Biomimicry and dissolution of the human/animal divide
My interest in the ideas sparked by this video led me to an investigation of formal kinds of 'biomimicry'. As you can see from this site: https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/visonary-biomimicry-five-insects-inspiring-cutting-edge-technology, mimicry of the natural technology of insects is being used to develop advanced forms of human technology. There are other projects that indicate how we can use 'insect' technology as a means of sustainable technology and investment. This is a fascinating illustration of how appreciating the alterity of nonhuman life has significance for helping us all to live more sustainably and ecologically.
My reading on biomimicry also brought me to the work of Roger Caillois, which I think has potential to really enrich the great thinking already done by this chapter on insects. On a side note, Caillois' approach is itself a great illustration of ecological thinking; given his work transcends the usually demarcated disciplines of biology, anthropology, psychoanalysis and art. Unlike the intentional human efforts at biomimicry, Caillois' text deals with how organisms come to resemble their environments, such as the Caligo butterfly of Brazil whose wings resemble the plumage of an owl. He explores whether such mimicry is evidence of accidental resemblance; the 'will to resemble' for protective purposes such as camouflage or, more provocatively it is 'sympathetic magic. I am more persuaded by his fourth explanation, which concerns the insects' interaction with space. He argues that mimicry dissolves the distinction between the animal and its environment and assimilates itself into space - at least in the night; in the daytime this space "gives way to the material concreteness" of things.
I think we can extend this thinking to the human examples of using biomimicry I discussed above. Perhaps rather than us trying to 'copy' insects, we are dissolving the distinction between us and "Nature" and as Morton encouraged, and absorbing ourselves into the environment. This is a provocative and interesting way to think about the possibilities of integrated ecology.
- Amelia Loughland