo più nel dettaglio l’universo. Gli scienziati alla ricerca di un farmaco per il diabete di tipo 2 hanno trovato la loro musa ispiratrice in una lucertola. Per ridurre
le emissioni nocive della produzione del cemento sono stati indagati i meccanismi con cui i coralli costruiscono i loro scheletri.
Trarre ispirazione dalla natura per affrontare problemi questa è la biomimesi in azione.
Nel suo libro Kristy Hamilton ci porta dietro le quinte di alcune delle innovazioni più sorprendenti, per mostrarci ciò che l’evoluzione naturale ha già rivelato millenni o milioni di anni fa. Attraversa cascate congelate e foreste avvolte da nuvole, scopre nidi nel deserto del Mojave, ci accompagna nelle profondità oceaniche e sui crateri dei vulcani per farci conoscere gli animali e le piante che hanno ispirato molte soluzioni “avveniristiche” – dai sistemi di instradamento dei carichi commerciali alle colle non tossiche – e per presentarci gli uomini e le donne la cui scintilla di meraviglia ha condotto all’invenzione di qualcosa di straordinariamente innovativo, a volte contro tutte le aspettative.
Questo libro restituisce il piacere della scoperta scientifica e dell’ingegnosità tecnologica, ma è anche una lettera d’amore alla natura, deposito di saggezza che sta rapidamente svanendo. L’ammonimento di Hamilton risuona tra le “È come se stessimo bruciando una biblioteca senza darci la pena di esplorare che cosa contengono i suoi libri”.


Un viaggio pieno di fascino dietro le quinte di scoperte innovative e progressi scientifici e tecnologici, realizzati a immagine e somiglianza del più grande e collaudato laboratorio ingegneristico la natura.


“L’evoluzione è più furba di noi.” Leslie Orgel, pioniere della biomimesi

“Ci vuole genio per cogliere principi naturali e trasformarli in qualcosa di utile per gli esseri umani. Ci vuole anche una giornalista esperta come Hamilton per dare vita a ritratti di innovazioni scientifiche e tecniche con tanta passione. Ogni capitolo ci guida attraverso le peripezie di una di queste ingegnose imprese.” “The Guardian”

“Hamilton debutta con uno sguardo impressionante sulla miriade di innovazioni umane ispirate al mondo animale e vegetale. La sua prosa disinvolta è arricchita da una sana dose di umorismo e da resoconti divertenti del suo lavoro sul campo.” “Publishers Weekly”

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2022

28 people are currently reading
3408 people want to read

About the author

Kristy Hamilton

1 book36 followers
Kristy Hamilton is a science journalist who has written for WIRED, Science Magazine, Hakai Magazine, Mongabay and other publications. Her WIRED article was featured on the website's front page as a "Today's Picks," and The New York Times gave a shoutout to her article about a DNA test that helps law enforcement catch precious red coral smugglers in their Climate Forward weekly email newsletter.

Previously, she was a podcast host and video editor for Science Magazine. She has covered all-female expeditions to Antarctica, hitchhiked and ice-climbed in Hyalite Canyon, lived in the desert in an RV, frequently slept in the back of a van, moderated a conference on the sustainability of cell-based seafood, climbed in Yosemite and the Dolomites, road tripped across the United States, lived in Ukraine for two months, trekked forests in search of albino redwood trees, was invited as a journalism fellow to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute during a storm that ripped through town… and now she’s writing two books! When she's not on the road, she lives in San Francisco, CA.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Elentarri.
2,080 reviews67 followers
June 8, 2024
A fascinating and engaging overview of the many inventions and eventually technological/commercial products that have been inspired by nature. All sorts of useful things from glue, medicine, telescope lenses, new freezing/cooling technology, a new type of brick, water harvesting, airplane wings, and research tools etc were invented by following nature's example. The book is a lovely collection biomimicry examples with a decent amount of scientific detail. The author is a bit heavy handed on the anthropogenic climate change theme. She is probably preaching to the choir, and if not, we got it the first time, she didn't need to repeat it each chapter.

AUDIOBOOK NOTE: The narrator is ok, but not great. I do wish I had been able to obtain the physical book instead, so I could go back and re-read sections that I found particularly interesting or that were detailed.
Profile Image for Becky.
1,667 reviews1,953 followers
March 19, 2024
So, my husband stumbled on this guy Griff Griffith's TikTok account, and started following him. He's a nature & wildlife conservationist and in one of his videos, he mentions being featured in a book. This is that book.

I'm all about reading books with my husband, because he's not much of a reader in general, and so whenever he IS willing to read something, I'm gonna make it happen. So I bought the audio from Audible, and we started listening to it.

He didn't make it.

The reader for this audiobook is... fine. Tolerable? She's a pretty dry and boring reader, and you can usually hear her intake of breath before each line. For me, a practiced audiobook listener, it's not such a big deal. I have learned over the years to tune a lot of annoying things out and just take in the content being read. Though I LOVE a great reader, I can muddle through with a meh one when the need arises.

The Boyo? Not so much. He was constantly distracted by the WAY she was reading, her breathing, her cadence, etc. He did make it to the Griff chapter, but as that was (I think?) Chapter 3, that's not saying much. He dipped out pretty quickly, so I finished on my own.

*Ahem*

Anyway. The content of this book is really interesting, but it's also a bit dry and scientific-process heavy, and it takes a fair bit of patience to make it through some sections. Toward the end, there was a section about fluorescent dye used in medicine and how it came to be discovered and used, and there were like 7 different scientists working on several different research projects and the book outlined how they all fit together with a piece here, from this research, and a piece there, from this other discovery, etc. And yes, it is interesting and really cool, but it's also a LOT to track, with a ton of detail and scientific jargon and lingo and also kinda gross descriptions of stuff. I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but very technical science and gross research processes weren't really high on my list. I thought it would be more high-level, inspiration from nature put into action by innovation and engineering kind of stuff. And it is that too, of course.

I don't even know if this is a criticism, really. Like, I think that the stuff included here is really cool, and it is super fascinating to see how an observation of bioluminescence can translate to human medicine, but I think I could have done with a bit less of the technical process in between.

But, at the same time, I'm not mad about it, because unless we see how things like this come to be, sometimes by luck, sometimes by accident, sometimes by diligent and undaunted research, the links and usefulness of a discovery may be overlooked. One of the comments made within this book is that GENERAL scientific research is gradually being replaced by specific issue-based research. We have X problem - research to solve it. But this book shows that sometimes the "solution" comes from just being open to learning and researching widely and without a specific goal in mind.

So, overall, this was good, and interesting, but a little drier than I expected.
3 reviews
October 9, 2022
I bought this book because of my love of nature and science, and I thought I'd learn a thing or two, but wow! I was not expecting to love this book so much. Nature's Wild Ideas is a surprisingly lyrical exploration of nature-inspired inventions. I've already begun sharing these stories with friends and family. The book is packed with amazing science, fun bits of humor, and philosophical musings. I don't write reviews too often but I really enjoyed this book.
85 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2022
What an absolutely fascinating read. This book is so well written and the author covers the subject in such an engaging style it's easy to just lose yourself in the pages. Who knew the natural and science world's were so closely related. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Kelly Grace.
2 reviews
June 20, 2023
Overall, I recommend this book. There are chapters that are science focused, which is why I got it in the first place. However, there are sections, especially the last chapter, that were a bit too much propaganda than what I was looking for.
Profile Image for Marghe.
86 reviews9 followers
May 13, 2025
Libro letto con il gruppo di lettura Planet Earth .

Questo è il terzo libro che leggo sull’argomento della biomimetica, e ogni volta resto stupita da quanto la natura possa offrirci un’incredibile varietà di spunti per sviluppare nuove tecnologie e strumenti utili in moltissimi settori.

Un esempio interessante e è quello dei tardigradi, minuscoli organismi in grado di sopravvivere a temperature estremamente basse. Studiando il loro meccanismo di resistenza al congelamento, si sono sviluppati nuovi metodi per la conservazione dei campioni di tessuti, Dna e cellule.

Questo caso, così come tantissimi altri esempi illustrati dall'autrice nel libro (che non vi spoilero), ci ricorda quanto sia essenziale proteggere il nostro pianeta e salvaguardare la biodiversità: ogni specie ancora sconosciuta potrebbe custodire soluzioni preziose, utili a risolvere problemi che nemmeno immaginiamo.

"Quanto più in profondità esploriamo la grande biblioteca della Terra, tanto più impariamo; è un'avventura in un territorio sconosciuto. Che cosa succederebbe se, invece che conquistatori, ci considerassimo i custodi di questa biblioteca?"
3 reviews
November 12, 2024
Un libro veramente appassionante su alcune scoperte e innovazioni tecnologiche ( ma, dice l’autrice, potrebbe scrivere un altro libro ) che hanno preso spunto dalla “ lettura” di alcuni libri di quella grande biblioteca che è la natura. Ma alcuni libri stanno scomparendo a causa della nostra presunzione di superiorità che ci pone al vertice di una piramide da cui guardare dall’alto verso il basso considerando inferiori gli altri esseri viventi senza preservarli dall’estinzione causata dai nostri comportamenti. Spesso anche la rinuncia alla ricerca di base per carenza di finanziamenti causata dalla mancanza di visione di un beneficio immediato per l’umanità, comporta la perdita di potenziali scoperte. Ma forse siamo ancora in tempo “ per tramandare ai nostri discendenti un’eredità più preziosa dell’oro, più fragile del vetro e più monumentale della fama: un mondo conservato nell’ambra della nostra protezione”.
Profile Image for alexander shay.
Author 1 book19 followers
November 11, 2025
Interesting concept with interesting factoids, but it reads more like a series of unrelated NatGeo feature articles than anything else. Opening with the author doing something or talking to someone as a way to ease into whatever subject matter. Many digressions were made, and there’s a lot of history explained that I felt could have been more condensed or skipped entirely. Some of it is relevant, but I’m reading the book for the current science, not the history of how mussels were found and started to be used. For those who like more of a narrative around their non-fiction, this would be a good book, but I was really hoping there would be more science considering the book’s subtitle is how nature is inspiring science, not how said science was discovered to begin with or said discoverers’ biographies.
Profile Image for Gypsy soul.
38 reviews
October 29, 2023
So many fascinating insights on how science’s been drawing inspiration from nature. No wonder one would think given that our species is part of nature. And yet, we have practically just begun reading books from nature as the richest library we will ever be privileged to experience. Let us not burn our library to the ground before we have finished reading 🙏
Profile Image for Solaye.
6 reviews
December 5, 2022
The author does a fantastic job of exploring the various ways in which nature has inspired inventions like space telescopes, glues, medicines, and scientific tools. Lots of incredible insights and information provided. The author incorporates scientific research and personal anecdotes into the book. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in nature, biology, or how discoveries are made.
479 reviews5 followers
Read
January 14, 2023
This is a fascinating read. A look at how human inventions and technology has been inspired by findings in the natural world -- a space telescope based on the design of lobster eyes, for instance. New, more environmentally friendly refrigeration systems are being built thanks to the study of tardigrades. Super interesting, and also a quick read.
Profile Image for Katrina McCollough.
506 reviews47 followers
May 2, 2023
Loved it! I’m so inspired by all these inventions and ideas, there’s so much out there to discover and not everything has to be of benefit to humans. There are just some really cool plants and animals with some amazing abilities out there that are going to be extinct before we have a chance to learn from them, it really is like the burning of Alexandria all over again (too soon).
Profile Image for Alex Welsh.
6 reviews
March 23, 2023
Really interesting material, but the style wasn’t for me
Profile Image for Pi.
1,367 reviews22 followers
Read
November 15, 2024
Przecież to oczywiste, że my - ludzie - jesteśmy wielkimi zgapiaczami. Kopiujemy na potęgę, nawet Matce Naturze nie odpuszczamy. Lecz na poważnie, dzięki tej umiejętności obserwacji i analizy natury rozwijamy przemysł, tworzymy nowe wynalazki, budujemy teleskopy, które otwierają nam drogę do gwiazd a szkielet, ta pusta czacha i nie tylko - jest początkiem lekkich samolotów.
Kristy Hamilton w radosny, optymistyczny i zabawny sposób pokazuje czytelnikowi, jak mocno jesteśmy połączeniu z naturą i jak wiele jej zawdzięczamy (po prawdzie, naturze zawdzięczamy wszystko - życie to natura, natura to - życie). Bardzo dobrze czyta się tę książkę, nie nudzi, interesuje tematami i podzielona jest mądrze a każdy rozdział ciekawie zatytułowany.
DZIKIE POMYSŁY NATURY, to chyba jednak z lepszych pozycji z serii #nauka od bo.wiem Wydawnictwa UJ. Podoba mi się szczerość i bezpośredniość myśli Hamilton. Nie rzuca nam w oczy trudnymi słowami, a raczej dzieli się własnymi doświadczeniami i opowiada często zabawne historie, z których powstał niemal zawsze jakiś ciekawy pomysł.
Począwszy od niezniszczalnych niemal niesporczaków i kończąc na kruchym szkielecie - wszystko to sprawia, że świat ludzi cały czas się rozwija. Natura pokazuje nam drogę, mówi JAK, a my mamy tylko słuchać, myśleć i działać - z takiej postawy zawsze wychodzą rzeczy wielkie.
Polecam sięgnąć po tę pozycje, głównie dlatego, że zmusza do rozejrzenia się, przyglądnięcia się światu - a nóż, może to właśnie ja, może Ty - będziemy nowymi odkrywcami, którym do ucha szepnie niesporczak, jak żyć.

na Ziemi pełnej inspiracji - człowiek kopiuje świat
#nauka
bo.wiem
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
egzemplarz recenzencki
Profile Image for Alex Salo.
149 reviews8 followers
April 28, 2025
20% good/interesting/novel content, 80% obnoxious fluff about "humans bad, killing nature" + just not polished research (e.g. saying the column would crumble if size of a building doubled - that's not true because the compression strength of rock/stone is so large that it's pretty much impossible to crush it in compression with masonry loads - the problem arises from other forces like side thrust).

Also not a big fan of nauseating storytelling where the irrelevant details of the researches are given - no, sorry, I don't care about the leisure preferences of the random scientist who is studying blue mussels.

Style aside, it's fascinating to read about the nature's inventions - so diverse and ubiquitous - and how they inspire scientific innovation and practical application. Makes you wonder how many things are still undiscovered. I think the "traditional" medicine will be making a major comeback in the next few decades, as people empowered by AI will try to figure out the workings of many substances used in traditional medicine, but this time with the scientific rigor.

Overall, I would not recommend this book - probably better to read a summary somewhere.
Profile Image for Maughn Gregory.
1,295 reviews50 followers
September 29, 2023
Utterly fascinating! Even though her premise is that since, evolution has resulted in adaptations that have solved problems humans confront with food, energy, transportation, temperature control, and packaging, so we ought to make more use of biomimicry, so we ought to stop the extinction of species for the sake of the human species, Hamilton's genuine, non-instrumental admiration of, and loyalty to the other species she writes about, and to the natural world as a whole, is hard to miss.
Profile Image for Hannah.
234 reviews4 followers
July 27, 2024
Well researched, far reaching, and accessible to the average reader in its language and delivery. Still, I think I would have gotten more out of this book, its premise and its many, many examples if I was more scientifically and chemically minded! Still, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how nature inspires the sciences.
Profile Image for Brett Weaver.
114 reviews
August 5, 2024
This was a really fun read - all about technology and scientific discoveries that are promoting sustainability and innovation by looking into nature for solutions. As with all literature like this, I am inspired by the smart people who are working to save the planet and disheartened by the fact that we are driving our planet to crisis in the first place.
Profile Image for Mikki.
282 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2024
A fascinating collection of essays on ideas and products based on nature. One example is the adhesive by which mussels attach themselves to coral and rock in salty & wet ocean water. Researchers are exploring using this type of adhesive INSIDE the human body (also salty & wet) …to essentially use this glue instead of stitches or staples!
123 reviews
December 17, 2024
I love this type of book. Dew harvesting and fog harps, lobster eyes and lighthouses, barnacles and better glue... I thought the connections between the fascinating adaptations of the animal world and human invention were so cool to read about. I listened to this one, and I think it would have been harder for me to make time for if I had read it.
Profile Image for Bill Philibin.
838 reviews6 followers
March 26, 2024
(3.5 Stars rounded up to 4)

This was a very interesting and informative book. The audiobook is well paced and engaging.

This is a good book for anyone that likes to know about the animal kingdom, science, innovation, or any combination thereof.
Profile Image for Bhakavadee Viseshakul.
1 review
July 1, 2024
Great book to add to extracurricular book collections for students to have the sence of nature appreciation and environmental awareness.
Profile Image for Elijah Birley.
51 reviews
September 24, 2024
Actual rating: 4.2

I don't read a lot of non-fiction but the way this book was written kept me super engaged! Was like a 10 hr long science podcast and I loved it, learned so much :)
Profile Image for Dale Bentz.
164 reviews
April 7, 2025
I wasn't impressed with the accuracy of the chapter on concrete but hope the others were more carefully edited. Never easy to summarize the expertise and efforts of others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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