Comments on: IAG review of BIG http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/ A blog about the Encyclopedia of Life: An electronic page for each species of organism on Earth Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:29:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dov Henis http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/comment-page-1/#comment-4793 Dov Henis Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:51:39 +0000 http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/#comment-4793 Life's Manifest Recapitulation of some earlier notes on The Drive, Nature And Purpose Of Life: Scientific Comprehension http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/54.page A. Uniqueness Of science among human artifacts ALL aspects of our culture are, of course, anthropoartifacts, including science. Yet among those artifacts science has a distinct uniqueness for us. During the recent several centuries in the course of human history humans have been developing science at an accelerating rate as a provider of convincing, ever closer approaching, approximate models of the real world. B. The drive and nature of life The drive of life and of its evolution is to enhance the functionality and survivability of the genes, in order to maintain and enhance Earth-biosphere's temporary constrained energy storage and to maintain it BIO as long as possible. It is the genes, life's prime strata organisms, that evolve, and the evolution of genomes, the 2nd stratum of life, and of the 3rd life stratum cellular organisms, is an interenhancing consequence of their genes' evolution. C. The nature of life Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth's biosphere. Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes. Gene: a primal Earth's organism. (1st stratum organism) Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes. (2nd stratum organism) Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms. (3rd stratum organism) D. Update of underlying life sciences conception is thus feasible - First were independent individual genes, Earth's primal organisms. - Genes aggregated cooperatively into genomes, multigenes organisms, with genomes' organs. - Simultaneously or consequently genomes evolved protective and functional membranes, organs. - Then followed cellular organisms, with a variety of outer-cell membrane shapes and functionalities. This conception is a scientific, NOT TECHNOLOGICAL, life-science innovation. It is tomorrow's comprehension of life and of its evolution. IT IS FRAUGHT WITH INTRIGUING DARWINIAN EVOLUTION IMPLICATIONS. IT IS FRAUGHT WITH INTRIGUING TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS POTENTIALS. E. The purpose of OUR, human, life The purpose of OUR life and its promotion is ours to formulate and set. It derives solely from our cognition. Suggesting, Dov Henis http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1 Life’s Manifest

Recapitulation of some earlier notes on
The Drive, Nature And Purpose Of Life: Scientific Comprehension

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/54.page

A. Uniqueness Of science among human artifacts

ALL aspects of our culture are, of course, anthropoartifacts, including science. Yet among those artifacts science has a distinct uniqueness for us.

During the recent several centuries in the course of human history humans have been developing science at an accelerating rate as a provider of convincing, ever closer approaching, approximate models of the real world.

B. The drive and nature of life

The drive of life and of its evolution is to enhance the functionality and survivability of the genes, in order to maintain and enhance Earth-biosphere’s temporary constrained energy storage and to maintain it BIO as long as possible.

It is the genes, life’s prime strata organisms, that evolve, and the evolution of genomes, the 2nd stratum of life, and of the 3rd life stratum cellular organisms, is an interenhancing consequence of their genes’ evolution.

C. The nature of life

Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth’s biosphere.

Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth’s biosphere by maintenance of genes.

Gene: a primal Earth’s organism. (1st stratum organism)

Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes. (2nd stratum organism)

Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms. (3rd stratum organism)

D. Update of underlying life sciences conception is thus feasible

- First were independent individual genes, Earth’s primal organisms.

- Genes aggregated cooperatively into genomes, multigenes organisms, with genomes’ organs.

- Simultaneously or consequently genomes evolved protective and functional membranes, organs.

- Then followed cellular organisms, with a variety of outer-cell membrane shapes and
functionalities.

This conception is a scientific, NOT TECHNOLOGICAL, life-science innovation.

It is tomorrow’s comprehension of life and of its evolution.

IT IS FRAUGHT WITH INTRIGUING DARWINIAN EVOLUTION IMPLICATIONS.

IT IS FRAUGHT WITH INTRIGUING TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS POTENTIALS.

E. The purpose of OUR, human, life

The purpose of OUR life and its promotion is ours to formulate and set. It derives solely from our cognition.

Suggesting,

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q–?cq=1

]]> By: Rod Page http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/comment-page-1/#comment-3486 Rod Page Tue, 13 May 2008 18:23:05 +0000 http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/#comment-3486 Nathan, I couldn't agree more. Take GBIF, for example, which is a wonderful resource, but full of errors. It is possible to get things fixed (see my <a href="http://iphylo.blogspot.com/2008/05/fixing-gbif.html" rel="nofollow">Fixing GBIF</a> post), but it is not straightforward. It has to be made much, much easier. I particularly like your idea of a mechanism where existing users can recommend other others, notably those that haven't yet acquired a reputation via the site, but who have an existing reputation. In terms of making your data available, I suggesting contacting David Shorthouse at EOL. Nathan, I couldn’t agree more. Take GBIF, for example, which is a wonderful resource, but full of errors. It is possible to get things fixed (see my Fixing GBIF post), but it is not straightforward. It has to be made much, much easier. I particularly like your idea of a mechanism where existing users can recommend other others, notably those that haven’t yet acquired a reputation via the site, but who have an existing reputation.
In terms of making your data available, I suggesting contacting David Shorthouse at EOL.

]]> By: Nathan http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/comment-page-1/#comment-3485 Nathan Thu, 08 May 2008 17:52:17 +0000 http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/#comment-3485 I think (hope?) my site (http://mushroomobserver.org) falls into category 2. I strongly agree with what you are saying about allowing user to annotate the data. This is crucial and in my opinion should be the number 1 priority. It is great to have scientifically vetted data, but it is abundantly clear that is not the same as error free. When someone seems data that they know is wrong and have no effective way to fix it, they walk away. The key is to make it clear where the data is coming from. Ultimately this comes down to a rating system for indivdual contributors. My own site allows for both annotation and voting. The votes are weighted based on user's contribution to the site. This is far from perfect, but I believe it is the direction systems like this have to go to really be successful. The next thing I want to add in this regard is a mechanism for users to recommend other users. This allows the community to both develop its own experts and acknowledge existing experts that join the community but have not had the time to develop their own reputation. The other key feature for category 2 (and category 3) developers is to provide clear interfaces that the developers of those sites can hook into to do the work for you. I would love to make the data I've been collecting available to EOL, but I have no way to do it. I think (hope?) my site (http://mushroomobserver.org) falls into category 2. I strongly agree with what you are saying about allowing user to annotate the data. This is crucial and in my opinion should be the number 1 priority. It is great to have scientifically vetted data, but it is abundantly clear that is not the same as error free. When someone seems data that they know is wrong and have no effective way to fix it, they walk away. The key is to make it clear where the data is coming from. Ultimately this comes down to a rating system for indivdual contributors. My own site allows for both annotation and voting. The votes are weighted based on user’s contribution to the site. This is far from perfect, but I believe it is the direction systems like this have to go to really be successful. The next thing I want to add in this regard is a mechanism for users to recommend other users. This allows the community to both develop its own experts and acknowledge existing experts that join the community but have not had the time to develop their own reputation.

The other key feature for category 2 (and category 3) developers is to provide clear interfaces that the developers of those sites can hook into to do the work for you. I would love to make the data I’ve been collecting available to EOL, but I have no way to do it.

]]> By: Edustus http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/comment-page-1/#comment-3426 Edustus Fri, 02 May 2008 10:49:08 +0000 http://blog.eol.org/2008/05/01/iag-review-of-big/#comment-3426 Go on!!! EOL will not have any competitor. This web will be The Reference for all the investigators and nature lovers. We will be patient! Go on!!! EOL will not have any competitor. This web will be The Reference for all the investigators and nature lovers.

We will be patient!

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