The Encyclopedia of Life

September 6, 2007 – The New York Times published an interesting editorial today about an ambitious new project announced earlier this year, in which the Smithsonian is taking a leading role.  The goal of the Encyclopedia of Life is nothing short of organizing all basic information on the 1.8 million known species on the planet within 10 years, and making all of this information accessible to everyone on the web.  Scientists predict this project should deliver immediately practical benefits for agriculture, medicine and other uses, “while disease-causing bacteria and viruses may be discovered and controlled before they can cause widespread harm.”

Bravo to our colleagues who are making this important initiative happen!!

1 reply
  1. Heather
    Heather says:

    Hi Affliations,

    Love your new blog. It’s always nice to know what’s going on around the Mall, whether you work in Washington or on the other side of the country. I also heard about the Encyclopedia of Life, an ambitious project for sure. Have you heard when it likely to be “up and running”?

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