Ideas that come from nature are often so interesting to me.
Take, for example, the burdock.
The burrs of a burdock are something I have wrestled with throughout my life. Having had many outdoor pets on the farm, removing these things from cats and dogs was at the least a weekly chore.
That, and removing them from pants, jackets, and numerous other things they attached to.
Oddly enough, this nuissance of a seed is the inspiration for velcro. If you look closely in this picture, you'll see the tiny hooks that grab at cotton and nylon fibres (and hair, fur). Some bright fellow in the 50s came up with the idea, patented it, and likely made tons of money.
I sometimes wondered if one can make money off burrs, there had to be some marketable use for thistles. Sometimes just as grabby, and painful to boot! There's gotta be an untapped idea in them somewhere..
