Robosub Offers Unforeseen Glimpse Of Ocean Depths

[Earnest Cavalli]

Robosub Offers Unforeseen Glimpse Of Ocean Depths

The latest efforts of scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have finally begun bearing fruit: Images of the ocean floor taken from depths never before seen by human eyes.

The first image, seen at right, was captured by a robotic submarine dubbed "Nereus" designed to operate within the Marianas Trench at depths of up to 11,000 meters below the ocean's surface.

Most interestingly, the vehicle ditches the restraints previously inherent to deep-sea divers (such as gigantic wire tethers and a free floating surface ship). Not only is it able to dive deeper than any vehicle ever created, it does so only relying on the team of researchers remotely piloting the craft.

It remains to be seen what exactly Nereus and the WHOI team can discover at these immense depths, but given that the vast majority of the planet's surface is covered in water there just has to be something cool down there.

Or, Cthulhu.

(Image: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute)

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[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Very cool, indeed. Though hopefully they'll be able to get shots of more than just mud.

 

[scotth266]

Well, I hope that they don't run into any giant squid down there, and find some really neat stuff.

Oh, and I think the term is silt, not mud Klutz. I could be wrong though.

 

[PrivatePuFF]

hope we see some cool fish.

 

[DoW Lowen]

Yay we can finally find the Lochness monster and the necklace the old lady threw off the edge of the ship.

 

[johnman]

So... a shot of some empty ocean floor? Surely there must be some better ones to use on the front page.

I wonder what freaks of the fish world we shall discover next?
How about.... Mini-Giant squid!

 

[ILPPendant]

Removing the cables and replacing them with a fibre optic wire the thickness of a human hair must have seemed a counter-intuitive solution. I hope it works as they planned; they would probably feel a bit silly if it snagged on something.

I do think the autonomous mode is rather clever though.

 

[ThePoodonkis]

I think the Cloverfield Monster would be a neat find.

 

[Anarchemitis]

I love deep-sea science. Anything that is more pressure-resilient than a cubic foot of solid lead that can eat and move is really neat in my book.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I love deep-sea science. Anything that is more pressure-resilient than a cubic foot of solid lead that can eat and move is really neat in my book.

But if they are born, live and die down their, are they pressure resilient or are they pressure reliant?
I would have thought resilience is more based on surviving change than surviving the conditions you were born for.

 

[Trivun]

Hokay, the betting pools are open. Odds are as follows:

100:1 - Jormandgund
52:1 - Atlanta
50:1 - Atlantis
30:1 - The funky pacifist aliens from "The Abyss"
27:1 - Cthulhu
21:1 - Gungans
15:1 - Mermaids / Tritons
10:1 - Elasmosaurus or other "sea monster" style dinosaurs
8:1 - Godzilla
6:1 - Kraken
5:1 - Megalodon
3:1 - Sally Struthers

A bet of $1 earns you $3 if you bet on them finding Sally Struthers down there, a pretty safe bet since most whales have returned to the oceans.

Add to that: 7:1 odds on Cloverfield. That monster has to be there somewhere, didn't you guys all see the bit in the background at the end of the film?

 

[uppitycracker]

Hokay, the betting pools are open. Odds are as follows:

100:1 - Jormandgund
52:1 - Atlanta
50:1 - Atlantis
30:1 - The funky pacifist aliens from "The Abyss"
27:1 - Cthulhu
21:1 - Gungans
15:1 - Mermaids / Tritons
10:1 - Elasmosaurus or other "sea monster" style dinosaurs
8:1 - Godzilla
6:1 - Kraken
5:1 - Megalodon
3:1 - Sally Struthers

A bet of $1 earns you $3 if you bet on them finding Sally Struthers down there, a pretty safe bet since most whales have returned to the oceans.

I honestly think that Cthulhu and Sally Struthers are pretty equal on that front... i mean, they're almost hte same entity, cept Cthulhu is way cooler.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

If for some reason it "loses connection" to the pilots of the craft...I think its reasonable to considre Cthulhu responsible.

 

[Orange Monkey]

Looking forward to Cthulu.

>_> or Atlantis...

 

[bigmike5400]

My money is on Godzilla. Just so i can see people on the news like in the movies. RUN!!!! IT'S GODZILLA!

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

If they find cthulu that would be awesome. and for the record, Atlantis, last i heard, was floating off the shore of frisco hidden behind its cloaking device. We brought it back from the pegasus galaxy to fight off the wraith superhive. Didnt any of you know this?

I'm betting that they will also find the remains of alien spaceships and the like. God knows we have destroyed enough of them.
And they wont find jormundgand, i ate him for breakfast this morning. he was very tasty