2 posts tagged “biology”
I love this story of a guy in Germany who mounted a cheap digital camera with a timer on his cat's collar and has posted pictures of his cat's adventures throughout the day.
This "street use" of off-the-shelf technology for novel purposes is I'm sure getting some attention in the field biology world. There are early signs of this with the multidisciplinary TOPP project (Tagging of Pacific Pelagics), which is mounting sensors and GPS tags on fish, turtles, and other ocean-going creatures. And scientists have been putting GPS collars on animals for several years now. But wow, some very interesting options would open up once you can satellite upload GPS info and get real-time imagery (eventually video + nightvision) from a small package.
I can't wait for the megafauna versions of this idea -- mountain lions, wolves, and grizzly bears roaming around while I plot their progress on Google Earth and watch their FPS-style livecams like Justin.tv! There's definitely a business model in here somewhere -- maybe pitch it as a unique conservation and safety measure for an endangered species.
Put a livecam on each of California's 7000 mountain lions! They're supposed to be protected from hunting, but people worry just as much about being protected from the lions -- this would allow the public to keep an eye on every single animal. You could "adopt" them, get Facebook feed-style updates when they're at rest or on the move, and create a puma version of Youtube for the best bits of footage. Seriously, imagine the thrill of tuning in to watch a mountain lion stalking its prey in real time. Unless you're at a remote campsite in the woods watching on your laptop via satellite: "Hey, I recognize that tent..."
I'm thinking joint venture btw Google and Encyclopedia of Life. Sell ads on collar-mounted LCD screens for those lucky (or unlucky) enough to have a close viewing. Cost per impression is high, but it'll be one hell of an impression...OK, that was terrible.
Back to reality, it really is an exciting time for information science and biology. And I hope EOL makes a difference in organizing some funding and attention around high-tech-fueled wildlife conservation. That German cat is just the beginning of all this.
The current issue of Nature celebrates the 300th anniversary of Linnaeus' birth with a collection of articles on the state of taxonomy "in an age of transformation." Definitely exciting times. I believe we are at the beginning of a revival of "amateur naturalists," biological hobbyists, and tinkerers who will challenge and transform how science is conducted today in the way that peer-to-peer networks and collaborative tools have transformed the music industry and world of information management. (via)
The legacy of Linnaeus p231
Taxonomy in an age of transformation.
doi:10.1038/446231b
Linnaeus at 300: We are family p247
Updating the tree of life needs both the skills of evolutionary biologists and the data from genome-crunchers — the two ignore each other at their peril. John Whitfield reports.
doi:10.1038/446247a
Linnaeus at 300: The species and the specious p250
For some, species are simply the things you save; but for taxonomists, the concept is much more complex. Emma Marris asks whether Linnaeus's legacy is cut out for conservation.
doi:10.1038/446250a
Linnaeus at 300: The big name hunters p253
Professional taxonomists often bristle at non-professionals who name new species without going through peer review. But are amateur naturalists really bad for science? Brendan Borrell reports.
doi:10.1038/446253a
Linnaeus at 300: The royal raccoon from Swedesboro p255
Although Linnaeus is best known for his botany and taxonomy, he was also an anatomist — and a keeper of pets. Henry Nicholls tells the story of Sjupp the raccoon.
doi:10.1038/446255a
