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New Insect Species Purchased On EBay

Posted by samzenpus on from the what-a-bargain dept.

SpuriousLogic writes "A scientist who bought a fossilized insect on the web auction site eBay for £20 has discovered that it belongs to a previously unknown species of aphid. The bug has been named Mindarus harringtoni after the scientist."

50 comments

  1. Alternate Name by Colonel+Korn · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The bug has been named Mindarus harringtoni after the scientist."

    The aphid was almost named Mindarus Goldseller145332 after the seller.

    --
    "I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
  2. How the aphid must feel by macraig · · Score: 4, Funny

    It must suck to be a fossilized aphid. The life of an aphid was already pretty sucky in the first place, but then to get entombed and sold on eBay? Oh the humiliation!

    1. Re:How the aphid must feel by Kenoli · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The life of an aphid was already pretty sucky in the first place

      ba dum ching

    2. Re:How the aphid must feel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      get with times, man!
      it's instantrimshot.com these days

  3. Heh by DurendalMac · · Score: 4, Funny

    Upon further reflection, it has been renamed to Bastardis Sniperi

    1. Re:Heh by Threni · · Score: 1

      Or Fortuitus Publicitus, given eBay's recent decision to rely more on regular sellers of new goods (like Amazon) and less on crooks selling stolen tat.

  4. Previously Unknown Species by corsec67 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Whatever you are looking for
    you can get it on eBay.
    www.eBay.com

    What next, getting an actual perpetual motion engine from eBay?

    --
    If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
    1. Re:Previously Unknown Species by damn_registrars · · Score: 5, Funny

      What next, getting an actual perpetual motion engine from eBay?

      You didn't think it would already be there?

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    2. Re:Previously Unknown Species by corsec67 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That is "something that spins for a long time with no external input of energy", not a perpetual motion engine.

      People have been making that mistake for a long time.

      --
      If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
    3. Re:Previously Unknown Species by docbrody · · Score: 1

      yeah, but i think its implied that almost everyone here is aware of that.

    4. Re:Previously Unknown Species by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Slaves? (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/24/ebay_african_slaves/)

    5. Re:Previously Unknown Species by Lazyrust · · Score: 5, Funny

      Thank god its NIB. I'd hate for someone to use up all the perpetual energy before I got it home.

    6. Re:Previously Unknown Species by corsec67 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I hate it when I get something with dead magnets as well.

      --
      If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
    7. Re:Previously Unknown Species by springbox · · Score: 1

      That doesn't count. It says "perpetual motion" in the title.. Then "near perpetual motion" in the description.. Then it describes it as a toy. Aren't there any nuts trying to sell "real" perpetual motion machines?

    8. Re:Previously Unknown Species by ILuvRamen · · Score: 2, Funny

      no, obviously a jet pack kit that works but the mythbusters killed all my hopes and dreams on that one. You know what'd be fun is if the owner of ebay put ebay on ebay to finally cash out on their business and retire or whatever but that might tear a hole in the universe.

      --
      Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
    9. Re:Previously Unknown Species by Moderatbastard · · Score: 0

      Well thanks for pointing that out, I was just about to go and buy one and hook it up to a generator to power my home!

      [slaps forehead in disbelief - especially at the moderation]

      --
      1/3 of jokes get modded OT. If you get the joke, mod 1 in 3 insightful/interesting/underrated to restore karma balance.
    10. Re:Previously Unknown Species by vux984 · · Score: 1

      You know what'd be fun is if the owner of ebay put ebay on ebay to finally cash out on their business and retire or whatever but that might tear a hole in the universe.

      Never happen. The fees are too high and the last second sniping will keep it from reaching its true market value. Plus being forced to use paypal makes payment awkward.

    11. Re:Previously Unknown Species by Buran · · Score: 1

      The idea to require Paypal for all transactions was cancelled.

      --
      i am a soviet space shuttle
  5. Ebay takes credit for the discovery by whtmarker · · Score: 4, Funny

    If was originally named ebayus aphidopholus, as the species was first discovered on ebay, but was later renamed due to trademark issues.

  6. Wikipedia entry by Psychotria · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is probably the funnier name. I wonder if there is going to be a precedence debate.

  7. Pricey by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    For 20 bucks, he should've been able to name it himself!

    1. Re:Pricey by Psychotria · · Score: 4, Funny

      I am also wondering about the description. Does the ebay auction description qualify as a formal description? If so, the type specimen description is going to be something like: "Very rare amber insect. One of a kind! Polished and made available to astute buyer. Bidding starts at only 15 pounds. Don't miss out out this outstanding specimen. Will look great as a broach. Cash only."

    2. Re:Pricey by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 1

      For 20 bucks

      Sounds like you need to do the currency conversion.

      --
      Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  8. Other Auctions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have a Sasquatch for sale on eBay. No reserve, act now!

  9. I thought it meant a live insect at first by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was thinking,"Sell people new species of insect from the rainforest, and that could help preserve it."

    --
    God spoke to me.
    1. Re:I thought it meant a live insect at first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It could also help kill idiots who buy this stuff. double bonus!

  10. eBug? by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Do all names have to sound latin?

    --
    Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
    1. Re:eBug? by TheLink · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Using latin makes it easier to know when you're talking about the "scientific name", since most people don't use latin for talking about other stuff.

      Then scientists know you're trying to refer to a specific creature/thing.

      It's similar thing for technical terms. Use of mostly "normal english" is good when you're trying to explain stuff to the general public, but it's usually more precise and efficient to use the correct technical terms when speaking with specialists in the field.

      --
    2. Re:eBug? by poptones · · Score: 1

      Huntington Hartford hates pickled herring...

    3. Re:eBug? by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 1

      Using latin makes it easier to know when you're talking about the "scientific name", since most people don't use latin for talking about other stuff.

      They use Latin for praying. Even if you say that science and religion aren't mutually-exclusive, I think you'll agree that they are different enough that people really shouldn't confuse them.

      That, and other fields do have interesting names -- software has adopted pretty much every non-proper noun it could get its hand on, and even some proper ones (Python); Physics has all kinds of weird stuff (Boson) plus all kinds of adjectives (Charmed, Strange); Math has all kinds of weird names used to name theorums, but they're actually used as names, not bastardized to be Latin-sounding.

      --
      Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
    4. Re:eBug? by Buran · · Score: 1

      Yes, but you don't have to avoid "flippant" terms as long as it sounds Latin. There are lots of examples of so-called 'flippant' names out there.

      --
      i am a soviet space shuttle
  11. To answer my own question: by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Do all names have to sound latin?

    Apparently, yes:

    "I had thought it would be rather nice to call it Mindarus ebayi," said Dr Harrington.
    "Unfortunately using flippant names to describe new species is rather frowned upon these days."

    Quantum physicists have all the fun. When properties of subatomic particles can have names like "Charmed" or "Strange", why can't a species have a fun name, too?

    --
    Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
    1. Re:To answer my own question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Check which professions require you to wear a tie and have some level of grooming.

      Biologists? Yes.

      Physicists? No (though if you wear a tie with a 70s style suit and it is in really bad taste, you will probably be forgiven, especially if your beard is unkept).

      Physicists can get away with this type of behavior because people think that you have to be a little nuts to be a physicist. The same applies to mathematics and to a lesser degree for geology. It shouldn't surprise you that physicists can get away with crazy names while many other sciences are required to stick to Latin.

      And in the odd case where a physicist's naming convention is challenged, all the physicist has to do is try to explain it. Half an hour later with a board full of equations, the management type will crawl out of the room in frustration.

    2. Re:To answer my own question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Geneticists have all the fun, think "sonic hedgehog gene"

      B.

    3. Re:To answer my own question: by Sporkus · · Score: 1

      "Unfortunately using flippant names to describe new species is rather frowned upon these days."

      But it's not too frowned upon.

    4. Re:To answer my own question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you kidding me? You clearly do not work with physicists. Granted we don't wear suits often but it's still a PROFESSION where we have to look PROFESSIONAL.

    5. Re:To answer my own question: by Bemopolis · · Score: 1

      Clearly we have not worked with the same physicists. Maybe you meant 'physical therapists'?

      --
      "I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
    6. Re:To answer my own question: by PolishPimpin · · Score: 1

      They have to use latin names because latin is a dead language. Remember languages are dynamic and words do change meaning over a certain amount of time. When you have a dead language like latin it is not used in speech hence words do not change meaning. words like "Charmed" and "Strange" may have a diffrent meaning a century or two from now.

    7. Re:To answer my own question: by Simon+Brooke · · Score: 1

      Are you kidding me? You clearly do not work with physicists. Granted we don't wear suits often but it's still a PROFESSION where we have to look PROFESSIONAL.

      If you're working in a physics lab and the management care more about the state of your wardrobe than about the science you're doing, you're working in the wrong lab. CERN (or Rutherford Appleton) are thataway --->

      --
      I'm old enough to remember when discussions on Slashdot were well informed.
    8. Re:To answer my own question: by Rei · · Score: 1

      Yes, very professional indeed.

      --
      I once listened to a Philip Glass record for an hour and a half before I realized it was skipping.
    9. Re:To answer my own question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, if you're in the genetics field, you can still call things by interesting names. There's a whole slew of "Hedgehog" genes, which determine some of the structural layout of the body. One of the genes is even named "Sonic". Yes, a "Sonic Hedgehog" gene. honestly.

    10. Re:To answer my own question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check which professions require you to wear a tie and have some level of grooming.

      Biologists? Yes.

      Physicists? No (

      Apparently, you don't work with a lot of biologists, either. I do. And not only are we nearly the worst-dressed people at my company (compared to the chemists and the management), but we're also the msot perverted, deviant, and oversexed group, too. When you've got all that going for you, a tie is the last thing you're going to put up with at work. Hell, a shirt with ANY buttons on it is a step up!

      I don't mind having to look professional, when I work with the public or clients. But on a day-to-day basis, I work *comfortable*.

      Note that I work at the world's largest* biotechnology company.

      *Largest defined in some way that changes every day in order to make sure it's still true - could be market cap one day, total income the next, and number of employees the third.

    11. Re:To answer my own question: by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 1

      words like "Charmed" and "Strange" may have a diffrent meaning a century or two from now.

      I'm not sure they could get worse than they are for describing what's actually going on.

      --
      Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  12. "Creationists" hate eBay by game+kid · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...because finding new species requires Paypal.

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  13. riiiight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Species have fun names too. Do you watch the colbert report?

    1. Re:riiiight... by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 1

      Do you watch the colbert report?

      Nope. He has a few good bits, but I thought he was much better on the Daily Show. I find that the best part of both shows is when Stewart calls ahead to Colbert.

      --
      Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  14. Naming rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The title made me assume they were selling the naming rights on Ebay; not a bad way to fund one's research, I think.

  15. What a waste! by slarrg · · Score: 2, Funny

    The headline could have been:

    "New Species of Bug Discovered on eBay"