Zygote Quarterly

Biomimicry

dragonflywing

I am delighted to announce and promote a visually stunning and information-packed publication devoted exclusively to the nexus of science and design as they meet in the sphere of biomimicry. It’s called the Zygote Quarterly.

This new digital magazine is the brainchild of three long-time colleagues who are talented biomimicry educators (all are Biomimicry Education Fellows) and inspirational mentors: Marjan Eggermont, Norbert Hoeller, and Tom McKeag. (This post was created as an excerpt from the first issue of Zygote Quarterly’s Editorial written by Marjan, Norbert, and Tom, who are co-editors of the ZQ.)

Why this type of publication? Why Now?

We started this journal because no one else had. That is, when we had sought a single source of intelligence for the general reader about the practice of bio-inspired design…there was none. To be sure, we found peer-reviewed journals full of academic papers and an increasing number of articles in the popular press. Between the two, however, was an informational desert. Moreover, no

one source seemed to tickle both halves of our brains as designers and problem-solvers who are fascinated by the science of biology, enraptured by the heroes who make expert use of it, and enthralled by the sheer beauty of nature. The result is this publication, and, in the course of planning it, a manifesto.

The mission

Our mission is to establish a credible platform showcasing the nexus of science, technology and creativity in the field of biologically inspired design, using case studies, news and articles that are exemplary in their impact on the field, rigorous in their methodology, and relevant to today’s reader.

Target audience

Our readers are those who are curious about the converging worlds of biology, technology and design, and who are searching for ways to understand it and use it in their lives.

What’s needed

• A new intelligence source for both the informed layman and the practicing professional.
• A new model for presentation that mirrors and frames the content of a multidisciplinary and rapidly changing field.
• A new periodical that appeals to the senses as well as the intellect.
• A new venue, between the popular press and peer-reviewed journals, for a wide diversity of practicing professionals who are working at the crossroads of design and biology and would like to tell their stories.
• A new forum for a community of like-minded professionals and citizens that promotes an examination of the field itself as well as the developments within it.

What we can do

We can provide an appealing show- case for thoughtful articles about subjects we feel have significance to the field of biomimetics and our society. Life is endlessly fascinating. At a practical level, nature can encourage and guide us to develop sustain- able solutions for current problems and biologically inspired solutions have become increasingly achievable and adopted. We believe that they will, in the near future, have a significant impact in how we live with both technology and nature.

We hope you enjoy our first issue and will continue to join us in our path of discovery.
Tom McKeag, Norbert Hoeller and Marjan Eggermont