Random mutation and hoping for a success: that is generally believed to be quite ineffective. Experiments in the laboratory, however, show that artificial evolution becomes a sophisticated optimization technique, if the genetic rules of biological evolution are modelled correctly. This a simple example of how biological paradigms will influence the development of technology. The lecture will encompass topics like: Sense and nonsense of technical prognoses, future of functional and smart materials and Bionik in politics and management 2099.

Ingo Rechenberg studied aircraft engineering at the Technical University of Berlin and at the University of Cambridge/England.
In 1966 he established the unofficial work group Evolutionstechnik (evolution technology) at the TU (Technical University, Berlin). In 1972 he was appointed the job of Professor in the field of bionics and evolution technology at the TU Berlin.