CNN, not normally an outlet for science news, covers the mysterious story of a brand new bug at London’s Natural History Museum:
The museum has more than 28 million insect species in its collection, but none is an exact match for this insect. Still, Barclay was cautious about calling it a new discovery.
“I don’t expect to find a new species in the gardens of a museum,” he said. “Deep inside a tropical rainforest, yes, but not in central London.”
They’re not sure what it is or how it got there, but there’s a thriving population that survived the winter and is breeding happily on the grounds.
This will go down as one of the greatest practical jokes in history.
A researcher in some far-off country discovers this bug and decided to have a bit of fun. He realizes that the bug would thrive in London. Instead of reporting his find, he takes a suitcase of these bugs back home and releases them in the museum’s back yard.
Brilliant!
If only he took it a step further… what if he secretly documented his find then sold naming rights to a large multinational corporation or crazy billionaire? This insect could be named the ‘Pepsi Beetle: Bug of a New Generation’ for all we know. Once this bug is the talk of the science world, the bug’s name will be announced.
Double Brilliant!
Assuming, of course, the bug isn’t the scourage of London.