New Species and Cave Discovered

"Scientists say they have discovered eight previously unknown species of crustaceans and scorpion-like invertebrates living in an underground cave that has been sealed off for millions of years.

Geologists from Jerusalem's Hebrew university made the discovery at a quarry near Ramla in central Israel. They opened passages to a cave with a lake and a unique ecosystem 100 metres underground. Biologists discovered white crustaceans resembling shrimps and invertebrates looking like scorpions. Also in the cave were bacteria that serve as a food source.

"So far eight species were found in the cave, all of them unknown to science," said biologist Hanan Dimantman. "Every species examined had no eyes, so they lost their sight due to evolution. Apart from the scorpions, all are alive. The scorpions are dead but we are sure live scorpions are to be found under boulders."

Another truly amazing find for science. There is still so much on (and under) the face of Earth that we don't know about. Nasa was extremely important during the cold war and many, many products and inventions have stemmed from NASA. In recent decades, NASA has not been producing nearly the same results as it used to compared to the enourmous funding it recieves.

A new scientific branch with the sole purpose of discovery of our own planet is greatly needed. Will it ever happen? I highly doubt it. A small amount of federal funding reaches our universities, but it pales in comparison to the scope of NASA. Not to pick on NASA, there are many bloated agencies operating within the federal umbrella and its bureaucracy. It's not hard to recognize the possibilities and abilities of discovery from a federally funded research corp versus a professor or two and a handful of students. With scientists and a few corporations already scouring a few nooks and crannies of the globe for new compounds to benefit mankind, one would think a politician or two could see the merit in such an endeavor.