Ok, so I never would have compared ants and humans, but it made sense that we could learn something from them. Yet, I'm not quite sure what that is. Ants are so small minded, literally. Granted, they must be good for something since they make up 30% of the population of the Amazon. Without ants (or spiders) we'd be living in a much different world. Their meticulous work is very much appreciated, as annoying and disgusting they may be.
But at the same time, I don't understand the fascination with ants. They're ants! Such tiny little creatures! And why would someone even dare to say that we could learn something valuable from the ugly things? I must have missed the central point of the article if I have that attitude.
Our bodies cells function like ant colonies? Ok, sure. Didn't want to know that. Next time I want to think about how my body functions, I'll just imagine a colony of ants crawling through my veins. Thanks Mr Johnson, for that lovely mental picture.
Showing posts with label Ants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ants. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Emergence by Steven Johnson
As I read this selection from Emergence, I’m thinking: This is fascinating. But what on earth does it have to do with class?
Question: where do the male ants come from? If they’re only alive for a day, how do lady ants birth male ants and then reproduce with them? This I must find out. Or if the queen is the only one to reproduce, how does she lay eggs in the first place? I like that the question of the chicken or egg came up, I feel my question is in the same category.
I’ve read Jane Jacob’s Death and Life of American Cities and, in all honesty, it is boring, and rather uninsightful. She states things that seem obvious; observations that anyone living in a city could make (e.g. parks are useful because of the businesses and housing around it; if it’s just a park, no one will use it).
This reading definitely switches gears from participatory art, but it is not quite clear where we’re going next. I think I mostly retained information about ants after this reading.
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I'm definitely interested in doing another participatory art exercise, but I'm not sure which one would work best.
Question: where do the male ants come from? If they’re only alive for a day, how do lady ants birth male ants and then reproduce with them? This I must find out. Or if the queen is the only one to reproduce, how does she lay eggs in the first place? I like that the question of the chicken or egg came up, I feel my question is in the same category.
I’ve read Jane Jacob’s Death and Life of American Cities and, in all honesty, it is boring, and rather uninsightful. She states things that seem obvious; observations that anyone living in a city could make (e.g. parks are useful because of the businesses and housing around it; if it’s just a park, no one will use it).
This reading definitely switches gears from participatory art, but it is not quite clear where we’re going next. I think I mostly retained information about ants after this reading.
----------
I'm definitely interested in doing another participatory art exercise, but I'm not sure which one would work best.
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