Monday 3 March 2008

Order! Order!

More on the naming and arranging of all things natural- taxonomy.

Isaac Asimov wrote 'The card-player begins by arranging his hand for maximum sense. Scientists do the same with the facts they gather.' And Stephen Jay Gould said 'Classifications both reflect and direct our thinking. The way we order represents the way we think. Historical changes in classification are fossilized indicators of conceptual revolutions.' (I googled but can't find the source for either statement but both are quoted in Botany by Moore, Clark and Vodopich.)

PS. Message to Snail. Yours was the featured blog when I opened up the Nature Blog Network page this morning.

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