| The Temple of Dagon Forum Index » General Discussion » "Fascinating Things I Find Online" |
|
 "Fascinating Things I Find Online" |
| Author |
Message |
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:49 am |
|
|
|
Shadow Out Of Time
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 1023
Location: maelstrom
|
|
Of all the world records profiled on Extreme Science this one has proved to be the most elusive and tricky to keep updated. It seems there are a number of different organisms that hold the record for the "longest lived" and their exact ages are still under investigation. In fact, the only thing we can report for certain is that the records listed here will probably be upstaged by a new discovery in the near future. Below is a listing of what is currently in the literature as some of the oldest organisms still living today:
October, 1999; 250-million-year-old bacteria were found in ancient sea salt beneath Carlsbad, New Mexico. The microscopic organisms were revived in a laboratory after being in 'suspended animation', encased in a hard-shelled spore, for an estimated 250 million years. The species has not been identified, but is referred to as strain 2-9-3, or B. permians.
May, 1995; 40-million-year-old bacteria (Bacillus sphaericus) were found in the stomach of a bee encased in amber. These bacteria were also found in a state of suspended animation and were re-animated in a laboratory.
1997; King's Holly (Lomatia tasmanica) - found in the rainforests of Tasmania. Scientists estimated the age of the plant using a nearby fossil of an identical plant. It was found to be over 43,000 years old! The plants appear to be sterile - incapable of producing flowers and viable seeds. Lomatia is triploid, that is, it has three sets of chromosomes instead of two. Because of this it is unable to sexually reproduce. The clonal thickets reproduce vegetatively by root suckering. Fossil leaves found in a late Pleistocene deposit may be genetically identical to present-day plants. The plant is a rare freak of nature whose origins and age are as yet unknown.
August, 1999; Box Huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera) - researchers in Pennsylvania have discovered a living plant that is a remnant of the last Ice Age. Using the known rate of growth if this self-sterile plant, they estimated that this 1/4-acre colony is over 13,000 years old. Researchers are still trying to verify the growth rate to determine is that age is an accurate measure.
March, 2004; Eucalyptus recurva. Also known as "Mongarlowe Mallee" or "Ice Age Gum" it is the rarest Eucalypt in Australia or the world, and is known from only 5 individual specimens. Scientists in Australia are undertaking analyses to determine the exact age of one specimen that is estimated to be 13,000 years old. This aging method also relies on determining the plant's growth rate. Scientists are stilly verifying the growth and performing genetic analyses of neighboring specimens to determine if they are from the same organism.
April, 1980; Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). Scientists discovered a giant, and very ancient clone of the creosote bush in the Mojave Desert in California they estimated to be between 11,000 and 12,000 years old.
 |
_________________
http://www.midnightsanctum.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/aethermoon
[I don't know who H.P. Lovecraft is] |
|
|
|
 |
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:01 pm |
|
|
|
Primordial Evil
Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 655
Location: Boston, Mass
|
|
| I welcome our new plant over lords. |
_________________
"If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it." ~ Caesar
[America] [Scotland] ||| The Truth will stand when the World is on fire. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:45 pm |
|
|
|
Deep One Spawn
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 1898
Location: The Icy Land of Canada
|
|
Anyone seen little shop of horrors? cuz I would expect plant overlords would look like this
http://www.movievillains.com/images/audrey2.jpg |
_________________
| Jesus Prime wrote: |
| Good point. You sexy beast, you. |
| Quote: |
| Mid-19th Century: Captain Obed Marsh explores Devil's Reef. Reputedly, he is searching for pirate treasure |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 5:27 pm |
|
|
|
Moderator
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 3713
Location: Ireland (Moon-Bog country)
|
|
The black-and-white original was way better.
And, ahem... HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT, BATMAN! |
_________________
| Adrian wrote: |
| TELL ME YOU ORDERED THE FUCKING GOLF SHOES! |
| Adrian wrote: |
| I sure love my pudding. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:18 am |
|
|
|
Shadow Out Of Time
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 1007
Location: Right here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 8:14 am |
|
|
|
Primordial Evil
Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 655
Location: Boston, Mass
|
|
| The Blooooooooob liiiiives! |
_________________
"If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it." ~ Caesar
[America] [Scotland] ||| The Truth will stand when the World is on fire. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 10:06 am |
|
|
|
Shadow Out Of Time
Joined: 19 Jan 2005
Posts: 1443
Location: Oklahoma
|
|
| |
_________________
"I'm farther from doing what I want to do than I was 20 years ago"
~~H.P.Lovecraft~~
| IMDB wrote: |
| in the event of a zombie apocalypse, or the return of Cthulu, be near a Wal-Mart! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:16 pm |
|
|
|
Moderator
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 3713
Location: Ireland (Moon-Bog country)
|
|
| E.A. Lovecraft wrote: |
| There's a horror story tucked away in that info about prehistoric bacteria being revived. |
Maybe I'm getting a different idea to you guys, but would it be that lethal extinct diseases might be among them? |
_________________
| Adrian wrote: |
| TELL ME YOU ORDERED THE FUCKING GOLF SHOES! |
| Adrian wrote: |
| I sure love my pudding. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:56 pm |
|
|
|
Old One
Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 2120
Location: Southern California
|
|
| yeah, but how do you make the prehistoric element stand out? is it the story of the disease (a la outbreak), or how it was released? unless there's some kind of entity/monster involved, i don't know how to make good use of the prehistoric disease premise |
_________________
A monkey riding a dog is probably the awesomest thing that could ever happen.
Contributors wanted! Fantastic Horror — Original Works of Disturbing Imagination |
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:46 pm |
|
|
|
Occultist
Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 132
Location: Ireland
|
|
| The symptoms disease could be something really bizarre (like brain mutations) that had a profound influence on prehistory, and unleashing it in modern times would have an equally catalytic effect. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:50 pm |
|
|
|
Deep One Spawn
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 1898
Location: The Icy Land of Canada
|
|
| Jesus Prime wrote: |
The black-and-white original was way better.
And, ahem... HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT, BATMAN! |
Meh the plants voice was really lame |
_________________
| Jesus Prime wrote: |
| Good point. You sexy beast, you. |
| Quote: |
| Mid-19th Century: Captain Obed Marsh explores Devil's Reef. Reputedly, he is searching for pirate treasure |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:10 pm |
|
|
|
Shadow Out Of Time
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 1007
Location: Right here
|
|
| JJ Burke wrote: |
| yeah, but how do you make the prehistoric element stand out? is it the story of the disease (a la outbreak), or how it was released? unless there's some kind of entity/monster involved, i don't know how to make good use of the prehistoric disease premise |
The prehistoric aspect would probably be limited to a little bit of archaeological evidence and some "wacko" scientist's ridiculed-theory-proves-true scenario.
It could work. |
_________________
Do NOT talk grammar with Adolph! |
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:34 pm |
|
|
|
Old One
Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 2120
Location: Southern California
|
|
| as a short story, i guess it could.. i was thinking more along the lines of a novel or a feature-length movie. for some reason |
_________________
A monkey riding a dog is probably the awesomest thing that could ever happen.
Contributors wanted! Fantastic Horror — Original Works of Disturbing Imagination |
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 9:52 pm |
|
|
|
Shadow Out Of Time
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 1007
Location: Right here
|
|
| I think it would work as a novel as long as you didn't rely solely on the prehistoric aspect to drive the story. |
_________________
Do NOT talk grammar with Adolph! |
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 1:54 pm |
|
|
|
Moderator
Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 3713
Location: Ireland (Moon-Bog country)
|
|
| I'm thinking a "Call of Cthulhu" style piecing together of information, with the reanimated bacteria providing the final revalations. Maybe the journals of some scientist investigating in the rainforests, or maybe on a remote Pacific island could factor in - the last place where these bacteria where alive, possibly in geologically recent times so that the skeletons of the victims are still where they lay, not fossilised, so more can be learnt of the effects. I'm liking the idea. |
_________________
| Adrian wrote: |
| TELL ME YOU ORDERED THE FUCKING GOLF SHOES! |
| Adrian wrote: |
| I sure love my pudding. |
|
|
|
|
|
