Ralphie's Lab on Reuters and CNN.com

[Gemini Cricket]

A species of worm that thrives on undersea hot-water vents prefers the hottest water possible, choosing to live at temperatures that kill other animals, researchers reported on Thursday.

Their unique abilities to withstand hot water shooting like a geyser from hydrothermal openings may help the stalk-like worms prey on bacteria that other animals cannot reach, the researchers report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

Source (http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/04/14/hot.worms.reut/index.html)

Yay! Pete and Ralphie are bestest buds. Congrats to them. Happy dance.
:)

[€uroMeinke]

I am hoping he will spot the Jaguar Shark in his next undersea adventure.

[Gemini Cricket]

I have to get him one of those red knit caps for his voyage.

[Alex]

I thought your dog had made the news.

[Gn2Dlnd]

I thought your dog had made the news.

and he had an opinion on neuters. :D

[Gemini Cricket]

I thought your dog had made the news.
Actually, my dog's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Therefore... <-----My Alex answer.
:D

[tracilicious]

That is some cool stuff. :cheers:

[Alex]

Actually, my dog's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Therefore... <-----My Alex answer.
:D
You didn't do it right. You forgot to include a questioning of people's fundamental understanding of the physical universe and/or society. Also you need a link to another Web site or make mention of a book nobody else is going to read.

[Gemini Cricket]

You didn't do it right.
lol! :D

[Alex]

Yes, it a multi-layered response, isn't it?

[Ralphie]

Thanks you all for the interest. I'm really excited because this summer I'll have the opportunity to join a researh cruise and take a submarine almost 2 miles down to where these odd critters live. Tomorrow I'm going to show Not Afraid and Euromeinke some of these creatures from the deep at the lab.

[Not Afraid]

I'm so excited I'm going to see CREATURES OF THE DEEP!!!!!!!!! I've always been fascinated.

Todayn we visited other cool Hahvahd museums. I could so live here and then maybe I could hitch a ride on Ralphie's itsy bitsy submarine!

[BarTopDancer]

WOOHOO! That must be so exciting!

[Alex]

Ralphie, a quick question if you have a moment. How do you keep these creatures of the depth properly presurized for the entire trip from depth to lab?

I know the article says you have special pressurized aquariums but I would think it takes a lot of equipment to replicate 10,000 feet of water above you.

Or are these creatures tolerant of the pressure changes?

[libraryvixen]

Woo Woo! Hooray Ralphie's lab and Ralphie's friend!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

This research is really interesting! Creatures that live at the hottest temperatures...awesome. :snap:

What Alex asked!

[Not Afraid]

Well, we ot the explaination to Alex's question tonight when we went to visit said creatures, but I'm going to let Ralphie do the 'splaining. I will say, however, that these creatures of the deep are incredibly fascinating too both look at and learn about. Very cool research and I'm looking forward to a report post-dive in August.

[€uroMeinke]

Best exchange of the evening:

Ralphie pulling out various specimens of deep sea and Mid ocean life

Not Afraid: Pointing at a jar with some peculiar shaped creature -
What's That?

Ralphie: Quickly pulling out other jars of creatures responding with a very matter-of-fact tone -
Oh, we don't know what that is

The lab was very cool and we got to see some of the titanium vessels they'll use to bring back some of these creatures in their natural presurized environment.

[Not Afraid]

I loved the story about the 10 foot octopus they pulled up that was entirerly transparent. Super Cool!

[Snowflake]

Wow, this is totally cool! I'm way behind in reading, but I'm envious and fascinated. :D

[€uroMeinke]

Oh, the other cool thing is that these worms, becasue of their sulfer content, have the smell of spent fire crackers - truely odd creatures of the deep.

[tracilicious]

Wow, that sounds fascinating!

[innerSpaceman]

Chemosynthesis, baby! An ecosystem unlike any other within the realm of our knowledge. Creatures who do not get their energy from the sun, but from the earth itself - - subsisting on what to us would be lethal quantities of poisonous chemicals! Two miles deep, in total darkness, an amazing world.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I think you'd need a machine like this to study them...

http://www.loungeoftomorrow.com/LoT/image.php?u=6&dateline=1143936373

[Ralphie]

Hi Alex,

To answer your question and those of others, it is very expensive and requires lots of specialized gear to keep these animals alive. We've worked with engineers to design titanium pressure vessels that can withstand the extremely high pressures that these creatures experience (approaching 4,000 pounds per square inch). To put this in perspective, that's like balancing a Honda Accord or half of a Hummer over a one inch square area on your head. In addition, we have to also add the chemicals normally found in these environments, including hydrogen sulfide, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Some of the animals that live at these vents can tolerate pressure changes and we can transport them back to the lab for study. Others can not and we have to study them out at sea on research vessels.

Innerspaceman, you're right. the process by which these animals and bacteria make a living is called chemosynthesis (they convert chemicals from the geothermal activity of the vents to usable carbon compounds like sugars that can then be used for life). You get an A!

[innerSpaceman]

Heheh, I learned all I know about The Seas from Epcot.

[Gemini Cricket]

To answer your question and those of others, it is very expensive and requires lots of specialized gear to keep these animals alive...
Isn't he, like, smart and some junk?
:D

[Not Afraid]

He's absolutely adorable!

[Gemini Cricket]

I should post his Disneyland picture that his sister gave me for Xmas. It's sooo cute. Ralphie at 6 years old.

[Not Afraid]

I LOVE that pic.

[Stan4dSteph]

Isn't he, like, smart and some junk?
:DWoohoo! Stanford people rule!:D