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Web-Tardies (II)

Everybody seems to know exactly what an internet link is. But, stop for a moment, and think about the different styles and flavours of internet links.

In the last issue we have been presenting classical links branching to some scientific stuff in parallel to our own website. These links were similar to footnotes, just going a little bit more into depth or into specialization.
In so far they had exactly the same function as those myriads of footnotes in dust-covered library books: in order to not disturb the fluent reading special annotations and scientific proofs are hidden somewhere in the bottom of the page ("in concordance with the late Prof. Grieselmeyer who published this conclusion already in 1895 ..."), or to provide the exact bibliographic location of some content for those who will be interested in the exact primary printed source ("see Grieselmeyer, Herbert et al., Transactions of the Bavarian Minigolf Society, vol. 264 (1895) pp. 260-1024"). For this reason classical footnotes are considered to be a typical property of scientific literature, fixing every line in water-tight manner, whereas popular textbooks have a tendency to completely skip the footnote culture ("write it in plain words, if you should consider something to be important, or, alternatively, do not mention it at all"). A much more primitive, but wide-spreaded attitude.

The web link is secretely sympathizing with the old-fashioned dusty footnote culture but at the same time develops it into new heights. The web link is by no means just a tool to dive more deeply into a given field but moreover a multi-dimensional window to other worlds which we wouldn't have found otherwise. In the very beginning of library computer book search a digital recherche inevitably had the smell of narrowing one's mental scope into an unbranched one-way street. It is one of the merits of the present search engine and linking culture to have re-established those intellectual worlds in their previous complexity.



One of our featured links is pointing to the world of the California based architect Eugene Tsui who claims to derive some elements of his architecture from the tardigrade "Bauplan":
THE TARDIGRADE: NATURE'S MOST INDESTRUCTIBLE CREATURE

Eugene Tsui is as well offering an insight into the workshop area of his company which differs from the well-known sterile-stylish environments of some of his colleagues:   OFFICE AND RESEARCH

No surprise that the architectural products are unique as well:   THE TSUI TARDIGRADE BASED HOUSE

Why do we know that? Well, a student from the Stanford University asked for tardigrade sample footage to be used in a film production featuring the famous architect.




Did you know that tardigrade strategies play an important role in scientific plans for future   blood storing  ?



Apart from the scientific reports there is a complex internet water-bear culture meanwhile. Let's begin with Terry McGarry's poem:
"Do not disturb ... do not trample on the tardigrade..."

Frank Glubbahs poem  "... our tiny friends are everywhere"  has been presented here already two years ago.

Only two water pear poems in the world wide web? No, just as an example, here is a third one by Charles Albano:
"... Tiny water-bears are closer than you think"

Just read and listen to MalWebb's water bear song text plus MP3:
"I wish I were a water bear"



And here is one of our favourites in graphic arts:   Olde Man Tardigrade



You will come across very bizarre links as well: here are our beloved tardigrades in one single line together with the Nazis and Shakespeare - a strange world, isn't it?.




© Text, images and video clips by  Martin Mach  (webmaster@baertierchen.de).
Water Bear web base is a licensed and revised version of the German language monthly magazine  Bärtierchen-Journal . Style and grammar amendments by native speakers are warmly welcomed.

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