@import url("http://www.blogger.com/css/blog_controls.css"); @import url("http://www.blogger.com/dyn-css/authorization.css?blogID=34970069"); var BL_backlinkURL = "http://www.blogger.com/dyn-js/backlink_count.js";var BL_blogId = "34970069"; Monday, November 06, 2006 Biology in Peter Watts' Universe: Vampires, Madonnas and more Commenters to my Vampire and Zombie post have recommended Peter Watts' Blindsight . It's on my "to read" list, but I thought I would point out a couple of interesting blog posts and web sites about Blindsight and the biology of Watts' universe. Because Watts has used his background in biology to construct plausible species in his novels, it's especially fun to read about. Blogger Jeremy Byrne links to Watt's PowerPoint presentation (large swf file) on the creation of cryptogenic vampires by "FizerPharm". It's a humorous version of real pharmaceutical company presentations, including a bullet point list of the restrictions on their funding from "Texans for a Wholesome America", the mandatory fluorescently-stained neuron photos, company slogans on every page ("Flexible ethics for a complex world", "Trust Profit Deniability", "Taming the Nightmares of Yesterday for a Better Tomorrow"), and slides titled "Why eat humans anyway?", "Survival of the least inadequate", "Vampires: Myths and Realities" (Myth: Can't enter a house uninvited, Reality: Can't enter a house with open eyes), "Future Promise: Vampires in the Workplace" and much more. It's very funny if you've ever sat through such a presentation (or, I suspect, even if you haven't). | |
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