Periodic table of elements
The periodic table of elements is (probably out of good reason - minimal complexity) not much bigger than it needs to be to allow the emergence of life. Its general nature allows us to use it in even more interesting ways than life does.
The great things about atoms from an engineering prespective are:
- atoms do not wear ever
- atoms have no tolerances - they are completely indistinguishable (same isotope)
- atoms are soft/comliant -> bending
- interatomic bonds are strong -> strong materials