The Best Ideas Arise from a Passionate Interest in Commonplace Things

The unlikely course of events that lead Isaac Newton to formulate the theory of gravity offers an example of a revolutionary idea spurred by something as banal as a piece of fruit. “What is the invisible force that causes an apple to fall to the ground? ” the great thinker wondered. While some have disputed the veracity of Newton’s apple incident, there is no doubting the role the everyday world played in conjunction with Newton’s observant and contemplative mind.

While the laws of motion took years to fully devise and compose, there is perhaps no better illustration of the nascent brilliance the human mind is capable of revealing when awakened by the natural elements. Many of the world’s leading contemporary minds continue to find inspiration in their environs. Over the last decade, the scientific community has become more willing to turn to nature for answers to difficult questions. As it turns out, potentially outstanding ideas have often been tested and confirmed or rejected by the flora and fauna all around us through natural selection, according to pioneers in the biomimicry field.