Comments on: Fortified: Something Crawls To The Surface, Part One

By: Sloss

Sloss — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:14:00 +0000

I’m very sorry, but I feel the need to refute your uninformed sullying of the good name of Nellie-as-Plieosaur, Pilesosaur?, Plesiosaurus? whatever-dinosaur thingy. Ok, 1) you say he would need to come up for air, ignoring the long known tactic of escaping detection by using a reed to breath with underwater. This use of reed has been documented since 1932 in the film “I am a Fugivtive from a Chain Gang”. Then, 2), you say that a Poliesaur would need heat…like as in from a Geo-Thermal Vent, perhaps, Mr Smartypants? Not to mention 3), which you mention and then seem to over look. I mean they might have been extinct for, like, a whole lot of year, but even you admit they can hibernate. So, basically what I’m saying is that Nellie *is* a Plebiosaur, just one that is hibernating on a thermal vent, breathing through a reed. I’m hoping to explain this a bit more clearly via film narrative in a project that I’m working on with Jerry Bruckheimer. I’ll keep you posted.

By: Lilawyn

Lilawyn — Wed, 09 May 2007 01:30:05 +0000

Yeah, I’d flag me spam too if I could. Thanks for the rescue, Mr. the Mad.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 08 May 2007 19:20:26 +0000

Aksimet accidentallly spam-flagged your post, Liles. I have rescued it and reposted it above.

By: Reverend Matt

Reverend Matt — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:16:59 +0000

Craig: Oh, perfect.

Blue: The modern era of Nessie sightings began in 1933, when the British government built the first-ever decent motorway along the edge of the loch. People started visiting it, and people started seeing the monster. Whether the locals were seeing a lot of it before then is a matter of some debate; this was a remarkably isolated region prior to the motorway, and records are spotty. Also, yay science!

Lilawyn: Thanks! If you remember what you were going to say, by all means, post it.

By: Lilawyn

Lilawyn — Tue, 08 May 2007 02:46:01 +0000

Firefox ate my comment. I don’t remember what I was raving about anymore–so here’s a tip of the hat to you, Matt, on another entertaining and informative article.

By: blue

blue — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:54:53 +0000

“… Nessie is, say, a Yorkshire Terrier that evolved a plesiosaur-like shape.”

This image makes me very, very happy.

Very well reasoned, quite enjoyed. Gives me things to talk about with the kiddies at work, where we have our own deep pond with a mysterious creature (in reality, someone’s pet goldfish who has managed to elude the snapping turtles for years). Science is awesome.

Just out of curiousity, how old is Nessie reputed to be?

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:54:31 +0000

Though it may not have been your intention, rest assured you have made at least one man a believer in your “Yorkshire Terrier” theory.

By: Lilawyn

Lilawyn — Mon, 07 May 2007 22:12:38 +0000

Your point about the fossil record is perhaps the most interesting, because it reminds me so often of the (lets call them plebs for their sake) who use exceptions, like the coelacanth, to discredit an entire rule without realizing that there is a damn good reason for that rule. Like you, I want to shout “this means something” at the top of my lungs whenever the exception-trumpeters take the podium.

Besides, we all know that Nessie is a giant squid, right?

Can’t wait for the next installment, Matt.

By: Reverend Matt

Reverend Matt — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:33:53 +0000

You are correct about large creatures’ lifespans. The reason Nessie is thought to be a population, rather than an individual, has more to do with “where did it come from?” than age. You see an animal, you assume there are more of them; dramatic, unique mutants are usually just for sci-fi.

By: jimbow8

jimbow8 — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:29:15 +0000

Can’t wait for more installments. Don’t large creatures (due to slow metabolism?) like this normally have long lifespans? Example giant sea turtles that live hundred(s) of years, etc. If such a creature DID exist and has died, wouldn’t it be likely that the corpse sank to the bottom (like whales often do) and the question will be forever unanswered?