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If you think a Coelacanth picture is so easy to get, go take one.

Sure there's already pictures, and video on YouTube. But for the longest time science had never got it's hands on one, they're still fairly "new" as these things go. And they live very far down. This isn't like scooping a fish out of a river or a lake. And there's none in captivity so you can't just take a picture of one; they're endangered now too from overfishing. Stupid as the flesh is pretty much inedible containing waxes, oil and urea at the very least. Things were different half a billion years ago when they evolved (then stopped).

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070730222707AA2bVkB
"Where can I buy a Coelacanth for my aquarium" (you can't)

http://www.dinofish.com/
All things Coelacanth.

"Many expeditions ,often amidst controversy, have sought out the elusive coelacanth, and an extensive bibliography of published papers has emerged."

These new photos are the best ever taken of the fish. They're quite something.

It's not about evidence, it's about conditioning children to accept fairy stories as valid epistemology.

It's all fairy tales, until you catch fairy.

Fossil Record: Prior to 1938 coelacanths were known only from fossils and were thought to have gone extinct approximately 65 million years ago (mya), during the great extinction in which the dinosaurs disappeared. The most recent fossil record dates from about 80 mya but earlier records date back as far as approximately 360 mya. At one time coelacanths were a large group comprising about 90 different valid species that were distributed around the world in both marine and freshwaters. Although Latimeria is a genus distinct from the fossil forms, all coelacanths share numerous features and are easily recognized by their distinctive shape and lobed fins. . . .

The first living coelacanth (seel-a-canth) was discovered in 1938 and bears the scientific name Latimeria chalumnae. The species was described by Professor J.L.B. Smith in 1939 and was named after its discoverer, Miss Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer. Until recent years, living coelacanths were known only from the western Indian Ocean, primarily from the Comoros Islands, but in September 1997 and again in July 1998, coelacanths were captured in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia, nearly 6,000 miles to the east of the Comoros. The Indonesian discovery was made by Mark V. Erdmann, then a doctoral student studying coral reef ecology in Indonesia. Although the Indonesian specimens superficially resemble those in the western Indian Ocean, analyses of DNA from tissue samples removed from one of the Indonesian specimens have revealed significant genetic differentiation from the Indian Ocean population. The authors of two studies have suggested that the two populations have been separated for at least several millions of years. The Indonesian form was described as a new species, Latimeria menadoensis, in April 1999, by L. Pouyard and several Indonesian colleagues. All Latimeria are considered to be endangered and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna - - The Coelacanth: More Living than Fossil

More: The Fish Out of Time, Coelacanth

It is also well established that scientists aren't omniscient, and can disregard direct observations that don't fit with their personal belief or theories.

Enormous waves that sweep the ocean are traditionally called rogue waves, implying that they have a kind of freakish rarity. Over the decades, skeptical oceanographers have doubted their existence and tended to lump them together with sightings of mermaids and sea monsters.

But scientists are now finding that these giants of the sea are far more common and destructive than once imagined, prompting a rush of new studies and research projects. The goals are to better tally them, understand why they form, explore the possibility of forecasts, and learn how to better protect ships, oil platforms and people. -- Rogue Giants at Sea, by WILLIAM J. BROAD, Published: July 11, 2006

A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it. -- Max Planck

Those [scientists] who dislike entertaining contradictory thoughts are unlikely to enrich their science with new ideas. -- Max Planck

Once that's done, the story is changed to suit whatever purpose is required.

You mean like "punctuated equilibrium" and "quantum evolution"?

Or are you referring to the extraordinary results of

If its anything like my fridge, they'll find new life alright! But seriously, I think its funny how many "living fossils" were discovered by accident. Examples: ratfish, coelacanth, wollemi pine, etc.

The Jurassic Period was 206 to 144 Million Years Ago the coelacanth is 400 million years old!

But life is not as random as that. What we know about the formation of organic molecules seems to show that they will form almost every time they are given the chance. Given the right ingredients (some of which we know, some we don't), the right conditions (which we are learning to be varied beyond what we ever imagined), enough energy and time, and organic molecules will form. There is organic matter (not life, certainly, but still organic matter) iin the heads of comets. If organic matter can form there, it must be able to form almost anywhere that doesn't actively destroy it.

... a fish with fins capapble of acting like legs?

If it evolved there from another species, where are the intermediates? If this is much better than the originals, why are the originals still present? If an intermediate was better than the original, the original should be gone by evolutionary theory (survival of the fittest, not survival of the fitter).

It wasn't evolution, it was just hiding from nosy biologists. Sort of like the Coelacanth, which is an index fossil for rock layers 70,000,000 to 400,000,000 years old. Brings up questions, doesn't it.

Reminds me of the Coelacanth.

How about actually finding one living off the coast of Madagascar? Check out the Coelacanth page.

I agree with your point of games vs reality (man, it's been a loooong time since I've heard the phrase "Smear the Queer"!), but I want to correct one thing...

Please don't make the assumption, as so many people often due, that the Occult or interest in the Occult==extreme satanism (and I say extreme here, meaning deep black magick satanism, when it involves worshiping satan, which I get the feeling you mean the Christian idea of satan, or biting the heads off of chickens).

"Satanism" is known (to anyone who has studied the Occult) to encompass many particular religions or religious activities (and has no ties to Wicca, BTW). "Satanism" is like "Christianity", in that just as Christianity has many different belief systems it encompasses, so does Satanism. In fact, if you studied Satanism at all, you would find that many sects are non-violent.

Occultism is the study of the unknown and/or the paranormal. Remember, many of the things Gallileo (sp?) did in his time were viewed as Occult proceedings, and he was viewed with suspicion (and jailed). In the end, his ideas and theories were seen as correct.

The Occult is still studied, and some things which science has said couldn't be possible, that was the realm of the occult, have been proven or unearthed in some manner (such as the "extinct" coelacanth fish, for instance). So please don't continue the confusion that Occult research, information, and teaching equates to an evil practice.

Ugly sucker, too. There's a Coelacanth webpage here.