[Caesar Soze]

How in the heck do they know this?

Probably by looking at their place in the geologic column, which has been dated radiometrically. Maybe someone with a Nature subscription can give us a better answer?

I mean, how long do things really last?

At least 1.77 million years, I guess.

Why not say 1 freakin’ million years?

Because that would be about 770 thousand years off. A more technical paper would also give a margin of error, but this is only Reuters.

Why not 10 thousand years? I just can’t wrap my brain around this.

Ten thousand years would be even more off. Wrapping one's brain around big numbers is hard--that's how Congress gets away with spending what they do. Few people have a concept of what a million, a billion, a trillion are. Mathematically, one knows they exist, but the implication of the number is often ignored or rejected--perhaps because it's so difficult to picture, it's so far outside the numbers we usually count and experience in some tangible form.

As for the article, this is curious. Neanderthals are theorized to have had larger brains than us but less useful legs, but this erectus or proto-erectus had good legs and a tiny brain.

[Coyoteman]

As for the article, this is curious. Neanderthals are theorized to have had larger brains than us but less useful legs, but this erectus or proto-erectus had good legs and a tiny brain.

Humans and Neanderthals separated something like 400,000+ years ago, and in that time they evolved in slightly different directions. Their brain cases were indeed slightly larger than our own. If I remember the details correctly, their muscles seem to have attached slightly differently, providing stronger arms and legs, but they probably sacrificed speed for that extra power.

[squarebarb]

What they are talking about is homo erectus that was found in Georgia.

Homo sapiens sapiens, our line, came out of Africa about 90,000 BC. Homo sapiens sapiens did not, evidently, descent from homo erectus but we evolved independently in Africa.

The writer of this article is very confused.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Thanks for your answer. Some numbers just too big for me. Others like the credit card bill are too big for my husband. Lol! Something small, like say 14, I can understand. Hey — that’s how many FReepers you are ahead of me!! :)

[muir_redwoods]

"Ten thousand years would be even more off. Wrapping one's brain around big numbers is hard--that's how Congress gets away with spending what they do. Few people have a concept of what a million, a billion, a trillion are. Mathematically, one knows they exist, but the implication of the number is often ignored or rejected--perhaps because it's so difficult to picture, it's so far outside the numbers we usually count and experience in some tangible form."

Here's a useful rubric I learned in High School (Thank you Mr. Gazeau)

1 thousand seconds = a coffee break

1 million seconds = a vacation

1 billion seconds = A career

1 trillion seconds = 310 centuries