Biomimetic Design: BCI Reverse Engineer an Organism

Date: 3/12/23

Location: Aspen, Colorado

Conditions: Slightly overcast, the sun is trying to come through. Very cold for a spring day.

Intent of Session: Contemplate the ‘design’ of an organism, as if I designed it.

Imagine: Describe the functionality and strategies used by one organism as if it were a were a man-made device, by using only design, engineering, or otherwise technical terms (no biological terms allowed!).

In order to protect an internal computing system/hard drive of a chisel device during impact while hammering a hard surface, there is a long cushioning device. This cushioning device wraps around the hard encasement of the internal hard drive to act as a cam to prevent permanent damage.

Can you guess what was described?

It’s the tongue of a woodpecker protecting its brain while woodpecking.

Here is the design described in biological terms:

In order to protect the brain of a woodpecker during impact while pecking wood, it has an extra long tongue. This tongue wraps around the skull of the brain by way of the nostril to prevent concussion.