We can already store Shakespeare's sonnets in DNA. What if we
could use trees as city lights, or turn pigeon poop into natural
street cleaner? William Myers' new book, Bio Design: Nature +
Science + Creativity, imagines a world where grass is grown into
benches, bacteria is wearable clothing and animals can help
their owners breathe. Highlighting collaboration between
designers and biologists, it's a collection of the most
innovative ideas biodesign -- design that incorporates living
materials -- has to offer. Fusing natural organisms with human
innovation, these designs -- some of them far-fetched concepts,
some prototypes and some completed projects -- re-imagine our
relationship with the natural world. Five amazing, clean
technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-
focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the
robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult,
the world's smallest arcade, and much more.