20 Million Year Old Spider Found

evil agent writes "BBC News is reporting that Paleontologist Dr. David Penny has found a spider, and two droplets of blood, perfectly perserved in amber. He was able to extract the blood and determine its age: 20 million years old. Since it is thought to be the first time that spider blood has been found perserved in amber, it is hoped that DNA could be extracted."

Re:blah!

[Gulthek]

The Earth is actually 5,000 years old and was created by the great Flying Spaghetti Monster. But in His infinite wisdom, he created it old.

I.E. He created a world that was millions of years old 5,000 years ago.

Two questions...

[Maxim Kovalenko]

1. Why is there no reference to how they know that the spider is that old?... and 2. Does the writer actually know that spiders have hemolymph instead of blood as us humans would look at it? Sigh...lazy science reporting strikes again.

Re:is it just me

[Anonymous Coward]

That is a genuine policy. Low budge films are being intentionally produced, 30 movies for 20 million USD planned for this year by memory, by the Sci-Fi channel to create new generation of b-grade sci-fi movies.

Re:They think the earth is only 6000 years old!

[Anonymous Coward]

You are wrong.

You are not known as 'young earthers'

You are known as idiots.

I hope that clears everything up.

Re:I'm sorry, but the bible says...

[moz25]

It is silly to make broad statements about people grouped only by not believing what you believe in because they may be a lot more diverse and intricate than what you expect. You cannot understand a person who believes other things if you express their thoughts in what you believe.

There have been over 2500 deities recorded in human history. Maybe you subscribe to the notion of the Christian God, but that means you are in denial of the thousands of others. There is no way you're not going to go to some hell according to some religion's teaching. My guess is that most Christians are not in the least fearful of Allah or Wodan... how much of a mental leap is it then to understand that people cannot be fearful of entities they don't believe exist?

I am not at all terrified by the concept of eternal happy life or absolute justice. What DOES terrify me is the idea that the most intelligent, logical and consistent being in the universe (and beyond) would require me to join a personality cult and accept that the worst sin possible is not rape or murder and so on, but to deny the validity of the religion. Remember that according to Christianity and Islam, even people who are the most loving, caring, law-abiding and humble will be punished, while unpleasant, bigoted and rude people supposedly get great rewards.

It really does seem that some people like yourself cannot grasp (terrified perhaps) that their views are regarded as little more than baseless mysticism and personality reverence.

Re:blah!

[eqisow]

I also went to public school in North Carolina, pretty far out in the country even. I have met one person that I know for sure believes in a "young earth" (though I would bet there are more) and scores upon scores that think evolution is bullshit. It is truely scary.

Odd emphasis in article

[PhotoGuy]

Does it strike anyone else as odd, that the scientist quoted in article mentions the DNA possibility almost in passing, but rambles on proudly, at length, about how he figure out how it died from being hit with "fast moving resin"? (wtf?) Nothing like breaking your leg from being hit by maple syrup.

Re:Worried soul here!

[jafiwam]

Yeah, except the AIDS virus was found in samples of some dudes (again in Africa) from the 1920s.

The best hypothesis so far as it's from bushmeat usage. I.e. killing, butchering and eating monkeys.