Unutterably Silly Quiz

[Stitchawl]

???


Stitchawl

[Bookpossum]

Er, no. Probably a bit big to be accommodated in a long ship. I meant a particular kind of bird rather than an individual bird!

[Stitchawl]

Well, I figure it's got to be a land bird, rather than some sort of sea bird. Something that won't try to settle on the water... Maybe something like a pigeon or crow that will fly up, and not seeing any land from high up, return to the boat. And if it does sight land over the horizon, fly off in that direction. But I haven't any real knowledge of which they used.

Stitchawl

I will guess a raven. One for the reason Stitchawl mentioned. Two because ravens figure so prominently in Norse mythology. That or some sort of raptor like a falcon or hawk.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I will guess a raven. One for the reason Stitchawl mentioned. Two because ravens figure so prominently in Norse mythology. That or some sort of raptor like a falcon or hawk.

You're probably right about the raven. I discounted raptors because I figured they flew too high to be easily seen. I never knew about ravens in Norse mythology... I know they are prominent in the Native American myths of the Pacific North-West.


Stitchawl

[Bookpossum]

Exactly right - a raven. Strong fliers, needing somewhere to perch, and of course intelligent birds smart enough to go back to the ship if there wasn't land within reach. And wasn't it clever of the Vikings to think of that.

So over to Stitchawl and Hamlet53.

[Stitchawl]

Hamlet... you give us one!


Stitchawl

[SneakySnake]

They shoulda just hung their testicles in the water like the Polynesians. No extra feeding or worrying about escape.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

They shoulda just hung their testicles in the water like the Polynesians. No extra feeding or worrying about escape.

Errm....what?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

They shoulda just hung their testicles in the water like the Polynesians. No extra feeding or worrying about escape.

Weren't the Vikings sailing in really, really cold water? The Polynesian method works better in warm water... Trust me on this one.


Stitchawl

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Weren't the Vikings sailing in really, really cold water? The Polynesian method works better in warm water... Trust me on this one.


Stitchawl

Indeed I would imagine that there is the issue of shrinkage. “Like a frightened turtle”

So here is a test to see who has kept abreast of the latest science news. What is now thought to be the oldest living organism on Earth and how old is it estimated to be? As extra credit what organism was previously thought to be the oldest at about 40,000 years?

[Daithi]

I saw this in the news yesterday. It is seagrass that is 200,000 years old.

[Daithi]

I don't know what the previous oldest is, but I'll hazard a guess. I think it might be the honey mushroom, which is a fungus and is the largest living thing on earth (depending on your definition of a single living entity).

I also seem to remember learning about some trees that are supposed to be a million years old, and whose roots are all connected but have different trunks and foliage above ground. I can't remember what they are called but I think they are somewhere in the U.S. I guess the scientists must have changed their minds about these being the oldest.

[Stitchawl]

I'll guess that the previous one was the Bristlecone Pine tree. I imagine this is what Daithi may be referring to.


Stitchawl

Originally Posted by Daithi

I saw this in the news yesterday. It is seagrass that is 200,000 years old.

Yep, that's the one.

Originally Posted by Daithi

I don't know what the previous oldest is, but I'll hazard a guess. I think it might be the honey mushroom, which is a fungus and is the largest living thing on earth (depending on your definition of a single living entity).

I also seem to remember learning about some trees that are supposed to be a million years old, and whose roots are all connected but have different trunks and foliage above ground. I can't remember what they are called but I think they are somewhere in the U.S. I guess the scientists must have changed their minds about these being the oldest.

I don't know about those two. From what I read about the sea grass the age is based on DNA sequencing which established that a clone of sea grass that existed 200,000 years ago is still alive. The information I read suggested that a type of holly bush was the previous oldest.


So next riddle is yours.