Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Something's Fishy

I have mixed emotions about this story. On one hand, it shows that the federal government can occasionally respond quickly and accurately to citizen questions and concerns.

On the other hand, it shows that citizens of these United States can be clueless idiots. (Of course, we already knew that. Witness the outcome of the 2008 presidential election.)

So what happened?

In May the Discovery Channel broadcast a show about mermaids. The show, although somewhat tongue-in-cheek, was a fictional program about mythical creatures. Apparently, however, some viewers thought it was a scientific educational show. Somewhat confused, a number of people turned to the government for help.

(I'll let pass the opportunity to make a snide remark about that course of action, other than to say that (1) when I'm confused it's usually because of something the government has said or done, and (2) going to the government for help is definitely not the first thing that springs to mind when I have a question or problem. In fact, it ranks right down there near the bottom of the list. Anyway...)
There is no evidence that mermaids exist, a US government scientific agency has said.

The National Ocean Service made the unusual declaration in response to public inquiries following a TV show on the mythical creatures.

It is thought some viewers may have mistaken the programme for a documentary.

"No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found," the service wrote in an online post.

The National Ocean Service - a division of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) - posted an article last week on its educational website, Ocean Facts.

The article was written from publicly available sources because "we don't have a mermaid science programme", National Ocean Service spokeswoman Carol Kavanagh told the BBC.
Now that the question of mermaid existence has been settled, can we move on to finding out what's really going on in Area 51?

Sorry, fellows, she's just a figment of your imagination.

5 comments:

Pascvaks said...

It's obvious to me now, wonder what maid me think of it at this moment? The biblical Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't an apple, it was a FIG! The secret to good health, long life, and great happiness is "A fig a day!" (apples only keep doctors away, but if you have a fig, the world lies on the rocks at your feet;-) Here figgie, figgie! (My old Scoutmaster said they're a lot like snipe too.) Here figgie, figgie!

Pascvaks said...

Quote of the Day
"Silence is a source of great strength. But in a pinch a Mermaid will do just fine!"
Lao Tzu

JT said...

I have never understood the mermaid fascination for men - with a solid structure from waist to fluke(?), there doesn't appear to be any, um, entry points. Is that it? The unattainable slant? Or is it that the pretty face and nice rack are enough to make up for the lack of a downtown area?

I am sure the government could answer my query.

CenTexTim said...

Pascvaks - I'm at a loss for words... :-)

Harper - I prefer mammals myself, so I'm not sure what the deal is about mermaids. Maybe because after sailors have been at sea for a few months just about anything female looks good to them...?

As for 'entry points,' well, fish reproduce somehow...

Pascvaks said...

My Dad was Navy, I staid on shore and my brothers took to the air, he never told us about Mermaids, I don't think many sailors talk about the mechanics of things, only the funny parts. But isn't if obvious that Mermaids are the result of a genetic cross match? Someone must have figured out the "how" of it a long time ago; they seem to have been around since the end of the last galcial period. No doubt they originated in the Med, probably near Greece.