At a stroke it also demolished a long-held assumption that the process by which cells specialise as they subdivide was irreversible.

The move caused international uproar as it undermined the long-held assumption that cash deposits are safe from indebted governments.

It may also see long-held assumptions about the security and value of private wealth challenged.

In other sectors, including commercial airlines and property, the scramble for survival has made businesses ditch long-held assumptions about their future.

The breakthrough has opened a new frontier for the energy industry and turned long-held assumptions about the world's dwindling supplies on their head.