What We DON'T Know

Quite frequently when I read science textbooks I'm struck by what an incredible volume of knowledge we have accumulated about a wide array of topics.

But, almost as frequently, I'm struck by how much we DON'T know. (And also by how much we think we know, but then find out we were wrong about.)

Right now I'm reading pretty general information about bones-- such as how to classify bones by shape (which is more touchy-feely than classifying them by location)-- and I come across this statement:

"The exact constitution of the crystal lattice is still under study, [...]"

And it is just incredible to me that we know so many things about the bones, and their structure and their function and their histology, but we're missing something so fundamental as the constitution of the crystal lattice.



(Also, apparently, if you soak a dog fibula in hydrochloric acid for a day, you can then tie it in a knot.)