Is there a database of the origins of Binomial Latin names for species? [more inside]
posted by melissam on May 26, 2009 - 12 answers

Help me devise an Edward Tufte-approved visual system for tracking my life/health/happiness! Portable, layered, colorful, graph-like but illustrated... [more inside]
posted by soviet sleepover on May 18, 2009 - 5 answers

SEO for a product known by different names in different English-speaking countries? [more inside]
posted by AmbroseChapel on Apr 23, 2009 - 3 answers

Is there such a thing as an "Information Technology Taxonomy?" [more inside]
posted by nyc_consultant on Apr 22, 2009 - 6 answers

I'm looking for examples of rich web interfaces that allow users to explore content based on mood or style, like Getty Images' Moodstream or Musicovery. Not necessarily restricted to audio, video or image sites; examples of 'mood 'explorers' helping users discover any other type of content -be it wall paint, holidays or cocktails- will be equally welcome.
posted by blogenstock on Feb 10, 2009 - 4 answers

We inherited a tiger's head from our dead grandfather, which was hunted around 1940. We'd like to know how much it is likely to cost, and what people think we should do with it; donate it to a museum? to an art college? to an insane asylum? Any suggestions appreciated. Photos are here, here, and here. [more inside]
posted by omnigut on Jan 18, 2009 - 39 answers

Is pizza a sandwich? [more inside]
posted by nonreflectiveobject on Aug 3, 2008 - 68 answers

Is there already a precise term for the rhetorical fallacy/trick described in the following scenario: Guy A and B are arguing. Guy A makes an assertion. Guy B counters the assertion with an argument of his own. Guy A ignores the specifics of Guy B’s argument, and asserts that Guy B’s argument does not genuinely reflect Guy B’s position (i.e., Guy A says that there are certain unstated ‘real’ reasons Guy B holds the particular position he’s arguing for, and Guy A then goes on to expound on those real reasons to Guy B on his behalf). [more inside]
posted by saulgoodman on Apr 18, 2008 - 13 answers

Is there a website that categorizes songs by mood or subject? Searching iTunes for title words and hoping the title then corresponds to the lyrics/mood doesn't always give the best results. [more inside]
posted by melodykramer on Apr 8, 2008 - 5 answers

So I enjoy books that are an elaboration on theoretical taxonomies such as Roget's International Thesaurus (not the dictionary style) and A Pattern Language. What other books or websites might I enjoy in this vein? Taxonomies on birds or plants are interesting, but I'm looking for things that aren't immediately obvious.
posted by bigmusic on Mar 30, 2008 - 17 answers

My fiancee found a bird's foot/claw on the ground. She thinks it's like a bone that can be boiled/bleached to sanitize it and have it as a weird knick-knack. I think it's more like a piece of meat that will rot and bring germs in to the house. Who's right?
posted by proj on Nov 27, 2007 - 14 answers

I need teaching resources about race: the biology of human "races"; why "race" is not biological but social; how racial categories have shifted over time and place; and related questions on teaching about race? This is as a supplement to reading The Mismeasure of Man in a university "Critical Thinking" class. I need more science and verifiable cross-cultural examples to back up my "there are no biological races" claim. [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten on Nov 5, 2007 - 38 answers

How do I organise my college course modules into one cohesive format? [more inside]
posted by ajp on Feb 13, 2007 - 6 answers

Help me with digitizing and organizing my classical music collection! [more inside]
posted by squishy on Oct 30, 2006 - 3 answers

Are the terms ontology, taxonomy, and folksonomy interchangeable? [more inside]
posted by nramsey on Dec 18, 2005 - 17 answers

Does anyone know of a website that provides meanings of scientific names for plants and animals?
posted by dhruva on Nov 9, 2005 - 9 answers

In America (and in Europe, too, I suppose), we use the Linnaean taxonomic system for living things and have certain specific terms (acetate, polymerase, cholinergic, etc.) that are used in chemistry, for example; how does such terminology work in other languages, especially those very dissimilar to English, such as Chinese?
posted by clockzero on Jul 29, 2005 - 6 answers

Much excellent advice can be found in the Green concerning CD to MP3 ripping and storage. My challenge: 60 gigs of MP3s and not sure how to organize them. Bootlegs from the salad days of Napster, high bitrate rips of my jazz collection, some cartoon songs from the 70s, etc. On what basis do people sort their many tunes?
posted by tranquileye on Aug 6, 2004 - 15 answers