| Why Camp Nose Fish? Well, have you ever heard of a fish called the "Elephant Nose Fish?"
The mormyrids, which include the Elephant Nose Fish, produce
a mild electric field about them, like an electric eel,
but a lot less powerful. They stay very still and sense changes in their field. They also use their field to recognized each other and to communicate. They use a whopping 60% of their body's oxygen in their oversized
brains. Their brains are a greater percentage of their
body weight than a human's. They really are remarkable
fish!
What if there were several or many other species on this planet which rivaled our ability to think and sense. Perhaps they only lack hands. Here's something I believe:
They might appreciate Burning Man if they could
perceive it without harm (a fish probably wouldn't enjoy the playa).
Well, the inspiring nose fish is the theme animal for our
camp, and it is only by vague coincidence that our two
projects are a giant nose and a giant truck covered inside
and out with blacklight fish. Honest. Sort of.
Well, it is actually as plausible as the truth, which is
that I created the nose first, then acquired the
fishmobile, and then discovered there was this amazing
family of fish called nose fish.
Google is amazing. I typed in "nose fish" and before
long I discovered mormyid and landed upon this
article on the elephant nose fish and it all
became clear to me: fact has become stranger than fiction,
and regardless of the sequence of event, somehow I'm going
to Burning Man with a Giant Nose, a Giant Fishmobile,
with a bunch of friends collectively called nose fish.
Yes, there will be Nose Fish trading cards. :-)
Here's a page where you can hear an audio translation
of the electric field of an elephant nose fish.
click here to hear
Here is another good link:
Knollenorgan Electroreceptors |