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A Fiber-Optic Cable To Inner Space

tetraconz writes "The University of Washington has been working on a vast 3000km undersea network to research the ocean floor off the West Coast. From the executive summary: (PDF) "The goal of NEPTUNE is to establish a coherent system of high-speed, submarine communication-control links using fiber-optic cables to connect remote, interactive experimental sites with land-based research laboratories and classrooms." This is an important project to explore the last unknown region of the Earth: the ocean. Check out the project homepage."

93 comments

  1. could this be... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    my first post today ?

    1. Re:could this be... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      Ja, das ist ein First Post, und das ist ein Goatse Hole.

      THE TROLL POLKA (ARSCHFICKEN MIT ZIEGEN)

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  2. 3000k's under the keys? by Op7imus_Prim3 · · Score: 1

    just doesn't have the same ring to it.

    1. Re:3000k's under the keys? by LarsWestergren · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yarr, we demand nautical measurment units! For instance, yonder cable be not 3000 kilometers, it be 13667 cable lengths. Give or take a catfish whisker.

      --

      Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die

    2. Re:3000k's under the keys? by c4ffeine · · Score: 1, Funny

      No, no, no, it be 1337 millipicolightyears and 3.75 frenchmen, plus the 17th integral of e^x^2 over [2,17i] , multiplied by the score of this post. Sheesh, isn't it easy? Get your units right!

      --
      "73% of quotes on the Internet are made up" -Ben Franklin
    3. Re:3000k's under the keys? by NeoSkandranon · · Score: 1

      That's going to cause a problem if you get modded down to zero ;p

      --
      If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
    4. Re:3000k's under the keys? by AndroSyn · · Score: 1

      Are we talking US or British cable lengths? Though if you want nautical measurements, that'll be about 1620 knots

    5. Re:3000k's under the keys? by Sage+Gaspar · · Score: 1

      Yarr, don't get your cables tied up in knots, that gets messy.

  3. YOU DID IT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Good job, the only improvement I could suggest is insult Michael next time.
    YOU DID IT!

  4. IP Theft and The Linux Community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The Linux community likes to hide behind the mantra of free and open
    software for all and as such has the twisted mindset that all software
    should be free for everyone. This should come as no surprise seeing
    that the Linux community seems to take pride in stealing anything they
    can get their hands on and breaking laws designed to protect IP at the
    same time.

    Linux users have been advocating downloading Microsoft True Type Fonts
    for years mostly because their own fonts and font system in general
    has been so horrific that Linux screen fonts in most stock installs
    are almost unreadable. Of course they will claim that Linux fonts are
    great but if that were really the case why is the internet clogged
    with Linux Font DeUglification documents written by Linux users?

    They even have documents that give a step by step procedure for
    stealing the Microsoft fonts and installing them on Linux systems!
    Notice in particular the instructions for the Tahoma font.

    http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/FDU/truetype.html
    http://corefonts.sourceforge.net/

    Next we have Linux users violating the EULA for the X-Box and
    tinkering with it so that it can run Linux.
    Why on earth any sane person would want to take a bitching game
    machine like X-box and ruin it by installing Linux is a mystery to me.

    http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/index.php

    http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/faq.php

    Pay particular attention to the question about it being illegal and
    how they avoid answering the question.

    They are also doing the same thing with Sony Play station as well.

    http://playstation2-linux.com/faq.php

    None of this is going to hold up in a court of law and the Linux
    people who are leading these projects are looking for some serious
    trouble should Microsoft and Sony decide to pursue this matter.

    Finally we have the suit filed by SCO which claims that the Linux
    community at large has incorporated stolen code into it's open source
    programs.

    http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,936269,00.a sp

    This should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the Linux
    movement from the day Linux wrote the kernel.

    The Linux community has proven themselves to be a fight to the end,
    steal whatever can be stolen from big business because it is big
    business that is killing Linux.

    The Linux community has absolutely no respect for the property of
    others and will resort to any type of clandestine tactics to steal
    whatever isn't cemented down all in the good name of Linux.

    So if you are thinking of betting your business on Linux software, you
    had better think it over carefully, because if SCO should win, Linux
    will be out of business.
    And if SCO should lose, do you really think it is wise to bet your
    entire business on software that is supported by a community that
    promotes stealing and in fact is full of thieves?

    Food for thought.

    1. Re:IP Theft and The Linux Community by switched4OSX · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      "So if you are thinking of betting your business on Linux software, you had better think it over carefully, because if SCO should win, Linux will be out of business."

      And just exactly which "Linux" will be out of business? Redhat? Suse? Mandrake? Sure, these are organized entities that put out a distrubution. But how do you put "Linux" out of business?

    2. Re:IP Theft and The Linux Community by ideatrack · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Darl Mc Bride!

    3. Re:IP Theft and The Linux Community by tetrahedrassface · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Dude you are troll. Go back to your cave and die a lonely meaningless awful death. Linux is not theft. At least we can SEE what is in our code. The Microsoft code you hold in such high esteem is the product of theft, lies, and patent violations. The only thing is that MS code is closed and cant be verified as clean. I will not take microsofts word for it. In fact MS has more holes than swiss cheese. Call us what you want at least we can look at our code, and we know it is clean. CAN YOU SAY THE SAME FOR YOURS?

    4. Re:IP Theft and The Linux Community by switched4OSX · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Lower your display filter. While my post is offtopic to the article, it was not offtopic to the parent. Made the mistake of responding to an offtopic troll (now a -1).

    5. Re:IP Theft and The Linux Community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ha, two in a row. you jackass.

  5. Kazaa by KingDaveRa · · Score: -1, Redundant

    I'm sure this will be used for serious work, such as research and downloading MP3s using Kazaa.

    1. Re:Kazaa by Beauty_is_the_Enemy · · Score: -1

      People still use Kazaa? I switched to five finger discounts.

    2. Re:Kazaa by tambo · · Score: 3, Funny

      3000km of fiber is gonna give those deep-sea researchers some awful CounterStrike lag. - David Stein

      --
      Computer over. Virus = very yes.
    3. Re:Kazaa by Muad'Dave · · Score: 1

      Even at 0.5c, 3000 km / (0.5 * 300e6 m/s) = 20 ms one way. At 0.75c, you're looking at +- 27ms round trip. Not too shabby for a 6000km trip!

      --
      Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
    4. Re:Kazaa by dildatron · · Score: 1

      Not really. The "time of flight" latency of a fiber cable is ~0.0065s per meter.

      0.0065s / meter * 6,000,000m (3000km * 2 round trip) = 39,000s.

      There are 1,000,000 s in one second. There are 1000 s in a millisecond. A round trip ping time would be around 39milliseconds.

      Give or take a few milliseconds for the adapters, etc. It still beats anything else.

      --


      If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
  6. I have no life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Hi, I'm a typical slashdot user. I have no life. I spend all my time masturbating and constantly reloading the page so I can make inane "MICROSOFT SUCKS" comments over and over again regardless if the article has anything to do at all with Microsoft. Also I will make fun of all the stupid people who I'm obviously smarter than because I like to do things the hard way, even though i'm still living in my mom's basement and haven't held a job in half a decade. I haven't seen the sun in weeks.

    1. Re:I have no life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      (+5 Insightful and Interesting) MOD THE PARENT UP!

  7. Security, security by jabbadabbadoo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fine. And for security we have Blowfish.

  8. Nemo? by davejenkins · · Score: 4, Funny

    That seems like a lot of money just to find one little clown fish...

  9. WTF does this have to do with "Inner Space"? by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

    Last I checked, you couldn't do drugs with fiber optic. It's too hard to inhale.

    --
    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    1. Re:WTF does this have to do with "Inner Space"? by psiphre · · Score: 1

      Nothing, considering that "Inner space" is 'that which is outside of the earth's atmosphere but inside the asteroid belt'.

      compare and contrast the oft-referred to "outer space", which is everything outside the asteroid belt.

    2. Re:WTF does this have to do with "Inner Space"? by ZerroDefex · · Score: 1

      That's the inner solar system compared to the outer solar system. I've always heard inner space as a reference to inside the human body, but maybe that was just that movie. Damn, and I thought this thread was going to be about cyborgs because of that.

  10. For Conspiracy theorists only.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Funny

    The real goal of neptuane....

    Is to make the ocean floor of the west coast into a Giant Bong

  11. It's about time by distro+stu · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This project is absolutely fantastic. We're finally beginning to systematically explore the ocean and the ocean floor. The implications here for technology, environmental studies, education, and research in all sorts of different arenas is staggering. I can't wait to see some of the results once this is up and running. Jacques Cousteau wouldve loved this.

    1. Re:It's about time by LarsWestergren · · Score: 4, Informative

      This project is absolutely fantastic. We're finally beginning to systematically explore the ocean and the ocean floor. The implications here for technology, environmental studies, education, and research in all sorts of different arenas is staggering.

      Agreed. It used to be said we knew more about outer space than the oceans, but finally this is starting to change. If you want to learn more, a good place to start is the amazing BBC documentary
      Blue Planet. It contains some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen.

      --

      Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die

    2. Re:It's about time by Davak · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Jacques Cousteau wouldve loved this.

      Really? I always thought of Cousteau as someone who loved to be underwater making discoveries. I don't picture him as somebody sitting behind a computer screen doing work.

      Thinking of him that way makes him less of a hero... and, err, too much like me.

      Davak

    3. Re:It's about time by appleLaserWriter · · Score: 1

      Really? I always thought of Cousteau as someone who loved to be underwater making discoveries. I don't picture him as somebody sitting behind a computer screen doing work.

      I bet Stephen Hawking loves this!

  12. That's just not true... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I constantly reload the page so I can make inane First Posts.

    Just to set the record straight here.

  13. bandwidth... by idsCypher · · Score: 2, Funny

    this means that some fish have more bandwidth that me.... damn

    1. Re:bandwidth... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Unfortunately, for them, it's like that Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meridith. For, you see, fish can't type. Let alone type with one hand while "manipulating hardware" with the other.

  14. Something strange by mad+flyer · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Strange, the mood on slashdot seems to be pretty bad since at least on week or more.
    People are aggressive, troll pop up at an alarming rate.
    My cat is more moody too...

    Is there some kind of bad full moon or misalignement of planet coming soon ?

    (I know i'm off topic, i will be moderated at least -1 and somebody will hide under my bed to kill me, but please be carefull of the cat, she's really dangerous these days)

  15. Leave the ocean alone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The ocean is one of the few places in the world we humans haven't terrorised yet. I'd hate to see it go down the tube (so to speak) for corporate interests.

    If humans learnt to leave things alone, the world would be a better place.

    1. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by cablepokerface · · Score: -1, Troll

      You're a damn tree-hugging hippy dude.

    2. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by CFBMoo1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oooooh we've terrorized the ocean good.. Whaling industry, fishing industry, oil spills, sewage wastes from the main land running from our rivers and streams. Yes there's plenty of things we've done to hurt the ocean environment w/out even going there.

      I wouldn't be suprised if there was radioactive waste at the bottom of the sea somewhere. And this is off the top of my head w/out even looking.

      Ever hear of E-waste? The electronics other nations get because they're outdated and only valuable for the minerals in their parts? Imagine all the polution thats been reported from it getting in to the water supply over there. Now realize that their water flows to the ocean eventually. More terrorization of the worlds oceans. All this probebly isn't even the tip of the ice berg so to speak.

      --
      ~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
    3. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by cpghost · · Score: 1

      > Ever hear of E-waste?

      Sure, it's called leak current and it means that electrons escape circuits and start littering the environment. Good that fiber optics cable don't carry electrons. Now, photon-waste would be possible, if some terrorists or barracudas cut through the fiber cables... Uh oh!

      --
      cpghost at Cordula's Web.
    4. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ummm... I guess global-warming doesn't count in your book of eco-terrorism. The oceans will avenge!

    5. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by Jonathan+Platt · · Score: 1

      Dont forget Mr Chirac's nuclear tests... Damb French... Wounder if we have any new breeds of fish arround there now.

      --


      VENI, VIDI, VICI, DIXI
    6. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by alexdewaal · · Score: 1

      What's the problem?
      Humans will get themselves extinct, then nature can take its course. Then the sun will fry the earth. And finally the universe will collapse or die a cold death. So much the better.

    7. Re:Leave the ocean alone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Holy smokes! You need booze!

  16. obligatory stingray reference by maharg · · Score: 2, Funny

    I believe the implementation will bear a superficial resemblance to this

    --

    $ strings FTP.EXE | grep Copyright
    @(#) Copyright (c) 1983 The Regents of the University of California.
    1. Re:obligatory stingray reference by ottawanker · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      refering to your sig, did you also see this in the FTP.EXE file?

      \4 V S _ V E R S I O N _ I N F O +n| :o :o?
      | S t r i n g F i l e I n f o u 0 4 0 9 0 4 B 0 L
      C o m p a n y N a m e M i c r o s o f t C o r p o r a t i o n T
      F i l e D e s c r i p t i o n F i l e T r a n s f e r P r o g r a m
      > F i l e V e r s i o n 5 . 0 0 . 2 1 9 5 . 5 4 3 4 0 I n t e
      r n a l N a m e f t p . e x e t ( L e g a l C o p y r i g h t C o p y
      r i g h t ( C ) M i c r o s o f t C o r p . 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 9 9 8
      O r i g i n a l F i l e n a m e f t p . e x e

    2. Re:obligatory stingray reference by Zenjive · · Score: 0

      Filmed in Supermarionation!!!!!!

      --


      A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with. - Tennessee Williams
  17. Sensible? by pubjames · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This looks like an awfully expensive project.

    Although I love technology, I always prefer to take a sceptical view when considering it's application. I often ask my clients, "if you didn't have a computer/network/whatever, how would you do this?" I find computer technology often blurs people's clarity of thinking, and if you say "how would you do this without a computer?" they see more clearly exactly what the issues are.

    It may be that this is a very sensible project. However, it may also be that the cost of setting up this network might be better deployed focusing on the actual experiments themselves. My own view is that when it comes to the biological sciences, there's nothing quite like physically being there, so I'd prefer to see money spent on making dive trips easier/safer/less expensive.

    Having said all of that, often this type of big project actually has multiple objectives. I can see lots of military uses for a big undersea network.

    1. Re:Sensible? by Davak · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This is why we have the internet: Networked, remote controllable/accessable research.

      This project provides multiple layers of input and output--all that can be controlled remotely. This is a science experiment/environment that can be explored and shared by multiple groups of people from anywhere in the world.

      Even the radio telescopes are not this advanced; however, it's a similar idea. Groups of sensor inputs that can be fed to groups of people elsewhere.

      Will it be expensive? Yes.
      However, the amount of data that will be received with minimal impact to the environment will be staggering. Once the system is down and reaches a steady state, it can be repeatly used to gain information--without having to interrupt that system again and again.

      Bravo to the Neptune project... this is the way research should be done.

    2. Re:Sensible? by pubjames · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This is why we have the internet: Networked, remote controllable/accessable research.

      Except that isn't the reality, is it? The vast majority of computers attached to the internet actually have a person sitting at them. Those that don't (servers etc) still are within easy access of people - I doubt anyone who maintains a web server would like it stuck at the bottom of the ocean and unaccessible when the hard disc drive decides to start playing up.

      This is exactly the point I am trying to make - think practical! Is data from the ocean in real time actually much more useful that non-realtime data? i.e. if I have a data-collection experiment attached to a buoy and leave it there for three months then collect it, is that data actually much less useful that data collected in real time? I doubt it. And yet look at the cost implications of collecting the real time data.

      Will it be expensive? Yes.
      However, the amount of data that will be received with minimal impact to the environment will be staggering.


      Two random things that come to mind - the NASA "space pen" and the Russians pencil (yes I know about Snopes blah blah) and - "never underestimate the bandwidth of a pick-up truck travelling cross-country with a trunk full of magnetic tapes". Applies to a boat too.

    3. Re:Sensible? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      World's Best Telescope (including those that orbit it) You can even see stars in the southern hemisphere without going there. Doh!

      Oh, and not only is diving, expensive, difficult, relatively less than safe. It's also slow. It wastes a lot of time and resources. One of the reasons we know so little, is because of how long it takes to get there. Jennycam for hydrothermal vents or the grey goo wastelands would likely reveal much.

    4. Re:Sensible? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jennycam for hydrothermal vents or the grey goo wastelands would likely reveal much.

      Like hundreds of hours of pictures of cloudy water and grey goo? Useful!

    5. Re:Sensible? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would you like to know why? Or just wallow in ignorance? The choice *is* up to you....

    6. Re:Sensible? by pubjames · · Score: 1

      You said:

      Oh, and not only is diving, expensive, difficult, relatively less than safe. It's also slow. It wastes a lot of time and resources.

      Original poster said:

      I'd prefer to see money spent on making dive trips easier/safer/less expensive.

      So, the original poster is saying the problems with diving should be addressed.

    7. Re:Sensible? by Davak · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Is data from the ocean in real time actually much more useful that non-realtime data?

      Yes. The article even mentions events such as underwater volcanoesn. Others could include the migration of plant/animal species and manipulation of data gathering devices such as cameras.

      If you are watching fish mate, you would like your camera to follow the action... for example. (I guess this is different that watching checkmate, cause then you would be a total geek just watching chess. (g))

      Anyway... we don't drop cameras out of planes into the jungle to "gather data." We GO into the jungle, experience it, and attempt to understand it. This is not as easily done on the ocean floor... so this is the next best thing.

    8. Re:Sensible? by Davak · · Score: 1

      I doubt anyone who maintains a web server would like it stuck at the bottom of the ocean and unaccessible when the hard disc drive decides to start playing up.

      Sorry, I missed this point.

      I doubt they will have servers stuck at the bottom of the ocean floor. The servers will be sitting high and dry in people-friendly areas. Why would the servers need to be anywhere near the ocean floor?

      Hell, I know here at work we try to keep the servers even away from people as much as possible. The servers do not need to be near the action. Feed the data onto dry land where the servers will live.

    9. Re:Sensible? by pphrdza · · Score: 2, Informative
      I'm reminded of a technique developed in the 60's/70's for gathering cells from lungs, without surgery, to determine if there was cancer (live cells were "scraped" using a tiny brush). The patients didn't have to go through the expense and inherent dangers of surgery to get an accurate diagnosis. But the pathology labs had never actually seen live lung cancer cells before, and initially didn't recognize them as cancerous.

      How much will be found in "real time" that will change how we think about and approach the subjects of oceans, and remote research? Maybe it is expensive, but maybe it's less expensive and less dangerous than the alternatives (like the analogy above).

    10. Re:Sensible? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1
      A mini FAQ

      Why is diving...

      Expensive?


      It's an extreme enviroment, and we are fragile creatures. Even unmanned machines have to contend with fantastic pressures, and the special care that goes with an enviroment like salt water. Many of the considerations involved with such ambitious undertakings require that the equipment be almost unique. This combined with the very small market, prevent the advantages of large economies from easing much of the burden. When factors like the on-site nature of the research, the technical and saftey demands are fully factored; each excursion demands a wide array of very talented people, in adverse to extremely adverse consitions, be available to support it.

      With many supermaterials, and magic a ways off, perhaps never to reach fruition, this will always be so.

      Difficult?

      Aside from the temperatures, and the long term care of devices that spend their lives in salt water. There's all the stuff that needs to be brought with the people for the people. Food, of course, science is hard enough without starving. Where food goes, waste follows.

      Boats aren't planes, and the ocean is very large. Further more weather can be less than cooprative. So not only does it take a long time to get to the place miles above where one wishes to investigate, much waiting might be required. And then there are the large weather systems that can threaten even large craft, and seasonal trends which might even make some locations off limits for parts of the year. One might ask the question, "If no one can go to Vermont in the fall, do the trees there change color?"

      Then there is the actual dive. The trip down can take hours, and might have to be aborted for any number of reasons. If humans are making the trip with the gear, well then an atmosphere has got to go with them. CO2 poisoning, is probably not the best way to go, but I imagine implosion has got to be one of the less painful (but most dramatic) ways to make an exit. At least with humans, thanks to the drive for self-preservation, and the diligent efforts of those maintaining the craft, the loss of craft itself is unlikely. Unmanned craft, costing perhaps millions, are not always so lucky. Of the problems, this one might has a techological solution likely to be employed in the near term.

      Slow?

      Well, aside from water being "sticky" and dense. It also holds gasses in solution. This causes cavitation. (Links here, on metal fatigue, and corrosion, might also be of interest.) Which is EXTREMELY BAD.

      Cavitation Corrosion. Cavitation is a special case of erosion corrosion caused by the formation and collapse of vapor bubbles in high-velocity fluid flow near a metal surface. This produces surface cavities and causes the surface to appear spongy. The bubbles, caused by the conjoint influence of high velocity and geometry of the flow path, which induces hydrodynamic pressure differences in the flowing stream, subsequently collapse with considerable impact at the metal-liquid interface sufficient for plastic deformation of some metals. It also disturbs any protective film that may exist on the metal surface. This type of damage has been observed on water-turbine blades, ship and boat propellers, pump impellers, pipes carrying fluids at high speed and pressure, water cooled sides of internal combustion engines, etc. Cavitation damage can be prevented or considerably reduced by changing design to reduce hydrodynamic pressure difference in process streams as much as possible; using superior materials of construction, such as stainless steels; coating vulnerable components with resilient coatings of rubber or plastics; operating the pump at a speed and head that minimizes bubble formation.

      -- ASM

      There is supercavitation, but yeah, unless you're just tryi

    11. Re:Sensible? by Davak · · Score: 1

      Cell cultures?
      Lungs?

      As a pulmonary doc and as a researcher, this analogy is hitting close to home. Bravo.

      To add more support for your point, even today data obtained using cell culture must be duplicated by other methods before we use it for human use. Cell cultures are very, very valuable tools for research and allow us to test many questions very quickly; however, cell cultures and the actual human body itself are two very different things.

      Cell cultures would be similar to a stimulated salt water environment at a research lab or zoo. It may contain many of the parts of the real thing and may help test research ideas... however, it is not the real thing.

      The underwater project in question is one step closer to getting to experiment and study the "real thing."

    12. Re:Sensible? by craw · · Score: 1

      Check out what NOAA is doing.

      The key thing is to monitor when things go active on the Juan de Fuca Ridge; this is a mid-ocean ridge spreading center. These spreading centers are a component of plate tectonics. It would also be nice to study the precursors to the advent of volcanic and tectonic (e.g., faulting) events.

      Ironically (considering your comment about military applications), NOAA-PMEL first started monitoring the JDF Ridge using data from the US military's SOSUS arrays. SOSUS is the Navy's underwater acoustic monitoring system.

    13. Re:Sensible? by Obfuscant · · Score: 2, Informative
      However, it may also be that the cost of setting up this network might be better deployed focusing on the actual experiments themselves.


      They have been focusing on the experiments for years. The new part of this project is NOT the measurements, it is the connectivity and being able to get large volumes of data back.


      It costs a great deal of money to send out ships to tow side-scan sonars and temperature/salinity sensors. It costs a great deal of money to put out current sensors. This means that sampling is done very sparsely, if ever. And the instruments have to be designed to fit their data in limited space.


      A wide-bandwidth real-time data stream allows not only more data to be collected, but for data sampling methods to be changed to observe transient phenomena. While we have some understanding of the long-term activities under the water, most of the fun (and change) comes from the transient stuff.


      And I'll point out that while the web page comes from U-dub, there are an awful lot of academic and corporate institutions involved in Neptune, so saying that "University of Washington" is doing this is a little insulting.

    14. Re:Sensible? by Obfuscant · · Score: 2, Insightful
      So, the original poster is saying the problems with diving should be addressed.

      Little of deep-sea oceanography is done with divers. They are too expensive and too fragile.

      Most of the measurements of the deep-sea are done with cable controlled submersible vehicles, instruments towed behind boats on long cables, or submerged buoys.

      Submerged buoys are dropped from boats which leave them in place for six months to a year. They come back and send an acoustic signal that is supposed to trigger a release and the data is supposed to float back to the surface. IF the release hasn't failed, if the boat is in the right place, if they can find it when it pops up, etc. NEPTUNE removes this problem because the data doesn't have to pop back to the surface, it is already on shore.

      And yes, real-time is important. If you want to study something you've seen in the current-style buoy data, you have to design a new instrument, have money left in your ship-ops budget to hire time on a boat, drop that instrument, and then hope it comes back alive -- in six to twelve months. NEPTUNE is a major improvement in this process.

    15. Re:Sensible? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uuuhh...pick-ups don't have trunks...do they?

    16. Re:Sensible? by ZerroDefex · · Score: 1

      "Damn, the hard disk died. Dmitri, get your scuba gear on!"

    17. Re:Sensible? by hesiod · · Score: 1

      > If you are watching fish mate [...]

      > you would be a total geek just watching chess

      Yes, of course, because watching fish "fuck" is a much more normal activity than chess. ;)

    18. Re:Sensible? by hesiod · · Score: 1

      > pick-ups don't have trunks

      No, they do not. How observant of you. :)

    19. Re:Sensible? by TaoJones · · Score: 1
      If you are watching fish mate, you would like your camera to follow the action... for example.

      Yes, imagine the vast potential for undersea porn! I can't wait until I can download "Chicks Who Dig Blowfish" from some Japanese icthoporn site...
      --
      "Fear is the rootkit of democracy.." Blarkon
  18. a fiberless full sensory connection to inner peace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    could happen. the big drawback, if there is any, is that access to the newclear power plan is untethered by physical gadgets, & is also free. that .confuses many, as they bulleave they must pay into some felonious execrables' hostage taking scams, to attain some level of 'comfort'.

    consult with/trust in yOUR creator... get ready to see the light.

  19. Big Problem - Security by Davak · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You think security is troublesome on your own systems... imagine being in control of security on this project.

    You are doing 6 months of observation waiting for an undersea volcano to erupt... and the day it does, some undergrad hacker gets into the system and decides to write out I LOVE BETTY with a mini robot sub on the ocean floor.

    I am kidding,,, but this is a system that most likely multiple groups of scientists will be able to access. Keeping that type of open system secure will be difficult... especially if they are using the internet to accept data and send commands.

    Davak

  20. New project director named by Chatmag · · Score: 0

    Sponge AlGore Square Pants has been named the new project director.

    --
    Pete Carr Owner Chatmag.com
  21. Strange priorities by infestedsenses · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I find it interesting that we first choose to go to the moon, and then discover the oceans of or own planet.
    I'm sure there is still much in store for us to learn from our own planet, and I feel we've neglected that for too long.

    1. Re:Strange priorities by pvt_medic · · Score: 1

      This is an important project to explore the last unknown region of the Earth: the ocean.

      But isnt the last fronteir the mind?

      --
      30% Troll, 50% Underrated, 10% Interesting
      Score:5, Troll
    2. Re:Strange priorities by Jonathan+Platt · · Score: 1

      We are also yet to explore the earths core. I remember reading about some plan to send a probe down there... I guess the thought of space and the prospect of inteligent alian life forms is more appealing. But then you never we know, we might find other intelligent life forms some where here on earth. Also I think it might actually require more technology to explore the depths of our sea than space. Under water objects are exposed to emense pressure.

      --


      VENI, VIDI, VICI, DIXI
    3. Re:Strange priorities by annisette · · Score: 1

      Man has always looked up and down (and for you jokers "around and around")I believe space has its advanages, the vaccuum of space is(for sake of argument) constant so once is is "delt" with there is just increasing speed, decreasing speed, floating around, avoiding a few micrometors, and trying to not go nuts on long voyages. It is expensive. The ocean is closer but constantly increasing water pressure (while decending) held back deep exploration for centuries. If you are searching the ocean botton and tethered to the surface weather is a big handicap. Compared to space ships getting to the moon in three days(gathering data the whole way) a submersable would have a very tough time to get across the ocean in the same time so dealing with the water density determins a lot(how fast oceans are explored by a manned vessel). Space exploration gained a lot of tech. from WW II, submarines did not change much, could go a little faster and deeper but still a tin can. Just some thoughts.

      --
      I eat my grapes at room temperature, cuz the cold ones hurt my teeth
  22. I smell a Rat! by bacon-kidney-pie · · Score: 1

    Hmmm, I think they just want better mobile phone reception inside their mini subs.

  23. Not Inner Space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Inner space is in your thoughts, in your mind, in your soul - the metaphysical - the infinite.

    NOT UNDER THE FUCKING OCEAN YOU GODLESS GEEKS!

  24. [OT] Re:obligatory stingray reference by maharg · · Score: 0

    Nope. 19998, Huh ?

    --

    $ strings FTP.EXE | grep Copyright
    @(#) Copyright (c) 1983 The Regents of the University of California.
  25. Re:Non-sensical! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The role of science, especially "pure" science, isn't to be obvious, or redily appearent. That is called a "business plan."

    Science is about proof buy induction. From the small, obvious truths to the more general, nebulous, and occasionaly inscrutible laws that dispassionately, and unfailingly govern our world.

    When we know the general truths, the rules of the game so to speak, we can then deduce other truths and apply them.

    But without those general truths, that you so flipantly dismiss, we're essentially groping in the dark. Dispite what The Matrix might lead one to believe, intuition does not trump reason.

  26. Know what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    I'm with you 99%.

  27. Depends on the Implementation... by chewtoy-11 · · Score: 1

    This sounds like a fascinating project, however, the implementation will ultimately determine how well the money was spent. Granted, network cable under the sea will probably be very durable, but what about the equipment itself? If they're spending tons of money on fiber-optic cable to install under the ocean, and then attaching an EZ-Fun Cam (Crap Edition) to the other ends of said cables, where were the priorities?

    Maybe they're in cahoots with X-10, and the new pop-under-sea advertisement!

    chewtoy11

    --
    C. Griffin
    "Can I keep his head for a souvenir?" --Max from Sam 'N Max Freelance Police
  28. And I still can't get DSL!? by dphoenix · · Score: 1, Funny

    Alright, I guess I have new ammunition for Qwest the next time I call them. They're still telling I'm too far to get DSL!

    Now I can't even say that my dialup is "slower than a turtle!" argh!

    1. Re:And I still can't get DSL!? by Tin+Foil+Hat · · Score: 1

      Never underestimate the bandwidth of a turtle with...

      aw crap. nevermind.

      --
      No matter how many of my rights are taken away, somehow I still don't feel safe. -Frigid Monkey
  29. there is nuclear waste down there... by tjstork · · Score: 1


    Off the wheel, we have several sunken nuclear submarines, perhaps a dozen or so thermonuclear warheads and maybe even a hundred regular nukes.

    --
    This is my sig.
    1. Re:there is nuclear waste down there... by appleLaserWriter · · Score: 1

      Off the wheel, we have several sunken nuclear submarines, perhaps a dozen or so thermonuclear warheads and maybe even a hundred regular nukes.

      Don't tell the script kiddies.

  30. *yawn* by DarkProphet · · Score: 1

    Okay I understand the importance and value of deep-sea exploration, but how about fiber to my curb first?

    --
    What could possibly hurt the security of the American people more than giving our own government the ability to hide its
  31. Google is your friend by Tired_Blood · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't be suprised if there was radioactive waste at the bottom of the sea somewhere. And this is off the top of my head w/out even looking.

    Here you go.

    I also remember reading something about a US bomber crashing in the ocean which prompted other nations to ban the flying of nuclear armed planes over their land. Ahhh, found this through google too. A very interesting read.

    And these are just the accidents. There's also the intentional stuff (testing) to also take into account.

    --
    This is not my sig.
  32. Not Strange Priorities by Mad+Man · · Score: 1
    was Re: Strange Priorities

    I find it interesting that we first choose to go to the moon, and then discover the oceans of or own planet.

    Lieutenant Don Walsh (US Navy) and Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard descended to the bottom of Challenger Deep in the bathyscape Trieste back in 1960.

    This is 9 years before Apollo 11.
  33. Canadian Involvement - UVic by vee-dub.net · · Score: 1

    The University of Victoria is heading the Canadian half of this project. More information can be found at the Neptune Canada site.

  34. Error in Neptune Canada URL by psgalbraith · · Score: 1

    Make that Neptune Canada.

  35. Underwater Research Stations by ManoMarks · · Score: 1

    It's important to be able to access high-bandwith pron while in your underwater base. Unless you're Troy McClure, in which case all you have to do is look out the window.

    --

    That's gotta fit into your schema somewhere

  36. Another non standard site by Boxcarwilli · · Score: 1

    Great, one more UW website for me to worry about that doesnt adhere to any usability or visual standards.............

    1. Re:Another non standard site by Doobian+Coedifier · · Score: 1

      The main web pages, run by Computing & Communications certainly do follow set standards. However, the site from the article is hosted on the Department of Oceanograpy's own server, and they are free to do as they see fit. Surely you agree that web standards are not one-size-fits-all. But hey, I see that your website hasn't been updated in 18 months, so maybe web design isn't so hot these days anyway.

  37. MODERATION ABUSE! by Zenjive · · Score: 1

    Overrated? When there was no rating in the first place?

    --


    A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with. - Tennessee Williams