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Volcanic Activity May Split Africa In Two

Posted by samzenpus on from the spit-up dept.

An anonymous reader writes 'Volcanic activity may split the African continent in two, creating a new ocean, say experts. This is due to a recent geological crack which has appeared in northeastern Ethiopia.'

20 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. So now it's four pieces? by MrMr · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/11/03/0313242

    1. Re:So now it's four pieces? by Xest · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, and it's now happened twice in 2 days, the world is falling apart, run for the hills!

    2. Re:So now it's four pieces? by lena_10326 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      3 pieces. Break a cookie in half 2 times.
      • Break #1: 1 = 0.5 + 0.5
      • Break #2: 1 = 0.5 + 0.25 + 0.25

      3 pieces. Not 4. You would need 3 breaks to get 4 pieces.

      --
      Camping on quad since 1996.
    3. Re:So now it's four pieces? by imakemusic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You can't break a cookie in half twice. You can break it in half once and then you can break a half-cookie in half. Saying that you're breaking the [whole] cookie in half twice implies that you are making the first break and then breaking both of those halves in two.

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    4. Re:So now it's four pieces? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You guys need to get out more.

    5. Re:So now it's four pieces? by lena_10326 · · Score: 4, Funny

      There are no half-cookies. There are only cookies. Some are small; some are big. It's like saying there are half rocks. Divide a rock in half, u get 2 rocks. Not 2 half rocks. This is because a cookie has no anatomy as you and I would know it. It is symmetrical and the independent of scale. It applies down to a cookie of size 2 molecules. A 1 molecule cookie cannot be divided, because dividing molecule yields entirely different substances.

      If I had said an "apple", that would have been different. Half apples do indeed exist.

      --
      Camping on quad since 1996.
    6. Re:So now it's four pieces? by imakemusic · · Score: 5, Funny

      Isn't a cookie of size 2 molecules technically known as a Crumb?

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    7. Re:So now it's four pieces? by chronosan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You can, however, have half an Oreo Cookie.

    8. Re:So now it's four pieces? by Trails · · Score: 4, Funny

      I cordially invite you to come to my house and explain to my kids that half a cookie is in fact a cookie. Good luck. If you're successful, I'll even pay for your airfare.

  2. In other news by Enleth · · Score: 5, Funny

    The article duping activity would be enough to split Slashdot in two, creating a new site that could actualy cover the same events at almost the same time with little additional work, says any attentive reader.

    --
    This is Slashdot. Common sense is futile. You will be modded down.
  3. It splits articles too? by MWojcik · · Score: 3, Funny

    It must be some some african-internet hybrid volcano, it is already splitting the article about itself in two.

  4. I must be playing too much WoW by theurge14 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I must be playing too much WoW because now I'm starting to believe the upcoming expansion Cataclysm is a real even that will take place in Africa.

  5. This is old news, decade old news by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This has been in the school books since 1970s, at least. For starters - look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rift_Valley and then do a Google search for "Rift Valley"

  6. Next they'll tell us Pangea's unstable. by gafisher · · Score: 4, Funny

    Where's the United Nations when we need them?

    1. Re:Next they'll tell us Pangea's unstable. by nstlgc · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hang on, we're writing an angry letter to let the volcanic activity know how we feel about this.

      --
      I'm Rocco. I'm the +5 Funny man.
  7. North America by QuoteMstr · · Score: 4, Informative

    What's not very well-known is that the same thing happened to North America, almost splitting the continent in two. Lake Superior lies in the depression left by the failed North American rift.

  8. Re:Buy land in Etiopia now by zmollusc · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh Christ, don't say that! I was going to get a percentage off some Nigerian guy for helping him get $50million out of the country. Once he hears this investment opportunity he will spend it at home in Nigeria. :-(
     

    --
    They whose government reduces their essential liberties for temporary security, receive neither liberty nor security.
  9. really really old news by happy_place · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm forty(ish) now, but I distinctly remember a social studies/geography teacher telling me about this when I was in Jr. High School. Who knew going to a California public school would be so leading edge!? ;)

    --
    http://www.beanleafpress.com
  10. I dunno, it's kinda refreshing to see a dupe by thomasdz · · Score: 4, Funny

    A couple of years ago, Slashdot was doing LOTS of duplicate articles and that has been cleaned up tremedously. It's kinda nice to see a dupe now and then to remind me of those heady days of 2007, ahhhh, how I miss them

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    Karma: Excellent. 15 moderator points expire sometime.
  11. Re:Buy land in Etiopia now by juletre · · Score: 4, Funny

    That was smart!
    Find all the +5 funny replies from yesterday and repost them!

    ---
    'He, who has quotes in his signature, is a duche' - unknown.

    --
    "he, who has quotes in his signature, is a douche" - unknown.