In The News

[Cvalda]

Can't wait to see the hour-long Discovery doc devoted to the teeny bit of footage, with a bunch of talking heads and CGI recreations thrown in to pad out the runtime.

But very cool nonetheless.

[DoomRulz]

I'm curious to see how big it really is. One can't tell from that image, especially with that black background.

[Cvalda]

Only nine feet, alas.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2013/01/08/giant-squid-filmed-first-time-in-pacific/1818751/

[DoomRulz]

That's supposed to be gigantic?

[Aspie]

It's not fully grown. They're more interested in the behavioral patterns which remain fairly constant throughout the squid's life.

[Cal427eb]

How big does it get if it is fully grown though?

[SM]

[SiL]

That's supposed to be gigantic?

Know many species of 9 foot long squids?

[DoomRulz]

When I hear "giant squid", I assume it's at least 20 feet. Nine feet for an aquatic creature isn't exactly enormous. I think most sharks that hang around coral reefs are about that size.

[Gates]

What happens when a changing climate exceeds the operating parameters of the stuff we own? While we in the northern hemisphere make jokes about indestructible snow forts, it is getting hot in Australia. How hot? So hot that Australia's Bureau of Meteorology had to add new colors to its weather map. Now, those unfortunate parts of Australia that achieve temperatures above 122ºF (50ºC) — temperatures that were, until recently, literally off the scale — will be marked in deep purple and terrifying hot pink.

http://www.wired.com/design/2013/01/australia-temperature-map/

I feel for our Aussie brothers and sisters...stay cool people...

[Cvalda]

That's supposed to be gigantic?

Know many species of 9 foot long squids?

Pacific coast of the US is absolutely lousy with them.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/01/07/35544/jumbo-humboldt-squid-invade-southern-california-wa/

Their mantle alone reaches five feet in length.

[Effectz]

How big does it get if it is fully grown though?

39 feet was the biggest one ever caught.

This video on this link say the squid pictured is 26 feet.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/asia/japan-giant-squid/

Here's a video of it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KN5N1QDaRQ

[Cal427eb]

I wish we would be able to capture a fully grown one on camera with some kind of reference to really see how big it is.

[SM]

What happens when a changing climate exceeds the operating parameters of the stuff we own? While we in the northern hemisphere make jokes about indestructible snow forts, it is getting hot in Australia. How hot? So hot that Australia's Bureau of Meteorology had to add new colors to its weather map. Now, those unfortunate parts of Australia that achieve temperatures above 122ºF (50ºC) — temperatures that were, until recently, literally off the scale — will be marked in deep purple and terrifying hot pink.

http://www.wired.com/design/2013/01/australia-temperature-map/

I feel for our Aussie brothers and sisters...stay cool people...

They've fortunately revised that down a bit and temps aren't likely to crack 50C (122F) just yet.  Perth had a shite run around Christmas/ New Year when it rarely dropped below 37C (99F) for 5 or 6 days.  Melbourne and Sydney build to 40C peaks that quickly drop again, but away from the coast the heat has been pretty constant in a lot of areas which doesn't help the stack of bushfires currently burning.

[DoomRulz]

Damn, how do you manage with such extreme heat? You guys are practically living in the Late Permian era, lol.