…that the colossal squid is dissected and displayed by webcam to the world. It’s also the day I’m in class from 10:00 on, and have a Café Scientifique to attend, as well as another job candidate seminar, so I’m going to have to catch it all after the fact.
Anyway, Happy Squid Hacking Day to you all! Watch the webcams if you get a chance.
This is in my city, and I have the afternoon free… I’ll have to pop down and see if there’s anything on.
I may have to check this out
Already the server’s swamped…
lots of interest!
Plus, it’s half past midnight here, so I’m pretty sure they’re not doing it yet
It’s wednesday already there, probably early AM would be my guess. Any Kiwis around that can clear up the timezone issue?
Um, from what I’ve read, it’s happening later today, around midday. It’s the 30th here, wednesday, and that’s when I’ve been told it’s happening.
For you guys, it’s happening about 10pm-2am GMT, roughly, I think, though DST screws things up a little. But have a look then and you’ll see something
(My little GMT clock is saying 2pm, and my little NZT clock is saying 1am, so it is probably actually happening from 9pm GMT to 1am GMT… also, I should be in bed)
It’s 8:15am CST here, and I’m not seeing much of anything happening yet– just the squid thawing, it seems. No movement of any kind yet, but I will report if it revives and begins to attack its captors.
If this is realiable then it’s just after 1 am there, so another six hours till it starts.
Yes indeed
To Reiterate:
It’ll be about another nine hours before they actually start cutting
DaveX, Wellington, New Zealand is not actually in the Central North American Time Zone… just thought I’d point that out
the scientists who are doing this are probably in bed by now, kept awake by visions of the dissection scene from Independence Day
Did anyone else just see the squid fall off the table?
I was just watching the dissection camera and the squid fell off the table and there’s no one around to pick it up. Somebody save the squid!!!!
I was just gonna mention that! It just happened, not 20 seconds after the thing started playing. I think I moved it with my mind. Is that the squid though? it seems rather small.
Switch to the thawing bath, and there is something in it too.
I saw it starting to slip, and then splat, right on the floor. I wish there was sound.
Hilarious!
Wazza–
I’m not that dumb! I was referring to MY timezone, duh.
I don’t think it “slipped”… it is trying to get out of range of the cameras, now that we’re watching. We’re doomed!
Craig, I actually heard it when it fell, there is sound.
I think that was the small Colossal squid. Now there is an oxymoron.
9:00 AM in New Zealand is 4:00 PM EST/3:00 PM Central. We’ve got a bit of a wait. But this is pretty freaking cool.
Here’s 9 AM in Auckland. It says 5 PM EDT and 2 PM PDT, just in case.
Man, I missed them getting the squid back on the table. I really wanted to see that… Boss picked a hell of a time to want me to do work!
Yea, I missed it too. It looks like they’re getting started though. Should be interesting to say the least.
I’m also in Wellington and have an afternoon free. Will definitely be going to the lectures later.
Well, its about 3:15 here in the American Midwest (central timezone) and there are a couple primates walking around on the webcam.
DaveX: Yeah, but why would you refer to your time zone? 8:15am in your cul-de-sac is not 8:15 everywhere. It was late at night. Of course nothing was happening.
*slaps with squid tentacle*
Buffy: See you there! If only my “Stand back, I’m going to try SCIENCE” t-shirt was clean…
But, something DID happen… it fell off the table. ;)
I think DaveX was just giving an update as to the goings-on for our benefit, not complaining because he expected New Zealand scientists to be keeping time according to his time zone.
Whoa, wait a minute, I thought the dissection was tomorrow, on May 1 Thursday!
That’s what it says in the Te Papa schedule, what are you all on about?
Enjoyed the audio of the newswoman recording her evening news blurb a few minutes ago. Perhaps she thought the live feed was down since the science crew was on break, but she had a bit of a potty mouth. *grin*
Oh, she knows now. She just got a cell phone call from her husband telling her he was watching her online.
Apparently it ‘tastes like sashimi’.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4502341a11.html
I’m gonna wander down to Te Papa after my computers lecture and see if there’s anything to look at.
So, UPDATE
the dissection is invitation only, so you guys got a better view with your fancy technological wing-dings than I got by just walking up to the museum and asking the nice lady behind the counter if I could see her cephalopod
HOWEVER
The people involved in the dissection will be giving talks on thursday 11-8 and friday 11-4, including on thursday a discussion of the findings from the dissection from 6:30 to 8
I’ll be at some of it at the very least, and I’ll try to get some pictures
They’re not going to dissect the biggest squid – the one thawing in the tank (sorry, I can’t remember if that’s the ‘giant’ or the ‘colossal’, I’m no scientist). They are going to probe it, preserve it and display it to the public later on. The investigation was delayed because they underestimated how long it would take to thaw.
If you’re trying to figure it out for future reference, note my time stamp. The time here in Wellington is now 3.08 p.m., Wednesday afternoon.
2PM Sydney now. Wow. Great pictures. Thought the damn thing was alive for minute.:-)
Damn if that isn’t the biggest calamari I have ever seen. Being Kiwis I’d expect there is a deep fryer in the corner fired up ready to go for their foosh und chops.
@wazza: What time were you there? I wonder how many Pharyngula readers were there throughout the day.
The chap behind the info desk said they had no idea where they were going to put it eventually, given that it’s ten meters long and weighs half a ton.
@shane: It’s a pity, the Wellington Italian Food Expo’s been and gone this year, it was only just around the waterfront from Te Papa. Perhaps they’ll put it back on ice? You know, the scientists who tried it are probably the first humans ever to eat giant squid. Those things have been eating our sailors and pirates for years, it’s time to get our own back.
12:40PM in Southern Ontario here, having a little bit of trouble keeping a steady stream from all four cameras. Probably my problem, not theirs.
I quite enjoy the documentary filmmakers chatting a bit in the background. It’s interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes of those things. Hopefully my connexion will improve a bit.
*AM, not PM, per above.
1:07AM: Oh my, the chap almost falls face first into the thawing tub! This is wonderful. All I need right now is a nice cup of tea.
Since I don’t think I’ve said it, I’d like to thank PZ profusely for pointing this web event out to us.
12:58 am CST in Mississippi. Wow! Great camera shots. They appear to be taking lots of measurements. Now this is the way I like to do science– nice and dry and can’t smell a thing from where I sit. Thanks, PZ.
Crap. I found out the hard way that the actual dissection was open to the press only. The website said “free entry”….
Anyway, I had to go to an internet cafe instead to see it. I’ll be able to attend every lecture tomorrow though, so I’ll be there!
3:05AM: This work with the microcamera is fascinating. Unfortunately my connexion hasn’t actually improved any.
5:30AM Southern Ontario: I guess the work is over now. Too bad I missed the last bit of it showering and brushing my teeth. At least I’m off school – so can sleep in to make up.
Incredible thing to see; thanks PZ.
@shane
I’m so sick of that :P
I’ve passed the “fush and chups” test many times!
There’s a full report on the lectures at my blog, including a brief summary of some interesting findings and something Dr O’Shea told us not to quote him on…
So cool to read your guy comments!
We’re doing a webcast update of the Colossal Squid next week – Tues 5 Aug or Wed 6 Aug – depending on where you are!
We’re moving our squid out of formalin and into its new display tank. Steve O’Shea will be there to sew up a rip in the mantle and examine it now it’s preserved.
The live webcast and blog is only for 1 day on Wednesday 6 August starting 9am NZ time (USA: Tuesday 5 August 2pm to 5pm, UK: Tuesday 10pm).
Check out the full programme on our website: http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/squid/
Hope you can make it!
Thanks so much for this! This is exactly what I was looking for