interdisciplinary

What is a physicist doing in the jungle?: Ille Gebeshuber

Ille Gebeshuber got interested in how we can address global challenges through the Alpbach Conference.  As shown by the work of the Millennium project, the top fifteen challenges are highly interconnected.  We need to combine our specialized/linear ways of thinking with the generalist/holistic Aristotelian approach that integrates knowledge across fields and cultures.  Ille has being running courses in the Indonesia rain forest helping students representing a broad range of disciplines to gain a deeper understanding of how things are connected in nature.  Her talk includes several examples of structural color, the slime mold life cycle, beetle-inspired robots and bio-mineralization of glass in water.

New Zealand National Radio Interview with Ille Gebeshuber

The interview with Ille Gebeshuber starts at 32:08 into the MP3 file.  She will be leading the Workshops and Retreats in Whirinaki and Auckland with Ille Gebeshuber. Thanks to Peter Goldsbury for the pointer!

Ideas for 24 March 2013

Richard Louv, the originator of the term "nature deficit disorder", talks about his latest book The Nature Principle; Austrian physicist Ille Gebeshuber tells us about bio-mimicry and the inspiration she takes from rainforests; and we hear about Te Kura Toito o Te Whaiti Nui a Toi, a small rural primary school, that is using the Whirinaki forest as an extension of its classrooms. (53′28″)

Biologically Inspired Design For An Interdisciplinary Education (Jeannette Yen)

This talk highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and education.  Education is becoming increasingly specialized and organized by silos.  Biologically-inspired design (BID) can help bridge these silos.  The Center for Biologically Inspired Design (CBID) at Georgia Tech teaches BID to teams drawn from engineers, designers, mathematicians, computer specialists and at least one biologist. 

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