A Surfeit of Martians?

Subject: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Cod Fiddler
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 08:02 AM

SETI League Confirms Space Radio Contact!

http://www.newscientist.com/backpage.ns?id=mg18925402.800

On this great page, fascinating details about the half-life of the teaspoon can also be found. Be informed!

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 09:30 AM

This is simply amazing!

I was also amazed at the subsequent post in the link with regard to:

"Where have all the bloody teaspoons gone?" using a classic release-and-capture methodology.

The half-life of the 70 teaspoons studied in the institute's tearooms was 81 days, with 56 (80 per cent) disappearing during the five-month study. This led to the alarming conclusion that "an estimated 18 million teaspoons are going missing in Melbourne each year. Laid end to end, these lost teaspoons would cover over 2700 kilometres - the length of the entire coastline of Mozambique - and weigh over 360 metric tonnes - the approximate weight of four adult blue whales."

The authors say that "no plausible explanations were advanced for the high rate of teaspoon loss", though they did note the theory of Douglas Adams et al that Somewhere Out There is a teaspoon planet to which they repair.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Cod Fiddler
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 09:43 AM

Good isn't it? (though I suspect we should be in the BS section). The actual teaspoon article was written by scientists from the Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne. It must be a contender for an Ignobel Prize (http://www.improb.com/magazine/)

Richard.

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 11:56 AM

I want to know more about the blue whales. Could they have eaten the teaspons?

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 02:13 PM

Rapaire! An educated person like yourself asking if the blue whales might have eaten the teaspoons? Every schoolchild knows that blue whales don't drink tea! They're strictly black coffee types. You want tea drinkers, you'll have to go find some humpbacks.

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Don Firth
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 03:01 PM

Where have all the teaspoons gone?
Long time passing. . . .

(Well, somebody had to do it).

Don Firth

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: GUEST,The Bandwidth Conservation Militia
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 04:21 PM

We, The Bandwidth Conservation Militia, have all the missing teaspoons! We are holding them hostage until the Mudcat Cafe' rids itself of all bandwidth wasting threads!

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Peace
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 04:26 PM

Where's all the tea coming from?

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 05:29 PM

♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧

Happy St.
Patrick’s Day,
blue whales!!!

♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Mar 06 - 06:41 AM

Why would whales want to celebrate St Patricks day.. surely they would prefer David?

LTS

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Crane Driver
Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:42 PM

Perhaps because St Patrick, like St David, was from Wales?

Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 09:57 AM

No mention of snakes there then.....

LTS