The Jurassic Mix-Up

The word "dinosaur" can trigger many emotions. Some shudder in disgust at the beasts that maintain the reputation of ferocious savages. Some might remember the magnetic books that author Michael Crichton penned and director Steven Spielberg recreated on the golden screen. And some, like myself, may be completely fascinated by the mysterious creatures that once roamed our planet. And recent findings prove that these creatures might be even more mysterious than we can fathom.

A June 21 article published in the Journal of Zoology asserts that a formula created 25 years ago to calculate dinosaur mass is terribly inaccurate. The paper states that dinosaurs, which have always been thought of as massive beasts, were much smaller than originally presumed. In fact, in some cases they were actually half of the size they were initially thought to be. After reworking the formula, scientists have already begun to recalculate the masses of dinosaurs. For example, the Brachiosaurus, once thought to have been 35 tons, was actually 18 tons.

This discovery must be shocking, overwhelming, and in some ways unsettling for the scientists who have dedicated their lives to uncovering the secrets of dinosaurs. Imagine fully trusting and believing in something with 100 percent confidence, only to learn that it is totally untrue. At the same time, however, I can't help but hope that this new discovery is exciting for the scientists. It certainly is a bump in the road, but perhaps it will open new doors to learning more about dinosaurs. How is that not exciting?

This is once again a humble reminder that there is still so much for us to learn. Our short time on this earth has granted us time enough to make discoveries, to form hypotheses, and to explore nature. But the job is very unfinished. In fact, I don't think it ever will be finished. There are still new species waiting to be found and new lands awaiting our exploration. It has always amazed me that mankind acts like it knows so much, when in reality it knows so little.