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"Additionally, they’ve discovered the remains of several critters, including cockroaches, rats and at least two domestic cats." The idea that we've recovered i
by Oarch 1y ago
"Additionally, they’ve discovered the remains of several critters, including cockroaches, rats and at least two domestic cats."
The idea that we've recovered identifiable cockroaches that have been submerged for almost 500 years breaks a few ideas I had about reality.
- Onavo 1y agoThey don't rot if there's no oxygen
- oulipo 1y agoisn't there oxygen in H2O ?
- ndileas 1y agoThere's very little free oxygen in the water below certain depths, actually!
- oulipo 1y agoInteresting, thanks!
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- mystified5016 1y agoThe oxygen inside water molecules is chemically bound and not really available for other work. Water does carry dissolved gases like O2 gas, but as sibling pointed out, not at these depths.
- oulipo 1y agoInteresting, thanks!
- hilbert42 1y agoEven so, I'm surprised there'd be much of a cockroach left after 500 years or so. Presumably, they were in a well protected part of the wreck not exposed to flowing water. After water rushed in it must have essentially stayed there and any oxygen in it absorbed by nearby wood, etc. and not replaced. Similarly, with the cat DNA. It would be interesting to know the exact circumstances of how they were found.
- gus_massa 1y agoThe exoskeleton is hard and it doesn't rot very fast. If there no biologist or chemistry nearby, you can imagine it's made of something similar to plastic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod_exoskeleton#Chemical_composition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropod_exoskeleton#Chemical... And as a sibling comment says, there is too few oxygen down there so it rots even slower.