Oh right, I have a blog.
Things have been going on and said things have been pretty exciting, but it looks like I am going to continue forgetting I have a blog, and do so for long periods filled with Tuesday night rock shows and internal monologues conducted entirely in my native tongue, yelling. Therefore, my blog remains empty. A digital breeze sweeps a pixelated tumbleweed across the screen as you refresh the page and give up to go read "Cat and Girl."Oh screw it, as the kids say, it's a bird, it's a plane, IT'S THE CEPHALOPOD UPDATE!
Remember that colossal squid I mentioned a while back? They are going to microwave it.
THEY ARE GOING TO M*********ING MICROWAVE IT.
I'm not making this up:
Microwave plan for colossal squid
An industrial-scale microwave oven may have to be used to defrost a colossal squid caught in the Antarctic last month, scientists say.
They are pondering how to thaw out the half-tonne squid in a way that makes sure none of it rots before other parts have defrosted.
The squid has been kept frozen since it was caught by New Zealand fisherman in deep Antarctic waters in February.
Scientists want to preserve the unique specimen for detailed study.
Squid expert Steve O'Shea said the Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni measured 10 metres (33ft) in length.
It weighed 495kgs (1,089lbs), heavier than an initial estimate of 450kgs (990lbs).
Mr O'Shea said it would take days for the colossal squid to defrost at room temperature - meaning its outer flesh could have rotted by the time the centre thawed.
He said a massive microwave was one option.
"There are certain microwave equivalents that are used by industry, for treating timber and the like, that we could probably fit this thing into," Mr O'Shea, of Auckland University of Technology, said.
Museum display
The fishermen were fishing for Patagonian toothfish in deep Antarctic waters when the squid - which was eating a toothfish - was caught in mid-February.
It took them two hours to reel in the huge creature.
The squid was frozen in the ship's hull and brought back to New Zealand for examination.
Scientists believe it is by far the largest specimen of the colossal squid ever caught.
At the time of its arrival, Mr O'Shea said calamari rings made from it would be like tractor tyres - although would taste of ammonia.
The squid is currently being kept at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, in Wellington.
Museum officials hope to embalm the squid and put it on display, while giving scientists access to study it.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/6478801.stm
Published: 2007/03/22 10:42:10 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Labels: cephalopod update, the life aquatic
posted by Leah @ 10:24 PM
4 Comments:
I'm glad the Tuesday night music series is over.
Even though next week it just moved to Wednesday night.
What a glorious world we live in!
Once my brother was cat sitting and the cat was getting on his nerves (what with it's meowing and purring and LOVE), and so my brother put the cat in a microwave to have it chill out.
He didn't turn it on or anything, he just treated it more like a kitty sensory deprivation tank.
Dead squid probably don't need a sensory deprivation tank.
Why do people have this urge to KILL anything they find that's new and interesting?! And then freeze it...and then microwave it....and then cut it into pieces....
I hope the next boy that takes a fancy to me doesn't do any of that.
Oh, and by the way, there's still lots of yelling. It is our native tongue.
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