As unexpected as it may sound, artists often invent techniques that outstrip the methods of contemporary science and technology. Thayer discovered the concept of camouflage. He not only revolutionized our understanding of the co-evolution of animals and their environment, but also suggested that the principles of camouflage be applied to protecting soldiers and their equipment on the battlefield. During World War I, his ideas were put into practice by artists in Great Britain and France who had been drafted into military service. Indeed, artists still develop ideas with military applications.
Many scientists draw on their dual backgrounds in science and art.
Some biologists, such as Harvard University's Bert Holdobbler, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, illustrate their own books and papers. Thomas Eisner, of Cornell University, takes photographs of insects that are not only great science but also award-winning art. The arts have informed many other sciences besides biology. First created purely as art, tensegrity structures now are also being considered as a method of constructing platforms for use in outer space. Cell biologists recently have suggested that tensegrity is the principle that controls the very shapes of our cells.