Not a picture of immediate beauty, but consider its design a little more closely. The spider has laid down a foundation of very white silk, resembling the character of a bird-dropping and has positioned itself centrally, with glossy-white carapace and strategically-darkened fore-legs, creating a marvellous depiction of that which both repels predators and attracts prey.
As with so many lessons that can be learnt from nature, this evolutionary model of competitive success can be seen in human behaviours, where offensive conduct repels and quite possibly by intent. yinyleon hd.
The weblog rules explain that properly monitoring comments would be a full time job. Given the growing readership and concern from some readers, comments that are spam, abusive, defamatory, off-topic or repetitive may be deleted. We are advised that it won’t always be fair and asked that if we want to make more than five posts in any given 24 hour period, it would be great if we really had something new, important and informative to say that sixth, seventh and eighth time.
As a gathering place for a great many people with a common interest in politics and the environment, we might strive for tolerance and respect … even when a comment is akin to bird-droppings.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Neil,
What is it’s prey?
Flies, Jim.
I know some catterpillars have the pattern as bird dropping as well to repel their enemies… so the spider is not the only one…
It does appear that most times I comment and provide a link, the comment does not appear, even if it conforms to the rules above. This is kind of poor, as showing where you get your information from is rather important.
Today I linked to Andrew Dessler’s Gristmill climate blog, which had an excellent comment on the AGW ‘middle ground’ article. It didn’t make the cut. Can’t work out why.
The notion that “this evolutionary model of competitive success can be seen in human behaviours, where offensive conduct repels and quite possibly by intent” invites several questions. For instance, who are the enemies, and who the prey?
Consider the “Battle of Seattle,” for instance. Or any of the wave of riots which ensued.
The rioters were clearly quite offensive, and their self-described “civil society” neither civil nor very sociable.
Those repelled would be anyone offended by activities such as hurling offal, or bags of urine. Those who are lured by such activity into joining in would then be the “prey.” The prey becomes absorbed into the mob, which grows incrementally in size and energy.
Parallels can be found elsewhere, such as with Branch Davidians, Aum Shrinkyo or Jim Jones’ Kool-Aid Kult. Or even Greenpeace, though the latter is more after money than other things.
I enjoyed that Neil. Just the right direction. Let’s all try for more interesting connections between nature and society.
Other connections:
Bonobo monkeys = San Diego, Calif., USA,
Chimpanzees = Somalia, Africa.
Bonobo monkeys = United Nations
Chimpanzees = Hezbollah
Bonobo monkeys = Penthouse magazine
Chimpanzees = Wall Street Journal
Good ones Schiller. Who’s got natural analogies for these aspects of society?
http://www.brazilianartists.net/home/flags/index.htm
Here it is Nexus 6 :
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/1/3/14539/76760.
It is interesting but I don’t know that I agree with the central proposition that Revkin confuses the science with the politics/solution.
Sort of lends a whole new meaning to “talkin through your ass”, don’t you think?
I wonder if the spider is on the threatened faeces list?
Thanks Jim, though the link seems not to work for me.
Nexus – remove the period from 76760. Common blog problem .. .. also fragmented URL description. You still need to register with Gristmill.
Neil,
You’ve offered engaging material while Jennifer is on vacation, but commentary has dropped off considerably. I would not take this as any criticism of your acumen, but rather, an indication that Jennifer has gathered a personal following, and absent indicia of her participation, interest languishes.
If she’s remotely analogous to the spider in the photo, take the spider out of the photo, and you’ve got a leaf.
I would bet that if you posted as Jennifer, commentary would be rife. That poses an interesting quandary for scientific ethics: impersonate Jennifer, and invite accusations of misconduct, or refuse to impersonate Jennifer, and thereby eschew experimentation–a fundamental of “the scientific method”–on the questionable moral grounds of ‘netiquette’.
Or has Neil been ‘Jennifer’ all along? Such a suspicion totally beggars all ad hominem arguments and justly points us all in a better direction. Lamna will find this inveiglement totally confusing.
Thanks Schiller for your insight and encouragement.
I have been wrangling with the difficulties of organising a vacation for my own family, but our role has become so specialised that thirteen years have elapsed without a break.
Like Jennifer, I could only ever expect that the momentum of our operation is not left to become idle. I would hope, in our absence, that the caretaker exceeds expectation and hands back the reins of a well-tendered reliability.
In a sense, we all drop in to Jennifer’s place, where we are made to feel very welcome, but also where the topical issues of politics and the environment are debated at a challenging and stimulating level. Whilst our hostess may be on vacation, she has kindly left her place open to us all.
If Neil wants more commentary he needs to stir the pot a bit more like Jennifer does and then see what floats to the top. Neil is doing a great job of maintaining things nicely without usurping. We all love the animal posts.
How about a guest post by Schiller? That ought to get things rockin. Com’on Schiller, you can do it.
Luke & I will caretake for you for a while Neil, how long do you need? We’ll invite Libby & Russell to help out with the walks & talks too.
A month should do it nicely.
I should probably start promoting now: Exclusive sightings of the Pink Panther and Luke Skywalker together, in the heart of the Daintree rainforest. Expert interpretation from Libby and Russell.
I should be so lucky!
Attended my first AEF Conference Sept 8 & 9 and it was refreshing to mix with persons with a range of opinions and occupations who seek to see sustainable industry supported by sensible decision making based on fact and science.
The topics of climate change , GM foods, River Red Gum land use decisions, Sustainable Pulp Mills of World’s Best Practice and others were well presented and challenging with their facts. I congratulate the Directors of AEF on this highly informative and successful second major conference.
That’s an excellent pic of the bird-dropping spider. I’d be interested in reproducing it in a book I’m writing on mimicry. Neil- could I have permission to use it? How I can I see the hi-res image?
best,
Peter