ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to connect B. Latour's portrayal of the pluriverse, in which science, nature and politics connect in fecund new relationships, with contemplation of the much hailed usefulness of barcoding. The boundary between convenient and limited short-circuit use-value, and superficial misrepresentation of nature, is inherently ambiguous, and more generally so across science than only for taxonomy. The chapter shows that the value released from bar-coding is 'on the move'. Taxonomic knowledge is not only 'enterprised up' but 'enterprised out'. Some taxonomists felt that barcoding's orientation towards utility, in effect portrayed taxonomy as a mere 'service industry', not as an independent, research-driven science. J. A. Darling and A. R. Mahon have written an illuminating account of the utility of DNA-based methods to detect aquatic invasive species (AIS). The possibility of confirming AIS detection in hours to days instead of weeks to months allows managers to act quickly, thus minimizing the risk of AIS spread.
