Lost world found inside cavern

[kyektulu]

In Jerusalem scientists have discovered a cave 100 meters below ground which has been sealed off for millions of years.
This cave, which has miles of tunnels IS inhabited by previously undiscovered life forms.
Fascinating, it shows how much of our world remains left for us to explore.

Heres the link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13068383/

 

[scalem X]

yet after a nucleair war let's say, maybe those would have been one of the only live mechanisms on the planet. But not anymore now that they're exposed. The knife cuts both ways. We discover new stuff, leaving us less stuff to discover.

 

[mosaix]

yet after a nucleair war let's say, maybe those would have been one of the only live mechanisms on the planet. But not anymore now that they're exposed. The knife cuts both ways. We discover new stuff, leaving us less stuff to discover.

Yeah, those and cockroaches. Apparently they can withstand a radiation dose 100,000 times greater than a human a survive.

 

[j d worthington]

Yeah, those and cockroaches. Apparently they can withstand a radiation dose 100,000 times greater than a human a survive.

And ants. Several species of insect can darn near be at ground zero and "keep on ticking". (Even Lovecraft saw it as likely that the next dominant species would probably be the coleoptera.)

 

[kyektulu]

Scalem, as always, you raise an excellent point.

I have been concerned over this myself, there seems to be no limit to mans curiosity and greed.
Whilst I admit to lovingly digesting all the latest news of new species and plant life it does make me concerned about the cost we are going to put on these life forms.
As they have been discovered scientists will go snooping around down there searching for more 'finds' and explanations on how they have survived for this long untouched.
As a result the impact on these creatures lives will be devastaing to say the least....

I pity them.
​

 

[j d worthington]

Perhaps. Yet I recall that, back in the '80s, they found a cave system in one of the western states here, and found rock formations and a few species they'd never seen before, all extremely delicate. They did a little watching, but then backed off, only keeping very slight contact (laprascope type cameras, etc.) in order to not disrupt the ecosystem. Takes longer to find out what they want to know, but preserves what their studying. Most scientists are concerned about this very thing, and do all they can to take precautions; after all, this is their passion, and they've learned how fragile such things can be. So, on this one, I'd be more hopeful.

 

[brianbraddock]

Say what you will. This sounds pretty heavy to me.

 

[the smiling weirwood]

I liked the topic right next to the article better-"Bets being laid on Harry Potter dead pool" Sounds like a serial killer story, no?

 

[dreamwalker]

Naaman acknowledged the species were likely endangered from oxygen exposure during the discovery process but said he was confident in the scientific importance of the find. He said he believes further exploration will reveal additional new life forms.

Its interesting how theres mention of the likely contamination of these species, either chemical or microbial as we progress to explorer these untouched regions of of te deep..