Catalogo Experimenta 06

TO KNOW MORE
How will the future technologies be? The most
brilliant inventions are hidden in every day actions
of animals and of plants that surround us.
Even the most insignificant.
Something that has not yet been invented is
already here, in the world of nature, near at
hand and ...the brain. Let’s try to imagine what
is missing, always looking for new ideas!
An intricate route. Here is how research proceeds:
observation, formulating a hypothesis,
experimentation and then? Sometimes it is
true, one makes a great discovery but often it
is a lot of work for... nothing? No, this never!
Because no result is “useless” in scientific research,
whatever the conclusion it brings about
a new start and the work of one scientist, a
group of scientists, gives energy and stimulates
new research.
But how to represent all this?
A metaphor that is the solution! And then two
researchers work in synergy: a powerful thrust,
to indicate the strength of ideas that make the
“start” of research; it is a game of ability and
co-ordination to stimulate experimentation.
It is important for them to be able to interact
and to best communicate their competence.
Two examples have been chosen which start
from organisms which are very different from
each other to arrive at discovering that the
“trick” is the microscopic roughness of each:
the roughness of a shark skin is useful to allow
it to move more quickly in the water, while
the surface roughness of lotus leaves is useful
to “move dirt quicker” (otherwise: farewell to
photosynthesis!).
SHARK SKIN IS ...SPEED
Sharks are cartilaginous fish Their skin is thin,
resistant and rough. It is used to cover drums
and to sand wood.
The surface is rough because it is covered by
superimposed triangular teeth. The superimposition
makes the water run in microscopic
vortexes and make swimming faster. Scientists
have reproduced the structure of shark skin on
boats and aircraft to reduce the friction.
An artificial textile with the same micro-structure
was experimented with success in swimming
competitions.
LOTUS LEAVES ...CLEANLINESS
The lotus is a tropical aquatic plant. The roots
and seeds are rich in starch and used as food.
The various parts of the plant are used in popular
medicine. It is cultivated and used world
wide also for its beauty. The leaves are always
covered by a rough layer of wax. The wax keeps
the leaves dry, and the roughness keeps the
dirt off.
Scientists have reproduced the characteristics
of the lotus leaf in synthetic, water resistant,
rough varnish. These varnishes give protection
from dirt, corrosion, mould and algae, on cars,
tiles and façades of buildings.
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EXPERIMENTA 06 - INTORNO AL FUTURO: VIAGGIO NELLE TECNOLOGIE INVISIBILI