Posts by DJ Thoreau

Biosystematics is just complicated

The problem with saying "Biodiversity for the sake of Biodiversity" is misguided, as to not understand the scope of the problem.

In a nutshell, the problem is that biodiversity is just such a complex thing, and that in many places not that fully documented, especially at the smaller end of the scale (South Pacific Coleoptera, Nematoda for example) is that we simple don't know what's important. If we don't know what's there, we can't know what's important, so it's easier to just protect everything while it's being investigated (which given the time scales in Biosystematics might take centuries.

Dominic

Reasons for failure

I saw this in the local free paper this morning..

Apparently the younger brother failed. It was suggested this was because he "listens to music instead of looking out the window".....

Testing is rushed shocker

> The testing divisions are under huge pressure to do their work quickly.

This is true of any in-house testing division anywhere. I used to work for a well-known (now bust) PC assembler on Quality Control. PCs built by our well trained staff were given a quick once over by me before being sent on for case stickers and optional software installing. 200 a day. Minimum. That is, less than 90 seconds to check everything, including "is this component actually here", "are all the screws/cables fitted", and importantly "are all the fans actually plugged in"

Little wonder they went under then. Name deliberately left out, because the beancounters sold the company name to some new people who are still trading with it.