The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry
99% Invisible

The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry

B2Upper-intermediateAugust 4, 202631 min

Behind every perfect nature-inspired design is a far more complicated story. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Back in 1989, the engineers of Japan's famous Shinkansen bullet train realized they had a problem.

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0:00

This is 99% Invisible. I'm Roman Mars. Back in 1989, the engineers of Japan's famous Shinkansen bullet train realized they had a problem. The train was moving so fast that when it went into a tunnel, it basically punched the air out the far end, creating little sonic booms. All across Japan, the Shinkansen was rattling buildings and disturbing residents in the neighborhoods it passed through.

0:31

An engineering team was brought in to design a quieter and more efficient train, and they had a secret weapon. Eiji Nakatsu, the general manager of the technical development department, was a birdwatcher. As he thought about the redesign, Nakatsu took inspiration from elements of his favorite birds, including owl feathers and penguin bellies. But the bird that inspired the most important element of the redesign was the kingfisher.

1:00

Kingfishers are famous for the elegant way they dive into the water to catch fish. Their uniquely shaped beaks allow them to break the surface of the water with barely a splash. And so Nakatsu and the Shinkansen design team decided to model the nose of their bullet trains off the kingfisher's beak. And it worked. The new Shinkansen trains were quieter and more efficient.

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