Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Have you ever heard of a Yeti Crab?
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Do you know the scientific name for rice?
Voice 1
Do you have questions about plants or animals that you want answered?
Voice 2
Humans share the earth with about one point eight million [1,800,000] different kinds of plants and animals. These kinds of living things, or species, fill the earth. There are almost too many different species to even imagine! If a person wanted to learn about new plants or animals, where would they start looking?
Voice 1
Imagine being able to find information about all of the earth’s many different kinds of plants and animals on one Internet website. Would this even be possible?
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Well, the Smithsonian Institution of the United States thinks that it is! The Institution has started a new project. It is called the Encyclopedia of Life. The idea is to create a website devoted to helping people learn about the many different kinds of plants and animals. This website will have a page for each of the one point eight million [1,800,000] known living species on earth! The Encyclopedia of Life will serve as a teaching tool. It will help scientists, teachers, students, and communities to gain a better understanding of life on this planet.
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It may take up to ten years to complete the Encyclopedia of Life project. But, people should be able to begin searching parts of the website in the year 2008.
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When the project is finished, it will offer more information than any other scientific resource. No other complete record of all the species exists. And the information will be offered to anyone who has an interest in learning more about the planet.
Voice 1
Scientists from around the world will join together to complete this project. Tens of thousands of experts will add their own research. Groups that work with plants and animals will also add information. Some of these groups include the African Wildlife Foundation, the Australian Plant Name Index, Bio-invasion in China, the Budapest Zoo, the Museum of Bacteria, as well as many other groups. The Encyclopedia of Life will truly be a global project. And all of the information included on the website will be confirmed by scientists for correctness.
Voice 2
The creators of the Encyclopedia of Life project hope that people will use the website in many different ways. They hope that teachers will use it to teach their students about nature. They hope that scientists will use it to share and compare information about different species. And they hope that scientists from around the world will work together to make the website grow. The website will unite the scientific community around the world.
Voice 1
And finally, the creators hope that common citizens will use the website. Imagine someone walking through the forest and seeing a plant or an animal that she had never seen before. She could easily search the Encyclopedia of Life website by using the Internet. The Encyclopedia of Life website can act as a field guide for people interested in learning more about the plants and animals in their communities.
Voice 2
So, what is the scientific name for rice?
Voice 1
Well, according to the Encyclopedia of Life, the scientific name for rice is “oryza sativa.” It is the main food for billions of people around the world. Rice fields cover about nine percent [9%] of the earth’s farm land!
Voice 2
Ok, so what exactly is a Yeti crab? Are you as interested as I am?
Voice 1
There is an example page on the Encyclopedia of Life website that describes this animal. It is the newest member of the crab family. These sea animals have a hard shell, and two hand-like claws. Scientists only recently discovered it. It lives deep in the ocean off the coast of Easter Island, Chile. And, from the pictures, it looks like it is covered with hair!
Voice 2
The Encyclopedia of Life will have a whole website page devoted to the Yeti Crab. It will include information about where the Yeti Crab lives. It will provide the history of the crab, what the crab eats, and what eats the crab. There will also be information about any danger to the crabs from people.
Voice 1
The website will offer different ways to learn about different species. There will be films, maps, and detailed pictures included on many of the website pages. And, the website will be offered in many different languages. You could say that there is something for everyone included on the website! Just remember, the Encyclopedia of Life website will not be ready for official searching until 2008.
Voice 2
The Encyclopedia of Life website is an important project. The richness of life on earth will be yours to explore! Websites like this encourage learning. They help make people interested in living things. According to the Encyclopedia of Life, scientists are making the website,
“...so that child and adult can experience that thrill and excitement of learning and exploring every day. The website will provide access to the information necessary to better understand our environment and humanity’s role on this planet.”
Voice 1
The people involved in the Encyclopedia of Life project understand that many of the earth’s resources are starting to disappear. Some species of animals are starting to die out. The same is true for some plant species.
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That is why it is so important for people to learn more about them. The more people know, the more people will want to work to save them in the future. The Encyclopedia of Life website will offer information that will help people make wise decisions about saving and protecting our natural world.
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