99% Invisible The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry
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Aug 4, 2026 They trace famous nature-inspired designs like the kingfisher-shaped train nose and shipworm-driven tunneling shields. They unpack marketing myths around boxfish cars and beetle water-bottle hype. They explore honeycomb structures, Darwin’s take on hexagons, and how modern experiments reveal surprising natural details. The conversation reframes biomimicry as a messier, more nuanced practice.
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Kingfisher Nose Quieted The Bullet Train
- Designers copied the kingfisher's beak to redesign the Shinkansen nose, reducing tunnel sonic booms and improving efficiency.
- A.G. Nakatsu used birdwatching observation (owl feathers, penguin bellies, kingfisher beak) to guide the train's quieter redesign.
Brunel Copied Shipworms To Tunnel Under The Thames
- Mark Brunel inspected shipworm‑eaten timber and copied the mollusk's simultaneous digging-and-lining behavior to invent a tunneling shield.
- Brunel's cast‑iron shield let miners chip forward while bricklayers immediately lined the tunnel, enabling the first Thames tunnel in 1843.
Mercedes Made A Boxfish Concept Car For PR
- Mercedes built the Bionic concept car modeled on the boxfish, adding angled ridges and a boxy silhouette as a biomimicry statement.
- The car was a publicity success (NatGeo, MoMA) but remained a concept, serving brand storytelling more than production engineering.
