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Sliding Rocks Bemuse Scientists

Posted by kdawson on from the no-footprints dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Scientists can't figure out why these rocks — weighing up to several hundred pounds each — slide across a dry lake bed. The leading theory proposes that wind moves the rocks after a rain when the lake bed consists of soft and very slippery mud.

5 of 433 comments (clear)

  1. no buildup in front by egburr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In all those pictures, I don't see any buildup of dust in front of the rocks, though there is plenty on the sides of the paths. Usually, when I push something through the dirt/mud/snow/whatever, I end up with a good buildup in front, too. I wonder where that has gone.

    --

    Edward Burr
    Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.
  2. Re:Begs the question by Bob(TM) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah, but ... how you gonna keep the webcam from sliding? :)

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    The little guy just ain't getting it, is he?
  3. Re:Mark Newman Poster by stoolpigeon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In the desert the ground is really, really hard. It is completely plausible that a thin layer on the top could be slimy mud, while hard clay lies beneath.
     
    I don't think you appreciate how remote this site is and what an effort it would be to pull off something like that. I really don't think it is someone messing around or that the wind theory is as unlikely as you think.

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
  4. Re:Begs the question by fbjon · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It still seems strange. The place is really dry, meaning there's lots of sun. Just make a small package with a GPS receiver, some simple weather instruments, a radio uplink to a nearby relay, a small camera and a solar panel with battery. If the GPS detects any movement, or the weather instruments detect any drastic changes, turn on all other stuff and start piping data to the relay, which passes it on by whatever means.

    If anybody steals the package, it'll sound an alert and record who took it, and where they're taking it.

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    True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
  5. Re:Amazing how no-one bothers to actually CHECK. by evanbd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Did you watch the video carefully? They offer a very authoritative sounding explanation of the water / ice theory presented as one option in the article, but don't actually capture rocks in motion on film. There's water moving, and some sort of foam on top of the water, but that's about it. As the original article says, there's lots of evidence in favor of this theory, but also evidence against it being that simple -- like experiments involving undisturbed stakes and such. As far as I can tell, that seems to be a piece of the explanation, but not the whole explanation.