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A Surfeit of Martians?

17 Mar 06 - 08:02 AM (#1696017)
Subject: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Cod Fiddler

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!


17 Mar 06 - 09:30 AM (#1696081)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Charley Noble

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


17 Mar 06 - 09:43 AM (#1696089)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Cod Fiddler

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.


17 Mar 06 - 11:56 AM (#1696236)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Rapparee

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


17 Mar 06 - 02:13 PM (#1696345)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Bee-dubya-ell

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.


17 Mar 06 - 03:01 PM (#1696373)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Don Firth

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

(Well, somebody had to do it).

Don Firth


17 Mar 06 - 04:21 PM (#1696417)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: GUEST,The Bandwidth Conservation Militia

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!


17 Mar 06 - 04:26 PM (#1696422)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Peace

Where's all the tea coming from?


17 Mar 06 - 05:29 PM (#1696474)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Rapparee

♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧


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


♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧






18 Mar 06 - 06:41 AM (#1696789)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Liz the Squeak

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

LTS


18 Mar 06 - 02:42 PM (#1697076)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Crane Driver

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


19 Mar 06 - 09:57 AM (#1697702)
Subject: RE: A Surfeit of Martians?
From: Liz the Squeak

No mention of snakes there then.....

LTS