Text Transcription
A series of Tweets, each a reply to the previous.
- ABC News @ABC: Scientists have discovered a giant new species of stick insect in Australia, which is over 15 inches long and researchers say may be the heaviest insect in the country. [With a picture of a brown stick insect among some green leaves.]
- mary @theoceanblooms: can I ask a question: how does something like this go undiscovered until now
- soul nate @MNateShyamalan: Entomologist here πββοΈπ€π Great question! It may seem surprising that the scientific community could miss an entire bug species after all this time, especially when it's THIS big. The answer might surprise you more π Let's dive in π𧡠(1/?)
- soul nate @MNateShyamalan: he look like stick (2/2)
How could an animal that has perfected evade our detection?
Truly the noodlest of noodle scratchers.
"what is collective knowledge"
But humans love to pick up sticks. How has nobody picked this guy up by accident?
: gathering kindling:
: grab a good looking stick:
: it suddenly thrashes about and bites you:
: drop it whilst shitting pants:
: tell no one:
I wish there was some kind of "Unitendified species discovered! +5 achievement points" thing in real life. As it is, unless the correct people pick it up, odds are nobody would know or care if it's a known species.
Do you take the time to carefully identify and classify every bug you come across? I don't have the skills for it, nor frankly the enthusiasm to spend time acquiring and applying them, and I'm confident that applies to most people.
They probably have.
But if you came across a random bug, especially a big one like that, wouldnβt you assume other people already knew about it? I would.
I mean sure you might take a pic and send it to a few people, but they would probably also assume itβs known.