Scientists discover grape sized, single cell amoeba that moves...

[Chadder007]

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/...found-rolling-seafloor

SYDNEY: Using a research submarine, marine biologists in the Bahamas have discovered large numbers of an unknown, grape-sized, single-celled animal slowly rolling across the sea floor. "[It's] huge for a single cell. If I had cells that big I'd be six kilometres tall and weigh three trillion kilograms," said Sönke Johnsen, a biologist at Duke University in North Carolina, and the expedition's chief scientist. Single-celled animals, known as protists, are usually the size of a pin-head or much smaller, but the size of this "sea-grape" isn't the most unusual thing about it. "We watched the video over and over," said Johnsen. "We argued about it forever? [we thought] these things can't possibly be moving. There are other large protists, but none of them move."
Evolutionary debate But these large protists do move, and more importantly, the tracks they leave behind are very similar to fossil tracks that date back to before the Cambrian Explosion, around 530 million years ago, when many different types of complex animal first appeared.

:shocked:

Video Slide Show
https://webspace.utexas.edu/lhc58/protist_slideshow/

 

[Bulk Beef]

The Blob?


EDIT: Is it also a metaphor for the Red Menace?

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: Chadder007
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/...found-rolling-seafloor

SYDNEY: Using a research submarine, marine biologists in the Bahamas have discovered large numbers of an unknown, grape-sized, single-celled animal slowly rolling across the sea floor. "[It's] huge for a single cell. If I had cells that big I'd be six kilometres tall and weigh three trillion kilograms," said Sönke Johnsen, a biologist at Duke University in North Carolina, and the expedition's chief scientist. Single-celled animals, known as protists, are usually the size of a pin-head or much smaller, but the size of this "sea-grape" isn't the most unusual thing about it. "We watched the video over and over," said Johnsen. "We argued about it forever? [we thought] these things can't possibly be moving. There are other large protists, but none of them move."
Evolutionary debate But these large protists do move, and more importantly, the tracks they leave behind are very similar to fossil tracks that date back to before the Cambrian Explosion, around 530 million years ago, when many different types of complex animal first appeared.

:shocked:

Video Slide Show
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://webspace.utexas.edu/lhc58/protist_slideshow/">https://webspace.utexas.edu/lh...protist_slideshow/</a>

:shocked: :shocked:

 

[IEC]

http://www.biology.duke.edu/jo...b/people/sjohnsen.html

That man has gotten some serious grants in recent years.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Gotta be said: I for one welcome our new giant amoeba overlords.

 

[Doctor Nyse]

I don't understand how we've got such a (relatively) huge space program while we're still finding organisms like this in the depths of our own oceans.

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
http://www.biology.duke.edu/jo...b/people/sjohnsen.html

That man has gotten some serious grants in recent years.

"ARC and private support (~$500,000 USD and 3 years of ship and submersible time)"

:Q

 

[Perknose]

It is a visitation from the FSM.

His time has come.

From one single cell we came; to one single cell we shall return.

From the ocean floor, of course. The symbolism is inescapable. This is deep.

Prepare yourself to be touched by his noodly appendage.

 

[BigToque]

I for one welcome our sea-grape overlords...

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Doctor Nyse
I don't understand how we've got such a (relatively) huge space program while we're still finding organisms like this in the depths of our own oceans.

I don't know what the respective budgets are, but while there are still obviously things to be discovered on this planet, so much more is known relative to very little in space.

So, there are knowledge inequities and budgets to offset them.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: BigToque
I for one welcome our sea-grape overlords...

this


:Q

 

[Ika]

The real question is, how does it taste?

 

[OUCaptain]

It actually makes sense to me that it would be harder to explore the bottom of the ocean than space. Plus, space is way cooler.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Doctor Nyse
I don't understand how we've got such a (relatively) huge space program while we're still finding organisms like this in the depths of our own oceans.

We can explore both at once. If we devoted all of our time to "finishing" one thing at the expense of all else, we wouldn't really be very far along.
Heck, the language of mathematics is still being written. Why bother exploring the oceans when we can explore the laws which govern existence?

Or why bother with math? I'm sure there are several thousand sexual positions yet to be discovered, and possibly an entirely new kind of orgasm. We should probably just skip math too, and focus on sex until we have completely perfected it. Then we'll move on to something else, like how to avoid death by sexual exhaustion.

 

[takeru]

the bigger question is... how does it taste in hot pot?

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Doctor Nyse
I don't understand how we've got such a (relatively) huge space program while we're still finding organisms like this in the depths of our own oceans.

We can explore both at once. If we devoted all of our time to "finishing" one thing at the expense of all else, we wouldn't really be very far along.
Heck, the language of mathematics is still being written. Why bother exploring the oceans when we can explore the laws which govern existence?

Or why bother with math? I'm sure there are several thousand sexual positions yet to be discovered, and possibly an entirely new kind of orgasm. We should probably just skip math too, and focus on sex until we have completely perfected it. Then we'll move on to something else, like how to avoid death by sexual exhaustion.

Fourth hole?

 

[StevenYoo]

that is some crazy-ass shit

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: Aflac
The real question is, how does it taste?

fried sea grape sounds really good right about now.

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: Doctor Nyse
I don't understand how we've got such a (relatively) huge space program while we're still finding organisms like this in the depths of our own oceans.

Maybe because space is pretty danm cool. Plus we had to beat the Russians during the cold war. That was pretty important too.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: Aflac
The real question is, how does it taste?

fried sea grape sounds really good right about now.

And people wonder why they say not to drink the water in Mexico...

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Aflac
The real question is, how does it taste?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-y9HFbHixA

 

[l0cke]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Aflac
The real question is, how does it taste?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-y9HFbHixA

I'm surprised it took until page two for this to be posted

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: MotF Bane

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
http://www.biology.duke.edu/jo...b/people/sjohnsen.html

That man has gotten some serious grants in recent years.

"ARC and private support (~$500,000 USD and 3 years of ship and submersible time)"

:Q

You think that's big?

Kerry L. Lee received an award from The Mount Sinai Medical Ctr in the amount of $7,055,346 for a project entitled 'TACT-Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy Data Coordinating Center.'

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: Doctor Nyse
I don't understand how we've got such a (relatively) huge space program while we're still finding organisms like this in the depths of our own oceans.

I don't know what the respective budgets are, but while there are still obviously things to be discovered on this planet, so much more is known relative to very little in space.

So, there are knowledge inequities and budgets to offset them.

There is also the fact that the pressure differential between a space ship or space station and the outside world is "only" 1 atmosphere, while the pressure at the bottom of the ocean can be over 1,000 atmospheres. Plus, in space, there is no (OK, technically minimal) heat loss through conduction while water is an extremely efficient thermal conductor making the heating needs of subs greater as well.

In terms of technological challenge, it's much more difficult to explore the depths of the ocean than it is to explore space.

ZV

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner

Originally posted by: MotF Bane

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
http://www.biology.duke.edu/jo...b/people/sjohnsen.html

That man has gotten some serious grants in recent years.

"ARC and private support (~$500,000 USD and 3 years of ship and submersible time)"

:Q

You think that's big?

Kerry L. Lee received an award from The Mount Sinai Medical Ctr in the amount of $7,055,346 for a project entitled 'TACT-Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy Data Coordinating Center.'

well the 3 yrs of ship and submersible time makes it more than just any old 500,000 grant.