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s.g.k. whales
An answer to the question in this week's letter 'How does the great boom of a whale's signal go to one particular whale?'may be that all on its wavelength can hear it but one is more receptive to its purpose.Possibly everything exists in a medium of communication (ours being spatial) through which everything communicates reciprocally.
Graeme Cox - Whales
I don't know how you choose your subjects or came up with the idea of doing the whales, but this slightly unusual, non-form one was excellent !!!
colin milne - evolution.
Erratum - Consequential Evolution. " C.E.T.I " should read " S.E.T.I. ". Colin Milne.Location - Birkenhead Library.
Jennifer Wallace : The Whale
What an excellent programme! Whatever the topic, I come away from this programme pleasantly stunned by how much I've learnt, but there was something really special about this one. The clarity of each speaker's contribution was a delight to listen to and learn from. This programme hadn't had the hype that many of those related to Darwin's theory of evolution have had in this bicentenary year, yet I thought it was maybe the best I've seen or heard.
Brian Towers - Whales
re: Your question in the email about "how, in presumably crowded seas, does the whale's great boom of a signal go to a particular whale?"Many years ago I worked on military sonar projects for Plessey Marine Research Unit in Templecombe.What I learnt then was that sharp differences in water temperature can create the equivalent of speaking tubes or layers within the water.A sound created in such a layer will not escape the layer and can travel enormous distances depending on the frequency of the sound.It is likely that whales can communicate over 10's even 100's of miles in the right circumstances.
michael jenkins: paleontology and phylogeny
Dear in our time,i was very interested to listento your informative discussion on:the evolution of the whales,and, the living phylogeny of whales,with respect to the paleontology of:analysing the form of the skeletonsin the fossil record;specifically in this case:the ankle bone.I have a collie dog, a mammal,one of the fist things i noticedabout his skeleton,is that he, dogs,do not have collar boneslike we, humans, do.Since then, the questionhas always beenin the back of my mind:what living phylogeny of mammals(species, genera, orders, classes)are relatedwhen defined by:'having a collar bone' ?yours faithfully michael jenkins
Jon Beynon - Evolution of aquatic mammals
Great discussion on whales - but isn't it time you gave some attention to our species' possible brief adventure in the ocean. I mean of course the Aquatic Ape Theory - contentious I know but definitely worth consideration.
colin milne - consequential evolution.
Deatrying to put a spanner in r Sir, Re: Consequential Evolution. """""""""""""""""""""""""""" I think that you and Prof. Jones are my Theory of Functionality with your programme about the regressive evolution of Wally. I have tried to convey that evolution has to have a ' drive ' - on Earth, it is the fact that it is Earth-Moon, and the imbalance provides the ' drive ' and makes the life forms functional. The " CETI " experiment should look for planets that have a moon - or some other driving mechanism. There is no need for a planet to evolve - it is evolved, and it could even ' think '. Our thinking is, possibly, just an exchange between stimulus and reaction ( similar to particle exchange } It is iteresting to compare the stages of birth with the stages of evolution. There is cell fusion, embryonic ' amniot ? }, and small creature. Some of the sea creatures resemble ' amniots '. The scientists can't see the functionality for the detail ! Yours etc., Colin P. MilneLocation - Birkenhead Library.
Carl Smith: Aquatic Ape Hypothesis
After listening to Melvin's recent show about whales and the thoughts of his guests I thought that In Our Time should really tackle the 'Aquatic Ape Hypothesis'. I guess it was because so many of the issues they spoke of skirted right along the edge of this theory and dealt with aquatic mammals. He should do it soon though while the main protagonist of this theory, Elain Morgan, is still alive (she is getting pretty old as I understand it).Thanks, Carl Smith
Dave (Lichfield, U.K. Midlands). The evolution of
Another terrific program. I have a background in biology, so I guess I was drawn to listen to it like a magnet to iron. Normally I will listen to I.O.T. filling or emptying the dishwasher or other mindless activities where I can 'do' and listen with some concentration. But with this I sat and took some notes, even though I will probably download the podcast and listen again later. It really 'turned me on', and I will now probably get some books out of the library.I do find Steve Jones better (well really very good indeed) when hes pressed for concise explanations: when he has lots of time he does seem to ramble a bit (sorry Steve). Pity we couldnt have listened to the follow up conversations.On a more general point, is there any chance that some of the programs might be put on CD, and for sale? Or have they been and I've missed it?
Paul - E-whales
Another unasked obvious question which a friend of mine has just raised. How, in presumably crowded seas, does the whale’s great boom of a signal go to a particular whale?Because that would be podcast.
Nathan - Whale Evolution
A welcome programme on evolution after week after week of historical topics. However this programme left me a little confused and disappointed. It seemed the contributors were skirting around the controversy in this area. During the discussion on the Artiodactyl ancestry of whales, the relationships between the various groups was not made clear. Melvyn Bragg failed to ask several questions I would have liked answered, such as whether Hippos are in fact Artiodactyls (I beleive not), and how we "know" that fossil whales like Pakicetus and Ambulocetus are relations of moern whales. A bit of back ground on the Ungulate groups and when they arose would have helped.As I understand it the molecular evidence, to some extent, disputes the fossil consensus that we were given at the start of the programme.Science programmes about cutting egde research should be completely open about the status of what they are telling us. In Ot Time sometimes talks as though everything were the indisputable (and indisputed) truth.
The Whale
Where was the warm blooded Leviathan ofthe deep,O Melvyn.when we have dissected it into molecular DNA? We spent so long on the hind limbs and their evolution inwards we forgot about the different kinds of mouth,toothed or baleen whales until the last two minutes!Although Steve Jones is excellent,he called the livingcreature a 'fossil'.Two million werekilled in the 20th century.The sonarsounds of the whale,the deep boom-boomare calls for companionship too.Theevolutionary mystery was well covered.We saw it is not a fish-it's tail-fluke moves up and down rather than side to side,it's also warm-blooded,the biggest earth animal,a mammal which breathes oxygen,not cold-blooded like fish.It's former frontlimbs turned into flippers to steer while the tail propels this magnificentbeast.I feel the whale's real mysterywas barely touched upon.Perhaps a little sprinkling of metaphysics intothe physical analysis,the whaleroads ofour ancestors,Jonah and the whale,evenMoby Dick's Great White Whale could have been touched upon.This was still asuperb programme,but could we not havea mixture of experts who are not so onenote in their outlook?
graham smetham - whales
Astonishing mythological nonsense. As far as I understand the materialist evolutionary perpsective the evolving happens due to complete non-intentional random mutations. An yet in this debate the intentional idiom was at the forefront. If you want to live in the sea better to evolve a 'tail fluke', ulinke those poor idiot seals who did not manage it. An imagine it those poor proto-whales condemed to use the vesitigial legs for 'copulation' while they wait to really get it on on the sea. As always materialist darwinian is ridiculous mythology. I've just written an in depth peice about this and I will shore more considered insights tomorrow or next day - photosynthesis showe that the secrets of evolution reside at the quantum level!
Mark: evolution of whales
What about the argument from design? Allowing Bill Amos' statement that whales "started thinking about developing sonar" to go unchallenged is scandalous. As likely as pigs thinking about developing wings. Yet no-one gainsaid him. Steve Jones jibes that "you can't have an argument with creationists; they just make squeaks - like a whale". But the programme would have benefited greatly from the creationist perspective - that whales were designed to be as they are. To have only one side of the argument represented is a boxer shadow-boxing. The ideas coming out in this programme need rigorous scrutiny, not chronyism. It's easy to win when there is no oppostion. Why not have both sides of the argument?
Phil - whale evolution
There are other evolutionists who dispute the role of ambulocetus, basilosaurus and pakicetus in the evolution of whales e.g Barbara Stahl. Pakicetus has been described by Thewisson as a land mammal. Fossil remains of these creatures is limited and their appearance leans much on imagination.
Chris N - Whales, conundrums & the you tube bank s
I tuned into whales expecting Moby Dick and relative boredom. I was entranced, informed and wanted the extra 15 minutes. This led to to thoughts of IOT and the South Bank Show confronting me with ideas and areas that I would not choose but appreciate being challenged. With the demise of the SBS due to budget I wonder if YouTube could be used as a place for even lower budget but still challenging SBS or IOT style programming.
Sinic - Evo. of whales.
If the contributors said much more than whales exist therefore they must have evolved then I never heard it.The religion of Natural Selection is so all encompassing that there exists nothing wrt life that it cannot describe.What's truth got to do with it ?
Brian Hughes - Whales
Another fine programme. Steve Jones is always a good contributor and the others also did well. It's reassuring to hear something that took a couple of million years to happen being described as "quick"! Puts waiting for the mortgage to be paid off into context...
Brian: The Whale; A History
At last In Our Time dispels the ‘Up Our Chuff’ soubriquet and presents a programme that is of relevance and general interest rather than the usual obscure narrow interest programme that seems to be a vehicle for solely for pretentious pontificating.
NixinKome : Seaborne mammals
Sir, I was only listening to this morning's programme [210509] with one ear initially. That changed.I also thought that whales' diet was of plankton and krill, harvested in a dredging manner. To hear that squid at depths are another part of their diet surprised me and made sense in terms of the diversity of life at the same hearing. That whales target and possibly stun their prey was another revelation.I wonder whether studies of global warming take into account the effects on squid.I also wonder if the incidences of self beached schools/pods of whales and dolphins has to do with their intolerance to man-created sound pollution of the oceans.Respect,N.
WHALES
excellent programme. i was hoping that you would compare the evolution of whales with the path from fish to land creatures. for example whales may not have developed gills because they had a choice of air and water. land creatures had to develop lungs because there was no water (on a constant basis).keep up the great work!ed
The Whale
Today's discussion was, as ever, fascinating but I think the show missed a trick in confining itself to a evolutionary overview of the history of the whale. A tour of the role of the whale in culture might have been more enjoyable.The whale has always been portrayed as an alluring and mysterious creature in literature and art forming an interface between our humanity and the darkness of the deep. I think maybe this would have been a really interesting perspective to explore.Nevermind though, it is my Birthday today and I am feeling rather forgiving of my favourite radio programme. Keep up the good work.Incidentally, does anyone know whetehris it possible to insert/use html tags in message board postings in order to separate them into paragraphs?
Douglas Dwyer Re : Whale sonar
My background in sonar leads me to believe that the calcium lumps (external features) serve to give identity to individual whales when illuminated by whale sonar, The body of a whale would be otherwise semi transparent except for bones.
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