Thomas Levy (ergonomytch) says:
Hey, I partially called it!
Hmm, the name Gavotte makes sense now, bees communicate by dancing, doing a little waggle dance to indicate direction and distance.
Martha Mintz (muffinthamighty) says: But when she vocalizes, is it every bee talking? How does that work?!
Dave Van Domelen (dvandom) says: AUGH THE BEES!
Terry Smith (tjlsmith) says:
WOOT! I was right!
However, the sentient peanut would have been – different…
So It Begins (soitbegins) says:
I guess I was right, more or less.
Side note: Anyone remember ‘A Hat Full of Sky’?
Ed Gedeon (eddurd) says:
Yes, I remember “A Hat Full Of Sky”; I’m re-reading “Wintersmith” right now. For those of you who haven’t read Terry Pratchett’s work … well, your lives are sad and incomplete.
I suppose that, since the group already has a member named “Sweetheart”, they couldn’t call the leader “Honey”.
David Harmon (mental_mouse) says:
SIB and Ed: Yeah, Hat Full Of Sky is cool, but sentient beehives are certainly older than that!
Martha: Think about all those vibrating, buzzing wings… then consider an intelligence capable of coordinating all of those vibrations, combining and modulating them — “easy enough” to form a voice there…. (Note that we’re back to “animal spirits” again….)
David Harmon (mental_mouse) says: PS: “Her real name can’t be performed by anone with less than 20 bodies…” And in what conversational circles might that “real” name actually be used? Just how many other hive-minds are there for her to chat with?
Tiff Hudson (tiff_hudson) says: Well, there’s Douglas Hofstadter’s Aunt Hillary.
Eric Burns (ericburns) says: Moustachio and Gavotte
sat in the western atrium,
though perhaps ‘sat’ is strong
for Moustachio lacks legs.
The lady once remarked upon
his lack as they enjoyed their tea.
“Nonsense,” he replied
with customary brassy cheer–
“Your surplus more than balances
any absences most singular.”
He reclined then,
hissing tea scented steam
and the lady delicately settled–
a dozen bees or more alighting
upon brass epaulets and fixtures.
She must be careful–
so many Thinkoium bits are hot,
and apis andreniformis
can burn so easily.
Moustachio, it seemed,
could sting Gavotte,
and not the other way around.
But both remained unstung,
and as they were wont to do
they spoke of the price of corn,
the decline of manners,
and public figures economic
and celebrated.
Which is to say
they enjoyed their tea,
for some value of enjoyed,
and some value of tea.
Jeffrey Channing Wells (channing) says: Eric, could you please try and be a little less awesome in the future? My pride thanks you in advance.
Andrew Perron (ununnilium) says:
“And in what conversational circles might that “real” name actually be used? Just how many other hive-minds are there for her to chat with?”
Now I’m imagining the entire cast of A Miracle of Science doing a sort of Suzumiya Haruhi-ish dance.
Ed Gedeon (eddurd) says:
Eric — most excellent. I must now go and put on a hat, solely that I might take it off to you.
Aaron Shades (prof_tinker) says:
When I was little, I used to be able to pet bumblebees. But then I made the mistake of trying to catch one, and it stung me.
I feel Tips pain.
Rachel (admiralshazbot) says:
I’m bringin’ home a baby bumblebee,
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
Thomas Levy (ergonomytch) says: You know, Scraps the Patchwork Girl’s travelling companion, the Woozy, eats honey bees.
Re: A Hat Full of Sky; haven’t read that one yet, but I seem to recall that the notion of bees having a, well HIVE-mind was already there in Lords and Ladies, because Granny Weatherwax Borrowed the whole hive.
Thomas Levy (ergonomytch) says:
Hey, I partially called it!
Hmm, the name Gavotte makes sense now, bees communicate by dancing, doing a little waggle dance to indicate direction and distance.
Martha Mintz (muffinthamighty) says: But when she vocalizes, is it every bee talking? How does that work?!
Dave Van Domelen (dvandom) says: AUGH THE BEES!
Terry Smith (tjlsmith) says:
WOOT! I was right!
However, the sentient peanut would have been – different…
So It Begins (soitbegins) says:
I guess I was right, more or less.
Side note: Anyone remember ‘A Hat Full of Sky’?
Ed Gedeon (eddurd) says:
Yes, I remember “A Hat Full Of Sky”; I’m re-reading “Wintersmith” right now. For those of you who haven’t read Terry Pratchett’s work … well, your lives are sad and incomplete.
I suppose that, since the group already has a member named “Sweetheart”, they couldn’t call the leader “Honey”.
David Harmon (mental_mouse) says:
SIB and Ed: Yeah, Hat Full Of Sky is cool, but sentient beehives are certainly older than that!
Martha: Think about all those vibrating, buzzing wings… then consider an intelligence capable of coordinating all of those vibrations, combining and modulating them — “easy enough” to form a voice there…. (Note that we’re back to “animal spirits” again….)
David Harmon (mental_mouse) says: PS: “Her real name can’t be performed by anone with less than 20 bodies…” And in what conversational circles might that “real” name actually be used? Just how many other hive-minds are there for her to chat with?
Tiff Hudson (tiff_hudson) says: Well, there’s Douglas Hofstadter’s Aunt Hillary.
Eric Burns (ericburns) says: Moustachio and Gavotte
sat in the western atrium,
though perhaps ‘sat’ is strong
for Moustachio lacks legs.
The lady once remarked upon
his lack as they enjoyed their tea.
“Nonsense,” he replied
with customary brassy cheer–
“Your surplus more than balances
any absences most singular.”
He reclined then,
hissing tea scented steam
and the lady delicately settled–
a dozen bees or more alighting
upon brass epaulets and fixtures.
She must be careful–
so many Thinkoium bits are hot,
and apis andreniformis
can burn so easily.
Moustachio, it seemed,
could sting Gavotte,
and not the other way around.
But both remained unstung,
and as they were wont to do
they spoke of the price of corn,
the decline of manners,
and public figures economic
and celebrated.
Which is to say
they enjoyed their tea,
for some value of enjoyed,
and some value of tea.
Jeffrey Channing Wells (channing) says: Eric, could you please try and be a little less awesome in the future? My pride thanks you in advance.
Andrew Perron (ununnilium) says:
“And in what conversational circles might that “real” name actually be used? Just how many other hive-minds are there for her to chat with?”
Now I’m imagining the entire cast of A Miracle of Science doing a sort of Suzumiya Haruhi-ish dance.
Ed Gedeon (eddurd) says:
Eric — most excellent. I must now go and put on a hat, solely that I might take it off to you.
Aaron Shades (prof_tinker) says:
When I was little, I used to be able to pet bumblebees. But then I made the mistake of trying to catch one, and it stung me.
I feel Tips pain.
Rachel (admiralshazbot) says:
I’m bringin’ home a baby bumblebee,
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
Thomas Levy (ergonomytch) says: You know, Scraps the Patchwork Girl’s travelling companion, the Woozy, eats honey bees.
Re: A Hat Full of Sky; haven’t read that one yet, but I seem to recall that the notion of bees having a, well HIVE-mind was already there in Lords and Ladies, because Granny Weatherwax Borrowed the whole hive.
Two claws up for Eric’s ode to M & G. Well-wrought, wordsmith.