Search Engine Search

We take in a lot of data every day.  News from the radio, television, newspapers, magazines or the Internet.  Conversations on Twitter, Skype, Facebook, chat rooms and in physical space.  And search engines.

I found wildly conflicting statistics as to the actual numbers, but I think it's clear that Google is the most popular search engine in the world, and in the US it is still far ahead of Yahoo and Bing.  (Although Bing now provides the search results for Yahoo.) 

Google is a very good search engine.  I started using it back in 1998 or 1999 after a friend mentioned it.  The results were useful--or in other words, it was better than the other engines at finding what I was looking for.

But I worry about using a single source of data in all of my searches.  I realize that Google is simply providing me with a list of links or images to click on, but their algorithms are choosing what I pick from.  I spent some time looking at the other engines currently available, not because I'm dissatisfied with Google, but just because I am wary of using a single source.  (To be open about it, I use Google's Blogger tool to make this blog and I use their Gmail service for email.)

So what other choices are out there? There are aggregate type engines like dogpile.com, webcrawler.com (both run by Infospace) and www.duckduckgo.com that pull results from other engines and combine them.  In dogpile's 'About' page they say their studies showed that "88.3% of top search results were unique to one of four major search providers," and that, "only 11.7% were shared by two to four of the major search providers."

However, a look at that study reveals it is dated 2007 and uses results from 2005.  Since companies are constantly working to improve their algorithms, a study from 2007 is not up-to-date.  And when I search Bing, Yahoo and Google, the first page of results often look quite similar. 

There are also still traditional non-aggregate search engines like ask.com, lycos.com and teoma.com.  My buddy Patrick told me about wolframalpha.com, which describes itself as a "computational knowledge engine."  Wolfram is good at answering funny questions and Monty Python references, but for general searches I didn't find it helpful.  There is the Russian made yandex.com, which has a very clean interface.  And gigablast.com mentions right on its search page that its computers are run by 90% wind energy.  Its search button is even labeled "search green."

So there are other options out there beyond the big three of Google, Bing and Yahoo.  If you aren't happy with your search results, or you're like me and worry that too much of your information comes from one source, try a few of these engines out.  (I like to rotate through a half dozen engines, like a baseball team rotates pitchers.)

(I tried a few test searches on most of these engines and read several "About" pages, but I am not claiming this is a complete overview or a scientific test.)

(The pic is from:northx.wordpress.com)

Ships on the tide of history.

As the last space shuttle returned to Earth and that long-running program ended, many news articles addressed America's future in space.  When you read an article about the shuttle, you often see a line about how the shuttle is the most complex machine humanity ever built.  I don't know if this is true, or if it's simply been repeated so many times that it's accepted as true.

But it did bring to mind a theory I have about civilizations and their ships.  Historians measure cultures past and present by many models.  Their political and legal systems and the degree of freedom their citizens enjoy, like the Code of Hammurabi or the voting rights of land owners in ancient Athens.  Or the size of their cities, or the complexity of their economies.  Historians may examine their architecture and monuments, like the pyramids and the Coliseum.  Or even their use of alphabets or the wheel.

I think we can learn a lot about the technological development of any given civilization from their ships.  Now landlocked civilizations may not ever develop anything other than river craft, but cultures that border the sea often take the opportunity to build complex ships capable of fishing, war and trade.

The Phoenicians didn't just write a useful alphabet, they built ships that travelled the Mediterranean Sea to engage in trade with all sorts of other civilizations.  Or consider the Polynesians--they built vessels that could handle the fierce Pacific storms and carry their people incredible distances.  The Greek trireme was a mechanically complicated craft that relied on the coordinated effort of well-trained crews to propel and steer it.

Before the introduction of the steam locomotive, I think you could argue that the European three-masted ships of the line of the 1700s were the most complex machines on Earth.  These ships used a very flexible system of sails for power; a combination of math, astronomy and instruments for navigation; careful storage of water, food, spare sails, ropes, weapons, and lumber to remain self-contained; carried powerful cannons with at least three types of ammunition; used semaphore flags to communicate with other ships; and examined the sea and land around them with the best optics available.

As we retire the space shuttle, we might want to look at the cruise ships and aircraft carriers and submarines the modern world produces.  Aircraft carriers are often described as 'floating cities' because they carry crews of thousands and have their own nuclear power plants.  Enormous cruise ships with sophisticated weather and navigation systems carry passengers in luxury across the world.  And submarines plunge deep into the ocean, remaining underwater for long periods of time.

A look at their ships may reveal the highest technological point that a civilization, past or present, has reached.

(the pic is from: http://russwbeck.wordpress.com/)

New Novel Available

I have a new thriller out today called THE CULTIST.  It's available for the Kindle, the Nook, or any of their various apps for the iPhone, iPad, PC, Blackberry, Droid, etc.

The publishing industry is going through major changes at almost every level, but one thing remains the same.  Writers want readers.  The growth of self publishing plus e-reader technology has made it possible for writers like me to find an audience.  And that's what we really want--the opportunity for people to enjoy our work.

Here's a description of THE CULTIST.  If it sounds interesting, please visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble and download a free sample.  Thanks for your support.

* * *

THE CULTIST

How do you save a lost child no one believes exists?

When young yet jaded hacker Takara Murakami meets 10-year-old Tyler online, she doubts the boy's story of escape from a cult group's mass suicide in the New Mexico wilderness.  The police find no evidence of Tyler's existence and warn Takara it's a hoax, or worse, a trap.

But the death of her younger brother in an earthquake years ago still haunts Takara.  As Tyler's laptop computer dies and he loses communication with the outside world, Takara races from high-tech Tokyo to the rugged Gila National Forest to save him.  However, cult leader Silas also tracks the boy, determined to kill the only surviving witness to his crime.

Who will find Tyler first?

* * *

(The cool cover is by Tony Felty, Jr.)

My Favorite Monkey

I realized the other day that I have not written a single post about monkeys.  Which is shocking, considering how much I like them.  And after all, the blog is titled Chimp With Pencil.  (Yes, chimpanzees are apes, but let's not get too technical.)

So today let's talk about my favorite monkey, the Capuchin.  The Capuchin (Cebus capucinus) is an amazing little New World monkey found in Central and South America.  It gets its name because the dark fur around its head resembles the cowl Franciscan monks wear.  And like the monks, the Capuchin is very smart.  It has the largest brain of the New World monkeys, and opposable thumbs give it human-like hands.

Capuchins live in groups of up to 30 and are active during the day, traveling about 1.5 miles (or 2.5 kilometers) through the forest to find fruit, nuts, insects, frogs and even birds.  These monkeys weigh from 3 to 9 pounds (1.36 - 4.9 kilograms) and have a partially prehensile tail, meaning they have limited control over curling their tail.  Their main threats are loss of habitat, hunting, jaguars and birds of prey. 

On the otherwise informative Rainforest Alliance website their list of threats includes the use of Capuchins as helpers for paralyzed people.  This makes no sense.  Using these monkeys as helpers is not the same as deforestation or hungry jaguars.

Since 1979, the Helping Hands organization has trained Capuchin monkeys to assist paralyzed and mobility-impaired people.  While originally from South America, the monkeys now come from a captive breeding program in Massachusetts.  These monkeys can live with their human partners for many years, and are trained to do everything from flip light switches to turn on a computer.  They provide companionship like a dog, but they can climb and grip things a dog cannot.

So while issues like unsustainable logging in the Amazon jungle may seem far away to many of us, think of the impact this has on these fascinating creatures, and on the people who rely on them for help.

(Animal Portal has a good overview of the Capuchin.  And you can visit the Helping Hands site for pictures and video of monkey helpers.  The pic above is from:  mybt.budgettravel.com.)

Are you a Locavore?

Remember back in school when you learned about carnivores, omnivores and herbivores? As anyone who has ever eaten free samples in a grocery store can tell you, humans are opportunistic omnivores.

So what is a locavore? A locavore is someone who tries to eat foods that were produced in their local area.  I imagine this would include people who hunt and fish near their homes, too.

Why is this interesting and maybe important? Because transporting food makes it more expensive.  According to one article I read, food in the USA travels on average 1,500 miles before reaching the consumer.  All this trucking burns a lot of fuel and adds to our pollution problems. 

However, an area farmer doesn’t drive very far to the local farmers’ market, and their produce will probably be fresher because it ripens on the vine or tree rather than inside a warehouse or truck.  And eating fish fresh from the ocean is so much better tasting than frozen fish.  Buying from area farmers and fishermen helps support your neighbors and often keeps traditional family businesses afloat.

So this weekend try to visit a local farmers’ market or seafood market.  Or think about a few foods you normally buy at a chain store that you could easily buy locally.  You could also ask your local chain store if they buy local produce. 

One other thing to consider is the old DIY (do-it-yourself).  You don’t have to go buy 40 acres and a mule.  Rather, plant something in your backyard that you like to eat.  Whatever you grow will be fresh, pesticide free and will save buying it in the store. 

If you grow too much of one item, trade with a friend or neighbor.  And when winter comes, consider getting your grandmother’s recipes out and jarring your own preserves or jellies.  Or get your hunting or fishing license and get some fresh air, exercise, and something tasty for the grill all at the same time.

Now I’ve made myself hungry.

(Here's an article from PBS, and an Eat Local article.  The pic is of two pepper plants I'm growing.)

What are 3D Printers?

Have you heard people talk about 3D printers and wondered what they are?

A 3D printer is like a paper printer, except that instead of printing on a two dimensional sheet of paper, a 3D printer makes three dimensional objects.  Like an engine part, or a spoon, or a toy dinosaur.

How do 3D printers work? First, you need CAD (computer aided design) software to create a design for your object.  Then the 3D printer uses that design to make the object layer by layer.  If we’re making a toy dinosaur, the printer would start by laying down a thin layer of plastic that will be the bottom of the dinosaur’s feet.  Then it adds a layer, and another, working up the legs and so forth until it reaches the head and finishes your new toy.

Why would you or your business want a 3D printer? From a business standpoint, a 3D printer is all about efficiency.  If your business designs a new object (like a bolt or a part for a car) and you need a prototype, it’s faster to print it than to carve it from wood or form it from clay.  If you think of the car commercials where a designer laboriously carves a new car design from clay, what if you could print a little plastic car and start the wind tunnel tests right then?

Businesses can also use 3D printers for objects that won’t be mass produced because they need to be customized.  An article in Business Insider pointed out that companies making specialized prosthetic limbs could benefit from 3D printing.

An individual who custom makes things in their garage might find a 3D printer very useful.  Going back to our toy dinosaur, you could make several prototypes, hand them to your kids to see which one they like best, then send that model off to a large factory that can make thousands of them.

Like so many other technologies, 3D printing was very expensive at first.  An article in How Stuff Works lists the machines as costing over $250,000.00 USD.  I couldn’t find a date on this article, but now you can buy a small 3D printer for $1,300.00 to $1,500.00 USD.  As costs of the software, the printer and the materials go down, I think you’ll see these printers in more businesses and garages.  Which means more people can create new things and share them with others.

(Here’s the link to a Mythbusters video about 3D printers.  A good article from Explain that Stuff.  The pic is from:  dvice.com)

A Toad, a Suggestion, and Maintenance

1.  In a followup to our previous discussion of cryptozoology, scientists in Borneo have found living Sambas Stream Toads.  According to an Associated Press story, these toads were thought to be extinct since 1924, until Professor Indraneil Das and his team found them in a remote mountain area.  Good job, Professor! 

It's very cool when something we thought was lost is now found.

2.  I periodically make small changes and upgrades to Chimp.  I don't know if readers have noticed, but there is a line of small boxes underneath each post.  These icon boxes represent email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Buzz and a Like button. 

So if you find a story you particularly enjoy, you can share it with friends by clicking whichever box you want at the bottom of the post. 

3.  I'm finally upgrading to Windows 7.  The unopened box has stared at me for two months now, and it's time to take the plunge.  I've heard good things about 7, but have just been too busy to install it.  With the amount of stuff I have to back up and reinstall, it may be a few days before I post a new article on Chimp.  I appreciate your patience.

Apocalypse and the Cockroach Factor

Back in the 1970s and 1980s where there was a real possibility of nuclear war between the USSR and the USA, Hollywood periodically made end-of-the-world type movies.  There were always a few people left over, but not many.  And you figured the Nuclear Winter would finish them in a few years if they didn't kill each other first.

The prospect of an apocalypse fascinates people, although the actual definition of apocalypse (according to Webster's Dictionary) is the Jewish and Christian prophetic writings concerning the triumph of good and the destruction of evil.  Somewhere along the way, our culture changed its definition to an end-of-the-world scenario.

The idea of nuclear war always frightened me, but there are other threats.  Chemical weapons, biological weapons, pandemics, asteroids.  Heck, you can throw in zombies, aliens and vicious artificially intelligent robots if you really want to freak yourself out.  But I remember that even during the scary nuclear times, scientists always said that cockroaches would survive.  They are hardy, numerous, and difficult to eradicate.

I think humans are the same.  Okay, I'm not saying we're like roaches in terms of value, but we are like roaches in that we are hardy, numerous and difficult to eradicate.  In fact, I think we've reached a safety point where there are too many of us spread across the planet to get rid of.

While some countries are racing to develop nuclear weapons, the countries with the most are actually reducing their stockpiles.  If a nuclear war began, millions of people would die, but I'm not sure if a nuclear winter would occur, and if it would wipe out the survivors.  An asteroid could hit, but asteroids have hit the Earth before, and while the dinosaurs may not have fared well, the mammals apparently dealt with it.

Chemical weapons are super lethal in confined spaces, but a lot less controllable in wide open areas with winds and rain.  A biological weapon could be very deadly, but again, their performance probably drops as they are exposed to weather and vast distances.

A pandemic may have the most potential to end us, but just reaching everyone in the world would be difficult, and there are bound to be some who resist the disease.  The Earth has about 7 billion people, and they are spread to every corner.  For instance, Antarctica's population varies between 1,000 in the winter and up to 4,000 in the summer months. 

As of 2010, there were 50,054 ships in the world, including cargo ships, bulk carriers, tankers, container ships and passenger ships.  If even a quarter of these are at sea on any given day, that means there are hundreds of thousands of humans away from cities where a pandemic or asteroid or weapon would do the most damage.  Add in all the people who live in remote areas like deserts, mountains and jungles, and you have a lot of potential survivors. 

Unlike the movies where a few dozen people live, I think that even in the worst disaster we'd have millions (and possibly billions) of survivors.  And while I may not be one of them, it's comforting to think humanity will continue to slog forward long after the zombies have eaten my brain.

(The pic is of a research vessel anchored at Palmer Station, Antarctica.  I found it on the Woods Hole site.)

World of Warcraft versus the Soyuz Spacecraft

Humans like to explore.  I think it's in our nature.  What's over that next mountain? What's across that sea? Many times people explored the Earth for economic or political reasons, but it's hard to deny the idea that people simply like to roam.

As the United States space shuttle makes it last mission before retirement, it may appear that human exploration is coming to an end.  There are still the oceans, which are wide and deep and well worth exploring for a variety of reasons.  But for those that dream of going to space, it will probably remain a dream.  Unless a breakthrough in science enables us to cover the vast distances involved, humans are probably trapped here on Earth.

We can send robotic craft out, but even those move slowly, drifting out to the edge of our solar system and beyond, but without a human presence aboard.  You can be a space tourist, flying on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft up to the International Space Station via a company called Space Adventures.  Their site mentions that only about 500 people have been to space, and all of those flew for specific countries.  The Space Adventures site only lists 7 people who have gone up as tourists, and they don't mention the cost.  One of the tourists, Charles Simonyi, is reported to have paid between $20 and $35 million USD for his trip to space.

Since most of us will not reach space as either tourists or on official duty, I predict humans will begin to look inward.  Consider the popularity of MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games.)  Is the allure of these games purely social? I would argue that while playing with friends is a fine reason to sign up, there is also the factor of exploration.  Even if it's from the safety of their chairs, these players are exploring areas that are new to them.  Much the way a conventional traveler might visit Paris.  The city existed before they arrived, but it is new to them.

Looking at some numbers for a handful of the top MMORPGs, we see that World of Warcraft has 12 million subscribers as of 2011, Aion has 3.4 million in 2010, Final Fantasy has 350,000 in 2010, and Eve Online has 325,000 in 2011.  Compared to the world population, these numbers are small, but the games do offer an outlet of exploration that is safe and inexpensive compared to travel to other countries or into space.      

While I'd love to see a scientific breakthrough that opens up space travel to the general populace, I think that's a long way away at best, and at worst, maybe never.  Maybe the majority of us are stuck here on Earth for our lifetimes and so we need to get along.  And to get our joy of exploration, we will probably look inward, spending hours in sophisticated virtual worlds designed by other humans and someday by artificial intelligences.

Is this ideal? No.  But I think it's our future.  For now.

(The info on Space Adventures came right from their website.  Game Drone has an interesting article by Droniac on MMO numbers.  I drew the subscriber data from an article by Simon Hill at Bright Hub.  And for interesting articles on virtual worlds, try Terra Nova.  The pic is from:  star-trek-ship-schematics.blogspot.com.)

Keep moving, keep living.

Some sharks have to keep swimming to maintain the flow of water through their gills.  (It's true there are sharks who can lie still on the bottom, but not all sharks can do this.)

The point is:  sharks move to live.  And so should we.

Now I like to sit on the couch and watch sports as much as the next guy, but I've learned over the years that not only will exercise lengthen your life, it will improve the way you live it. 

It's easy for people to get discouraged about exercising.  After all, it's work.  And the last thing you want to do after working all day...is more work.  But the benefits are fantastic.  If you have a sport that you love, great, go play that.  But if you're not sure what exercise to choose, a strong case can be made for walking and running.

Walking or running is freedom.  You can walk where you want, when you want.  No worrying about whether the gym is open.  You can go right out your front door.  Some people prefer parks because you don't have to dodge traffic, so that's worth considering depending on where you live.

Walking is self regulated.  When you're tired, stop.  Sit down.  You choose your distance and you set your own pace.  Walking is not expensive.  You really only need a decent pair of shoes.  Comfortable clothes and a bottle of sunscreen are good, too.  Depending on your health and fitness, you can gradually increase your pace until you're running, which opens up new possibilities in terms of distance and speed.

While activities like cycling and swimming are low impact and good for you, walking has an advantage in that it is 'weight bearing.'  It will help maintain your bone density as you age because you are carrying your own body weight, versus a bicycle or water carrying your weight.

Physical fitness isn't the only benefit, either.  The stress release you'll experience can be just as important.  When you walk, you can set aside your problems (and turn off your cell phone) and be inside your own head.  You can clear your thoughts and simply exist in the moment.

From the distant past when early humans were hunters and gatherers, we were made to move across the landscape on our own feet.   To see new things, to feel the breeze in our faces, to sweat, to breath deep.  To live.

So go take a walk.  You'll feel a whole lot better.

(If you need some encouragement, call a friend and agree to meet up for a walk.  Or pick up an issue of Runners' World for inspiration.  Or visit Active.com or one of the many other fitness sites online.  Or read Haruki Murakami's excellent book WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING.)

(The pic is from: dsc.discovery.com)

Let's make something.

Remember back when you were a kid and you made stuff? Depending on what era you're from, you used wood scraps, or Lincoln Logs, or an Erector set, or Legos.  But you made things.  When's the last time you made something?

A hundred years ago, most countries were rural places, where the main occupation was farming.  Farmers with a shortage of money but ample ingenuity often made their own furniture, or their own tools, or whatever they needed around the house. 

But cultures urbanized when people moved to cities, and cheap imported good became common.  Schools stopped teaching shop classes in favor of teaching standardized tests, and soon we had a lot of people who never thought of making anything.

That's changing.

In the United States, I see growing evidence of people returning to the idea that when you need something, you can make it yourself.  I hope it's happening in other countries, too.

It's not just the tough economy, although I think that's a factor.  When money is tight, you don't sell your old car or motorcycle, you fix it and keep it running.  And fixing things is great.  But there is also the joy of making something, whether it's something practical that you need or just something that you want.  Making it yourself means the object is customized to exactly what you want, plus there is the pride of creation.

A few examples of this movement are the Instructables website and the Maker Faire.  Instructables is an online community where people can upload instructions of something they've made and how they made it.  Then others can rate these projects and comment on them, and modify them for their own use.  Categories include Food, Living, Outside, Play, Technology and Workshop.  Big categories break into smaller ones.  For example, the Outside section includes subcategories on Survival, Camping, Knots, Bikes, Water, Snow, etc.  You can make everything from a plush toy for your kids (or yourself) to an inexpensive bicycle lock.  The keys are that people share what they've learned, and you're making something yourself.

Maker Faire is a festival that started in California in 2006, and has since spread to other states.  It celebrates the DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit of invention and creativity.  And it's a format for thousands of people to come together and exchange ideas.  If you've watched the show Mythbusters and marveled at the devices they build, you won't be surprised to see Adam Savage interviewed at one of the Maker Faires.

Every day we all face needs and wants, and find innovative ways to deal with them.  I suspect we all do more making, often in small ways, than we think we do.  But if you haven't picked up a tool in a while and made something, take a look at these sites and others around the Internet...and then go make something.

(The tool pic is from:  http://hand-and-power-tools.com/)

What happened to artificial diamonds?

Back in 2003, I read an article by Joshua Davis in Wired magazine about two companies that were making diamonds.  Not mining for diamonds.  Making diamonds.  Davis pointed out that although scientists as far back as the 1800s tried to make diamonds, it wasn't until the 1950s that there was much success.  And what they produced were diamond chips useful for tools like drill bits, grinders and saws.  The two most popular methods for creating these stones are HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition).

But in 2003, two companies, Gemesis and Apollo Diamond, began making synthetic or artificial diamonds.    

The Wired article addressed the potential for synthetic diamonds in the electronics industry.  Since diamonds can handle a great deal of heat without breaking down, they make a good candidate for the microprocessors in our computers, which are currently made of silicon and run very hot (which is why they have heat sinks and fans).  The barrier was the cost of diamonds, but if a company could crank out artificial ones, why not use them in computers?

The other big potential was in the gemstone industry.  If a company could make diamonds of all different colors for a relatively low price and sell them at a high price, couldn't they put the diamond mines out of business?

So now it's 2011 and where are all the cheap diamond rings? Where are the diamond microprocessors?

Synthetic diamonds have found their way into industries that need a material like diamond that has very impressive properties of hardness and thermal conductivity.  An article from 2008 states that 600 tons of artificial diamonds are made each year for use in tools like high-pressure anvils and lasers. 

But the gemstone market is different.  Diamond industry giant De Beers saw the threat to their business years ago, and took measures to deal with it.  De Beers Gem Defense Program distributed sophisticated machines called DiamondSure and DiamondView to gem labs so they could distinguish artificial diamonds from nature-made stones.

Marketing campaigns by the diamond mining industry worked to convince buyers that a natural diamond is somehow better or more sincere than an artificial diamond.  And although diamonds remain expensive, there are apparently plenty of natural diamonds available for use in jewelry (a 2009 article states 100 million diamonds are mined each year.)

In 2001, the US Federal Trade Commission said it was deceptive to label a man-made diamond a diamond.  But physically and chemically, a synthetic diamond is the same as a natural diamond.  So while synthetic diamonds have found success in the industrial world, clever marketing and politics have kept them from dominating the gem trade.

If you think about the countries that diamonds come from, which are often poor and corrupt, and how mining affects the environment, choosing a synthetic diamond made in a lab appears to be a better choice for both people and the planet.

(Here is the original Wired article, a Wikipedia entry, an article in New Scientist, and an interview from Nova.  The pic is from:  www.reviveskinlaser.com)

(If this article helped you, please consider helping me by buying one of my novels.  Thanks!)

Cryptozoology, or "Excuse me, is that a Yeti?"

The other night I was reading Scott Westerfeld's novel LEVIATHAN (fun book, by the way) and I saw the word 'thylacine.'  The word was familiar, but the tiny librarian in my brain isn't always quick to retrieve these things.  Fortunately, the book is illustrated by the skilled Keith Thompson, so when I saw a picture of a dog-like critter with stripes on its flanks, I thought, "Aha, the sadly extinct Tasmanian Wolf."  The last captive thylacine died in the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania in 1936.  (Please see video above.)

Which brings us to cryptozoology, which can be the search for animals thought to be extinct (like the thylacine), or the quest to prove the existence of animals thought to be myths (like the yeti).  Cryptozoology may also include cases of existing animals that live far outside their normal range.

While public attention may delight in accounts of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, I think the real area of growth for cryptozoology lies with insects and the oceans.  Three solid examples of this are the coelacanth, the giant squid and the colossal squid.

For centuries fishermen and sailors have told stories about huge squid, but it wasn't until 2004 that Japanese researchers photographed a giant squid in the ocean.  Giant squid can grow up to 43 feet (or 13 meters) long.  For fun, pace that distance off to get an idea of just how big that is.

Based on the examination of specimens, the colossal squid may grow even longer than the giant squid, plus it has a thicker, heavier body.  It also wields sharp hooks on its arms, and has enormous eyes.  These squid can dive to 2200 meters, and their beaks are often found in the stomachs of adult sperm whales.  These same whales often have scars from the squid's hooks.  Suddenly those old drawings of whales fighting squids have a lot more validity.

The coelacanth is a 6 foot long (2 meter), heavily scaled fish well known to scientists from fossil records.  This fish existed in the time of the dinosaurs and everyone thought it was extinct--until fishermen caught one in 1938 off the coast of Africa.  So the coelacanth is an example of a creature thought to be extinct that still exists, and the giant squid is a creature thought to be a myth that actually does exist.

I believe the ocean still contains many secrets, and cryptozoologists can also find plenty of new discoveries in the insect kingdom.  The thylacine is probably gone, but who knows what else is out there?

(I pasted the links into the story this time, but thanks to National Geographic, YouTube, Wikipedia and Newsweek.)