October 28 2007

About Rivers and Trees

“For a flow system to persist in time (to survive) it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier and easier access to the currents that flow through it”. -Adrian Bejan 

Here is a great video by Duke University Professor of Mechanical Engineering Adrian Bejan. The video is a short explaination by the professor of a common pattern that occurs in nature. He has dubbed his theory Constructal Law and it describes the tendency of systems flow along the path of least resistance or "point to area flows." He gives some wonderful examples of these systems such as city traffic, blood vessels in the lungs, trees, rivers, and lightning. 

For more information please visit this Treehugger article on Constructal Theory.

October 28th, 2007 at 11:54 PM. Posted in Environment. Share this post.