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99% Invisible
99% Invisible

The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry

August 04, 2026 • 31m

Summary

⏱️ 5 min read

Overview

This episode of 99% Invisible explores the nuanced world of biomimicry - design inspired by nature - through three case studies that range from straightforward success to marketing fiction. Reporter Kurt Kolstad examines how the relationship between nature and human innovation is often more complex than simple headlines suggest, revealing that biomimicry stories exist on a spectrum from genuine scientific breakthroughs to pure PR exercises.

The Kingfisher and Japan's Bullet Train

Japan's Shinkansen bullet train faced a sonic boom problem in 1989 when entering tunnels at high speed. Engineer Eiji Nakatsu, an avid bird watcher, drew inspiration from the kingfisher's elegantly shaped beak, which allows the bird to dive into water with minimal splash. By modeling the train's nose after this natural design, the team created quieter, more efficient trains in what became a classic example of successful biomimicry.

  • The Shinkansen was creating sonic booms when entering tunnels, rattling buildings and disturbing residents
  • Lead engineer Eiji Nakatsu was a bird watcher who looked to nature for solutions
  • The kingfisher's uniquely shaped beak allows it to break the water surface with barely a splash
  • The redesigned train nose based on the kingfisher was quieter and more efficient
" Biomimicry is simply design that is inspired by nature. "

The Shipworm and London's First Underwater Tunnel

In early 1800s London, crossing the Thames River was a major bottleneck, but building another bridge would block shipping access. Engineer Marc Brunel initially thought tunneling under the river was impossible until he observed shipworms boring through timber at a naval dockyard. These mollusks simultaneously excavate and reinforce their tunnels, inspiring Brunel to create a tunneling shield that replicated this process and enabled the world's first underwater river tunnel in 1843.

  • London needed another Thames crossing, but a bridge would interfere with shipping
  • Previous tunnel attempts using mining technology ended in disaster and worker deaths
  • Brunel observed shipworms creating stable tunnels in waterlogged wood by simultaneously digging and reinforcing
  • His tunneling shield pressed against excavation while miners dug and bricklayers shored up behind them
  • The tunnel was completed in 1843, spanning over 1,000 feet - the first under a river anywhere in the world
  • Modern tunnel boring machines have converged even more on the mollusk design with all-in-one concrete placement
" I then said to myself that these little things have made little tunnels. So might we, by adopting some corresponding means of protection. "

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