February 27, 2007: Psychedelic octopus

Undertoad · 02-27-2007, 08:31 AM

You haven't seen this beast before -- it's new, or at least, new to us.

LiveScience has the full story and several other images. To sum up:

The Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica is breaking up, a result of global warming. Two years ago, a sector of it the size of Rhode Island collapsed. Ocean that had been covered with ice 220 metres thick, for 12000 years... was suddenly open sea.

This gave researchers the chance to investigate a huge area of the earth that they couldn't really look at before. First, they found crabs attached to methane gas vents... something you figure I must have made up, but no, there they are.

See, even if it's mind-boggling, nobody is going to drill through 220M of ice just to study methane-eating clams.

But now, without all that ice to contend with, they've found 1000 species there, 30 of which are previously unknown to us. This freaky octopus is one of the new creatures.

They figure most of the species had been there all along, with a few beasts moving in to take advantage of the new conditions.

Suggested by Jacquelita

Sheldonrs · 02-27-2007, 08:37 AM

I guess this will at least give us a more complete list of all the animals we will be killing off thanks to global warming.

Shawnee123 · 02-27-2007, 08:40 AM

I waited too long to be punny on the last few IOtDs...I won't make that mistake again.

This octopus has the right to bear arms. He's blind, and his octomologist has been unable to help, except to prescribe some medicinal coral reefer to help ease the pain. But don't let his disabilities fool you, he's a genus, that Octopus.

Aw crap, forget it...Sheldon? Help me out!

Sheldonrs · 02-27-2007, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Aw crap, forget it...Sheldon? Help me out!

I would but psychiatry is not my forte. hehehe

Shawnee123 · 02-27-2007, 09:01 AM

Aw man, ya hurt me, Shel...after all those nice things I said about you.

Sheldonrs · 02-27-2007, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Aw man, ya hurt me, Shel...after all those nice things I said about you.

I'm Jewish and I grew up in NJ. I'm immune to guilt. :-D

Shawnee123 · 02-27-2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

I'm Jewish and I grew up in NJ. I'm immune to guilt. :-D

I was raised Catholic...chock full of guilt with a smidgen of alcohol.

Welcome to the Cellar Snapple!

Snapple · 02-27-2007, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Welcome to the Cellar Snapple!

thank you. long time lurker. first time poster. on here anyway. cheers!

xoxoxoBruce · 02-27-2007, 09:04 PM

Hold on....who says these critters, Octopus, Sea Squirts, Crustacean, cucumbers, clams, are dieing? Maybe they were intelligently designed to be unleashed on the world, to replace the dieing critters, when the ice shelf melts. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Trilby · 02-27-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

I'm Jewish and I grew up in NJ.

Really? It's very possible I'm in love with you then.

Sheldonrs · 02-27-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brianna

Really? It's very possible I'm in love with you then.

Marry me! It's difficult to find a woman who can love a gay man unless her name is Liza. :-)

todd_brannigan · 02-27-2007, 10:42 AM

Looks like a Protoss, no?

Maybe I'm just a StarCraft geek.

Trilby · 02-27-2007, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheldonrs

Marry me! It's difficult to find a woman who can love a gay man unless her name is Liza. :-)

You foolishly think that this bit of info dissuades me. Not so. It only makes my resolve that much stronger!

If you ever need a 'cover story' (as I'm sure you already know, not everyone is enlightened) you can use me! I'll be your adoring cyber-wife!

Now... what would you like for dinner? Adorable mini-bruschetta pizza's? Thai chicken sticks? um....you ARE cooking, right? coz nothing is free, ya know.

I will be your cyberwife in exchange for cybermeals--kewl?

Snapple · 02-27-2007, 09:19 AM

I'm with Sheldonrs. Sad and troubling that it took the destruction of something in order for us to discover something new that might just die because we discovered it.

barefoot serpent · 02-27-2007, 09:39 AM

lash it down with some seaweed on a lump of sticky rice and sell it for large amounts of Yen in Tokyo.

02-27-2007, 08:31 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	February 27, 2007: Psychedelic octopus You haven't seen this beast before -- it's new, or at least, new to us. LiveScience has the full story and several other images. To sum up: The Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica is breaking up, a result of global warming. Two years ago, a sector of it the size of Rhode Island collapsed. Ocean that had been covered with ice 220 metres thick, for 12000 years... was suddenly open sea. This gave researchers the chance to investigate a huge area of the earth that they couldn't really look at before. First, they found crabs attached to methane gas vents... something you figure I must have made up, but no, there they are. See, even if it's mind-boggling, nobody is going to drill through 220M of ice just to study methane-eating clams. But now, without all that ice to contend with, they've found 1000 species there, 30 of which are previously unknown to us. This freaky octopus is one of the new creatures. They figure most of the species had been there all along, with a few beasts moving in to take advantage of the new conditions. Suggested by Jacquelita

02-27-2007, 08:37 AM	#2
Sheldonrs Master Dwellar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,412	I guess this will at least give us a more complete list of all the animals we will be killing off thanks to global warming. __________________ Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and the world laughs AT you.

02-27-2007, 08:40 AM	#3
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I waited too long to be punny on the last few IOtDs...I won't make that mistake again. This octopus has the right to bear arms. He's blind, and his octomologist has been unable to help, except to prescribe some medicinal coral reefer to help ease the pain. But don't let his disabilities fool you, he's a genus, that Octopus. Aw crap, forget it...Sheldon? Help me out! __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

02-27-2007, 09:01 AM	#5
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Aw man, ya hurt me, Shel...after all those nice things I said about you. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

02-27-2007, 09:04 PM	#9
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Hold on....who says these critters, Octopus, Sea Squirts, Crustacean, cucumbers, clams, are dieing? Maybe they were intelligently designed to be unleashed on the world, to replace the dieing critters, when the ice shelf melts. The Lord works in mysterious ways. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-27-2007, 10:42 AM	#12
todd_brannigan Fellow-Commoner Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: East TN Posts: 10	Looks like a Protoss, no? Maybe I'm just a StarCraft geek.

02-27-2007, 09:19 AM	#14
Snapple Sibling of the Commonweal Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: in the t dot oh dot Posts: 16	I'm with Sheldonrs. Sad and troubling that it took the destruction of something in order for us to discover something new that might just die because we discovered it.

02-27-2007, 09:39 AM	#15
barefoot serpent go ahead, abbrev. it Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 2,623	lash it down with some seaweed on a lump of sticky rice and sell it for large amounts of Yen in Tokyo. __________________ Chooses rowing vs. wading

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