We have learned how the study of animals and insects can teach us so much about ourselves. Take for example, fruit flies– the little pests that get into our fruit and veggies in the grocery stores and then come home with us. These little insects share similar proteins in the genes that form memory and by studying them, we learn about our own memory development.
Hugh Herr, head of the MIT Media Lab’s Biomechatronics Group, discusses how the new bionics are being shaped by studying nature.