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Moore's Ants

Posted by timothy on from the their-density-will-double-every-18-months dept.

Makarand writes "We all know Moore's Law that predicts the future power of computer chips. He now has an ant named after him. A Harvard biologist named several species of ants that he recently found after people who have supported conservation. One species got Gordon Moore's name."

5 of 19 comments (clear)

  1. Sooo... by Theodore+Logan · · Score: 5, Funny
    In twenty years they will be about 4000 times as powerful as today? Ants can already lift 20 times their own bodyweight, so this is gonna get nasty. I don't know about you, but I welcome our new Insect Overlords!

    ... because realizing that Moores law applies to ant strength was the reason they named it after him, right? Right?

    Now let's just hope nobody reads the article as usual.

    --

    "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance" - Derek Bok

  2. Nice thought but... by GuyMannDude · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... call me old fashioned but I remembered when the names of species actually meant something (e.g., the Latin word for some unique descriptor of the creature). I guess scientists are free to name new species whatever the hell they want, huh? Are they allowed to name species after their spouses? Pets? Favorite movies? And exactly how much does it cost to "buy" a species name anyhow? Can you get an entire genus named after you if you give enough money to conservation organisations?

    GMD

    --
    watch this
    1. Re:Nice thought but... by PEdelman · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'd rather call you old ;-) AFAIK taxonomic names have, except for in the very early days, been arbritarliy chosen. Especially if genera consist of many species it can be very hard to come up with a useful and descriptive name.

      For taxonomic curiosities, see this link.

      --
      Like science? Comics? Wicked...
      Funny By Nature
  3. Auction by Speedy8 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    People should auction off the right to the name for plants and animamls to raise money for their protection and advancement. It would kinda make you feel immortal to have an entire speciese named after you... or at least make you want to spend money to protect it.

    1. Re:Auction by R.Caley · · Score: 3, Funny
      People should auction off the right to the name for plants and animamls[...]want to spend money to protect it.

      Tie IPR to endangered species. You get to keep your patent/trademark/copyright as long as a totem species survives. The more valuable the IPR, the more species an/or the harder to keep alive the species.

      Sorry Bill, the lesser fringed marshmallow newt is extinct, looks like the NT kernel is now public domain.
      --
      _O_
      .|<       The named which can be named is not the true named