Insight Paper 1

The world is a diverse place, with an estimated 8.7 million species according to a recent census of Hawaii
University. To date, only a total of 1.3 million species have been identified and described. This means
that until now, we have only identified and described 15% of all the organisms that live on Earth and the
rest are still undiscovered and continues to pique our curiosity and imagination. However, due to the
painstaking job of committed scientists in the fields of biology particularly taxonomy, botany, zoology,
and ecology, new species are discovered every year. In 2017, an article entitled “The New Species of
2017” pertaining to newly discovered species of that year was published by the author Jef Akst.
In the article, several newly discovered species was mentioned. Two new species of toads were
discovered in Indonesia. Ten frog species was also discovered, seven from India and and three from the
Peruvian Andes. A new giant rat species was also discovered in the Solomon Islands. In Tanzania, two
new species of mole rats were discovered. In the marine world, an eastern pacific pistol shrimp and a new
group of sponges was discovered. Finally, in the plant world a new species of previously undescribed
parasitic plant was discovered on the Japanese island of Ishigaki. The author of the article said that one of
the joys of discovering new species is naming them, and the scientists who discovered these species often
choose important people in their lives as sources of inspiration. One of the things that I have pinpointed
on the article was the mentioning of two political figures in the contemporary world, a moth species was
named after Donald Trump and a Cuban spider was named after Bernie Sanders. Both of these people
were 2016 presidential candidates in the United States. The concern that I have here is the subtle
glorification of politicians which seems like an endorsement. What I have observed here was the world of
politics having its influence on the scientific community. I understand that the people working under
science are individuals therefore, having subjective preferences, choices, and decisions. What I am
pointing out here is that the scientific community should ideally be free from political leanings and biases.
The scientific community should be objective because science is objective.
Even with the great percentage of the undiscovered species compared to the presently identified and
described. The rate of species becoming endangered is still higher compared to the number newly
discovered every year. According to researchers who discovered the new species of giant in the Solomon
Islands, they took years searching for the species and it is highly endangered by logging and
urgent action is required to prevent its extinction.

As the highest form of life favored by evolution, it is our primary task as a species to protect
these species from imminent extinction. We should be the caretakers of the planet and not its
enemy. If we would not change our ways, after other species went extinct disrupting the balance
established for thousands of years, we will be facing our own extinction next.
Insight no. 3

What Was Lost in the Fire that Destroyed Brazil’s Largest Museum

By: Marcia Triunfol

A museum is a place that gives common people the opportunity to view and understand
the past. The Museum Nacional of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was the fifth largest museum in the
world. It contained more than 20 million items which include dinosaur bones, early human
remains, unique indigenous objects, a vast collection of corals, Egyptian mummies and artefacts,
invertebrate specimens, seashells, and more. With this view in mind, it is sad to know that in
September 2, 2018 the marvelous museum burned down along with its precious artifacts, some
scientists tried to rescue specimens which they could grab and only an annex building was spared
from the fire.

This tragedy is a huge blow to the scientific and historical community in Brazil because
the museum housed irreplaceable cultural and scientific treasures that had a huge role in our
understanding of the past, particularly plant and animal evolution. Some of the species displayed
in the museum that perished during the fire were extinct, depriving new generation the
opportunity to see it personally. Some researchers in Brazil blamed this tragedy on a funding
crisis that has reduced funds given to scientific institutions in the previous years. According to
them, the aging museum was not properly cared for because of the lack of funds essential to the
maintenance and preservation of the building. Hearing this news evokes a feeling of sadness in
me because governments should give great importance to the maintenance and preservation of
national museums. Museums give us the opportunity to look back in our history and cultural
heritage and most importantly to learn from it, without the existence of museums most of us will
be ignorant of the significance of these artifacts for it shows and bridges what we were then and
what we are now as a society and species.

In conclusion, preservation of Museums should not be overlooked because in the end, it

is our loss as a species when these cultural and scientific treasures fade to oblivion.
Insight no. 4

The Turtle That Never Was

Jef akst

Species are grouped based on shared characteristics and distinguished from each other by their
unique characteristic. In 1901, Austrian herpetologist Friedrich Siebenrock inspected three
specimens of freshwater turtle collected by German zoologist August Brauer in the Seychelles
archipelago off the east coast of Africa. Siebenrock placed them in a new taxon and named the
new species P. seychellensis. After its introduction the species was never again observed leading
researchers to assume that it had gone extinct.

However, according to the author of the article new molecular evidence suggested the species
never existed in the first place. This recent discovery and the genetic evidence suggest that P.
seychellensis was not different from the the species P. castaneus, it concludes that the species are
one and the same. This case is interesting because this disproves the common misinterpretation
that science is perfect and absolute. The scientific method may be absolute, however, the people
using and applying it are subject to biases and committing unintentional mistakes. This case also
proves that science is not fixed, it is constantly evolving and changing due to new discoveries,
highlighting the importance of revisiting and reviewing established knowledge and notions.
Similar during the time of Galileo where it was previously believed that the geocentric model of
the solar system was the truth and it was later disproved.

In conclusion, we should appreciate the works of scientists especially because it is the fruit of
their hard labor. However, we should have a skeptical mind regarding questionable knowledge.
Because it is a trait of a critical person and a scientist to always ask the right questions in order to
reach the truth.
Insight No. 5

“Mistaken Identities”