The Tail Waggle Dance Of Academia

Bees	Academics
Bees explore physical space looking for material resources (nectar, pollen)	Academics explore semiotic space looking for semiotic resources (theories)
When bees construe such a resource, they identify it for their fellows, indicating the value of the resource through their enthusiasm	When academics construe such a resource, they identify it for their fellows, indicating the value of the resource through their enthusiasm
Other bees select which of the resource-finding bees to join up with and subsequently make use of the resource	Other academics select which of the resource-finding academics to join up with and subsequently make use of the resource
The long term success of a specific bee community depends on imitating the bees that identify sufficiently rich resources	The long term success of a specific academic community depends on imitating the academics that identify sufficiently rich resources