I love it when previously established facts and frontiers are blown out. Today brings two examples, one from science and one from history.

Example 1: We thought we knew what kinds of insects there were. To be specific, 30 orders ~ the last of them identified in 1914.

Wrong.

The tiny wingless creatures probably went unnoticed because they looked like immature stages of other bugs.

Now the sky's the limit. Dr. Erwin, one of the scientists, cautioned against thinking that this 31st order was the end of the story: "As we continue to explore and get back into more and more remote areas, we'll find more."

Example 2: Writing, and human history, had by consensus generally been considered to begin in ancient Sumeria (now Iraq), growing out of commerce accounts kept on clay tablets.

But archeaological research in Egypt is challenging that version of the story. The recent discovery of a stone tablet pictorially narrating the victory of one ruler over another appears to be a clear precursor to hieroglyphics.

As a timely Hollywood bonus, the researchers think it's specifically referring to the King Scorpion, previously believed to be mythical.

5:58:18 PM    please comment []