tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post4421643344431905051..comments2024-03-25T09:31:36.926+01:00Comments on Furahan Biology and Allied Matters: Back to future evolution in Brussels Sigmund Nastrazzurrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16449461215427527447noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-76613240385412178282013-07-18T00:17:40.284+02:002013-07-18T00:17:40.284+02:00Anonymous 1: I could, but there's more origina...Anonymous 1: I could, but there's more original work to do, and life is so short already...<br /><br />Anonymous 2: I'm really having difficulty telling the 'anonymouses' apart.<br /> I appreciate your remark, but there's a serious side behind it. Without the very specific French background of the work discussed here, there would not be such a book at all. Mind you, I have often searched for speculative biology on the internet in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish - and Dutch-, and attempted searches in other languages through translation aides. Some languages/cultures seem to be closed completely to the mindset conducive to such works of fiction, whereas others seem to ravel in them. Be happy that there are independent sources of imagination out there.<br /> So, there is a waiting period because of the French background of the 'demain' book -which is progressing nicely!- , but without that background there would probably be no such book... <br /><br />PS French only takes about three to four years of work to learn properly....Sigmund Nastrazzurrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449461215427527447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-88112035311786382942013-07-17T23:14:20.154+02:002013-07-17T23:14:20.154+02:00You think waiting a year is bad? Try waiting even ...You think waiting a year is bad? Try waiting even longer for an English edition!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-57695871176384184922013-05-20T17:25:06.737+02:002013-05-20T17:25:06.737+02:00Sigmund: Maybe you can buy that issue, translate t...Sigmund: Maybe you can buy that issue, translate those specific pages for us and then post them on your blog. Just a suggestion. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-91928360704430320772013-05-20T14:51:35.918+02:002013-05-20T14:51:35.918+02:00Evan: You are quite right about the importance of ...Evan: You are quite right about the importance of speculation. There is a nice book, 'All Yesterdays', by Naish Conway and Kosemen (yes, that is the Kosemen/Kösemen a.k.a. Nemo Rmjet), that plays with accepted conventions in dinosaur reconstructions by challenging them. It's not about exolife, otherwise I would write a post about it. Or should I do so anyway?<br /><br />Anonymous: I found that advertisement for 'La Recherche' too. It is indeed in French. Unfortunately, the pages we are interested in do not appear in the advertisement. But I think I can offer you some other glimpses of the Boulay/Steyer book soon...<br /><br />Bewildermunster: I was surprised too. You would think that, if they go to the trouble of ordering these models, some signs would not pose a problem. Perhaps there was too much rush to get it all ready, and afterwards they left it at that. Who doesn't know that sensation... <br /><br />Nicky: I am sorry, but that does not seem likely, as the models are part of a permanent exhibition, not a temporary travelling one. Sigmund Nastrazzurrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449461215427527447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-70993706115588332282013-05-20T12:21:13.472+02:002013-05-20T12:21:13.472+02:00I am now uber-jealous that the models had only app...I am now uber-jealous that the models had only appeared in Europe, and here in the U.S. I hope they get here soon.Nickyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892007791072992567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-32216705784682010012013-05-18T18:47:15.490+02:002013-05-18T18:47:15.490+02:00Really interesting future specimens! :) It is too ...Really interesting future specimens! :) It is too bad about the lack of in depth info.Bewildermunsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11401477381302419273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-51108373294930574002013-05-18T17:01:58.474+02:002013-05-18T17:01:58.474+02:00I just found out about a magazine issue (french I ...I just found out about a magazine issue (french I believe)that talks about these animal and more on Marc Boulay's webpage (http://www.marcboulay.fr/demainlesanimauxdufutur.html) . Here a link to the magazine that talks about that issue (http://www.larecherche.fr/mensuel/475) . you may need to translate but If you can find that magazine issue you could a lot more info on Marc's future evolution project. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5821098719340852065.post-90353493468454716912013-05-18T17:00:54.716+02:002013-05-18T17:00:54.716+02:00Must buy ticket to Brussels...
Must learn French ...Must buy ticket to Brussels...<br /><br />Must learn French (I might be able to survive in a French community, but certainly not grasp biological terminology...)<br /><br />The upright Iguanodons don't surprise me. It could be that making the changes is risky or not cost effective, or that they're interested not only in preserving records of prehistory but of the speculative influence of early paleontologists. I can appreciate an effort like that.<br /><br />I had an opportunity some years ago to go to the Lowell Observatory some years ago, and enjoyed a silent amusement as the tour guide (who seemed to have more experience in scientific matters than in dealing with a tour group) attempted to explain that pointing out Lowell's mistake as bad science didn't mean that he didn't appreciate the man's contributions to astronomy. It's a tricky thing to explain sometimes.<br /><br />Anyway, if the museum wants to avoid armchair experts coming in and decrying their display, they could always hang some fake foliage from the ceiling and say the Iguanodons are hungry. :)<br /><br />I'm always delighted to see speculative biology presented in any medium. The sparse explanations and the discrepancy between the designers' intentions and the final models that you describe suggest to me that this wasn't a central gallery for the museum, but something put together quickly to test out the concept on visitors, and perhaps even to fill space.<br /><br />I think all this is just another example of how the 'field' of speculative evolution is really a niche interest, even though it plays a role in both paleontology, astrobiology, and others. Almost every documentary I see involving invented or imagined creatures takes time to address the question, "Why are we bothering to do this? What point does all this serve?"<br /><br />That very fact is evidence that, generally speaking, people don't understand that speculation is an intrinsic part of science. Those Iguanodons aren't accurate presentations of how the creatures really were in life, they were only interpretations of the scientists involved. Likewise, skeletons of Iguanodons assembled today are interpretations of modern scientists, albeit refined by modern understanding. Every documentary on dinosaurs or prehistoric beasts, or programs on future evolution or the possibilities of aliens have that in common: they are presentations of how a scientific team has <i>imagined</i> them to look. Every scientific discovery- even the current paradigms- are not explanations of "how it is" but are concepts filtered through the psychology and zeitgeist of the scientific community, and culture as a whole. We're really good at accepting that what scientists tell us is just "how it is," but we forget that, whatever reputation one may have for careful, stringent adherence to objectivity, every scientist can be fallible.<br /><br />Hey, at least the Iguanodons didn't have their thumbs on their noses...Evan Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10493966209787828900noreply@blogger.com