This sort of thing is a good reminder of just how shallow our knowledge of the world often is. There's often this perception that we know so much, but in realit

This sort of thing is a good reminder of just how shallow our knowledge of the world often is. There's often this perception that we know so much, but in reality our ignorance is not just vast but also readily at hand. Bees are the core of a multi-billion dollar industry in the developed world, and yet for decades we knew very little about one of the most important aspects of beekeeping (varoa mites). Also, this is a reminder of the degree to which the modern world is utterly dependent on science and technology and yet at the same time vastly under-invests in critical research. Half a dozen people cracked this mystery. Imagine how much progress we could make if we had better funding for science and research across the board.