Mr. Tea's Top 10 Badass Phenomena

[bruno]

in other news, naked mole rats feel no pain due to acid.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Just had an enthused conversation about Weddell Seals. Specifically that they sound like the Forbidden Planet soundtrack dubbed out by Scratch Perry, without needing anything so downright soft as a recording studio or an echo box to help them.

I was sure there'd been some chat about them on dissensus, but can't find anything now. Here's a clip from Herzog's documentary where he went to Antarctica. The shots of the scientists lying on the ice are just great.

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There are some other really long, equally amazing sound samples in a blog post I did earlier in the year.

I made the following as a joint tribute to Delia Derbyshire and Weddell seals:

 

[trza]

Yamal Peninsula?

 

[Mr. Tea]

Nah, Antarctica innit.

 

[sufi]

http://www.theguardian.com/science/...onal-space-station-but-how-did-they-get-there
plankton chilling 250 miles up in space!

 

[viktorvaughn]

Two unclassifiable species found off Australian coast
http://www.theguardian.com/environm...assifiable-species-found-off-australian-coast

 

[hmg]

HOLY SMOKING TOLEDO


Note the shockfront causing new cloud formations and enormous splashdowns from ejecta between ship and shore.

Also, I learnt today that when Krakatoa went off it most likely blasted away the sea leaving bare seabed and a void that took half an hour to fill...

 

[Mr. Tea]

 

[hmg]

Pre-human fire, lads. By up to several hundred thousand years. Wow.

Pre-human ancestor believed to have used fire as a tool, researchers say

A momentous discovery in South Africa could turn our understanding of human history on its head.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[hmg]

 

[Mr. Tea]

Orcas are deliberately sinking sailing boats for the sheer fuck of it, and teaching other orcas how to do it:

Orcas have sunk 3 boats in Europe and appear to be teaching others to do the same. But why?

Scientists think a traumatized orca initiated the assault on boats after a "critical moment of agony" and that the behavior is spreading among the population through social learning.

www.livescience.com

 

[Mr. Tea]

Badass snail:

 

[Mr. Tea]

The virgin doing fundamental science research to uncover the fundamental laws of the universe versus the chad doing it to win a bet.

Bizarre new quasicrystal material formed by vibrating metal beads

The quasicrystal, a type of non-repeating crystal once deemed impossible, was made by jiggling thousands of metal balls in a tray for over a week.

www.livescience.com

 

[Clinamenic]

The virgin doing fundamental science research to uncover the fundamental laws of the universe versus the chad doing it to win a bet.

Bizarre new quasicrystal material formed by vibrating metal beads

The quasicrystal, a type of non-repeating crystal once deemed impossible, was made by jiggling thousands of metal balls in a tray for over a week.

www.livescience.com

Although for the chad, I'm sure irreproducibility is a virtue.

 

[Mr. Tea]

SPACE TORNADO!

Space tornado - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[luka]

its hard to believe in zebras isn't it. mental to think they really exist.

 

[Clinamenic]

its hard to believe in zebras isn't it. mental to think they really exist.

Have you seen one? How can you be sure?

 

[Mr. Tea]

Have you seen one? How can you be sure?

@luka likes to rag on empiricism, which is quite ironic given that he doesn't believe in zebras because there isn't one in front of him right now.

 

[Clinamenic]

@luka likes to rag on empiricism, which is quite ironic given that he doesn't believe in zebras because there isn't one in front of him right now.

Luka therefore must not have ever seen an empiricism, and thus how can he be sure?

 

[Mr. Tea]

Luka therefore must not have ever seen an empiricism, and thus how can he be sure?

I've got several, he can borrow one any time he likes.