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of the relatively denser matter that seed the new
galaxies. He applied warm colors to convey the
extreme temperature of the early universe. He
has also signified the depth of the space with the
exquisite composition of his artwork.
2. The human brain may be nature's most com-
plex system; building on the understanding
how it works to predict brain function will
require drawing on the resources of the
physical sciences, from imaging techniques
to modeling capabilities.
3. Genes and the environment interact to
produce living organisms; from that under-
standing realize the promise of personalized
medicine and access to better health care?
4. Earth interacts with its climate and the bio-
sphere; how these mechanisms interplay and
use that understanding to develop strategies
that will preserve this heritage?
5. Living systems display remarkable diversity;
how can we prosper while sustaining the
diversity that allows life to flourish?
The Role of Imagination in Biology-
Inspired Research
We strive to strengthen our imagination by under-
standing nature better, because biology-inspired
research, computing, and engineering are the
important directions of progress in science. The
great part of new developments goes on the inter-
section of the biological sciences and the physical
sciences and engineering. Imagination is essential
for creating new materials and systems. Scientists
are addressing problems lying at the intersection
of biological sciences, physical sciences, and en-
gineering. The mysteries of the biological world
are being addressed using tools and techniques
developed in the physical sciences. Collaborative
research at the intersection of biology, chemistry,
and physics centers on physical and chemical
concepts such as dynamics of systems equilib-
rium, multi-stability, and stochastic behavior to
tackle issues associated with living systems such
as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior.
Committee on Forefront of Science and the
interface of Physical and Life Sciences, one of the
links in the National Research Council, published
results of basic research and clinical practice
aimed at advancing science (2010) and advised
researching five areas of potentially transforma-
tive research:
According to the authors of the Committee on
Forefronts of Science report (2010), we often think
of environmental challenges as being biological
(“Save the whales!”) or physical (“Limit green-
house gases!”) but this distinction between the
disciplines is a distortion. The constant interplay
between the biological sciences and the physical
sciences is profound when Earth is viewed as an
entire system (For this reason, it is important that
we learn about the senses of animals, and translate
this knowledge into ideas to feed the imagination
in creating new, biology-inspired solutions. Some
of animal senses that are different than human
senses, for example echolocation inspired many
technical solutions. Animal senses analogous to
human ones but acting differently, such as a sense
of smell, balance, vision, or hearing (e.g., ultra-
sounds) inspired scientists to develop devices that
act on a similar basis. Yet many look at the same
issues in the political, social, or cultural terms.
The more we investigate natural processes the
more questions we have, many of them creating
potential for biology-inspired research, comput-
ing, and engineering. In many instances we do
not know for sure how birds, trout, earthworms,
and dogs can navigate and use cues for finding
1. Natural substances display remarkable archi-
tecture; identifying structures, capabilities,
and processes that form the basis for living
systems, and then to use that insight to
construct systems with some of the charac-
teristics of life that are capable, for example,
of synthesizing materials or carrying out
functions as yet unseen in natural biology?
