BE, CONTEMPLATE, IMAGINE - 2017.03.04 Nature’s Design of a Rose

Be

It's Saturday morning and I'm sitting in my backyard with my dogs and my homemade double shot of espresso. I've decided to take the day off, it being Saturday and all. Taking the day off usually entails doing a lot of tasks and is not necessarily a day off, but today involves only a few selective tasks (like this BCI, for instance). Chores, errands and all other mundane assignments will wait till tomorrow. Today is my day of rest, and I have been averaging 3 hours of sleep per night for the last 2 weeks so it is absolutely critical that I "catch up" on sleep throughout the day with at least one nap and as much lounging around as possible, hence the double shot of espresso. 

rosanewdawn.jpg

 

Contemplate

Roses have been cultivated for over 5000 years, and some 150 species are currently alive. Fossils from 35 millions years ago have also been found. I’m looking at a climbing rose called New Dawn. I’m looking at it because it needs some trimming, but also because it’s somewhat infatuating. It’s such a wild looking yet obviously intentionally cultivated thing. Rosa New Dawn is a mutation of another climbing rose, but with a much shiner, glossier foliage that blooms in several seasons. For us in California it blooms only in the spring, but that’s plenty. It produces bright red fruit and it’s also very fragrant. All of these qualities make it a favorite for rose-growers. It’s also a beautiful decoration for (or distraction from) storage sheds and helps the white shed blend into the rest of the garden. The design is that it climbs, blooms, smells great, and is hardy. It also has thorns, like most roses, which prevent some animals from using the plant as food. 

 

Imagine

If Rosa New Dawn were a man-made device, it would be described a performing the following functions:

Adapting

Attaching Permanently

Opening

Closing

Separating

Releasing Scent

 

One technical strategy I’d like to explore for the Design Challenge would be attaching permanently. This strategy is helpful for devices that cannot move on their own and use other things to move or help distribute them. Movement and distributionare critical for dispersion, survival, and ease of use.