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Cubelet

@Qbitzerre @lednaBM I had a marine mammals class in college in which the professor challenged us to come up with an answer to why whales beach themselves. I said off-handedly that it was a ritual suicide following their religions' directions. The rest of the class didn't find it as entertaining a thought as I did. (Whales will re-beach themselves further down the coast if you "save" them btw.)

21 July at 19:26 | Wall-to-wall | Open on mastodon.social
11 comments
2¢

@Cubelet @lednaBM did anyone have a better explanation?

21 July at 20:10 | Open on unbound.social
Pooka🍸Boo 👁🫣🫵

@Qbitzerre @Cubelet It's just not a scientific observation.... Imho.

21 July at 20:21 | Open on stranger.social
2¢

@lednaBM @Cubelet not an observation (except of the behavior). A hypothesis.

21 July at 20:39 | Open on unbound.social
Pooka🍸Boo 👁🫣🫵

@Qbitzerre @Cubelet agree to disagree.... a hypothesis requires supporting evidence, not deciding evidence.

21 July at 20:47 | Open on stranger.social
Cubelet

@lednaBM @Qbitzerre honestly it was a joke. Not an observation or a hypothesis. ^^; but it did make me consider the concept of animals religions.

21 July at 20:50 | Open on mastodon.social
Pooka🍸Boo 👁🫣🫵

@Cubelet @Qbitzerre There's no doubt that animals are conscious of death, but that's not religion just because humans seem to think they own the space...

21 July at 22:18 | Open on stranger.social
2¢

@lednaBM @Cubelet a hypothesis doesn't require any evidence. It is speculation. But my neighbor's dog tried to baptize me so that's pretty convincing to me. And he likes wafers.

21 July at 20:57 | Open on unbound.social
Cubelet

@lednaBM @Qbitzerre I mean technically a hypothesis doesn't require supporting evidence since it's just an idea that needs to be tested, but I understand where you're coming from (I believe). It does have to be a statement that can potentially be proven false which my joke about whale religion does not possess.

21 July at 20:57 | Open on mastodon.social
2¢

@Cubelet @lednaBM I think Captain Ahab had a more engaging perspective. And that Jonah dude probably pondered it...

21 July at 21:37 | Open on unbound.social
Cubelet

@Qbitzerre @lednaBM no. At least as of when I took that class there hasn't been a reason the scientific community has agreed upon for why whales beach themselves. I don't know if any new info has come to light. It's been over a decade.

21 July at 20:45 | Open on mastodon.social
504DR

@Cubelet @Qbitzerre @lednaBM

A hypothesis not based on anthropogenic beliefs in magic based death cults would be that many species go off to die when they sense their time is up.

Whales do this by beaching themselves, which is why many beach again after being rescued and put back in the ocean.(A lone whale beaching should be left alone to die in peace, imo. Not traumatized and terrorized by hordes of ppl interfering with it's last moments on earth.)

Mass beachings are probably caused by human activity in the ocean; blasting, sonar, swimming thru pockets of extreme pollution - which sickens or harms most of them in the pod to a fatal degree.
Human activity in the ocean can also disorient whales, which depend heavily on their sonar abilities.

@Cubelet @Qbitzerre @lednaBM

A hypothesis not based on anthropogenic beliefs in magic based death cults would be that many species go off to die when they sense their time is up.

Whales do this by beaching themselves, which is why many beach again after being rescued and put back in the ocean.(A lone whale beaching should be left alone to die in peace, imo. Not traumatized and terrorized by hordes of ppl interfering with it's last moments on earth.)

21 July at 22:42 | Open on climatejustice.social
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