Illustration: Nikos A. Salingaros. (I've not asked for permission using this image, and it will immediately be removed if I get an objection from the artist)

I saw the above slug-building headlined in Norwegian media this morning, and came to remember Nikos' illustration on splicing slug + house. The result is not much better than in Niko's illustration. Why are we humans so ashamed of being humans that we have to pretend we are snails? Splicing does of course not make us more part of nature than any other stupid modernist idea. If we want to be part of nature we have to act like nature, using Alexander's 15 properties of life to generate human houses for humans.

I'm sorry to see this stupid idea of splicing has become a part of the natural building and permaculture movements. I think I have to write an article for the PRI-Institute of Australia, explaining that to integrate nature in our homes doesn't go through splicing, but through Alexander's 15 properties of life.

Se more examples of splicing: Urban Computations and Genomics (page 33-37), Framing the City Conference, University of Manchester, 8 September 2011.