Project Noah - biodiversity

This beta-project popped up yesterday from twitterland, which shows, to me, the value of thousands of semi-random small mutations in the information we receive.

Noah = networked organisms and habitats, and is an interesting example of the potential when digital and paper-based science get mixed up in the test tube.

The opportunity of using apps to make it easier, more enjoyable and faster and find out and communicate the wildlife on the patch under our feet is one to watch.

Click through to find out more http://www.networkedorganisms.com/

Social biomimicry: Insect Societies & Human Design

There's an interesting event coming up in Arizona in February 2010:

A pioneering collaboration among biologists, designers, engineers, and businesspeople, Social Biomimicry: Insect Societies and Human Design is a conference organized by graduate students and supported by the Frontiers in Life Sciences program at Arizona State University.  This conference will explore how the collective behavior and nest architecture of social insects can inspire more efficient and sustainable solutions to human challenges in areas such as manufacturing, communications, transportation, and green building. It will facilitate interdisciplinary exchange of concepts, perspectives, and tools that may enrich biology and advance biomimetic design. Finally, it will address fundamental issues in social biomimicry, including its ethical and psychological implications. We invite you to join us for this exciting event February 18 – 20, 2010 at the Memorial Union, Arizona State University, Tempe Campus.

Further details here