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Friday, November 25, 2011

Science That Land-Walking Thing

Posted by on Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 8:26 AM

It leaves the sea and flops, slips, and slides across the land with horrible bonelessness....


Apparently, it's not uncommon for this species of octopus to walk about the land. It is, of course, looking for food. But the way the slimy thing moves recalled a passage near the end of Wells' The Time Machine:
A horror of this great darkness came on me. The cold, that smote to my marrow, and the pain I felt in breathing, overcame me. I shivered, and a deadly nausea seized me. Then like a red-hot bow in the sky appeared the edge of the sun. I got off the machine to recover myself. I felt giddy and incapable of facing the return journey. As I stood sick and confused I saw again the moving thing upon the shoal, there was no mistake now that it was a moving thing, against the red water of the sea. It was a round thing, the size of a football perhaps, or, it may be, bigger, and tentacles trailed down from it; it seemed black against the weltering blood-red water, and it was hopping fitfully about. Then I felt I was fainting. But a terrible dread of lying helpless in that remote and awful twilight sustained me while I clambered upon the saddle.
The hero of the book is looking at the end of humanity, the end of the world.

 

Comments (7) RSS

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1
Octopi Wall Street!
Posted by Anastasia Beaverhausen on November 25, 2011 at 8:54 AM
Sachi 2
"Slimy"??

You just got yourself kicked of PZ Myers's Holiday Card list.
Posted by Sachi http://web.me.com/thorw/Claire_and_Sachi on November 25, 2011 at 9:09 AM
DOUG. 3
"Heeellllp meeee..."
Posted by DOUG. http://www.dougsvotersguide.com on November 25, 2011 at 9:32 AM
mikethehammer 4
That was thoroughly enjoyable, despite even the frustratingly inane commentary of the onlookers & cameraperson. Charles should've presented us with another one of those alternate soundtracks for enhanced viewing experience.
Posted by mikethehammer on November 25, 2011 at 9:52 AM
5
Whereas this octopus, the hero of the video, is looking for food, for something to eat.
Posted by g on November 25, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Timrrr 6
You, of course, have seen Monsters.
Posted by Timrrr on November 25, 2011 at 3:41 PM
7
Where's Oh Dae-Su when you need him?
Posted by drewm1980 on November 27, 2011 at 9:04 PM

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