Technology inspired by nature, to help nature. This led an engineer and a zoologist to create a fish-shaped robot...
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- Pat Maxwell
Technology inspired by nature, to help nature. That’s the case at the University of Michigan, where engineer Xiaobo [pronounced Shao-bo] Tan and zoologist Elena Litchman recently marveled at how efficiently fish swim. That led them to create a fish-shaped robot that can gather data underwater...
Also in the April 2012 - Isla Earth Radio Series series
Feeding Ourselves
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From: Pat Maxwell
If you’ve ever struggled to put dinner-for-four on the table, imagine trying to feed the estimated 9.2 billion people that will be on the planet 40 years from now.
Edible School
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From: Pat Maxwell
In two New Orleans schools, the favorite course is...lunch! But, not for the reason you might think.
Low Carb Diet
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From: Pat Maxwell
A low “carb” diet: Good for us, and good for the planet. No, not carbohydrates but low carbon, as in eating foods that minimally impact our planet’s atmosphere.
Better Packaging
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From: Pat Maxwell
t's difficult to imagine these days, with hermetically sealed food products everywhere, but there was a time when soda crackers were purchased out of a large common barrel, ...
King Crabs Go Deep
(01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
No crab wants to land in...hot water. And scientists are now discovering how true that is, since rising ocean temperatures could spell trouble for king crabs.
Wild Horse Habitat Shrinking
(01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
He was smart and really funny. And as a TV personality, Mr. Ed the talking horse was a big hit in the 1960’s. Of course, horses can’t talk. Though, wild horse trainers like ...
The Talking Grey Parrot
(01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Alex was hatched without fanfare in 1976. But when he died in 2007, he was one of the most famous talking grey parrots on the planet. The reason? Alex knew what he was ...
Shrinking Deer
(01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Isolated on islands, large animals can become small like the pygmy mammoth, and small animals LARGE like the Galapagos Tortoise. Yeah, everything’s upside down, a sort of ...
Roof Gardens
(01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Why be boring and plant your garden in the ground when there’s a whole world of gardening possibilities up on the roof.
Fish Food
(01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Aw, c'mon. Building a lakeside getaway...hurts fish? That sounds...fishy.
Piece Description
Technology inspired by nature, to help nature. That’s the case at the University of Michigan, where engineer Xiaobo [pronounced Shao-bo] Tan and zoologist Elena Litchman recently marveled at how efficiently fish swim. That led them to create a fish-shaped robot that can gather data underwater...
Additional Credits
Isla Earth is produced by the Catalina Island Conservancy with support from its Fund for a Sustainable Planet.





