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Exaptation in Physics and Materials Science

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Understanding Innovation Through Exaptation

Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection ((FRONTCOLL))

Abstract

The biological theory of evolution has been used as a powerful analogy for the history of technological innovation. Here, we discuss how the concept of exaptation, which in the context of evolutionary biology describes the advantageous exploitation of existing traits for completely new functions, can be used to better understand what drives scientific progress in theoretical physics and materials science. The rapidly growing field of automatic materials discovery provides excellent examples of both adaptation and exaptation. Finally, we discuss how basic mechanisms resulting from long-term evolutionary histories—based both on adaptation and exaptation—can now be exploited to design new functional bio-inspired materials.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through the Humboldt Research Award. SZ thanks for hospitality the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg where this chapter has been written.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science, Institute of Materials Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Dr.-Mack-Str. 77, 90762, Fürth, Germany

    Michael Zaiser

  2. Department of Physics, Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, via Celoria 16, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Stefano Zapperi

Authors
  1. Michael Zaiser
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  2. Stefano Zapperi
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Correspondence to Stefano Zapperi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Caterina AM La Porta

  2. Department of Physics, Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Stefano Zapperi

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Luciano Pilotti

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Zaiser, M., Zapperi, S. (2020). Exaptation in Physics and Materials Science. In: La Porta, C., Zapperi, S., Pilotti, L. (eds) Understanding Innovation Through Exaptation. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45784-6_3

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