In Proverbs, King Solomon had some advice for those rushing into print with ill-informed opinions: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."
drawings by marguerita
all rights reserved 2011.
For many years I am fascinated by insects.I like to draw,create sculptures and jewels.
The Ants in particular become of great interest to me, so through time,I got books, The Journey to the Ants- a story of scientific exploration- and The Insect Societies by Edward O.Wilson,among other books on the subject.
Recently,by coincidence,Miriam Portela, a Brazilian children's book writer,proposed me to illustrate her story about a rebellious ant,who craves for fun and joy and wants to take part of stopping the reigning ongoing chaos on Earth.
The Rebellious Ant, in spirit turns out to be a dreamer,as all rebels seem to be,she loses herself in reveries,wonders in her thoughts and of course does not fit like in like the everyday ant.
Somehow,she sounds quite like some humans.
The interesting side here is,borrowing from The Importance of Social Insects,are the parallels to be drawn and why we study these insects?
Because, together with man,hummingbirds, and the bristlecone pine,they are among the great
achievements of organic evolution.
Their social organization- far less than man's because of the feeble intellect and absence of culture,of course,but far greater in respect to cohesion,caste specialization and individual altruism- is non pareil.
The biologist is invited to consider insect societies because they best exemplify the full sweep of ascending levels of organization, from molecule to society.
Among the tens of thousands of species of wasps,ants,bees and termites, we witness the employment of social design to solve ecological problems ordinarily dealt with by simple organisms.
The insect colony is often called SUPERORGANISM, because it displays so many social phenomena that are analogous to the physiological properties of organs and tissues.
A second reason for singling out social insects, is their ecological dominance on the land.
In most parts of the Earth ants in particular are among the principal predators of other invertebrates.
Their colonies,rooted and perennial like woody plants,send out foragers which comb the terrain day and night.
Their biomass and energy consumption exceed those of invertebrates in most terrestrial habitats.
Social insects are specially prominent in the tropics.
In the seventeenth century,Portuguese settlers called ants the "king of Brazil" and later travelers referred to them with such phrases as " the actual owners of the Amazon Valley" and "the real conquerors of Brazil."
So, Viva! Formiga Power!
Edward O.Wilson is Frank B.Baird Jr. Professor of Science and Curator in Entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology,Harvard University.He is the author of Sociobiology: The New Synthesis,Biophilia,On Human Nature, which won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction, and The Diversity of Life. He is coauthor with Bert Holldobler of The Ants, which won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction. His many awards include the National Medal of Science in 1977 and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 1984.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
FORMIGA POWER: A tale of a rebellious Brazilian Ant by Miriam Portela and Marguerita Bornstein
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Sweet &Funky series : Life is a Splendorous Thing
drawing/collage by marguerita
currently at the http://www.kentlergallery.org/pages/11Benefit/2011benefitArt.html
Owl Butterfly
Blue Morpho
Amazon rainforests are the home for more than 25 millions of different species of insects. Warm climate with heavy rainfalls result into abundant vegetation in most part of the region make favorable conditions for the growth and reproduction of millions of species of insects. It is estimated that one acre of Amazon rainforest contains more than 70,000 species of insects. Even a single tree of the forest may contain about 50 number of different species of insects. The 100 million year old rainforest is the reason for being most biodiverse on the earth.http://hubpages.com/hub/SOME-IMPORTANT-SPECIES-OF-INSECTS-IN-AMAZON-RAINFORESTS
http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Amazon%20-%20Cithaerias%20phantoma.htm
Friday, April 9, 2010
Memento Mori:No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know
photo by marguerita
Mettā meditation is considered a good way to calm down a distraught mind by people who consider it to be an antidote to anger.
According to them, someone who has cultivated mettā will not be
easily angered and can quickly subdue anger that arises, being more
caring, more loving, and more likely to love unconditionally.
Recent neurological studies have shown that compassion meditation
can increase one's capabilities for empathy by changing activity in
brain areas such as the temporal parietal juncture and the insula, and
increase the subject's ability to understand the mental and emotional
states of others[8] as well as deal more effectively with external
stressors.[9]
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, translated from the Chinese word 禅 Chán to Japanese. This word is in turn derived from the Sanskritdhyāna, which means "meditation" (see Etymology below).
Zen emphasizes experiential prajñā, particularly as realized in the form of meditation, in the attainment of enlightenment.
As such, it de-emphasizes theoretical knowledge in favor of direct, experiential realization through meditation and dharma practice.
The establishment of Zen is traditionally credited to be in China, the Shaolin Temple, by the South Indian Pallava prince-turned-monk Bodhidharma, who came to China to teach a "special transmission outside scriptures"
which "did not stand upon words". The emergence of Zen as a distinct
school of Buddhism was first documented in China in the 7th century AD. It is thought to have developed as an amalgam of various currents in Mahāyāna Buddhist thought—among them the Yogācāra and Mādhyamaka philosophies and the Prajñāpāramitā literature—and of local traditions in China, particularly Taoism and Huáyán Buddhism. From China Zen subsequently spread south to Vietnam, and east to Korea and Japan.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Murder Mystery: Men and Sharks:EAT ME
Humans kill 73 million sharks every year, nearly all for consumption, mainly in shark fin soup. The fins are cut off and the bodies dumped overboard, a barbaric practice known as finning. Commercial fishermen are taking more and more sharks for their meat as well. Nearly a third of shark species in the open oceans are threatened with extinction. Losing these top predators creates a cascading imbalance.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/
collage /drawing by marguerita
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The Dollar: Life guard,Underground and Over & the Sprinkler Systems
drawing collage by marguerita
"all just one big lie"
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels, those heavenly creatures who are assigned to be our protectors from the moment of our birth and throughout life. Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary in each tradition ,other roles include acting as warrior or guard :a legend among Wall Street traders, was arrested on Thursday morning by federal agents and charged with criminal securities fraud stemming from his company’s money management business.“We are alleging a massive fraud — both in terms of scope and duration.
Although not a household name among consumers, Mr. M’s firm has played a significant role in the structure of Wall Street for decades, both in traditional stock trading and in the development of newer electronic networks for trading equities and derivatives......Prominent Trader Accused of Defrauding Clients - NYTimes.com
