I’ve not heard of it being shown on the terrestrial British television or else I would have watched it, but it may have been on Discovery or some other satellite channel.

The bloody do-gooders are at it again Alex. No matter that kids in schools are attacking teachers because they know they will not be properly disciplined, kids attack pensioners etc, as long as no one punishes the little darlings that is all that matters. I used to get clouted as a kid, it hasn’t made me violent, I do not think any worse of my parents for disciplining me. The school I went to (well one of them anyway) had corporal punishment and it was brill, no bullying, no yobbish behaviour, just normal and civilised. One school I went to had no form of discipline at all, and you really feared for your safety in some cases because the yobs always had the upper hand over the teachers.

Originally posted by Viper01
Another potential reason why giant squids apparently are restricted to large depths can be related to their internal body pressure. Creatures balance their internal pressure according to i. e. a change in environmental/external pressure during descent and ascent (relative to descent/ascent rate). Creatures living at large depths normally adapt their internal body pressure to match the pressure in their environment, i. e. 101 bar – 1001 bar (1000 m – 5000 m) etc. If a specific creature is unable to balance its internal body pressure in accordance with the external pressure, the internal pressure will eventually exceed the external pressure, consequently the creature’s body will expand, often resulting in fatal injury.
I am not in a position to authenticate reports alleging observations of living giant squids at surface level.
I currently know very litte about squid anatomy or other of its biological characteristics, but I find it naturally to assume that the giant squid, due to the high pressure state of its (assumed) natural large depth environment, may be unable to balance its internal pressure according to a rapid or permanent reduction of external pressure due to ascension. Due to the substantial difference in external pressure, I also find it rational to assert that the “normal” but unknown size and specific shape of the qiant squid; the size and shape it takes when located on large depths, is relatively smaller than the size and shape of examples/individuals observed on surface level.

Regards,

Viper01

Got it in one Viper. That is why you will never see a giant squid on the surface, and if you were to dive deep enough to see one in it’s habitat you would end up dead. I spent three years getting a degree in bloody marine biology (truly hateful subject believe me, even for someone interested in science, but my idea of science is veterinary medicine so it’s hardly surprising that marine biology is not for me).

I agree with Arthur’s sentiment here. Get well soon Adonis.

How awful, my sympathy to the family of the pilot who was killed, and I wish those injured a speedy recovery.

Another rant about my ISP. WHSmith Net has been discontinued because the company providing the service has gone bust so everything has been transferred to the company that runs Breathe. I still cannot get through to them about my payment details (which are due to expire next week) and now it takes ages to even connect to the internet. I can’t wait to be able to switch provider, I just wish that Virgin did a Daytime or Off Peak package like I had with WHSmithNet.