The good: Helicopters

Early concept of a helicopter by Leonardo da Vinci

The project

Helicopter rotors work in similiar way as the seeds of a maple tree. The key concept here is called autorotation which (theoretically) prevents the aircraft from stalling.

Creator

Early drawings of a helicopter date back to concepts by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1480s and since then many people tried to built such an aircraft thus it is hard to say who should be called “the” creator.

Why I like it

The concept of a helicopter demonstrates a useful application of biomimicry as it provides some kind of safety to the crew if the engine stops working.

The bad: Eiffel tower

Eiffel Tower

The project

The Eiffel tower has been built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World Fair in Paris. It mimics the head of the thigh bone due to a unique structure supporting the weight of the body by bones in the leg.

Creator

Gustave Eiffel has built the Eiffel Tower based on the original design by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier.

Why I don’t like it

The construction of the Eiffel Tower has been ahead of its time but I cannot see a deeper meaning in constructing a steel tower without any beneficial function to humans / society (except the later addition of antennas which was not the intention of building it).