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Now, a web-based encyclopaedia of life

Washington: The concept of a comprehensive encyclopaedia of life on the Internet has been proved too popular. Its computers were overwhelmed and could not keep it alive when it debuted.

The encyclopaedia (at www.eol.org), which eventually will have more than a million pages devoted to different species of life on earth, quickly crashed on Tuesday, the first day of a public unveiling.

Scientists at the Encyclopaedia of Life sought help from experts at Wikipedia to keep their fledgling website going despite massive and anticipated interest. The site went back up on Tuesday afternoon, but with expectations of more problems, although only temporary ones.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by traffic,” encyclopaedia founding chairman Jesse Ausubel said. “We’re thrilled.”

The encyclopaedia’s website logged 11.5 million hits over five hours, according to organisers.

The unveiling included limited Web pages for 30,000 species. There also are “exemplar pages” that go into more depth with photos, video, scientific references, maps and text of 25 species ranging from the common potato to the majestic peregrine falcon to a relatively newly discovered obscure marine single celled organism called Cafeteria roenbergensis.

Eventually, planners hope to have all 1.8 million species on the Web.

The most popular of the species for Web searches is the poisonous death cap mushroom, which may say something about people’s homicidal intentions, joked Mr. Ausubel.

All the pages have been made by scientists, but in a few months the encyclopaedia will start taking submissions from the public, as Wikipedia does.

The encyclopaedia may aid understanding of issues from human ageing to disease, scientists said. The free service aims to eventually list all 1.8 million known species of life in a $100 million, 10-year project begun in 2007.

The first draft, with 25 fully completed entries including text, pictures and video, was launched at a conference in Monterey, California. A further 30,000 have less detailed information.

“Our major message to the world is ‘Here’s our first attempt at putting together this encyclopaedia, please give us our feedback, your criticisms, your comments’,” James Edwards, executive director of the project, said.

Edward Wilson, a Harvard biologist whose call for a portrait of life in a 2003 speech helped spur creation of the encyclopaedia, said: “This thing is taking off like a big booster rocket. ... It is already galvanising research.”

The encyclopaedia has been dubbed a “macroscope” — helping to identify big patterns often overseen by scientists working in narrow fields. — Agencies

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