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Possible Clue On Saturn's Hexagon?

Posted by kdawson on from the spinning-buckets dept.

permaculture sends us to nature.com for a description of new (and old) research that might possibly shed some light on the origin of the hexagon around Saturn's north pole. Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark have spun buckets of water, in much the same way Isaac Newton did, and photographed geometrical whirlpools developing. As the buckets are spun up, central holes develop that are first elliptical, then triangular, then square, pentagonal, and hexagonal. A UT Austin researcher is quoted as saying it's unlikely this process is behind the Saturn mystery.

11 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Intelligent Design by Palmyst · · Score: 4, Funny

    Slam dunk. Don't even try to refute it.

  2. Settlers of Catan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The gods are slowly starting to build a Settlers of Catan board. Expect to see prices of wool & brick skyrocket here on earth.

    1. Re:Settlers of Catan by Drey · · Score: 5, Funny

      Obligatory Settler's Joke: "I have wood for sheep."

  3. I've got it by quokkapox · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's where the bees have gone. They've flown to Saturn and are constructing a gigantic honeycomb.

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    it's a blue bright blue Saturday hey hey
    1. Re:I've got it by Emperor+Zombie · · Score: 4, Funny

      Honeycomb's big, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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      I'm so excited I just made water in my pantaloons!
    2. Re:I've got it by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

      Cool. I always wondered where the Honeycomb Hideout was.

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      This guy's the limit!
    3. Re:I've got it by K'Lyre · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's not small. No, no no.

  4. Good news, everyone! by swid27 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Once again, life imitates Futurama.

  5. The Real Reason by Fujisawa+Sensei · · Score: 3, Funny

    The real reason for the hexagon: http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20070408

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    If someone is passing you on the right, you are an asshole for driving in the wrong lane.
  6. What's so mysterious about it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course Saturn has a hexagon. Saturn being the sixth planet from the sun, and a hexagon having six sides, it's only natural.

    1. Re:What's so mysterious about it? by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Funny

      And Earth has the Bermuda triangle. Hey! You're really onto something.

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      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.