4A Biomimetics Words & Expressions An evolutionary biologist knelt in the baking red sand of Australian desert…: evolution (n.) a process of growth or development; kneel (v) to get down on your knees; as hot as if in an oven. A thorny devil: covered with thorns; prickly; spiny. Look, look! He exclaimed.: shouted Its back is completely drenched!: completely wet, soaked …when standing on damp sand, a vital competitive advantage in the desert: wet; very important …to solve the riddle: a puzzle, or a difficult problem …to make a device to help people…: an instrument, machine, or tool invented for a particular purpose.

Words & Expressions Warsaw, Poland A 45-million-year-old fly trapped in amber: a yellow fossil used for making jewelry …used in solar panels: devices for collecting electrical energy from the sun …two colleagues at the MIT: co-workers, fellow workers This combination of biological insight and engineering pragmatism is vital: a deep understanding of something; pragmatic ~practical …nature merely a starting point for innovation: a new method or invention Ultimately, they consider a biomimetics project a success..: in the end, at last, finally …something with true utility in the real world: usefulness

Review  Ask 10 people to complete the sentences below. 1.…is a vital component of democracy. 2.Biomimetics is … 3.I would exclaim “Oh My God!” when I… 4.You need to … personal electronic devices when… 5.The answer to the riddle `What flies for ever, and never rests?' is.. 6.John knelt down to… 7.…are countries that border Poland. 8.…is a welcome innovation among… 9.Mary…with her colleagues. 10.Scientists have offered remarkable insights into…

Words & Expressions Windmills that generate electric energy Architects in Zimbabwe hope to build…: a person who designs buildings; a country of southern Africa wind turbines

Words & Expressions Robots can perform tasks that might be too boring: jobs, assignments, or mission …creating a tiny robot fly that can be used in surveillance or rescue operations: the careful watching of someone (surveillance cameras) …too complicated to be able to replicate: make a copy of it; reproduce Close the gap between nature and human engineering: a space between two things A robot gecko: a small tropical lizard The Greek philosopher Aristotle: also pupil of Plato …to run up and down vertical walls: standing straight up  horizontal (c.f. diagonal lines) The U.S. military, which funds the project: (funds, funded) to provide money for; to finance

Words & Expressions Swiss, Switzerland Velcro: a trademark used for a fastening/adhesive tape …nature is inherently and unimaginably complex: basically, essentially, intrinsically, at heart Engineers cannot hope to reproduce it: to produce a copy of, to replicate

Words & Expressions Cockleburs stuck to his dog’s fur: Nonetheless, the gap with nature is gradually closing: nevertheless, however, even so, notwithstanding; occurring over a long period of time, little by little  suddenly