Freethought & Rationalism Archive

buddhagrrl · 06-16-2002, 08:46 AM

I just read <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/06/13/bloop/index.html" target="_blank">this story</a> about an unidentified deep-sea sound that is likely biological in nature. So, you science types, what's the possibility that this could be some sort of giant sea monster?

Abacus · 06-16-2002, 09:33 AM

Bah! Deep-sea monster my ass! I bet it's just whales farting.

LeftCoast · 06-16-2002, 10:59 AM

Nahh, It's probably a US Navy Sonar. I know for a fact that the USN has experemented for years with very low frequency active sonars.

Doesn't mean this is, but there are a lot of possibilities to examine before one starts to speculate about unknown sea-monsters.

buddhagrrl · 06-16-2002, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LeftCoast:
<strong>Nahh, It's probably a US Navy Sonar. I know for a fact that the USN has experemented for years with very low frequency active sonars.

Doesn't mean this is, but there are a lot of possibilities to examine before one starts to speculate about unknown sea-monsters.</strong>

Not to be rude or anything, but did you actually *read* the article? My impression is that the Navy's equipment is what has picked it up and that the general impression is that the source of the sound is organic:

Quote:

Nevertheless [Boston University marine biologist Phil Lobel] agrees that the sound is most likely to be biological in origin.

The system picking up Bloop and other strange noises from the deep is a military relic of the Cold War.

In the 1960s the U.S. Navy set up an array of underwater microphones, or hydrophones, around the globe to track Soviet submarines.

My first thought is that the Navy would probably be aware of the existence of their own low-frequency experimentations and could eliminate that possibility, along with the whale, ship, and earthquake noises mentioned in the article. Then again, it could be a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

Nevertheless, that's not really what I was asking.

Perhaps I should clarify my original question. I'm a lit person and don't know much about science. This whole story piqued my curiosity because I am unsure of the possibility of the existence of mysterious giant sea creatures lurking in the ocean. What I wanted to know was if anyone here knew anything more about this possibility.

Abacus · 06-16-2002, 12:38 PM

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if there living things living on the bottom of the ocean that humans have no knowledge of. I'd be real surprised if there wasn't a whole zoo of living beings down there which have never been studied or classified.

But then again, it may not be from living things at all. It could be some other phenomenon.

Autonemesis · 06-16-2002, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by buddhagrrl:
<strong>I'm a lit person and don't know much about science.</strong>

I'm lit too. Let's have a party.

ishalon · 06-16-2002, 05:11 PM

Loch Ness.

Corwin · 06-17-2002, 11:39 AM

Most likely? I'd say it's very likely that they're right and it's a giant squid, possibly a very large one. Since they have no skeleton, the upper limit on their size is pretty high... (we aren't sure what it is...) and as far as the source of the sound is concerned, that seems pretty simple. Spook a regular squid, octopus or cuttlefish sometime. What happens? *POOF* it's gone. Most octopi/squids have a pretty potent water jet that they use to escape from danger, and frequently another one they use to squirt an ink to cover their retreat. Either one of these could make a pretty substantial noise in a creature as large as a giant squid. (By comparison, the sound from a waterjet cutter is literally deafening... and while faster, is also much smaller.)

Aethernaut · 06-18-2002, 12:16 PM

Cthulhu has awakened!

-SK

Corwin · 06-18-2002, 12:36 PM

No....

Cthulhu can actually surface without dying.

06-16-2002, 08:46 AM	#1
buddhagrrl Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: austin, tx Posts: 241	Bloop? I just read <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/06/13/bloop/index.html" target="_blank">this story</a> about an unidentified deep-sea sound that is likely biological in nature. So, you science types, what's the possibility that this could be some sort of giant sea monster?

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06-16-2002, 09:33 AM	#2
Abacus Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Dakota Posts: 2,214	Bah! Deep-sea monster my ass! I bet it's just whales farting.

06-16-2002, 10:59 AM	#3
LeftCoast Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 913	Nahh, It's probably a US Navy Sonar. I know for a fact that the USN has experemented for years with very low frequency active sonars. Doesn't mean this is, but there are a lot of possibilities to examine before one starts to speculate about unknown sea-monsters.

06-16-2002, 12:38 PM	#5
Abacus Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Dakota Posts: 2,214	Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if there living things living on the bottom of the ocean that humans have no knowledge of. I'd be real surprised if there wasn't a whole zoo of living beings down there which have never been studied or classified. But then again, it may not be from living things at all. It could be some other phenomenon.

06-16-2002, 05:11 PM	#7
ishalon Regular Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: From: Posts: 203	Loch Ness.

06-17-2002, 11:39 AM	#8
Corwin Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,369	Most likely? I'd say it's very likely that they're right and it's a giant squid, possibly a very large one. Since they have no skeleton, the upper limit on their size is pretty high... (we aren't sure what it is...) and as far as the source of the sound is concerned, that seems pretty simple. Spook a regular squid, octopus or cuttlefish sometime. What happens? POOF it's gone. Most octopi/squids have a pretty potent water jet that they use to escape from danger, and frequently another one they use to squirt an ink to cover their retreat. Either one of these could make a pretty substantial noise in a creature as large as a giant squid. (By comparison, the sound from a waterjet cutter is literally deafening... and while faster, is also much smaller.)

06-18-2002, 12:16 PM	#9
Aethernaut Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 422	Cthulhu has awakened! -SK

06-18-2002, 12:36 PM	#10
Corwin Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,369	No.... Cthulhu can actually surface without dying.

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