Some examples:
- Honey badger - one of the least endangered species: it is highly intelligent, resilient to snake venom, and has vicious power.
- Chameleons - it is well known that they can regrow tails, but if this could be applied to us, then prosthetics may become a thing of the past. It probably won't ever be as good as Wolverine or Extremis in Iron Man 3, but it's a hope.
- Trees - As per here, trees share DNA with other species in a symbiotic relationship.
- How life evolved. From a scientific standpoint of history in general, DNA, eyes, brains, and language have been the biggest drivers in successful life. This TED video transcript explains how life began and cells specialised.
- GMOs. We have genetically modified food for hundreds of years - it's artificial selection. We did the same with dogs, but this is failing us because of pedigree species that breed within the same family, emphasising poor characteristics.
- Cybernetics - there are many films and games (Ghost in the Shell, Matrix, Deus Ex, Blade Runner, Doctor Who, Futurama) which all have varying degrees of cybernetic implants. In some ways, some people are already cybernetic - those with pacemakers, hearing aids, brain stimulation, mind-reading prostheses, iron lungs, respirators, and artificial kidneys are all hints of a future where having a microchip in your hand could become common.
