My family greatly appreciated the tour of the National Heritage Building 1999-11-14. Thank you especially for the insect book for the kids. Here are a few comments on your brainchild Nature Discovery Fund and some food for thought, if you don't mind.
The procedure of the Nature Discovery Fund was well explained and understood. In the world of a market economy seeking instant gratification, however, 12 to 24 months is an eternity. Is there a possibility of establishing a world organisation for naming organisms so that the naming procedure be streamlined instead of a scientific publication which takes too long?
I believe that the Nature Discovery Fund is limited to insects. My son François is very fond of frogs, and is asking if a frog can be named after somebody. So, there is an opportunity to make the Nature Discovery Fund permanent and expand it to include other organisms, perhaps with different levels of donations, e.g., $200 CAD for a bacterium, $500 CAD for an insect, $1 000 CAD for an amphibian, $2 000 CAD for a reptile, etc. The website may be set up to accept on-line applications from around the world.
You mentioned that it is difficult to determine if an organism belongs to a new species. Has a method of identifying family, genus and species from DNA sequences been discovered or invented? If not, such a study may make a great doctoral thesis with a Nobel potential...
Has anybody determined why animals have 2 eyes but 1 mouth? My guess is that since chromosomes come in pairs, there are 2 eyes, 2 arms and 2 legs. But why 1 mouth? I was thinking of a method of inputting a DNA pattern to a fractal generator as parameters to the Mandelbot/Julia Set in order to draw an outline of an organism. Again, a great doctoral thesis with a Nobel potential?
I remember helping my kids make an unsolicited proposal in 1998 for naming the dinosaur discovered in the National Heritage Building in Aylmer (Aylmerosaurus, Rabbitosaurus, etc.). Do you happen to know what name the dinosaur ended up being given?
Personally, I hate bugs when I am enjoying outdoors. I am thinking of a hemp-oil extract spray or modulated ultrasound as insect repellant instead of unpleasant DEET and ineffective citronella oil.
