May 2, 2025

Learning

Designing a future that supports all species begins by asking what nature can teach us.

AskNature is a free, open-source database from the Biomimicry Institute that translates biological knowledge into clear, accessible language. It’s designed to help designers, engineers, educators, students, and innovators find inspiration for sustainable solutions by learning from how nature solves problems.

The site includes a library of more than 1,700 biological strategies—examples of how living organisms tackle challenges. Entries are organized by design function, so users can easily search for ideas based on specific questions, like “How does nature create color?” or “How does nature absorb impact?”

“At this point in our global ecological crisis, the survival of humanity will require a fundamental shift in our attitude toward nature: from finding out how we can dominate and manipulate nature to how we can learn from her.” - Jay Harman

WEBSTE: AskNature

Learning

Don’t be afraid of the dark.

ARTICLE: In a culture obsessed with positive thinking, can letting go be a radical act?

Learning

Design history as a “practice of freedom”

INTERVIEW: The Daily Heller: The Growth of New Design History Ecosystems

Learning

Equanimity is something you do, not something you have; it is a lived way of moving through the world.

ARTICLE: Equanimity is Not Stillness – It is a Mobility of the Mind

Learning

"The society capable of continuous renewal not only is oriented toward the future but looks ahead with some confidence."

BOOK: Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society