Ferrovores

Homo ferrovorus (incertae sedis¹)

—Feral

The Ferrovores

“this time, this place… beyond open circulation closed reciprocity… closed hydration spheres wrought cast smithed… this is what we are, what we eat…”

Iron is the most common metal on earth. It forms much of the molten core of the planet, which in turn generates the magnetic poles. The red soils of the world are rich with oxidised iron. Iron is essential for human life: haemoglobin makes our blood red and transports oxygen around the body. In the societal domain, iron is essential for manufacturing, electricity generation, and much more.

Filmed mostly in the Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia, in the midst of a multi-year drought, the video imagines a damaged future when commentary is generated by legacy computer code drawing on the language of geology, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and metallurgy. The landscape is red with ancient ironstones that overlie the Ediacaran fossil beds, dating back 570 million years and containing some of the oldest known multi-cellular organisms. Amongst them are mysterious organisms exhibiting body plans that no longer exist. Meanwhile, rusted iron artefacts of failed human attempts to master the environment are strewn around, gradually returning to the earth.

Despite the aura of death and decay, many organisms are well-adapted to survive such harsh conditions. Even the bones and dust themselves are replete with thriving micro-organisms. Indeed, certain bacteria can derive energy for life by directly oxidising dissolved iron compounds in the presence of light, accelerating the breakdown of solid iron. More generally, oxidative energy production in all multicellular life depends on intracellular structures (mitochondria) that have evolved from symbiotic bacteria. Furthermore, most creatures, including humans, gain significant nutrients from the metabolic activity of symbiotic and commensal micro-organisms within their gastro-intestinal tracts.

As anthropogenic climate change threatens iron-oxidising bacterial communities, perhaps our descendants, Homo ferrovorus, the Ferrovores, the Iron Eaters, will host their descendants, the Ferrochemotrophs, as mutually beneficial symbionts, living off the rusting remains of a lost civilisation.

“just dry blood, red and blown… as if not yet in our grasp, not yet out of our reach…”

 

Ian Gibbins
Author / Performer / Director
—South Australia

Text of The Ferrovores

.title .basename {set: text=ferrovores; reset @article=the;

           lang1=eng; lang2=univ; lang3=default; style=icaps allbold;

     }

//** The Ferrovores **//

.timecode .timescale .timepoint {set: input1=rand; input2=pos; lib=hum(var(01)*input1); style=quotetext;

     loop @lib @timevar call lib=hum(var(02)*input2(exp arcsin);

     }

//** this time

     this place **//

.core .access {def: chemmode(1)=inorganic; chemmode(2)=organic;

     textcore(1)=ferr(-ic -ous);

     textcore(2)=haem(-crit -globin -lymph -lysis -stat);

     }

//** beyond open circulation closed reciprocity

     closed hydration spheres wrought cast smithed **//

.seekinfo .search(1) .search(2) {def: user(1)=ex(var_x);

     if x=primord dir=formove;

     if x=randreal dir=stay;

     else dir=mod(acc_rate);

     }

//** reanimate sunlight as dayshift weekshift

     on longperiod oscillation on moebius orbit frameshift

     record wavelength overhead unfiltered indigo twin crimson

     unless strangeity or circumflexure or expaquelessness

     unless waterfall downfall crestfall

     record options intermesh intertwine intervene **//

.setvox .setlang=lang(1-3) {call: comment=live reset @vox=live;

     person=1;

     n=z(z>1);

     timecode=t(t>0);

     timepoint=p(p rel);

     run(vox());

     }

//** we hunger thirst elements raw simple unalloyed

     we gather beside we aggregate congregate sound

     our names our attraction call to other to self

     our need to extract transfer to self to energise **//

.setvox {set: reset @vox=live;

     run();

     }

//** magnetite haematite

   ediacara wilpena burra **//

.setvox {set: reset @vox=live;

   run((1));

     }

//** such as ferromagnetic anti-ferromagnetic

   for example we count valency two three six

   for example we count oxygen hydrogen carbon

   for example oxide carbide bicarbonate compounded

   such as this is what we are what we eat **//

.seekinfo .search(1) .search(2) {def: user(2)=ex(var_x);

   if x=primord dir=jumpmove;

   if x=randreal dir=recirc;

   else dir=mod(acc_rate(1)*acc_rate(2));

   if sum(dir)=0 set x=0;

   overwrite=on;

   reset all;

   run @vox=live;

   }

//** away from home heat our seekline to dig

   to grind to dust to devour to take in

   to take further away from metabolic inertia

   our logfiled source material anticipation **//

.nametest .brandtest {set: brandname(1)=randlist(n);

   brandident(1)=tradelist(n);

   filter(fam)=on;

   filter(opt)=suff(-e -iliar -ilarity -ily -ous);

   reset=off;

   }

//** for example general motors ford hatch ute wagon

   grip of jaws wings calls wrung loose of clench

   spin spread flock flocked flocking precipitation **//

.status {set: @codecheck=scan(1);

   errormode=codefix;

   voxmode(1)=formfix;

   reset=iter(reset(1));

   loop=off;

   }

//** no **//

.status {set: @codecheck=scan(2);

   errormode=codefix;

   voxmode(1)=formfix;

   reset=iter(reset(2));

   loop=off;

   }

//** no no **//

.interrupt .sidepane .save {set: source=prime;

  dir=root;

  data(1)=geo(axis(1-3));

  data(2)=temp(axis(4));

  voxmode(2)=resetlib(1);

  voxmode(3)=quote;

  runmode=safe;

  run;

  }

//** as if feeding natural pure extract direct directly into

  abundance extensive unsought riches ex-gangue ex-galena

  as if we no longer buddle leach vann froth smelt blast

  our approach but build coherence at positive equilibrium

  as if our enzymatic catalysis of electromotive potential **//

.endpage .footer .sendform {set: textvar=max; reset @current;

  searchclass=final;

  searchcase=divest(all);

  searchverb=end(1);

  else continue;

  voxmode=mono;

  run @vox=live @end;

  }

//** time just this

  place just this

  fear of rust

  we do and not

  or we eat all

  and none now

  with no air

  clear or blue

  no rare earth

  just dry blood

  red and blown

  on high wind

  as if not yet

  in our grasp

  not yet out

  of our reach **//

.endtitle {set: text=null @end;

  run(vox) @vox=off;

  stopcode=on;

  }

//**  **//

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