Eat it, Diver Dan!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

At first I thought I read it wrong, but I learned something new about the Navy today

The so-called Howell torpedo was discovered by bottlenose dolphins being trained by the Navy to find undersea objects, including mines, that not even billion-dollar technology can detect.
...
Only 50 were made between 1870 and 1889 by a Rhode Island company before a rival copied and surpassed the Howell's capability.
...
Meant to be launched from above the water or submerged torpedo tubes, the Howell torpedo was made of brass, 11 feet long, driven by a 132-pound flywheel spun to 10,000 rpm before launch. It had a range of 400 yards and a speed of 25 knots.
...
Marine mammals have been trained at the Navy's Point Loma facility since the 1960s.

Several species were tested before the Navy settled on the bottlenose dolphin and the California sea lion. Dolphins, in particular, have deep and shallow diving capability, great eyesight and a biosonar system that scientists admire but don't fully understand.

Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
May 18, 2013

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-dol ... o-1.221376

[mistermack]

The so-called Howell torpedo was discovered by bottlenose dolphins being trained by the Navy to find undersea objects, including mines, that not even billion-dollar technology can detect.

Fuck. For a billion dollars, you would think they could afford a metal detector.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The so-called Howell torpedo was discovered by bottlenose dolphins being trained by the Navy to find undersea objects, including mines, that not even billion-dollar technology can detect.

Fuck. For a billion dollars, you would think they could afford a metal detector.

The dolphins are trained to find things like this. They've been training since the '60s.

[mistermack]

The so-called Howell torpedo was discovered by bottlenose dolphins being trained by the Navy to find undersea objects, including mines, that not even billion-dollar technology can detect.

Fuck. For a billion dollars, you would think they could afford a metal detector.

The dolphins are trained to find things like this. They've been training since the '60s.

I'm sure that they are good at it. But that stuff about billion-dollar technology not being able to find it is a bit of an exaggeration.
A water-proofed metal detector wouldn't cost a billion dollars. And an eleven foot brass tube is a big lump of metal.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

The so-called Howell torpedo was discovered by bottlenose dolphins being trained by the Navy to find undersea objects, including mines, that not even billion-dollar technology can detect.

Fuck. For a billion dollars, you would think they could afford a metal detector.

The dolphins are trained to find things like this. They've been training since the '60s.

I'm sure that they are good at it. But that stuff about billion-dollar technology not being able to find it is a bit of an exaggeration.
A water-proofed metal detector wouldn't cost a billion dollars. And an eleven foot brass tube is a big lump of metal.

Well yeah, news stories are always exaggerated in some fashion, the write gets paid if it's "entertaining". The real story is the dolphins.

[mistermack]

Dolphins are just there to improve morale. Keep the dummies from getting bored, when there's nobody to kill.

Give them a fish, when they find something. But don't take their word for it, if they say it's safe. I would prefer an electronic readout, to "eek eek eek", thanks very much.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Dolphins are just there to improve morale. Keep the dummies from getting bored, when there's nobody to kill.

Give them a fish, when they find something. But don't take their word for it, if they say it's safe. I would prefer an electronic readout, to "eek eek eek", thanks very much.

Do you know how this program works?

[mistermack]

Do you know how this program works?

Did you know that a dolphin is not technically a fish?

It's actually an insect !

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Do you know how this program works?

Did you know that a dolphin is not technically a fish?

It's actually an insect !

Just the eight-legged ones.