A Mac in His Backpack

From the Department of Unexpected Delights (and on this day of much anticipated Apple-related revelations), here's an amazing New York Times article, complete with an amazing poem by the Very Great Gary Snyder about his Mac entitled "Why I Take Good Care of My Macintosh."

Virtual Biodiversity: The Encyclopedia of Life

An ambitious new portal called the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) has just launched. This mega-effort-in-progress aims to document all species of life on Earth (at least the ones humans are aware of—new species continue to be discovered—and no doubt wiped out—all the time).

The site, which is expected to take 10 years to fully realize, includes some nice coverage of various bee species, although—surprisingly—they haven't gotten the honeybee up there yet. I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Here are some highlights from the EOS website about the project's goals:

* Create a constantly evolving encyclopedia that lives on the Internet, with contributions from scientists and amateurs alike.

* Transform the science of biology, and inspire a new generation of scientists, by aggregating virtually all known data about every living species.

* Engage a wide audience of schoolchildren, educators, citizen scientists, academics and those who are just curious about Earth's species.

* Increase our collective understanding of life on Earth, and safeguard the richest possible spectrum of biodiversity.

The portal is in its nascent phase, so check back over time to enjoy its ever-growing base of information. I certainly plan to explore this resource deeply, all the while remembering that while virtual biodiversity is a wonderful occurrence, the real thing is more glorious by a factor of—oh, I dunno—infinity.

Luddite 2.0

Herewith, a brief appreciation of how technology has helped me liberate my inner Luddite.At the most fundamental level, the advent of telecommuting has made it possible for me to spend extended periods of time in an undisclosed rural location, where I can indulge in a range of low-tech pleasures—from beekeeping to gardening to canning to composting—while continuing to earn my income by providing editorial services to clients in the Big City.

As a novice beekeeper trying to find information about beekeeping methods that did not require the use of “extraordinary (chemical) measures” to keep colonies viable, the web was, until very recently, the sole source of information out there. Through the organic beekeepers’ listserv, Michael Bush’s beekeeping website, Phil Chandler’s writings, and many other online resources, I’ve been able to locate enough information to try my hand at organic, top-bar hive beekeeping in ways consistent with my desire to keep in small, simple, sustainable, and green.

The web has also been an amazing source of fellowship. In the old days, beekeeping was bound up with apprenticeship, a skill passed along from one person to another through direct observation. That’s often still the case; beekeeping clubs continue to be a major venue for meeting other beekeepers and sharing knowledge.

Alas, from the reports I hear, too few clubs seem receptive to so-called alternative methods like top-bar hive beekeeping or organic colony management. Fortunately, cyberspace offers a rich portal for communicating with real humans with real experience in these beekeeping methods—and these individuals are generously willing to mentor, explain, demystify, and provide kindhearted support to new beekeepers through the highs, lows, dramas, traumas, mysteries, and thrills of beekeeping. I feel I’m getting something akin to true mentorship through the web, though I’ve yet to meet any of my mentors in person.

One of the hardest parts of beekeeping is leaving the bees behind when the time comes to return to the city; I miss them terribly and feel out of sync with the muddy, grassy, leafy existence I delight in during my rural escapades.Lucky for me, this problem was solved with a quick Google search that lead me to a beekeeping group right here in Brooklyn. The group includes current and past beekeepers, as well as “bee lovers,” and has made it possible for me to commune a bit with honeybees in my own borough of Brooklyn. I still miss “my” bees, but don’t have to endure total honeybee withdrawal when I’m stuck in town.

I’m not a true Luddite in that I’m not opposed to technological change. But I have what I feel to be a healthy skepticism about the uncritical genuflecting to the digital experience, and I do place a very high value—a premium, in fact—on low- and no-tech pleasures.As a Luddite 2.0, I view technology as the means to a very simple end: getting out of the city, being with the bees, ruralizing body, mind and soul.

Call of the Wild, Literally

Looking for a more down-to-earth ringtone? The Center for Biological Diversity offers free downloads of the sweet, somber, melodious and unnerving voices of rare and endangered frogs, toads, birds, and mammals (including sea mammals). It's free! Perhaps they'll add some insect sounds one of these days.

Techno-Bee

Not sure if it's a bee, but it's cool. Unfortunately, the blog on which I found it seems to have disappeared!!

Honeybee Tech, Swarm Theory, & Swarm Intelligence

Lots of interesting stuff coming to light these days about swarm theory, swarm intelligence, and potential applications to technology and other aspects of human existence. Herewith a tidbit:

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a honeybee dance-inspired communications system, which they claim helps Internet servers work more efficiently. The new system reduces the possibility of a web site’s becoming overwhelmed with requests and locking out potential users and customers.

Learn more.

And more.

And yet more.