The first article I read was “North American Birds Will No Longer Be Named for Racists — or Anybody Else” by Margaret Renkl. The American Ornithological Society declared on November 1st that all of the birds under its control that are now named after people would have their names changed. The new names for the birds will correspond to the characteristics of the species, such as their look or habitat or anything connected to the real bird and not to the colonial explorer who made the initial identification. The article goes on to talk about how many of us find it offensive that some of the most beautiful birds in North America go by such hideous names; it’s like a Confederate monument placed in a town square or a university building bearing the name of a robber baron—a remnant of the past that is still ingrained in the present. These monuments indeed remind us of history, which we should never forget. However, it also shouldn’t be widely observed, particularly because prejudices and injustices from the past are still all too frequently visible in our day.
The second piece I read was from The New Yorker by Kathryn Schulz. Linnaeus was a botanist in the 1700’s. Although I was confused reading some of the piece, the biography part is where I learned the most about who he was. He made a huge contribution to the science world when he published “Species Plantarum” and “Systema Naturae”. He organized nature and categorized plants. He had useful methods including stamens and pistils that were convenient for scientists.