[SKRIVA] The Guy Who Intevnted Sex

(A thing I just published on an English language sf list, but it may be of interest here too. --AE) 

I'm not sure if this is a proper subject for Trufen. But it is a guy
fundamental for modern science. And sex.
   The last week Sweden celebrated the 300th anniversary (birthday) of the
great Swedish botanist and natural scientist Carl Linnaeus, known in
Sweden as Carl von Linné (after being knighted; lots of Swedish nobility
have "von" names, meaning "of"; he is on our 50 crown notes as "Carl von
Linné").
   Carl L was the guy who systemised species of nature. He invented that
every species should have a first and second name, a family name and then
a specific name, in latin. Eg "homo sapiens", meaning "humanlike" (first),
"sapiens" (second) meaning "sentient". In Linnaeus' times, there were no
skeletons of Homo Neanderthaliensis or so to be found, but he obviouisly
anticipated them in his system. (Some hints in his writings anticipate
people like Darwin, but not very much - Darwin has his own glory,
outshining Carl L even.)
   Carl L wrote a lot of works about his "system naturae" and sent out a
lot of resesearchers (scores of them) all over the world to describe the
species of nature all over the world. His influence is proven by the fact
that one of his disciples, Thunberg, was the first to make an assembled
description of the nature of Japan.
   His Flora Japonica - inspired by Carl L - is even today considered as a
founding piece of Japanese science. The fact is that today's Japanese
emperor Akihtio who is a trained micro-biologist, knew about Linnaeus and
himself requested a visit to Sweden upon this anniversary.
   So be it.
   We the last week therefore had a rare state visit to Sweden by the
Japanese emperor! Japanese media were all over the place. We of course -
as being a monarchy - had decent hosts, in the form of our royal couple,
king Carl XVI Gustaf and queen Silvia. An emperor and a king on the same
red carpet, that's something! A mere "president" can't beat it. (The
Japansese have the only surviving emperor, IFAIK. You Americans made a
wise decision to allow it. Without it you'd lost half a million men to
invade Japan.)
   Much around the anniversary for Carl L was around the university city
Uppsala just north of Stockholm, eg a memorial service in the cathedral (a
very fine one, foundations from the 13th century - beat that, yanks!). It
was a special wish by the Japanese emperor that he wanted to visit the
birth/death-place of Carl L since he studied him in his youth (Flora
Japonica etc). It was indeed a great honour - a foreign statesman having
an interest in a Swedish scientist.
   In New York Times you probably only got a notice on page 17. If that.
There were a lot in the Swedish media about the emperor's visit, and huge
amounts in Japanese press. A 3000 years' old tradition (Japan) visiting a
1000 years' old one (Sweden).
   The influence of Carl Linnaeus has been discussed. The most influential
Linnaeus Society is in London! (Carl's poor widow sold his collections to
them, while the Swedish state didn't recognise their value.) Many of Carl
L's classifications have proven to be irrelevant under modern DNA
research, but his system has survived - just being adjusted. Carl L
invented *the sexual system*, considering living beings as sexual
creatures. Imagine that - he *invented sex*. Wow!
   So we celebrate the guy who 300 years ago invented sex. And I think in
that situation even an emperor should be without clothes...

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