batcloud (13. 437)

Presented—perennially it seems—with another rather baffling online oracle courtesy of Web Curios, we are directed to a tarot reading delivered by a bat colony outside of Tulum in Quintana Roo. There’s of course the wisdom of the masses but it may not be advisable to stake one’s fortunes betting on a geopolitical outcome, now that one can wager on everything, based on the answers of chiroptera since scientists believe that the major share of their chatter is squabbling about what’s for dinner. This project is sponsored by a local museum in the ancient Mayan city as a mutual beneficial interspecies encounter, the installation providing offerings to the bats in the form of food and water in exchange for the chance to consult them with a yes/no question that isn’t really answered with a binary response with the help of AI especially attuned to the conversation of bats as interpreter. For those unable to visit in person, there’s a virtual experience. Reminiscent of the custom of telling the bees, what would you ask the bats?