Some beasts are rare and live their lives unseen by most of us. Many of the nocturnal mammals with membranous wings qualify, but so do the unsung heroes of our profession, the ones daring to tread alien and peripheral territories.
The link below refers to a both charming and erudite paper by our colleague Jens Rydell that does just that. It is a fine example of how one realm of knowledge (here bats) can transgress deep into our history and culture. Behold the grandeur of having Baudelaire in the reference list!
And don’t miss the acknowledgments.
Read the article in Journal of Bat Research and Conservation (pdf; 5.9 MB; new window).
Per Lundberg
Per Lundberg
This is a fine example of how science can fertilize the humanities and how the humanities enrich and deepen biological insights. Science doesn’t live a life of its own, in isolation as an instrument, it is an integral part of our culture, history and our identity as much as Victor Hugo, Pliny the elder and Flaubert (should) shape the people that populate the laboratories.
Thanks to Jens for this contribution!