The Piltdown Octopus

 

Let´s be honest about this. Had this fossil not been mentioned in the popular Guiness Book of World Records, absolutely nobody would have given a damn. Who cares if octopi evolved 150 million years later than previously thought? But sure, some pesky creationist might dub this "The Piltdown Octopus" and make it just as famous as the bombardier beetle!

From the article (see link below):    

>>>A fossil that was fundamental to describing the evolution of octopuses turns out to have been an impostor, all along.

>>>The famous 300-million-year-old Pohlsepia mazonensis, discovered in 2000 and later lauded in the Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest known octopus species, has been reclassified as a nautiloid – a shelled cephalopod closely related to the nautiluses living in the ocean today.

>>>This means that scientists are going to have to redraw the cephalopod family tree – the discovery pushes the record of nautiloid soft tissue back by around 220 million years, and brings the earliest evidence for octopuses forward by around 150 million years.

World´s oldest known "octopus" turns out to be an entirely different animal

Schwärmerei

 

Well, probably not...

Hopeful monsters

 

I´m still trying to process this as we speak. Our man Anton discusses LOME a.k.a. the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction. Which I´m sure you never heard about. Yet, your evolutionary grandmama might very well hail from this period of Earth history about 445 million years ago. The short story is that a series of radical changes in the Earth´s climate became too much for the dominant species at the time, which included jawless fishes known as conodonts and a number of peculiar squid-like molluscs. Jawed fishes did exist, but were few and specialized. Guess what happened next?

Thanks to LOME, jawed fish from isolated habitats in what is now southern China - where they had diversified in standard "hopeful monster" fashion - could start spreading throughout the oceans, filling the now empty ecological niches. Anton, ever the optimist, even refers to what happened as an "ecological reset". Something similar happened after the disappearence of non-avian dinosaurs, when mammals could freely radiate and take over. And here we are!

Not addressed in this happy video is the ecological reset after *we* are gone. Who knows, maybe jawless fish will again take over the oceans? That would be a fitting revenge after all these years!

Possible ecologies

 

I actually assumed that marine cryptids are almost as implausible as terrestrial ones, but ChatGPT disagrees and thinks that at least in principle they are more likely. 

Explain why marine cryptids are more plausible than terrestrial ones.

Marine cryptids are more plausible than terrestrial ones not because the ocean is magical, but because physics, ecology, and sampling bias work very differently in water than on land. When scientists say this, they’re making a sober inference about where ignorance can realistically persist.

Here’s the reasoning, step by step.

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1. The ocean is genuinely under-sampled

This is the single biggest factor.

• ~71% of Earth’s surface is ocean

• >80% of the ocean is unexplored at fine resolution

• Most of the deep sea has:

  • Never been directly observed

  • Never been biologically sampled

  • Never been filmed continuously

By contrast:

• Virtually all terrestrial biomes have been repeatedly surveyed

• Large land animals are constantly encountered

Ignorance is plausible where observation is sparse.

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2. Water hides bodies better than land

On land:

• Bodies persist as bones and teeth

• Scavengers scatter remains slowly

• Skeletons are often found decades later

In the ocean:

• Bodies sink

• Pressure, scavengers, and microbes destroy remains rapidly

• Bones dissolve faster in deep, cold, acidic water

• Carcasses are consumed within days to weeks

This means:

A large marine animal can die without leaving recoverable remains.

That alone changes the evidential calculus.

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3. Marine food webs can support large, sparse animals

The ocean supports:

• Enormous biomass at lower trophic levels

• Wide-ranging predators with very low population densities

• Long-distance migratory behavior

Examples:

• Blue whales: global range, rarely seen

• Giant squid: known almost entirely from fragments until recently

• Beaked whales: multiple species discovered in the last few decades

On land:

• Large mammals require:

  • Dense, localized populations

  • Stable territories

  • Predictable feeding zones

Which are easy to detect.

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4. Size scales differently in water

Water fundamentally changes biomechanics:

• Buoyancy supports mass

• No need for load-bearing limbs

• Gigantism is energetically cheaper

This is why:

• The largest animals in Earth’s history are marine

• Many deep-sea species are much larger than their shallow-water relatives

A “giant unknown thing” is biomechanically plausible in water, not on land.

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5. Detection technology is limited and selective

Marine detection relies on:

• Sonar (low resolution for biology)

• Trawls (sparse, destructive, biased)

• Remote cameras (tiny windows of time)

Most ocean animals:

• Are never caught

• Are never photographed

• Are known from indirect traces

Terrestrial detection:

• Trail cams

• Roads

• Satellites

• Human density

• Hunters

If a large land animal exists, we will get a clear photo or body.

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6. History favors marine surprises

Real examples once considered “cryptids”:

• Giant squid (Architeuthis): known from myths → beaks → carcasses → video

• Megamouth shark (1976): large, slow, near surface

• Living coelacanth (1938)

• Beaked whales: new species discovered via bones/DNA

These follow a consistent pattern:

physical evidence first, live observation later.

Marine cryptids sometimes meet this standard. Terrestrial ones don’t.

---

7. What kinds of marine cryptids are actually plausible

More plausible

• Deep-sea invertebrates

• Rare sharks or rays

• Elusive cetaceans

• Large gelatinous organisms

• Deep pelagic animals with wide ranges

Much less plausible

• Humanoid sea beings

• Intelligent, tool-using marine species hiding from humanity

• Enormous surface-dwelling animals near coasts

Plausibility ≠ license for fantasy.

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8. Why “lake monsters” mostly fail

Even water has limits.

Lakes:

• Are small

• Have limited biomass

• Are heavily monitored

This is why:

• Loch Ness monster fails ecological tests

• Lake cryptids are generally implausible

The open ocean is the real ignorance zone.

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Bottom line

Marine cryptids are more plausible because the ocean erases evidence, limits observation, supports sparse large animals, and has a proven history of surprises.

Terrestrial ecosystems do not.

This doesn’t mean famous cryptids are real — it means where uncertainty legitimately remains.

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If you want, I can:

• Rank famous cryptids by ecological plausibility

• Explain why humanoid cryptids are almost certainly mythic

• Compare cryptids to legitimate “unknown unknowns” in biology

• Tie this into philosophy of scientific ignorance (what kinds of unknowns are allowed)

Just say the direction.

The Ancient Ones

 

Some scary tales (or tall tales) about unknown monsters in the deep blue sea. One of them is nicknamed "The Underwater Abominable Snowman"! Other "cryptids" mentioned are more trivial to the sensation-hungry layperson, such as fish in the Mariana trench (although that too is actually very strange). And yes, I suppose I have to mention Cthulhu again...  

Is God a paleontologist?

 

Credit: Prajina Khatiwada

So I just learned that Hindus worship fossil ammonites as divine incarnations. Corals, too! Amazing stuff, seriously. So I had a topic for tonight´s ChatGPT essay. Strangest so far? 

What is the shalagrama?

A Śālagrāma (or Śālagrām Śilā) is a very sacred object of worship in Vaishnavism. It is a type of fossilized ammonite stone found only in the Gandaki River (especially around Muktinath, Nepal).

Here’s the essence:

1. Physical Nature

• They are usually black, roundish stones with natural spiral markings.

• These spirals are the fossilized remains of ancient ammonites (marine creatures that lived millions of years ago).

• Devotees believe the natural markings represent Vishnu’s symbols like the chakra (discus), shankha (conch), gada (mace), and padma (lotus).

2. Religious Importance

• Śālagrāmas are considered non-anthropomorphic forms of Lord Vishnu.

• No consecration (prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā) is required — they are inherently divine.

• In many households, especially among Vaishnavas, worship of the Śālagrāma is considered equal to worshiping Vishnu in a temple.

3. Worship

• Traditionally kept with a Tulasi (holy basil) plant, since Tulasi is dear to Vishnu.

• Worship involves offering water, tulasi leaves, and simple prayers rather than elaborate rituals.

• It is believed to protect the household, grant prosperity, and purify sins.

4. Mythology

• According to the Padma Purāṇa, the Śālagrāma is the form of Lord Vishnu himself, who resides eternally in the Gandaki river.

• The spirals are said to be the mark of the Sudarshana Chakra.

• The river itself is associated with the goddess Tulasi, making the pairing especially auspicious.

5. Special Rules

• Only certain people (especially married men in the orthodox tradition) are advised to perform daily Śālagrāma pūjā.

• Women and renunciates may worship indirectly by offering flowers or water, but often do not handle the stone directly.

• It is considered a living deity, not just a symbol.

---

So in short: the Śālagrāma is a sacred fossil stone worshiped as Vishnu himself, embodying the eternal presence of God in natural form.

Would you like me to also describe the different types of Śālagrāma (there are many varieties, each associated with a form of Vishnu, like Narasimha, Varaha, Lakshmi-Narayana, etc.)?

Yes, please.

Great! Let’s dive into the types of Śālagrāmas.

In Vaishnava tradition, different Śālagrāma stones are said to embody different forms (mūrtis) of Vishnu. The distinctions come from their shape, color, number of spiral marks, and openings (vāttas).

Here are some of the important ones:

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Main Types of Śālagrāma

1. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa Śālagrāma

   • Golden or yellowish tint, with clear markings.

   • Brings wealth, prosperity, and harmony in the household.

2. Hayagrīva Śālagrāma

   • Long shape, resembling a horse’s head.

   • Grants knowledge, eloquence, and helps in studies.

3. Narasimha Śālagrāma

   • Fierce-looking, often with multiple openings or rough surface.

   • Destroys enemies, removes fear, and grants courage.

4. Varāha Śālagrāma

   • Has a raised portion like a snout.

   • Protects from calamities and uplifts devotees spiritually.

5. Vāmana Śālagrāma

   • Small, dwarf-like shape.

   • Grants humility, simplicity, and spiritual growth.

6. Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṁha Śālagrāma

   • Combination of gentle and fierce markings.

   • Removes fear while ensuring prosperity and grace.

7. Dāmodara Śālagrāma

   • Rope-like circular mark, symbolizing baby Krishna tied to the mortar.

   • Bestows devotion (bhakti) and childlike joy.

8. Matsya Śālagrāma

   • Fish-like shape.

   • Protects from dangers of water and travel.

9. Kūrma Śālagrāma

   • Tortoise-like, flat bottom, rounded top.

   • Gives stability, patience, and strength.

10. Ananta / Śeṣa Śālagrāma

• With multiple spiral markings.

• Symbolizes Vishnu resting on the cosmic serpent.

• Grants protection and liberation.

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General Beliefs

• Some Śālagrāmas are considered very powerful and auspicious but also difficult to worship (e.g. Narasimha type).

• Families often prefer Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa Śālagrāma, as it is believed to bring peace and abundance without fierce side-effects.

• The Padma Purāṇa and Skanda Purāṇa describe up to 25–30 types, but local traditions sometimes expand this to hundreds of variations.

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Interesting Point

Śālagrāma worship is seen as timeless and Vedic — it does not require temple consecration or priestly mediation. In fact, many householders in South India and Nepal keep one or more Śālagrāmas in their home shrine, usually alongside a Tulasi plant.

---

Would you like me to also give you the list of benefits and risks traditionally associated with worshiping the different types (for example, why some are said to be “too intense” for ordinary householders)?

Yes, please.

Perfect, let’s go into the traditional benefits and cautions associated with the different types of Śālagrāma.

Many Purāṇas and manuals (like the Bṛhat-Saṁhitā, Padma Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa) describe that while all Śālagrāmas are auspicious, some carry gentle blessings and others are too intense for ordinary householders (gṛhasthas).

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🌸 Śālagrāmas That Are Considered “Safe” and Auspicious for Householders

These are recommended for family prosperity, harmony, and general worship:

• Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa – Brings wealth, health, and household harmony.

• Dāmodara – Grants devotion (bhakti) and childlike joy.

• Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṁha (gentle type) – Removes fear, brings prosperity and divine grace.

• Kūrma (tortoise-like) – Gives patience, stability, protection in difficulties.

• Matsya – Protects from water-related dangers, travel hazards.

• Ananta/Śeṣa – Ensures protection, family well-being, and spiritual progress.

• Vāmana – Promotes humility, good conduct, and balance in life.

👉 These are commonly found in South Indian homes, and they are said to bless without causing disruption.

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🔥 Śālagrāmas Considered Very Powerful / Intense

These are worshiped mainly by renunciates, ascetics, or in temples — not usually recommended for householders, since their energy is fierce and can “demand” more austerity from the devotee:

• Nṛsiṁha (fierce type) – Extremely protective, destroys enemies, but too fiery for ordinary home life.

• Sudarsana (chakra-like markings) – Gives immense energy and destroys evil, but may disrupt household harmony if not worshiped properly.

• Rāma / Paraśurāma types – Associated with strict dharma and battle; worship may lead to conflicts or karmic tests.

• Trivikrama / Vāmana with large features – Said to be too expansive, may disturb domestic peace.

• Hayagrīva – Bestows knowledge but demands high purity; misworship is said to lead to confusion or loss of memory.

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🌌 Why Some Are Considered “Risky”

• The belief is not that these stones are “bad,” but that their shakti is too intense for normal family life.

• If a householder without strong spiritual discipline keeps a fierce Śālagrāma, it is said that life circumstances may become difficult — like tests, conflicts, or austerities being imposed by the deity.

• Ascetics and temple priests, however, often welcome these fierce forms.

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🌿 General Belief

• A single Śālagrāma in the house is enough; some families keep many.

• Worship usually involves: bathing the stone, offering Tulasi leaves, chanting mantras like Om Namo Nārāyaṇāya.

• Unlike a consecrated idol (mūrti), the Śālagrāma is believed to be self-manifest (svayambhū) and inherently divine.

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👉 So, if someone wants a Śālagrāma at home, tradition suggests choosing a gentle, auspicious type (Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Dāmodara, Kūrma, Ananta) — while leaving the fierce Narasiṁha or Sudarśana stones to temples and renunciates.

---

Would you like me to also explain how householders actually worship the Śālagrāma daily (the simple procedure and rules that are usually followed)?

What is a Dvaravati sila?

Good question — the Dvārāvatī Śilā (sometimes just called Dvārakā-śilā) is closely related to the Śālagrāma tradition but has its own unique identity.

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🌊 What It Is

• A Dvārāvatī Śilā is a naturally formed stone found in the Gomati River (in and around Dvārakā, Gujarat, the legendary city of Lord Kṛṣṇa).

• Just as Śālagrāmas come from the Gandaki River in Nepal and embody Viṣṇu, the Dvārāvatī Śilās are said to embody Kṛṣṇa in His Dvārakā aspect — the Lord as king, householder, and protector.

• They often have natural chakra-like markings (spirals, wheel impressions, or fossilized designs) on their surface.

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✨ Scriptural Status

• Mentioned in the Skanda Purāṇa and other texts as sacred stones, said to carry the presence of Lord Viṣṇu / Kṛṣṇa.

• Some Vaiṣṇava traditions (especially Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas) treat them as being equally worshipful as Śālagrāmas, while others regard them as slightly different, more “accessible” for householders.

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🌸 Believed Benefits

• Worship brings Kṛṣṇa’s grace, prosperity, and peace in household life.

• Said to be gentler than fierce Śālagrāmas, so more suitable for families.

• Specifically associated with protection, devotion (bhakti), and the blessings of Dvārakā-pati Kṛṣṇa.

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🔍 Difference from Śālagrāma

• Origin: Śālagrāma → Gandaki River (Nepal); Dvārāvatī Śilā → Gomati River (Dvārakā).

• Aspect: Śālagrāma → Viṣṇu in cosmic forms (Nārāyaṇa, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, etc.); Dvārāvatī Śilā → Kṛṣṇa in His earthly royal aspect.

• Suitability: Śālagrāmas can be very intense (some types not advised for householders), whereas Dvārāvatī Śilās are generally seen as milder and auspicious for home worship.

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🌿 Worship

• Similar to Śālagrāma: bathing daily, offering Tulasi, flowers, incense, and chanting mantras (e.g., Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya).

• In some homes, Śālagrāma and Dvārāvatī Śilā are kept together and worshiped jointly, as symbolic of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa.

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So, to put it simply:
A Dvārāvatī Śilā is a sacred stone from Dvārakā’s Gomati River that embodies Kṛṣṇa, much like the Śālagrāma embodies Viṣṇu.

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Would you like me to also describe the different types of Dvārāvatī Śilās (based on their markings and colors), just like the Śālagrāma classifications?

Yes, please. Are these stones actually corals?

Excellent follow-up — you’re right to ask, because there is a fascinating natural explanation behind both Śālagrāmas and Dvārāvatī Śilās.

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🔹 Are Dvārāvatī Śilās actually corals?

Yes. Most Dvārāvatī Śilās are actually fossilized corals from the Gomati River near Dvārakā (Gujarat).

• The natural wheel-like patterns (chakra) seen on them are cross-sections of ancient corals.

• The texture is lighter and more porous than Śālagrāmas (which are ammonite fossils from Nepal’s Gandaki river).

• This fossilization links them to the ancient seabed — which fits perfectly with Dvārakā’s identity as a coastal city of Kṛṣṇa.

So:

• Śālagrāma = Ammonite fossils (marine creatures with spiral shells).

• Dvārāvatī Śilā = Fossil corals (with natural chakra-like structures).

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🔹 Types of Dvārāvatī Śilās

Texts like the Skanda Purāṇa and Gomati Māhātmya list 25 or 30+ types, depending on classification. Each type is identified by color, shape, and markings, and each is believed to bring a distinct blessing.

Some examples:

1. Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa Śilā – two wheel marks together → symbolizes divine couple, grants wealth and prosperity.

2. Sudhārśana Śilā – strong, clear chakra mark → represents Sudarśana Cakra, protection from enemies and evil forces.

3. Padma Śilā – lotus-like marking → fertility, family happiness.

4. Śaṅkha Śilā – conch-like design → auspiciousness, removal of sins.

5. Matsya Śilā – fish-like marking → protection from calamities, helps spiritual progress.

6. Nṛsiṁha Śilā – fierce markings or rough surface → grants courage, protection from fear.

7. Dāmodara Śilā – rope-like pattern → devotion, especially to child Kṛṣṇa.

8. Garuda Śilā – wing-like impressions → liberation, removal of obstacles.

Some Śilās are said to be very auspicious for householders (e.g., Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Padma), while a few with fierce markings (like Nṛsiṁha) are traditionally worshiped only by ascetics or in temples.

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🔹 Worship and Use

• Always worshiped with Tulasi leaves (since Tulasi is beloved of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa).

• Placed on a small pedestal (pīṭha) or kept together with Śālagrāma.

• Daily offerings: water, sandal paste, flowers, lamp, incense, and chanting of mantras like Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya.

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So, in essence:
👉 Dvārāvatī Śilās are fossil corals from Gomati River, carrying chakra-like markings, worshiped as living embodiments of Lord Kṛṣṇa in His Dvārakā aspect.
👉 Each type is classified by its markings, with specific blessings tied to it.

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Would you like me to make a side-by-side comparison table of Śālagrāma vs. Dvārāvatī Śilā, showing their origin, substance, and spiritual focus?

Survivors

 

Credit: Guillaume Baviere 

So I just watched the second episode of "Sveriges hav" (The Seas of Sweden), and it seems most of it actually is about, you know, Sweden. The first episode was about the Shetland Islands?! The sequel has the subtitle "Östersjöns överlevare" (Survivors of the Baltic Sea). Gotland is featured, but a Danish island has also been sneaked in, and who knows what else. 

Not sure if anyone even survived this extravaganza of various animals munching on each other. Starfish attacking clams, herring gulls swooping down on eider ducklings, the Gotland subspecies of grass snake hunting for fish in the sea...but also seals generally basking in the sun, waiting for better times. You get the picture. There are also enormous populations of moon jellies in the Baltic Sea, apparently a problem since they eat too much (and hence presumably out-compete the fish eaten by humans). 

It seems Lake NATO is really a gigantic smorgasbord! May it survive for the benefit of future hungry generations, and so forth.

  

Reverse aging

 

A comb jelly
Credit: Steven G Johnson

A kind of weird experiment, would probably have been considered cruelty to animals had it not been a primitive/basal jellyfish-like organism, so the RSPCA and the ALF don´t give shit! Still, I suppose the ability to "reverse aging" is...interesting. What a pity it´s only cnidarians, comb jellies and the dog tapeworm (!) that has this unusual ability. 

This sea creature can age in reverse

The next link goes to a Wiki article about "Ming the Mollusk", a quahog clam and the oldest animal ever recorded. Or rather "the oldest individual (non-colonial) animal ever discovered whose age could be precisely determined". Yes, it was 507 years old when it was captured and killed (!) off the Icelandic coast. So this damn mollusc was older than our industrial civilization?!

Ming (clam)  

And if you absolutely want to read Wikipedia´s confusing list of the oldest organisms ever-ever-forever (many considerably more ancient than poor old Ming), you can find it here. I *think* the absolutely oldest living "things" ever were bacterial spores found in New Mexico which were revived after 250 million years. And then there´s the story about the scientist in California who sold "Amber Ale" produced with a 45 million year old revived yeast!

Somehow, I find that hard to believe. 

List of longest-living organisms

If evolution is true, why are there still humans?

 

An evolutionary impossibility?

Some lighter bedtime reading (my time) on the theme "we are not the crown of creation". Note the bizarre information about octopi! Note also the interview with Dougal Dixon, whose book "After Man" was one of my favorite bedtime readings when I was much younger...

Does evolution ever go backward? 

Why haven´t all primates evolved into humans?

When humans are gone

All planets and moons are ours...except Europa

 

A short article and a somewhat longer YouTube video, speculating that the octopus is an alien being, perhaps from Europa or Enceladus. In another video, Sheridan claims that Stanley Kubrick knew the truth about the Europa situation. Note also the obvious similarity with H P Lovecraft´s mythos. Sheridan actually wants to worship the octopi as sacred creatures. One reason is to scare the shit out of the Normies! Another is to get the attention of the octopuses and see how they react... 

Fact check: probably not true, since last I looked octopus DNA was of the same type as the DNA of all other organisms on planet Earth. So it´s a native. But yes, its intelligence is a fascinating example of "convergent evolution".  

Europa: Home planet of the octopus...and their cryogenic space ships?

The man-eating octopi

 

This week in weird - are there gigantic fresh-water octopi in man-made lakes in Oklahoma?! Probably not, LOL, but the folklore (or fakelore?) is interesting. 

Many suspect that this cryptid is completely fake, made up for a recent TV "documentary". However, the above YouTube channel managed to trace the story to a 1987 letter to the Fortean magazine INFO Journal. It was written by an American Indian, Russell Bates, and purports to retell a Native tradition about monstrous creatures in Oklahoma´s lakes, creatures never named but similar to...you guessed it, octopi. The YouTuber is too nice to say it, but of course the letter could have been a hoax. Bates was a script-writer associated with "Star Trek"! 

I also find it curious that one of the man-made lakes in which the dangerous octopus supposedly lives is named after another cryptid: Lake Thunderbird.

The video ends with some (perhaps real) cases of regular octopuses found in freshwater, including a seemingly sensational photo. But alas, it´s probably a known species. In other words: some idiot deliberately released an octopus into a river. And here we are, decades later, still talking about it...   

Speculation, speculation...

 

A lot of speculation in this one. Or rather in the list the content-creator is commenting, a list of the ten most likely cryptids to be discovered during the 21st century. 

The list sounds like wish-fulfillment. 

From the top of my head (which is considerable - both the top and the head), the thylacine, the giant eel and the giant octopus seem to be the three most likely candidates. Since the other cryptids might not exist at all, their discovery - this century or the next - is *highly* unlikely...

Here´s a more certain prediction: there will still be enthusiasts in 2100 hunting the Gugu, the Megalenia or whatever cryptids will be on the top ten!