Comments on: A Tour of the Deepest Cave in the United States http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 06:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Xopher http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609800 Xopher Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609800 Come now, danlalan. He might break things on his way down. That would be bad. Come now, danlalan. He might break things on his way down. That would be bad.

]]> By: foucalt http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-610313 foucalt Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-610313 Thinking about the extremophile bacteria mentioned in the clip has inspired a post about them over at <a href="http://subterraneandesign.blogspot.com/2009/10/lithoautotrophic-cave-engineering.html">Subterranean Design</a> - what could we do if colonies of lithoautotrophic bacteria could create new caverns on a non-geologic timescale? Thinking about the extremophile bacteria mentioned in the clip has inspired a post about them over at Subterranean Design – what could we do if colonies of lithoautotrophic bacteria could create new caverns on a non-geologic timescale?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609804 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609804 To break in, you'd need to find it. Not that tough, except for the unpaved roads. Then you'd need to haul whatever tools you were going to use to the entrance; in the Guads, it's either too hot or too cold to be doing that kind of stuff. You don't just drive up to this cave and pull out your come-along and wad of Kinepack that you bought at the 7-11 in Carlsbad. Of course, just to get down to the gate, you'd need to make the rappel. And once you got inside the gate- past the airlocks and everything, they're not exactly huge engineering tasks, but still- then you'd need to make it past Boulder Falls, which is a couple of hundred feet to rappel. Really- none of that is a huge task. I mean, it's beyond what most people would want to do, but it's still do-able. The big problem is getting back out. By the time you get to pretties, you've gone through several harsh drops, technical challenges for even decent cavers. They're pretty safe, except from the nimrods who insist on getting the best pictures so they trample the good stuff. Chandelier Ballroom has been messed up because people want the perfect picture so bad. To break in, you’d need to find it. Not that tough, except for the unpaved roads. Then you’d need to haul whatever tools you were going to use to the entrance; in the Guads, it’s either too hot or too cold to be doing that kind of stuff. You don’t just drive up to this cave and pull out your come-along and wad of Kinepack that you bought at the 7-11 in Carlsbad.

Of course, just to get down to the gate, you’d need to make the rappel. And once you got inside the gate- past the airlocks and everything, they’re not exactly huge engineering tasks, but still- then you’d need to make it past Boulder Falls, which is a couple of hundred feet to rappel.

Really- none of that is a huge task. I mean, it’s beyond what most people would want to do, but it’s still do-able. The big problem is getting back out. By the time you get to pretties, you’ve gone through several harsh drops, technical challenges for even decent cavers. They’re pretty safe, except from the nimrods who insist on getting the best pictures so they trample the good stuff. Chandelier Ballroom has been messed up because people want the perfect picture so bad.

]]> By: fnc http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609836 fnc Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609836 No less remarkable, the Naica mine in Mexico has discovered chambers containing crystals 50 feet long weighing several tons. In pictures, the chamber looks like the inside of a geode with a tiny human walking around on the crystals. It's fascinating to me we can live in this day and age and still stumble upon wonders like this. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070406-giant-crystals.html http://www.crystalinks.com/mexicocrystals.html There's a documentary about the Naica cave, highlighting the hellish conditions scientists have to endure down there to do their work. Interesting stuff if you're into rocks. No less remarkable, the Naica mine in Mexico has discovered chambers containing crystals 50 feet long weighing several tons. In pictures, the chamber looks like the inside of a geode with a tiny human walking around on the crystals. It’s fascinating to me we can live in this day and age and still stumble upon wonders like this.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070406-giant-crystals.html

http://www.crystalinks.com/mexicocrystals.html

There’s a documentary about the Naica cave, highlighting the hellish conditions scientists have to endure down there to do their work. Interesting stuff if you’re into rocks.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609881 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609881 The clip in question is from the BBC Planet Earth series, produced by Fothergill (same guy who did the Blue Planet series.) The Discovery channel replaces Attenborough's excellent narration with sigourney weaver's icky one, so find the BBC version. Amazon UK happily sells bbc dvds to the states. Nova had an episode a few years ago, Mysterious Life of Caves, that included Lechuguilla. The video isn't available online, but there are stills and interesting background info: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/caves/ One of Nevada Barr's excellent mysteries, Blind Descent, takes place largely inside of Lechuguilla. The clip in question is from the BBC Planet Earth series, produced by Fothergill (same guy who did the Blue Planet series.) The Discovery channel replaces Attenborough’s excellent narration with sigourney weaver’s icky one, so find the BBC version. Amazon UK happily sells bbc dvds to the states.

Nova had an episode a few years ago, Mysterious Life of Caves, that included Lechuguilla. The video isn’t available online, but there are stills and interesting background info:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/caves/

One of Nevada Barr’s excellent mysteries, Blind Descent, takes place largely inside of Lechuguilla.

]]> By: Beverly Stayart http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609653 Beverly Stayart Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609653 It's amazing that this cave wasn't even discovered until 1986. It’s amazing that this cave wasn’t even discovered until 1986.

]]> By: danlalan http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609698 danlalan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609698 No, but they do have a locked steel gate installed.... No, but they do have a locked steel gate installed….

]]> By: Ned Ryerson http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609701 Ned Ryerson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609701 Is this from PBS or Discovery? Whats the name of the program? Is this from PBS or Discovery? Whats the name of the program?

]]> By: Eric Hanson http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609704 Eric Hanson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609704 My friend Gene Cooper has created an amazing VR tour of Lechuguilla, here: http://www.360parks.com/lechuguilla_cave_virtual_tour.shtml Not trying to hawk his wares, but it is an amazing set of images that few can see in person. There are some free previews on the page. My friend Gene Cooper has created an amazing VR tour of Lechuguilla, here: http://www.360parks.com/lechuguilla_cave_virtual_tour.shtml

Not trying to hawk his wares, but it is an amazing set of images that few can see in person. There are some free previews on the page.

]]> By: Phrosty http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609705 Phrosty Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609705 Gorgeous. Gorgeous.

]]> By: Andrew http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609712 Andrew Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609712 Does it have some of the most unique geography in the world or some of the most unique geology in the world? Does it have some of the most unique geography in the world or some of the most unique geology in the world?

]]> By: jill http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609714 jill Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609714 they have a gate designed to keep the cave from drying out. in 2003, when I was a volunteer at carlsbad caverns national park, I was told that you had to be: a) an experienced caver b) and be able to measure and do caving exploration/research/mapping to go on an expedition. they have a gate designed to keep the cave from drying out.

in 2003, when I was a volunteer at carlsbad caverns national park, I was told that you had to be:

a) an experienced caver
b) and be able to measure and do caving exploration/research/mapping to go on an expedition.

]]> By: christackett http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609776 christackett Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609776 Maggie, I think this cave episode of Planet Earth is appearing tonight on Planet Earth. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/planet-earth-series-lineup.html You can check to see if you have Planet Earth in your area here: http://planetgreen.channelfinder.net/ I think this is the same one that has the mountain of bat guano. Maggie,

I think this cave episode of Planet Earth is appearing tonight on Planet Earth.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/planet-earth-series-lineup.html

You can check to see if you have Planet Earth in your area here: http://planetgreen.channelfinder.net/

I think this is the same one that has the mountain of bat guano.

]]> By: danlalan http://boingboing.net/2009/10/09/a-tour-of-the-deepes.html#comment-609791 danlalan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-609791 By all means, Mojave, you should go break into a federally protected site in a national park. Don't forget to bring extra batteries. By all means, Mojave, you should go break into a federally protected site in a national park. Don’t forget to bring extra batteries.

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