sustainAgility

or at least teaching us how to capture it.

This whole biomimicry thing is gonna catch on sometime, I swear.

This piece from Technology Review explains how scientists, and now this Canadian group, Whalepower, are deciphering the bumps on the fins of whales, called 'tubercles', to make more efficient blades, from an aerodynamic standpoint.

Basically, these leading bumps delay the stalling point for the leading edges providing more efficiency and safety to things like plane wings by creating small vortices around the wing and therefore creating more lift. The consequences for a wind generator are impressive, as well.

'...the delayed stall doubles the performance of the turbines at wind speeds of about 17 miles per hour and allows the turbine to capture more energy out of lower-speed winds. For example, the turbines generate the same amount of power at 10 miles per hour that conventional turbines generate at 17 miles per hour.'

So here, again, nature, when given the chance, has plenty to teach us.  In this case, what appeared to be imperfect in fact jacks up the efficiencies of wind turbines and the amount of energy we may ultimately collect for the low, low price of being curious and willing to learn.