Originally published at: A dead 62-foot whale spooked examiners when it made bubbling noises — a warning it could explode | Boing Boing
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“Friends report his name was Walter Jorgensen.”
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Exploding Whales are dangerous. Especially if Dynamite is used.
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Reminds me of one of my all time favorite Radiolab segments.
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“How big?”
“Around 25-30 feet long.”
“So what is that? Like a train car?”
“More like a small yacht.”
In fact “train car” is a great frame of reference. “Small yacht” is more general. A good response might have been “About half that.”
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Someone should buy that man a longer billhook - that was close!
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A double-decker bus or brontosaurus are the acceptable units of comparative length, accept no substitutes.
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I’ve had a startlingly similar experience at certain fast food restuarants.
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In high enough concentrations, and when mixed with oxygen in the air, the gas can cause whales to explode, either spontaneously as pressure increases, or when the remains are cut open;
Mixed with oxygen? Is this implying that the methane is combusting/deflagrating? Is this actually happening?
It seems like the whale is simply bursting like a balloon from the pressure buildup, and oxygen mixture has nothing to do with it.
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Never smoke during a whale necropsy.
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Tango. Mike. India.
(Also, ROFL)
depends on what tools are being used when the rupture happens, perhaps? One would think that it would just be a catastrophic rupture of the carcass.
I would like to read the paperwork for the insurance claim on that convertible.
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Fascinating topic, and a really good video!
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Sailboats are actually the only object for which I have a mental model that works in feet. I can imagine any length in the range of maybe 22 to 40ft by comparing it to a boat. I have no idea how long a railcar is in feet, especially because I’m fairly certain they come in different sizes.
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