h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Homestar Runner hasn't been updated since 2010.

Aw. It's a tough life for octopuses. It's not much better for the female. Once she has a clutch of eggs, she finds a protected place to incubate them, usually under a rock or corral. She circulates water through them to control for temperature and... stuff, until they near hatching. This whole time she's expending lots of energy but not hunting for food or eating. She'll die before they hatch. Baby octopuses are quite on their own, they have to learn how to hunt for themselves. This brings up something fascinating recently discovered in octopus behaviour off the coast of Mexico in the Sea of Cortez and Caribbean. Because of over fishing, there isn't much for octopuses to hunt for. On recent expeditions, marine scientists have captured and observed octopuses to teach other octopuses how to solve puzzles. They're also teaching each other in the wild unique hunting techniques. Normally octopuses are very solitary creatures, but because of dire conditions and their unique intellegence, cooperative behaviours are developing among them. But, again, since the parents die before the young are born, each generation has to learn on its own.



Anyway, I was searching through my convo list to this thread up right when you posted the above.

I was just going to post the below.




Because of Uranus' 84 year orbit and its eccentric orientation, every 42 years we get the opportunity to view Uranus' rings edge on.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2007/08/23/yes_yes_rings_around_uranus_haha.html

Is that a euphemism?

PP.

Nope. The sperm is in a packet at the end of one of their tentacles. I've seen documentary footage of it.

My nephew came home from school the other day and told his mother than an octopus had eight testicles. She patiently explained that it had eight tentacles. All together now.



He said ' I thought that was a lot of b******x.'

I will get my coat.

It is physically impossible for a octoorched octopodes to gastrically ejaculate underwater.

I'll get me coat.

What is it with you people and vomitting underwater?

You'd have to delve deep into the early backlog of this thread to find that out. Although, don't bother, someone mentioned the "fact" that it was impossible to regurgitate under water. Then someone countered this with an idea that possibly sharks vomit underwater, or possibly they can't either... This meme comes back up (underwater or not) repeatedly.

Oh no, no, no. I was there. I remember. And I didn't understand it then either. But what I really don't get is why it keeps getting revived over and over and OVER AGAIN!

*ahem*

I'll get my coat.

It's just... It's not funny.

Squid are not the only sea creature to disgorge an inky
black cloud or 'smoke screen' to escape predators.




~jwf~

Oh, I agree, Mr. X. And if you were to delve back through the enormous backlog you'd find that I've never been one to regurgitate it. And it used to annoy me as well. Well, until certain other types of posts started recurring here that irritated me a bit more and then the thing didn't seem so bad. But, even the more annoying posts aren't really that annoying. I enjoy this thread too much to let a few odd posts bug me.

The point is not that it is not funny but that it is useless and therefore qualifies for inclusion on the thread. And a useless fact being repeated is even more useless, and unless someone starts a thread called 'even more useless facts because they have already been posted on the useless facts thread' then this remains their natural home.

I suppose that it could be argued that it is not a useless fact but a useful one, if it stops one person who feels ill diving into deep water to vomit.

Just remember, you asked for it. http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F19585?thread=8308152&post=110839877#p110839877

It's rather like the dogs' b*****s in the Brit Eng thread. It could lovingly be described as an "in joke".

I could provide a link - it will take you back, possibly, to the last century.

Here's the ripley link.

F19585?thread=46483

(Still don't know how to convert them to Pliny links.)

You can tell by the low numbers that it will take you back a bit.

And just so we're all clear, yes one can vomit under water.

http://scuba.about.com/od/divemedicinesafety/p/Can-You-Vomit-Underwater-While-Scuba-Diving.htm

A HUMAN can, sure. But we're talkin' about sharks and octopi here. Completely different respiratory systems.

The so called motto of the US Post office was actually
a statement by Greek writer Herodotus. And he was
describing the Persian courier system in 500 BCE:

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night
stays these couriers from the swift completion of
their appointed rounds.”

This may be a useful fact but don't tell your postman
he is working to a 2500 year old Iranian work ethic.

It also hints at a climate change in the Persian Gulf.


~jwf~