Dear Patty,

In response to your question about the sale of invertebrate species names:

Since corporate culture has become the Official World Religion, it is only
natural that anything saleable is just another commodity. I've heard that
corporations are willing to pay young people to get permanent tatoos with
logos or slogans on some visible portion of their faces or heads.

It won't be long before some multinational corporation realizes that a
particularly notable invertebrate could bear an attractive brand-name or
slogan permanently at bargain basement prices, with tax write-off to boot.

Selling off invertebrate names is symptomatic of something more systemic
and less visible (could that be related to the corporate ownership of the
press?). One little example, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is now
moving to allow "used nuke" licenses to be sold. In other words, if a
nuclear utility decides to gut its safety program as "too costly," it can
simply buy a license from another company. In tandem with this, the NRC is
moving to completely eliminate  public hearings on nuclear plants that
leave a legal record of evidence. Not to worry, the outstanding fellows at
the NRC are comprised of some of the finest people from the nuclear
industry itself. Are they concerned about public safety? They bet our
lives, they are.

As a drug research coordinator last year, I saw that at $10,000 per patient
enrolled in a study, the doctors had an incentive to make the patients meet
the inclusion criteria--even if their diagnostic scores were too low.

In all spheres--including education, health, politics--integrity and human
values are being sold to the highest bidder. Why should science be so
prissy? If a few thousand dollars can be gained by someone or some entity
in a position to receive them, why not? Never mind that some of the
consequences of this mind-set will reverberate for many generations to
come.

So don't complain if we get species named delcofreedombatteriensis or
Aetnalifeinsurancei. Those folks paid for science and we didn't.

David Kirsh
Durham, NC


>Dear All,
>
>Just recently, I have heard of the strangest fundraising effort for
>taxonomic research. I had to read it twice, and walk over to the calendar
>to make sure it was not April Fools Day, but I tried the E-mail address at
>the bottom, and it seems to be for real!
>
>This is the message I received:
>
>snip...
>*******************************************************
>
>Become Immortal!
>
>Have a newly discovered invertebrate species named after you.
>
>Help us understand and conserve Australiaís unique creatures.
>______________________________________________________
>Entirely New Species!
>
>When new species are discovered they need to be named. Choosing the name
>is up to the scientist naming it. This name, once given, is bonded to
>the creature and is used forever. In no uncertain terms this name
>becomes immortal.
>
>Traditionally, around the world, the vital process of discovery and
>naming has been supported by benefactors who understand the need to
>document unique creatures.
>
>In turn, the tradition has been to honour the benefactor by naming the
>species after them as an eternal statement of gratitude.
>
>Some species that are still to be named may even live in your backyard.
>In Australia, many species are being lost before we even know they
>exist.
>__________________________________________________________
>Get involved!
>
>A donation of $5000 is all you need to become part of the Immortals
>Program and have your name, or a name of your choice,
>used to identify a newly discovered animal forever.
>__________________________________________________________
>Discovering and naming Australiaís unique creatures needs your
>assistance. Become a benefactor by becoming involved in the Immortals
>Program.
>
>Benefits of the Immortals Program:
>
>Your name can be preserved forever in the annals of science as it will
>become the world recognised name for that species.  Alternatively, you
>can choose the name of a friend or relative to bestow upon the animal
>which has been allocated to you.*
>
>You will receive a special commemorative certificate, a framed
>illustration and details of the invertebrate animal that has been named
>after you.
>
>You will be publicly recognised for your assistance in the discovery,
>description and protection of Australiaís animals by inclusion on the
>Immortals Program list publicly displayed in the Australian Museum.
>
>You will become an automatic member of The Australian Museum Society
>(TAMS) with all its benefits, including free Museum entry for one year,
>special events and a subscription to Nature Australia magazine.
>
>Donations are tax deductible.**
>
>*Within the guidelines of the International Code of Zoological
>Nomenclature.  No offensive wording will be accepted.
>**Subject to government tax regulations including the Goods and Services
>Tax.
>
>To become involved in the Immortals Program, or for further information
>contact the Australian Museum:
>
>Immortals Program
>Australian Museum
>6 College St
>Sydney  2010
>
>Phone: 02 9320 6277
>Fax: 9320 6074
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>************************************************************************
>snip....
>
>Now! What do you all make of that? Is it really necessary for institutes go
>to such lengths to fund taxonomic research (or lower themselves to such
>depths I can hear some of you say). Is our human vanity so great that we
>will pay this much money just to see our names in print? Or, is the
>knowledge of latin of our upcoming taxonomists so lacking that they cannot
>think of another way to name species (not a friendly suggestion I must
>confess, but jump on me if the contrary is true)?
>
>Patty
>
>P.S. This is NOT a hoax