Roasting cow patties seems as low-tech as cooking by campfire next to a covered wagon. But some farmers have found that roasting dried cow dung, under the appropriate conditions, is a great way to save money. Maggie Koerth-Baker on National Geographic News highlighted a farm in Minnesota that converts cow manure, kept free of oxygen and digested by bacteria, into clean energy that not only provides high-quality fertilizer but energy independence. “Electricity from the digester powers their dairy, plus 70 other households.” No fossil fuels; living off the land; that sounds both ancient and modern.

 
Energy fueled by cowpies, self-healing materials from “Tarzan” vines, super adhesives from a carnivorous plant called the sundew, lightweight millirobots modeled after insects, small-scale aircraft design inspired by dragonfly flight…
These are just a few of the myriad ways that nature is sparking the imaginations of scientists in the rapidly growing field of biomimetics. Creation-Evolution Headlines lists numerous examples from the past couple of years.

A new age of useful, beneficial science is blossoming, where young minds with a keen eye for design can leverage insights from nature into successful careers, and entrepreneurs can take what they learn and make tons of money with useful products that will create jobs and launch careers, while simultaneously being good stewards of the planet.

 
Design inspired by the Designer. Pretty amazing stuff!