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Running Rings Around Matter

BBC Inside Science

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Names of Parasitic Parasites

The ethics code in the international code of zoological nomenclature states that no author should propose a name that, to his or her knowledge or reasonable belief, would be likely to give offense on any grounds. We have birds and plants named after people who are slave traders or defended chattel slavery: scorpions, birds, fish, flowers, trees known by races; les for indigenous groups. And there's even one species of beetle named after adolf hitler, and it's so popular among collectors of nazi memorabilia that it's wild population may even be under threat. The study authors argue that in choosing the names we immortalized in latin, scientists should prioritize names

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