This is as huge as the discovery of the neutron was for the atomic model. Wasn't that merely redefining the number of elementary particles from two (electron, proton) to three?
If you actually read the article you'll find out that the properties of the lichen could not be explained by the two known elements alone, that there was some other factor that nobody could describe. The careful work done here uncovered a third element that was the important difference, that there's a three way symbiosis. Now they have a complete model of what's going on after an initial hypothesis put forward 150 years ago.
Considering someone's finally explained how these types of organisms work, and it's a large branch of life, this is a pretty major breakthrough.
Well, saying this is as huge as the discovery of the neutron for the atomic model is stretching it, IMO. Atoms make up everything, understanding how atomic nuclei are made up has paved the road for huge breakthroughs in not just nuclear physics but also in medicine, energy production, materials physics, etc. Lichen, on the other hand, are, well lichen. If we'd been throwing money on lichen research like we have on nuclear physics, we would have known this a century ago.
And that's why you can't trust them. (cue rimshot SFX)
But lichen... You know, now that we have a functional understanding of their biology, I'm quite excited to see what this new knowledge will yield when applied. Pharmacology, materials, food production/processing — "We don't know what we don't know," but having more data helps us to learn what questions we can ask.
I most certainly did not say this wasn't huge. However, to extend your analogy, discovering neutrons doesn't overturn the existence of atoms, nor does it overturn the idea that atoms are made up of smaller components.
Anyhow, thats just my perspective. No offense is intended here. This is solid, important work. I'm just quibbling over the headline.
If you actually read the article you'll find out that the properties of the lichen could not be explained by the two known elements alone, that there was some other factor that nobody could describe. The careful work done here uncovered a third element that was the important difference, that there's a three way symbiosis. Now they have a complete model of what's going on after an initial hypothesis put forward 150 years ago.
Considering someone's finally explained how these types of organisms work, and it's a large branch of life, this is a pretty major breakthrough.