[Taxacom] Vital study of an organism on planet Earth

[Robinwbruce at aol.com]

Agreed.
 
Robin
 
 
 
In a message dated 6/18/2012 4:46:27 P.M. GMT Daylight Time,  
barry_roth at yahoo.com writes:

As for  sinister, I bend before Robin's erudition.  But I think we are 
worrying  about the same trend.

Barry   

________________________________
From: "Robinwbruce at aol.com"  <Robinwbruce at aol.com>
To: barry_roth at yahoo.com 
Cc:  taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu 
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 2:35 AM
Subject:  Re: [Taxacom] Vital study of an organism on planet Earth



'Sinister sub-test' ? Hmm.  I think I would file under  'foolish 
notion' sensu Burns, R. 1786, to a louse, final verse. The  problem with 
foolish 
notions is that if they are not identified as  such, they quickly morph 
and multiply into 'Extraordinary  popular delusions [and the madness of 
crowds]' sensu  Mackay,  C. 1841. 

However there is a sub-text that I sense, and it is  worrying; 
biology now largely seems to have become  a post-taxonomic and 
post-organismal 'science'. 

Cheers  

Robin 







In a message dated 6/17/2012  2:25:29 A.M. GMT Daylight Time, 
barry_roth at yahoo.com writes:  
Fully  agree with Geoff on this, and the sinister subtext is that  
taxon-driven  research programmes are somehow inferior, not-to-be-named.  
>
>On Jun 16, 
2012, at 5:56 PM, "Geoff Read"  <gread at actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
>
>> 
Thanks  Michael,
>> 
>> 
>> Oh the folly of it. Why is this  
irritating vagueness done? My theory is
>> that it's a  misguided attempt 
to make the research seem so transcending  in
>> results and importance 
that the actual taxa don't  matter.  Well they do] -
>> every time. 
This work,  poorly keyworded, would not have been easily found
>> by the  
few people it's most relevant to - the bryozoologists  (except
>> Stephen 
has now helped them out).
>>  
>> In your example there is a natural 
point in the  abstract flow where the
>> family could be revealed. It 
isn't. Grrrh!
>> 
>> Geoff
>> 
>>  
>> On Sat, June 
16, 2012 7:18 pm, Michael Heads  wrote:
>>> Hi Geoff,
>>> 
>>> I had to  laugh when I saw your link. Here's another 
one:
>>>  
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7065/abs/nature04057.html
>>>  
>>> It's quite a common style now, but really annoying. Pierre  
Jolivet was
>>> complaining about it a while ago.  Editors tell you not 
to mention the name
>>> of an  organsm in the title - apparently it 
isn't good for sales. So if  you
>>> don't mention it in the abstract, 
that makes it  even better...
>>> 
>>> Michael 
Heads
>>> On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 4:21 PM, Geoff Read 
<gread at actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
>>> 
>>>>  
>>>> Sorry, the title, abstract and even the keywords won't  give 
away what
>>>> it's
>>>> about.  But if you have access 
and you go to page 2 at the bottom  we
>>>> promise that there will 
be a taxon name  mentioned, and you then can
>>>> 
decide
>>>> whether you are further interested.  And  living 
things all really work
>>>>  the
>>>> same way, don't 
they, same basic  principles, so it's not as if doing
>>>> 
that
>>>> will waste anyone's time.
>>>>  
>>>> http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1448.1
>>>>  
>>>> We hope this style catches on.
>>>>  
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>> 
>>>> The  
authors
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>  
>> 
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