So beautiful it will make you cry : Pharyngula

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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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« Dang. I totally wasted my Christmas break | Main | Never trust science again! »

So beautiful it will make you cry

Category: Art • Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: January 14, 2007 6:00 AM, by PZ Myers

The beginning will seem a little cryptic, and you'll wonder what those little glimmering points of light in the deep might be, but be patient—all will become clear.

(hat tip to the Science Pundit)

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Comments

Posted by: Drhoz! | January 14, 2007 7:03 AM

gorgeous, beautiful, and strange... alas every single one of them will have been blinded by light many times brighter than they would ever see in their lifetimes *sighs*

Posted by: amph | January 14, 2007 7:05 AM

...like a classical ballet...
(sob)

Posted by: beepbeepitsme | January 14, 2007 8:06 AM

It was worth the wait.

Posted by: jason | January 14, 2007 8:13 AM

Mesmerizing and wondrous. A dance older than any we stumble through.

Posted by: Anatoly | January 14, 2007 8:59 AM

... wow.

Posted by: Lago | January 14, 2007 9:42 AM

I need to go call my mother now...

Posted by: Osakaguy | January 14, 2007 9:42 AM

I don't really understand what I'm seeing. Is the squid holding some kind of egg sac, or is that part of the squid's body?

In semi-related news you might enjoy this:
"Squid-shaped USB flash drive suckers users"
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070113p2a00m0na027000c.html

Posted by: John B | January 14, 2007 9:45 AM

But the question arises:

What does a squid have to do to get some privacy around here?

Posted by: Lago | January 14, 2007 9:49 AM

I am not saying the Squid Flash drive looks like something else in the package. I simply will not go there...

#10

Posted by: Tlonista | January 14, 2007 10:01 AM

My God, it's full of stars...

#11

Posted by: Russell | January 14, 2007 10:26 AM

One of the enjoyable things about sailing on the ocean at night is that the wake kicks up the luminescent plankton. On a clear night, from the cockpit, it's almost like sailing on a faint milky way that mirrors the much brighter one above.

#12

Posted by: Ken Mareld | January 14, 2007 12:05 PM

There it is again. My last name. Mareld. It's and old Swedish/Viking word that translates to 'sea light' or sea fire'. Which means bio-luminescence. My Grandparents took the word as their name around 1918. They did this because when they met on a boat it was all around them. That and they had the Swedish equivalents of Smith and Jones (Gustafsson and Petersson). Is that romantic or what? Perhaps I should have studied more Biology. Wait I am studying more Biology. At 51 years of age I'm back in school studying to become a Registered Nurse. Last quarter I had great satisfaction in grokking the sliding filament theory of muscle contraction. Next quarter is Microbiology.

Ken

#13

Posted by: Travis | January 14, 2007 12:06 PM

Does anyone know what species it is?

#14

Posted by: Odonata | January 14, 2007 12:23 PM

That's amazing! What wonderful footage they captured. It was definitely worth waiting for it to load.

#15

Posted by: Milo Johnson | January 14, 2007 1:01 PM

Humboldt porn?

#16

Posted by: JeC++ | January 14, 2007 1:50 PM

I'm sure you've already seen this, but in light of the recent posts on cephalopods i couldn't resist.

http://squid.us/

#17

Posted by: Kat | January 14, 2007 3:32 PM

I think it's likely to be a species of Gonatus (see
http://www.tolweb.org/Gonatus on the Tree of Life) - Seibel et al. (2000, 2005) reported the brooding behavior and egg mass you can see in the video. The photo under 'Life History' on the ToL page also shows the egg 'sheet.' Beautiful video!

#18

Posted by: TAW | January 14, 2007 3:37 PM

Will they really go blind?

and how can a squid that size produce an egg mass that size? is it a male caring for the eggs of many females or something?

#19

Posted by: The Science Pundit | January 14, 2007 5:52 PM

I think it's likely to be a species of Gonatus (see http://www.tolweb.org/Gonatus on the Tree of Life) - Seibel et al. (2000, 2005) reported the brooding behavior and egg mass you can see in the video. The photo under 'Life History' on the ToL page also shows the egg 'sheet.' Beautiful video!

Kat,
You are probably right considering that this video was actually made by Seibel to defend said paper. Here's the description from the person who posted the video on YouTube:

When Brad Seibel's 2000 paper suggested squids brood, it was called "erroneous." Years later when Seibel had the opportunity to direct a submersible he captured this footage confirming his hypothesis. Take that, cephalopod traditionalists!

#20

Posted by: Kurt | January 14, 2007 7:06 PM

Breathtaking

#21

Posted by: The Disgruntled Chemist | January 14, 2007 8:01 PM

Beautiful.

What does a squid have to do to get some privacy around here?

Heh. John B, I was thinking the same thing as the squid was staring into the camera there towards the end.

#22

Posted by: Neil | January 15, 2007 2:13 PM

Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to be scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef on that one evening each year that the coral spawn. The scene was very similar, although not nearly so deep. You sort of have a silent reverence (if I may use that word on this blog ;-) just for being a witness to such an ancient and beautiful process. Thanks for sharing this.

#23

Posted by: zzz | January 15, 2007 2:48 PM

Have any of you seen the new BBC series Planet Earth ? Episode 11 Ocean Deep has some stunning deep sea photography. Worth getting the series just for that alone.

#24

Posted by: Dale Tyler | January 15, 2007 5:25 PM

I've watched this video several times now... and it still makes my skin crawl. Beatiful.

#25

Posted by: Clatu Barada Nikto | February 19, 2007 7:54 AM

Your psychological reactions are merely electrical impulses in your meat brains, humans.

Don't make too much of it.

#26

Posted by: Azkyroth | May 22, 2007 5:33 AM

Your psychological reactions are merely electrical impulses in your meat brains, humans.

What's your point?

(Why is this post suddenly on the "most emailed" list? O.o)

#27

Posted by: Brian | May 22, 2007 4:18 PM

It's a shame Clatu's electrical impulses weren't able to produce a more worthwhile comment. Go read some Nietzsche and feel sorry for yourself in some other corner. This is just a cool video.