OK skeptics and scientists, please explain this event, which happened here in New Zealand yesterday:
A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. She had cut off the head, and was slicing along the backbone with a sharp knife on a wooden cutting board.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called the police, and investigation showed the following:
o There were burn marks INSIDE the fish o A chunk of the metal of the knife had been taken out
The fish had been purchased recently from her normal supplier.
Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened. -- Paul Gillingwater, p...@actrix.co.nz
In article <1990May18.212647.19...@actrix.co.nz>, p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) writes...
>OK skeptics and scientists, please explain this event, which happened >here in New Zealand yesterday:
>A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. >She had cut off the head, and was slicing along the backbone with >a sharp knife on a wooden cutting board.
>Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called >the police, and investigation showed the following:
> o There were burn marks INSIDE the fish > o A chunk of the metal of the knife had been taken out
>The fish had been purchased recently from her normal supplier.
>Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened.
hmmm... i'd be interested in the proof, but that's another matter... explanations: 1> the mercury content in the fish spontaneously produced mercury fulmanate, which is a mild percussion explosive (this is, many would say, impossible)
2> white phosphorus deposited itself somewhere in the back of this fish, in an air-tight envelope. once exposed to air it exploded (this is, many would say, equally impossible)
3> high radiation levels from the bikini atoll nuclear bomb testings have finally produced the first mutant exploding fish, precursor to the ert-teldens of the gamma world role-playing game (this is, many would now insist, absolutely impossible)
4> this was one of the bizarre occurances that keeps publications such as the sun and weekly world news
> 2> white phosphorus deposited itself somewhere in the back of this fish, in an > air-tight envelope. once exposed to air it exploded (this is, many would say, > equally impossible)
> 3> high radiation levels from the bikini atoll nuclear bomb testings have > finally produced the first mutant exploding fish, precursor to the ert-teldens > of the gamma world role-playing game (this is, many would now insist, > absolutely impossible)
> 4> this was one of the bizarre occurances that keeps publications such as the > sun and weekly world news in business (aha, many will now agree. This is > possible) >>-- >>Paul Gillingwater, p...@actrix.co.nz
In article <1990May18.212647.19...@actrix.co.nz>, p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) writes: > A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. ...
> Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! ...
Decomposition had caused a small amount of methane to collect in the fish's intestine or other internal body cavity. By rare coincidence (a) the concentration was great enough to support ignition and (b) a single action of the knife managed to cause this.
>>>>> On 18 May 90 21:26:47 GMT, p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) said:
Paul> A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. ... Paul> Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called ... Paul> Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened.
Cold Fusion. -- Jerry Lotto <lo...@lhasa.harvard.edu> "Have you hugged the curves today?" Chemistry Dept., Harvard Univ. AMA #520019 DoD #018 HOG #0323880
In article <1990May18.212647.19...@actrix.co.nz> p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) writes: >A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. >Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called >the police, and investigation showed the following:
> o There were burn marks INSIDE the fish > o A chunk of the metal of the knife had been taken out
>Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened.
Strange... the only possible explanation I can think of is that somehow, someway this fish swallowed something like part of a magnesium flare, and that his body somehow swaddled it in a protective cyst. When the woman cut into it, she exposed the magnesium to air and it ignited.
This theory ought to be easily disproved or proven by close examination of the fish -- please keep us informed if and when anything more is learned.
A really interesting case.
-- Gary Benson -=[ S M I L E R ]=- -_-_-_-...@fluke.tc.com_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. -Goethe
>>A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. >>[...] >Strange... the only possible explanation I can think of is that somehow, >someway this fish swallowed something like part of a magnesium flare, and >that his body somehow swaddled it in a protective cyst. When the woman cut >into it, she exposed the magnesium to air and it ignited.
>This theory ought to be easily disproved or proven by close examination of >the fish -- please keep us informed if and when anything more is learned.
or by the fact that magnesium doesn't ignite from exposure to air and magnesium quickly forms Mg(OH)2 in water; more quickly than a flounder could swallow it... and a flounder is hardly large enough to swallow any part of a magnesium flare. the list goes on and on :)
>Gary Benson -=[ S M I L E R ]=- -_-_-_-...@fluke.tc.com_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Perhaps the fish swallowed an unexploded cartridge it found at the scene of a WW2 battle. The remains of the cartridge may have been flicked away by the explosion. I've heard that some old ammo can become really unstable, due to formation of metal ion complexes between the powder and the casing.
In article <M55J...@xavier.swarthmore.edu> al...@campus.swarthmore.edu writes: >-Message-Text-Follows- >In article <1990May18.212647.19...@actrix.co.nz>, I wrote: >>A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. >>She had cut off the head, and was slicing along the backbone with >>a sharp knife on a wooden cutting board.
>>Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called >>the police, and investigation showed the following: >explanations: > 1> the mercury content in the fish spontaneously produced mercury fulmanate, > which is a mild percussion explosive (this is, many would say, impossible)
> 2> white phosphorus deposited itself somewhere in the back of this fish, in an > air-tight envelope. once exposed to air it exploded (this is, many would say, > equally impossible)
> 3> high radiation levels from the bikini atoll nuclear bomb testings have > finally produced the first mutant exploding fish, precursor to the ert-teldens > of the gamma world role-playing game (this is, many would now insist, > absolutely impossible)
> 4> this was one of the bizarre occurances that keeps publications such as the > sun and weekly world news
Further news reports in respected media here in NZ reveal the following:
1. The woman is elderly, but not insane or feeble-minded. 2. Some fishermen use bullets to kill fish, but this has not been reported as an option with a flat fish. 3. Police suspect that an electric jug cord was cut into, however.. 4. The woman claims that the jug cord was no where near the chopping board
An Israeli special forces officer had his glider blown off course, and landed in New Zealand instead of the Philipines. In a fit of rage, he fired off a single round which entered the fish, struck the knife, and exploded.
p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) writes: >Further news reports in respected media here in NZ reveal the following: >1. The woman is elderly, but not insane or feeble-minded. >2. Some fishermen use bullets to kill fish, but this has not been > reported as an option with a flat fish. >3. Police suspect that an electric jug cord was cut into, however.. >4. The woman claims that the jug cord was no where near the chopping board
A-HA! Yup, it's an old story: we tend to assume that we've been given all the facts and construct our theories without asking further questions.
Shorting out a lamp cord, then denying the possibility out of embarassment is far more likely than mercury fulminate, methane explosion, WWII ammo, etc.
How easy it is to forget to be skeptical when presented with a novel mystery!
In article <102...@convex.convex.com>, schum...@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher) writes, in part:
>p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) writes: >>Further news reports in respected media here in NZ reveal the following: ... >>2. Some fishermen use bullets to kill fish, but this has not been
"bullets", per se, are not explosive. Use of an exploding round is _so_ unlikely in this cas as as to be unlikely. On the chance that 3 & 4 don't resolve it, are these fish "bottom feeders"? In the "bad old days" various sorts of things, specifically including obsolete or unusable munitions were dumped in the ocean. Any sort of small arms primer would, i think, match the description. Should be traces in the fish remains.
>>3. Police suspect that an electric jug cord was cut into, however.. >>4. The woman claims that the jug cord was no where near the chopping board >A-HA! Yup, it's an old story: we tend to assume that we've >been given all the facts and construct our theories without >asking further questions.
Simple inquiry: Has anybody LOOKED at the lamp cord??
thanks dave pierson |the facts, as accurately as i can manage, Digital Equipment Corporation |the opinions, my own. 600 Nickerson Rd Marlboro, Mass 01752 pier...@cimnet.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to this credit, written nothing" A J Raffles
lo...@lamia.harvard.edu (Jerry Lotto) writes: > >>>>> On 18 May 90 21:26:47 GMT, p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) said:
> Paul> A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. > ... > Paul> Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called > ... > Paul> Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened.
> Cold Fusion.
I think the phenomenon is much more likely to be Cold Fission...
> -- > Jerry Lotto <lo...@lhasa.harvard.edu> "Have you hugged the curves today?" > Chemistry Dept., Harvard Univ. AMA #520019 DoD #018 HOG
In article <1990May21.020736.22...@tc.fluke.COM> i...@tc.fluke.COM (Gary Benson) writes:
>Oops, I meant PHOSOPHORUS, of course, which as I proved in school explodes >violently when put in contact with WATER...(thus it is sometimes stored >under kerosene).
You are thinking of sodium metal. White phosphorous is stored under water, since it is not stable in air and it is highly toxic. Red phosphorous is stable in air and is the form that is used most often commercially and it is not very toxic. Sodium metal reacts violently with water and is stored under kerosene or mineral oil.
Jeff Forbes '85 FJ1100 pilot - Yet to find any twisties in Illinois.
>> that somehow this fish swallowed something like part of a magnesium >> flare, and that his body somehow swaddled it in a protective cyst. When >> the woman cut into it, she exposed the magnesium to air and it ignited.
then =====STARMAN== retorted:
> magnesium doesn't ignite from exposure to air and magnesium quickly forms > Mg(OH)2 in water; more quickly than a flounder could swallow it... and a > flounder is hardly large enough to swallow any part of a magnesium flare.
Oops, I meant PHOSOPHORUS, of course, which as I proved in school explodes violently when put in contact with WATER...(thus it is sometimes stored under kerosene). My "cyst" was to keep the stuff out of contact with the water natureally in the fish'es body...and uh, the fish was supposed to have swallowed part of a rusted out old flare near a WWII plane crash or ship sinking.
Then again, maybe the ditzy old broad just cut into a lamp cord.
-- Gary Benson -=[ S M I L E R ]=- -_-_-_-...@fluke.tc.com_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Somebody said to me, "But the Beatles were antimaterialistic". That's a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say "Now, let's write a swimming pool". -Paul McCartney
In article <saJjZlO00WB5I31...@andrew.cmu.edu> jk...@andrew.cmu.edu (Jonathan King) writes: }lo...@lamia.harvard.edu (Jerry Lotto) writes: }> >>>>> On 18 May 90 21:26:47 GMT, p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) said: }> }> Paul> A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. }> ... }> Paul> Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called }> ... }> Paul> Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened. }> }> Cold Fusion. } }I think the phenomenon is much more likely to be Cold Fission...
Are you sure it was a flounder? It might have been Cod fusion...
That that is is that that is. That that is not is that that is not. That that is is not that that is not. That that is not is not that that is. And that includes these opinions, which are solely mine! j...@aplvax.jhuapl.edu - or - j...@aplvax.uucp - or - meritt%aplvm.BITNET
In article <30...@cup.portal.com> m...@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) writes:
>Perhaps the fish swallowed an unexploded cartridge it found at >the scene of a WW2 battle. The remains of the cartridge may have been >flicked away by the explosion. I've heard that some old ammo can become >really unstable, due to formation of metal ion complexes between the >powder and the casing.
We didn't have any WW2 battles down here in NZ. Plus a flounder has a very small mouth, and would be unable to swallow any portion of a cartridge large enough to retain its envelope integrity (i.e. keep the powder dry).
Police forensics have not found a bullet anywhere, and anyway, the spent cartridge should also be in the room, thus doubling the chance of finding something...
Can some other NZ net people comment if you have heard any more? I know that fisheries research are on the net... c'mon guys... -- Paul Gillingwater, p...@actrix.co.nz
In article <LOTTO.90May19083...@lamia.harvard.edu> lo...@lamia.harvard.edu (Jerry Lotto) writes:
|>>>>> On 18 May 90 21:26:47 GMT, p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) said: | |Paul> A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. |... |Paul> Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash of light! She called |... |Paul> Explanations, anyone? This is *not* an urban myth. It happened. | |Cold Fusion.
Cold Fishin', more like.
-- Alastair Sutherland, Computing Services Projects Guy, The Santa Cruz Operation alast...@sco.com (E-I-E-I-O) - or - uunet!sco!alastair - or - (408) 425-7222
"I always thought that if you have too many errors that the compiler catches, the compiler should aid your program development by deleting the source." -- meiss...@osf.org
Actually, the fish incident DID occur. Here are some extracts from today's daily newspaper here in New Zealand:
"The Dominion", Monday May 21, 1990
"The case of the flounder which exploded in a Wellington women's kitchen on Friday has fisheries scientists puzzled -- but a clue may lie in whether the unfortunate fish had been filleted. "The elderly woman, who declined to talk about the incident yesterday, told police she had been cutting the spine of the fish when it exploded. "The explosion burned the fish's insides and left burn marks on the knife and wrapper. "According to Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry pathologist Mike Hine, the only explosive substance found in fish is methane gas -- which was highly explosive -- and the woman may have released the gas when she cut into the fish's bowel. "But he said 'a tremendously strict combination of the amount of gas, a flame, and ignitiion' was need to set of an explosion. "'I've been a professional scientist for 20 years and I have never heard an account like this before. A lot of fish I cut up do have gas in the bowel and it is methane, so it would be expected, under the right circumstances, it could happen,' he said. ... "Another possibility is that the explosion could have been sparked by a buildup of static electricity, not in the fish, but in the knife and the bench used, according to the ministry's fisheries research head, John McCoy."
SO the case of the mysterious exploding fish is not yet solved, but will no doubt be added to the store of unexplained events...
Some of the other explanations put forth may work in conjunction with the following, but there have been cases in the literature describing incidents where relatively unknowledgable folks have mistaken electric rays for flounder. In some cases, the mistaken individuals have fileted and eaten the rays (which supposedly do taste pretty good!). In any event, I would think that, since the electric organs run along the backbone of the ray, there is certainly a good possibility of "shorting" the tissues through the knife blade...don't know if there's enough power there to melt the blade, and I don't know whether the event would cause any acoustic side-effects (like the "popping" sound you get when you short out a really big capacitor), but it does provide one more possibility!
.
-- MURRAY,JEFFREY P Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!jm67 Internet: j...@prism.gatech.edu
In article <caJO87y00Xo_MIZ...@andrew.cmu.edu>, hm...@andrew.cmu.edu
(Hugh Moore) writes:
> An Israeli special forces officer had his glider blown off course, and > landed in New Zealand instead of the Philipines. In a fit of rage, he > fired off a single round which entered the fish, struck the knife, and > exploded.
> Mad Uncle
Naw man, who'd believe a lotta hooey like that?
What really happened was some space monsters--you know, chariots of the gods type guys--were down there looking for Elvis. Anyway, they were trying to get the King to chanel through a fish when that dizzy old broad hadda go ahead and stab the fishy, effectively ruining all short term hope for seeing another Come Back Tour--at least in this astral plane, anytime soon.
Don't believe it? Just ask the FBI? They got files on the whole thing. They found out about it by running a wire into Shirley MacLane's medulla oblongata. I got the transcripts through personal connections in the CIA. I can't say anything else about this stuff. I know you probably want to know more. This is just one of those times when you're going to have to put national security ahead of your enquiring mind.
Gotta go. My wristwatch is ringing.
*************************************** * Walter G. Rolandi * * Horizon Research, Inc. * * 1432 Main Street * * Waltham, MA 02154 USA * * (617) 466 8339 * * * * rola...@hri.com * ***************************************
In article <1990May19.163817.14...@tc.fluke.COM> i...@tc.fluke.COM (Gary Benson) writes:
>Strange... the only possible explanation I can think of is that somehow, >someway this fish swallowed something like part of a magnesium flare, and >that his body somehow swaddled it in a protective cyst. When the woman cut >into it, she exposed the magnesium to air and it ignited.
Magnesium does not ignite spontaneously--nor should part of a flare.
--Hal
======================================================================= Hal Heydt | An earthquake is Mother Nature's Analyst, Pacific*Bell | "silent" pager going off . . . 415-823-5447 | w...@pbhya.PacBell.COM |
In article <1990May18.212647.19...@actrix.co.nz> p...@actrix.co.nz (Paul Gillingwater) writes: > ... >A women was preparing a flounder (a type of flatfish) for cooking. >She had cut off the head, and was slicing along the backbone with >a sharp knife on a wooden cutting board. > ... > o There were burn marks INSIDE the fish > o A chunk of the metal of the knife had been taken out
Several people have suggested that the nearby electrical cord was involved, and I go along with that, mainly on the strength of the missing chunk of metal from the knife. Most postulated kinds of explosion simply couldn't do that. On the other hand, this is exactly what I would expect, on the basis of personal experience, from cutting into a wire. (Years ago, moving into a new--to me--apartment, I found a length of twisted lamp cord that emerged from the woodwork, ran along a few feet, and disappeared under the wallpaper. I went to remove it with a kitchen knife...) A key observation would be whether there are in fact _two_ chunks out of the knife, or a single chunk with two lobes, with the distance apart being comparable with the distance between the conductors in a typical electrical cord. When one slices into a cord like this, the greatest current density is in the immediate vicinity of the two points of contact between the conductors and the thin edge of the knife. If the damage to the knife is this shape, I would consider it to be conclusive. Even if there is only a single, roughly semicircular, piece missing, it could be that the blade only contacted a single conductor, and the circuit was completed through the fish, the wet cutting board, and whatever, to ground.
As noted in another posting, she _did_ think she was cutting into the spine of the fish, so the feel of cutting into the cord would not have been unexpected.
The fact (reported in another posting) that the person concerned is no longer talking about the incident is also suggestive. -- t...@eslvcr.wimsey.bc.ca ...!ubc-cs!van-bc!eslvcr!ted (Ted Powell)
