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Black Blobs Appearing In Camden, NJ

Posted by michael on from the do-not-worry-about-the-industrial-pollutants dept.

Ieshan writes "Strange alien scares or just New Jersey Pollution? Occam's razor points towards the latter, but still, odd black blobs are appearing in a New Jersey city - no joke. CNN has the story - apparently, no one can identify them yet. Investigators say that they're not petrolium based, and that's about all anyone knows. On the plus side, at least they don't have stalks with green eyes?"

4 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Why isn't it on cars? by Darkstorm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    well, if its something falling from the sky then it should realisticly be on everything, including cars. Actually it should be getting on people also.

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    If ignorance is bliss, the world is full of blissful people
  2. The article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The article states that they were not able to confirm that it was petroleum based. This is completely different from showing it is not petroleum based. If you don't know why, you have a poor understanding of hypothesis testing and the scientific method in general. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Just because you can't confirm that some stranger is who they say they are doesn't mean they are lying. Etc.

    1. Re:The article by JabberWokky · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Actually it is quite possible that the fact the field test didn't work was proof it wasn't tar or oil from cars - as the test may have been reliable for those forms of petroleum products, and while it eliminated those possibilities, it did not totally eliminate other forms of hydrocarbons. The way the article is worded, I can easily see that as a possibility, but given the confused wording, I would not lend any credence to anything "stated" in the article.

      Did a satellite fall to earth in that town recently? If so, even if the town suddenly dies off, I wouldn't worry - it'll probably mutate to a harmless state very quickly.

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      Evan

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      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  3. It's roofing g tar by netringer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A noticed the black blobs on new sidewalks right here in Chicago. I could see a lot of dots on the sidewalk below when I looked down from the 'L' platform. I figured that they were chewing gum but wondered how there could be so much.

    It makes sense that it's tar that flows off of the roofs in the extreme heat. I saw a temperature of 106 degrees F on concrete a few weeks ago. Black flat roofs probably get a lot hotter.

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    Ever dream you could fly? Get up from the Flight Sim. I Fly