Slashdot Mirror


In Germany, a Message-in-a-Bottle Found 108 Years After Its Release

schwit1 writes with a report that an early 20th century experiment has generated a belated data point. One of many floating bottles released 108 years ago to study currents was recently found by a German couple; it washed up on a beach in Amrum, Germany. From The Independent: When the couple unfurled the note inside, they found a message in English, German and Dutch. It asked the finder to fill in some information on where and when they had found the bottle, before returning it to the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth. It said whoever did so would be rewarded with one shilling. Communications director of the Marine Biological Association, Guy Baker, told The Daily Telegraph: "It was quite a stir when we opened that envelope, as you can imagine." Once at the association, staff recognised the bottle was one of 1,020 released into the North Sea between 1904 and 1906 as part of a project to test the strength of currents. Mr Baker told the paper: "It was a time when they were inventing ways to investigate what currents and fish did. Many of the bottles were found by fishermen trawling with deep sea nets. Others washed up on the shore, and some were never recovered. Most of the bottles were found within a relatively short time. We're talking months rather than decades."

57 comments

  1. And the message was by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    You are all cows!

    1. Re: And the message was by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Came to see first, got disappointed by stupid cow bullsh!t

    2. Re: And the message was by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it's cows, bullshit is the raison d'etre.

    3. Re: And the message was by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      Cows make cow shit. Only bulls make bullshit.

    4. Re:And the message was by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seville daredago
      Tauzan bussis inaro
      Nojo demmis trux
      Summit cowsans summit dux.

    5. Re: And the message was by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Came to see first, got disappointed by stupid cow bullsh!t

      I much prefer the smart cow bullshit myself.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    6. Re: And the message was by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Cows make cow shit. Only bulls make bullshit.

      Obligitory 5th grade joke:

      Little Johnny went down to the shoe store to look around.

      The Saleseman asked him "What can I help you with?" Little Johhny asked "What are shoes made from?

      Salesman says "Hide."

      "From what?" asks little Johnny

      "Hide! Hide! a cow's outside!" Replied the now irritated sales guy

      "Jesus Mister, I ain't afraid of no fuckin' cow." said Johhny. and he left the store.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    7. Re: And the message was by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please mod parent Off-Topic. Thanks.

    8. Re: And the message was by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      I just modded parent insightful and you off-topic. You're welcome

  2. *points at the cow* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hideki!

  3. They were paid a shilling as promised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would insist on being paid in 1904/1906 currency, not given 5 "modern" pence. Either that, or inflation adjust.... perhaps cheaper to contact some numismatists and find the old coins.

    1. Re:They were paid a shilling as promised by sjames · · Score: 1

      No need to insist, look at the box the woman is holding in their picture.

    2. Re:They were paid a shilling as promised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would insist on being paid in 1904/1906 currency, not given 5 "modern" pence. Either that, or inflation adjust....

      You're American, right?

  4. 108? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Viral for a Lost reboot.

  5. Actual message by r1348 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Don't trust that Hitler guy. I know he's never gonna make it but you never know..."

    1. Re:Actual message by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      Hitler would have been 15 years old in 1904.

      Better to advise he's kind of a passable mediocre painter but encourage him to pursue art anyway

    2. Re:Actual message by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Lousy wine. Don't buy wine from Frisians. By and by, Davies thinks that the German Fleet appear to be up to something. Bye - E. Childers"

    3. Re:Actual message by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Sure, GNU/Hurd is going to be ubiquitous. But that Windows, you never know..."

    4. Re:Actual message by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      "Don't trust that Hitler guy..."

      "as an artist. Make him get a day job, perhaps in dentistry or politics."

    5. Re:Actual message by PPH · · Score: 1

      More likely: "Tell Archduke Ferdinand to watch his back."

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  6. Cheated! by iggymanz · · Score: 1

    1 shilling in 1904 is worth five quid now!

  7. This must have been the very first message... by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    ...Delivered over CenturyLink!

  8. Rewarded one shilling by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is one of those situations where a sense of humor could make an interesting story into a great story.

    The Marine Biological Association in Plymouth should buy a 1904 shilling (on eBay around $13) and send it to the German couple.

    It would be the perfect story ending, generate some good-natured publicity, and the bottle and note are probably antiques of historical value. (Imagine the bottle and note in the Salem maritime museum (Peabody Essex Museum), with the above-mentioned story ending in the description.)

    1. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm so disappointed they didn't actually give out one shilling!

    2. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The couple pose with the shilling payment which they received[...]True to their word, the association sent a shilling to the couple as the promised payment.

    3. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      FTFA:
      "True to their word, the association sent a shilling to the couple as the promised payment."

    4. Re:Rewarded one shilling by dotancohen · · Score: 5, Informative

      The Marine Biological Association in Plymouth should buy a 1904 shilling (on eBay around $13) and send it to the German couple.

      You are absolutely not going to believe this, but the fine article has a photograph of the couple who found the bottle posing with the one shilling payment that they received.

      --
      It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
    5. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or imagine it, you know, in a museum in England, where it was sent from and to!

    6. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They did.

    7. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I certanly dont believe it! You actually read the article?!?

    8. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

      There certainly is a lot of shilling going on.

    9. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Marine Biological Association in Plymouth should buy a 1904 shilling (on eBay around $13) and send it to the German couple.

      From TFA:

      True to their word, the association sent a shilling to the couple as the promised payment.

    10. Re:Rewarded one shilling by quenda · · Score: 1

      should buy a 1904 shilling

      Score:5 shows the mods don't bother to even skim TFA either. (There is a friggin' big PHOTO of the couple holding their schilling.)
      Maybe we need a captcha-style question on TFA before anyone can post or moderate.

      And BTW, the bottle was smashed, so no longer a great museum exhibit.

    11. Re:Rewarded one shilling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll read it in 108 years

  9. Clean bottle? by koick · · Score: 2

    I find it hard to believe that bottle was so clean. Usually things out at sea over a large period of time become covered in pelagic barnacles.

    1. Re:Clean bottle? by rubycodez · · Score: 4, Informative

      bottle collectors have easy way to clean barnacles and coral off bottles found at sea. Get 32 percent (20 baum) hydrochloric acid from hardware store, add to equal part water, and soak bottle for a couple of days in that (wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin obviously while handling bottles). then rinse with water. I assume that's what was done with the bottle in picture.

    2. Re:Clean bottle? by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      as afterthought for the inexperienced, of course this is to be done outside, using plastic five or ten gallon bucket not metal, don't breath the acid fumes, don't splash in eyes (wrap around goggles might be good idea), have ready water source for washing away any accidental spills onto body or anything else not proof against HCl

    3. Re:Clean bottle? by Blaskowicz · · Score: 1

      I would have a try with warm vinegar to see how far it goes.

    4. Re:Clean bottle? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Get 32 percent (20 baum) hydrochloric acid from hardware store, add to equal part water

      Or just, ya know, use 16%

    5. Re: Clean bottle? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      32% is both cheaper and more commonplace.

    6. Re:Clean bottle? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      The instructions were unclear and my dick is stuck in the ceiling fan.

    7. Re:Clean bottle? by koick · · Score: 1

      There's nothing to suggest that the people who found it are "bottle collectors" and know of this technique. From TFA: "was on holiday when she spotted the unusual bottle floating".

    8. Re:Clean bottle? by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      But you didn't spill muratic acid on it so you done good

    9. Re:Clean bottle? by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      I find it hard to believe that bottle was so clean. Usually things out at sea over a large period of time become covered in pelagic barnacles.

      The bottle was smashed. I'm pretty sure that the one in the photo was probably just a stock photo or an example one.

      And it's not like the couple didn't try to not smash the bottle - they carefully opened it and they couldn't get the paper out. So they smashed it like the outside of the bottle said - break bottle.

      Given the article was posted long after the couple found it (they got the reward, after all), lends credence to the stock photo of the bottle was used.

    10. Re:Clean bottle? by GonzoPhysicist · · Score: 1

      We just use white vinegar in the lab to clean barnacle fouled instruments, it may take a little longer but works great.

      --
      horror vacui
    11. Re:Clean bottle? by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      not usually sold that way, choices are 13 (20%) , 20 and 22 degree baum, though the 13 degree "safer" or "green" costs more!

  10. Obligatory... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Message in a Bottle

    OMFG old music videos are strange.

  11. And the message said... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Zeig Heil! These are our kind of people!

  12. Duke Nukem by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

    Actually, it would have been more amusing, if the actual message was an announcement of the latest release of Duke Nukem . . . really soon now!

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  13. Yuks by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    I bet it smelled funny

  14. The obvious question by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

    Fanmail from some flounder?

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  15. Bit rate ? by Alain+Williams · · Score: 1

    A few words ... encode them as ASCII, divide by 108 years -- what does that come out as a bit rate ?/p?

    1. Re:Bit rate ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      ~100 characters, if we're going by how it would've been encoded for digital transmission at the time (5-bit baudot) we have 500 bits. 108 years is 3.4 gigaseconds. Data rate therefore is in the vicinity of 150 nanobit/second.

  16. What about inflation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is that reward adjusted to inflation? And how much would a shilling of 108 years ago be worth now? 30 shilling or 1,5 pound?

  17. Bottes Timberland Pas Chers 2015 by zenjinhuo · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Jordan choose Nike shoes as basketball shoes nike tn 2015 . Since then Nike becomes famous, however, Nike Jordan shoes just designed for Jordan is memory of that great moment. To create a hold water consider and keep the ethicality of the shoe as prodigious as prepatent, the articulation of Nike which would make nike air jordan nipulation person near the Inclination jordan sneakers. Song Jordans was reintroduced in activity nevertheless he was proximate innumerable with the pass more than Nike Sensibility jordan versions but also termed PE. Nike followed up on its footwear fame by dressing athletes from head to toe, introducing apparel collections for tennis and basketball, which were popularized respectively by superstars John McEnroe and Michael Jordan. In 1988, Nike's "Just Do It" slogan was introduced, and it remains one of the most recognizable and successful commercial taglines. In 1990, the first NikeTown store opened in Portland http://www.whlkeynk.com/ , Ore. The company signed golfing phenom Tiger Woods in 1996. From the expand idea of football field, Nike invent their first football shoes after chaussure nike tn requin 2015 France by Bnhjtu Frist World Cup using Adidas. From first general shoe to new technology nike Mercurial Vapor, Nike changes their way from time to time.

  18. At last by saebasystems · · Score: 1

    Some competition for Comcast.

  19. Score! by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    Sounds like they did pretty good. Some googling tells me a shilling was worth 1/20th of a pound. Using an inflation calculator it gives the worth to be 4.58 pounds in 2015. A currency converter tells me that equals 7.19 US dollars. So they just made a premium of 5.81 dollars! Well done!