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Scientists Claim To Have Solved the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle (vice.com)

Slashdot reader MyrddinBach shares a report that claims the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle has been solved. The Bermuda Triangle is a loosely-defined region of water between the southernmost tip of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the island of Bermuda to the north. British oceanographers now believe that "rogue waves" are responsible for the disappearance of a number of ships in the region. VICE News reports: So what are rogue waves? Basically, they're abnormally large and unexpected waves in open sea. Dr Simon Boxall, an Oceanographer from the University of Southampton who led the new study, explained on a Channel 5 documentary The Bermuda Triangle Enigma: "there are storms to the South and North, which come together... we've measured waves in excess of 30 meters. The bigger the boat gets, the more damage is done." His team re-created the intense surges of the 30 meter waves by using indoor simulators. Then to see what such a wave would do to a large ship, they built a model of the USS Cyclops, a carrier that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle in 1918 and claimed the lives of 309 people.

235 comments

  1. Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    that's what *they* want us to believe

    1. Re:Of course by paazin · · Score: 5, Informative

      they built a model of the USS Cyclops, a carrier that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle

      Actually it was a collier, a coal transport cargo ship - there weren't very many carriers around during the Great War.

    2. Re:Of course by JMJimmy · · Score: 5, Informative

      It also doesn't make any sense because it was also affecting airplanes.

      Someone else already solved it to my satisfaction - it's methane out-gassing. It takes takes very little to stall an airplane engine, the bubbling capsizes boats, and there's a large underground deposit in the area.

    3. Re:Of course by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      In this age of reporting, be glad what they wrote about was at least a ship and they didn't claim it's a collar.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:Of course by war4peace · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Wasn't it a corral?

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    5. Re:Of course by Opportunist · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      No, that grows under the sea.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:Of course by alex67500 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Everybody knows, darling, it's better down where it's wetter, take it from me...

    7. Re:Of course by ls671 · · Score: 0

      So you keep your horses and cattle under the see? Strange...

      --
      Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
    8. Re:Of course by DES · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There is nothing to solve. There is no statistically significant difference between the Bermuda Triangle and any other stretch of ocean with comparable amounts of sea and air traffic. Most of the stories of mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle are either greatly exaggerated or outright fabrications.

    9. Re:Of course by Dogtanian · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Came here to say this. The mystery was "solved" years ago when it was proven that it didn't exist in the first place.

      I appreciate that it doesn't benefit the makers of what I'm assuming is going to be a cheesy, "Ancient Aliens" level documentary made for bloody Channel 5 for this to be the case, but I'd at least expect better from Slashdot than to waste time promoting this fluff.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    10. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      they built a model of the USS Cyclops, a carrier that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle

      Actually it was a collier, a coal transport cargo ship - there weren't very many carriers around during the Great War.

      Not that I've any time for this 'documentary', but I can see why someone called her a carrier here. Whoever wrote this spiel was being (nautically ignorant) pedantic, as her cargo was manganese ore at the time she was lost, technically she was acting as an bulk ore carrier, a 'bulker', I know when people use 'carrier' they tend to mean a 'flat top', but you can see the way the contraction developed in this case.

      'Collier' does sort of imply that coal is the cargo, but yes, the Cyclops was built as a collier, though one of her sister ships did eventually get to be the US's first flat top, the USS Langley.

    11. Re:Of course by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      Not that I've any time for this 'documentary', but I can see why someone called her a carrier here.

      I'm going to invoke Occam here. The guy was posting mobile and got tripped up by autocorrect.

      A week ago in Phoenix, a sports reporter filing his story mobile on a Diamondbacks game included a description of a haboob rolling through town during the game, momentarily cutting off stadium power. The word got autocorrected to 'baboon'. Much hilarity ensued:

      http://www.azfamily.com/story/...

    12. Re:Of course by sabbede · · Score: 1

      I wonder if the author thought they were correcting someone else's typo.

    13. Re:Of course by Deadstick · · Score: 2

      This. The four-sided Bermuda Triangle was an invention of a writer at Argosy magazine in the 1950's.

    14. Re: Of course by Opportunist · · Score: 0

      That's Bikini Bottom, not Bermuda Bottom.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    15. Re:Of course by asylumx · · Score: 1

      Haven't you ever heard of a sea horse? Where do you think they come from?

    16. Re:Of course by azcoyote · · Score: 3, Funny

      Aha! That's how the aliens did it. They must use the methane clouds to fuel their UFOs, and the giant waves to go surfing....

      --
      Incipiamus, fratres, servire Domino Deo, quia hucusque vix vel parum in nullo profecimus.
    17. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So it carried coal. It's a carrier.

    18. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is exactly what I was thinking!

      Or, you know...

      aliens.

      Just sayin'.

    19. Re:Of course by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      Waasn't there a PBY Catalina that also went missing right after being sent out to look for a squadron of TBF Avengers that had just gone missing?

    20. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Scientists Claim To Have Solved the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle...unfortunately they disappeared before they could publish.

    21. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. Thanks for saying better than I could. The rogue wave explanation will no doubt find its way to the end of a 50-part click-bait article.

    22. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To be honest, the Soviets were far more effective at it than the West ever was. The Soviets had no remorse for it. For them, the hatred of the Nazi's was very personal. They always knew what scum they were. Never get on the bad side of an angry Russian.

    23. Re:Of course by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I wonder if the development of GPS and other navigation technologies also further reduced any risk that area had simply by making shipping much safer. No longer would a large ship become lost at sea due to a storm. You could just check your GPS and head for the nearest port or use your radio to call for help. In a similar way that putting a high resolution camera in everyone's pockets hasn't led to a ton of high res photos/videos of Bigfoot and UFOs.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    24. Re:Of course by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      I think that was a Mariner.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    25. Re:Of course by kalpol · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes, and it gets more interesting: There were four ships in this class - Proteus, Cyclops, Jupiter, and Nereus. Jupiter was converted into the Navy's first aircraft carrier, USS Langley, and was scuttled eventually . The other three disappeared without a trace at various times. The prevailing theory, as far as I've heard, is that the coal eventually corroded support structures and they were lost in storms at sea. Langley was heavily damaged by the Japanese in February 1942 and scuttled near the Philippines.

      --
      12:50 - press return.
    26. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which coal dust is known to explode.

    27. Re:Of course by JimSadler · · Score: 4, Informative

      During WW1 there were large ships that mounted a short wooden runway and launched aircraft from them. i don't think they were able to land the aircraft at all. I seem to recall some sort of retrieval process that involved landing the planes close to the ships and winch or crane.

    28. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Triangle discovers one weird trick...ships hate it.

      Ships don't expect the ocean to do this but they can't stop it.

      Look closely, this triangle has not been photoshopped.

      New rule in Bermuda Triangle leaves captains fuming.

    29. Re:Of course by MightyYar · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Not only was it a coal transport, but it was one based on a design that had several known failures. Two sister ships went missing near Europe while carrying heavy loads. Another similar ship was observed to sink in calm seas, and erosion of structural members was observed in other similar ships carrying corrosive loads. Finally, it was overloaded with Brazilian manganese when it disappeared.

      I don't think there is much of a mystery here, rogue wave or not.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    30. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They were really BIG waves ...

    31. Re:Of course by gringer · · Score: 1
      --
      Ask me about repetitive DNA
    32. Re:Of course by pgmrdlm · · Score: 2

      You are correct, there were a number of planes lost in the Triangle. I seen the methane gas explanation also. I have also heard of the rouge wave explanation. Actually, it could be both.

      --
      Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
    33. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How much are the Aliens paying you to shill for them?

    34. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Show your math or go back to your cult.

    35. Re:Of course by nitehawk214 · · Score: 2

      Even more confusing, USS Cyclops sister ship, USS Jupiter, was converted to a carrier, better known by its post conversion name USS Langley.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    36. Re: Of course by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Ok, maybe this explains ships disappearing in the triangle.....

      How do big waves explain the disappearance of aircraft??

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    37. Re:Of course by Headw1nd · · Score: 1

      It's also worth noting that the area encompassed by the "Bermuda Triangle" is huge.

    38. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In that case, every transport is a carrier, even your mom's suv.

    39. Re: Of course by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Ok, maybe this explains ships disappearing in the triangle.....

      How do big waves explain the disappearance of aircraft??

      Exactly what I came here to post.

    40. Re:Of course by kalpol · · Score: 1

      also that

      --
      12:50 - press return.
    41. Re:Of course by GrahamJ · · Score: 1

      Hey Ancient Aliens was great! Some the most my wife and I had laughed in a long time!

      "Is it really so hard to believe?" has become a meme between us :D

    42. Re: Of course by GrahamJ · · Score: 1

      They were flying lower than 30m of course ;)

    43. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, that is the poster's fault not checking what he was posting. The autocorrect will change the word right when you add a space behind it. People nowadays are careless more and more because they get accustomed to relying on technologies.

    44. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, your going to have to explain how my jokes, that you replied to, explain anything. I was just parodying clickbait.

    45. Re:Of course by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      Someone else already solved it to my satisfaction - it's methane out-gassing. It takes takes very little to stall an airplane engine, the bubbling capsizes boats, and there's a large underground deposit in the area.

      What if the pilot lights a match?

    46. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was satisfied with the methane gas theory too because that answers for the aircraft.

      I still want to know what happened to "Flight 19" and where IS "Flight 19"? The planes have never been found? Also, I believe another plane that searched for "Flight 19" also went down too.

    47. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except engines stalling doesn't make the plane fall straight down, they can still glide.

      Also, why don't they ever radio for help?

    48. Re:Of course by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Correct, the 5 planes of flight 19 became lost because the leader thought they were over the Florida keys instead of the Bahamas, so they went the wrong way multiple times. The Mariner that took off to search for them exploded in mid air. They were known to collect gas vapors in parts of the plane.

      However, the compasses on the Avengers weren't working. I've heard multiple reports of faulty compasses and electronics around the Bermuda triangle, but the question there is whether or not that happens with any more regularity in that area versus anywhere else.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    49. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well it's a corral now eitger way

    50. Re:Of course by Dr_Terminus · · Score: 1

      Planes used to get lost at sea all the time in the era before GPS navigation. I'd be curious to see if the incidence rate of planes disappearing in the 'Bermuda Triangle' is any higher than any other ocean expanse during those times...

    51. Re: Of course by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Giant mutant sharks of course: https://youtu.be/Fa7ck5mcd1o?t...

    52. Re:Of course by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      But that theory won't bait anyone into clicking!

    53. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Corral? Wasn't he a character in The Walking Dead series?

    54. Re: Of course by mikael · · Score: 1

      Ocean waves are caused by the strong winds from storms. The storms may be hundreds of miles away, but the energy will be transferred through the water as waves with minimum loss. Thunderstorms have strong downdrafts as well as shock waves from lightning and microbursts. At the location of the storm, the wave amplitude can easily be 100 meters. This will reduce as the waves travel away from the storm.

      Perhaps a shockwave could travel through the air at the same time. Fighter jets going supersonic can be heard from 200 miles away.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    55. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right. And the myth blossomed in the 60s and 70s, when culture and politics were changing so fast that many people began to feel the need to believe in something, anything, that would hint at the existence of a secret order of superior beings, like aliens.

      The Kennedy assassination, the "sexual revolution", Viet Nam, Watergate, etc. left many dissillusioned because their stable symbols of a higher order in politics, morality and spirituality, national identity etc. were, to them, severely degraded. Many people began to turn to any alternate belief system they could find. The Bermuda Triangle and its promise of powerful aliens was part of one or several of those belief systems. And writer and editors such as Charles Berlitz decided to cash in with articles and books, many of which simply copied and embellished one another.

      A powerful testament to this need to believe is found in the Spielberg movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", which deals with aliens and the Bermuda Triangle even including the re-appearance of the victims of two disappearances: the freighter Cotopaxi (lost in 1925 I think) and the famous Flight 19 of Navy bomber aircraft. A the end of the movie (spoiler alert), the hero boards the benevolent alien mothership and ascends to the sky, while the musical score includes the theme of the Walt Disney company.

      I think that for a time the area may have had a higher incidence of disappearances of small planes and boats manned by amateur sailors and pilots. One reason, explained to me by my sailing instructor some years ago, is that magnetic meridians in some areas of the "Triangle" are not relatively straight but follow rather eccentric patterns, sometimes even crossing each other, so magnetic declination varies constantly and this can make it very difficult to navigate by magnetic compass (and would explain many of the "the compass was turning in all directions!" witness accounts). GPS, satellite voice link, EPIRB and the like probably helped a lot in reducing these amateur sailor/pilot disappearances.

    56. Re: Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Two storm fronts coming together from opposite latitudes, circulation patters?

    57. Re:Of course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      True, the whole myth began in Argosy in an article that could even be construed as a short story in the tradition of retelling and embellishing ghost stories. I always found it very curious that the Bermuda Triangle thing blossomed in the 60s and 70s, when culture and politics were changing so fast that many people began to feel the need to believe in something, anything, that would hint at the existence of a secret order or metaphysical order (or something nearly all-powerful as to be perceived as such, like advanced aliens).

      The Kennedy assassination, the "sexual revolution", Viet Nam, Watergate, etc. left many dissillusioned because their stable symbols of a higher order in politics, morality and spirituality were severely degraded. Their faith in government severely compromised, many people needed to put their faith elsewhere. Enter UFOs and aliens, New Age and a wide array of sometimes overlapping beliefs. In the case of the Bermuda Triangle, writers such as Charles Berlitz decided to cash in with articles and books, many of which simply copied and embellished one another.

      A powerful testament to this need to believe is found in the Spielberg movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", which deals with aliens and the Bermuda Triangle and even includes the re-appearance of vehicles and victims of two disappearances: the freighter Cotopaxi (lost in 1925 I think) and the famous Flight 19 of Navy bomber aircraft. A the end of the movie (spoiler alert), the hero boards the benevolent alien mothership and ascends to the sky, while the musical score plays the theme of the Walt Disney company.

    58. Re: Of course by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      How do big waves explain the disappearance of aircraft??

      Really big waves?

      (Also the atmosphere is full of both "gravity waves" in the material sense and gravity waves in the LIGO sense. So that's 3 types of wave that can synergistically interact to create a new nodal interaction of devastating power.)

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    59. Re: Of course by Matheus · · Score: 1

      Tall Wave, Low Flight Plan...and sharks jumping out of the waves!

      ...what I was really hoping the article would get into is why the Bermuda Triangle would necessarily have more or bigger of these waves BUT the real answer is "they don't":

      Also, he noted that the Bermuda Triangle, which is one of the most heavily trafficked parts of any ocean, doesn't actually see a statistically unlikely rate of disappearances. “According to Lloyds of London and the US coast guard, the number of planes that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis,”

  2. Not a mystery by phantomfive · · Score: 5, Interesting
    If they were scientists, they would have done basic research. At least do a statistical analysis explaining that these waves are more likely to happen near Bermuda. Even looking at Wikipedia we see:

    "The number of ships and aircraft reported missing in the area was not significantly greater, proportionally speaking, than in any other part of the ocean."

    and

    "In a 2013 study, the World Wide Fund for Nature identified the world's 10 most dangerous waters for shipping, but the Bermuda Triangle was not among them."

    Instead this looks like an advertisement for Channel 5's latest TV show. I won't be watching it.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    1. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yep. Other similar ads about bermuda infiltrating the media too

    2. Re:Not a mystery by Pseudonym · · Score: 1

      The Bermuda Triangle is one of the safest places on Earth to sail in.

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
    3. Re:Not a mystery by blindseer · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They did do their research, only they left that part to the last paragraph of the article.

      Also, he noted that the Bermuda Triangle, which is one of the most heavily trafficked parts of any ocean, doesn't actually see a statistically unlikely rate of disappearances. âoeAccording to Lloyds of London and the US coast guard, the number of planes that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis,â Dr Karl told News.com.

      I remember seeing this in some TV show about the Bermuda Triangle. They talked about "killer waves" and "methane clouds" that would destroy ships and kill the engines in airplanes. But then at the end of the program they talked about how these phenomenon are not unique to the area, which "sunk" the entire idea of this being a particularly dangerous part of the sea.

      I thought the methane clouds idea was very interesting. What would happen is a "burp" of methane from deep in the ocean could come up randomly in front of an airplane. The cause of the "burp" would likely be a seismic shift in the ocean floor which would release some pressure on a "sludge" of liquefied methane on the ocean floor, from decayed plants or what had seeped up from the earth and liquefied by the pressure, and turn it to a gas bubble. This bubble would get very large as it rose and when it popped up to the surface it would create this cloud of water and methane that could deprive oxygen to an airplane engine. Someone flying low and slow, which often happens in recreational and military airplanes, could mean being left with little time to react before hitting the water. Having multiple engines in this case wouldn't help because all engines would be deprived of oxygen at the same time. For this to happen though would be a very tiny chance of someone flying low to the sea, the bubble happen right in front of them, and be sufficiently large to kill all the engines. The chances are small but given enough time it could happen.

      --
      I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    4. Re: Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hello to you too, sailor!

    5. Re:Not a mystery by Mr0bvious · · Score: 1

      This is 2018. You need to most replace most occurrences of "scientist" so "some dude".

      All flows nicely then.

      --
      Never happened. True story.
    6. Re:Not a mystery by Mr0bvious · · Score: 1

      Don't know what happened there...

      so = with

      --
      Never happened. True story.
    7. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      IT'S FRIDAY

      FRIDAY

      GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY

      Is everybody looking forward to the weekend?

    8. Re:Not a mystery by geekmux · · Score: 2

      "In a 2013 study, the World Wide Fund for Nature identified the world's 10 most dangerous waters for shipping, but the Bermuda Triangle was not among them."

      When it comes to measuring the most dangerous waters for shipping, does the human element of piracy tend to blow other hazards out of the proverbial water?

    9. Re:Not a mystery by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Informative

      Good question. Fortunately, in this case Wikipedia has a citation. We can look at it, and it seems piracy does not have a huge impact. The biggest risk seems to be people using old, rusty ships that are no longer particularly sea-worthy.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    10. Re: Not a mystery by OneAhead · · Score: 1

      Well played sir!

    11. Re:Not a mystery by tsa · · Score: 1

      This.

      And the waves hypothesis for the non-existing phenomenon we're talking about here was already talked about in the 1970s, and probably much earlier.

      --

      -- Cheers!

    12. Re:Not a mystery by tsa · · Score: 2

      I know what happened there. You were already thinking about typing 'some' when you were still typing the word 'scientist'. I do that a lot. It's very annoying.

      --

      -- Cheers!

    13. Re:Not a mystery by sabbede · · Score: 1

      They tried, but no one would give them a grant to hang out in Bermuda and watch the waves.

    14. Re:Not a mystery by coofercat · · Score: 3, Informative

      If they were scientists, they wouldn't be peddling their wares on Channel 5.

      Channel 5 is, how shall we say, "a the lower end" of the TV market in the UK. That probably pegs it in the up quartile of US TV, but that's really nothing to boast about. Typical Channel 5 programming includes Big Brother (because none of the other channels want it any more), those 'Building Megastructures' shows that advertise a few building contractors and a bunch of other, really terrible reality TV. Tonight it looks like even that level of quality might be tough to maintain: http://www.channel5.com/tv-gui...

    15. Re:Not a mystery by msauve · · Score: 1

      So, in other words, the study is flawed. It didn't identify the most dangerous waters, it identified where the most dangerous boats were being operated.

      But, maybe not, because the citation you gave isn't to any report, just a news article which mentions neither piracy nor rusty ships.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    16. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is Friday.

      I'm going to go home at 5:00 PM. I'm going to pull down all the shades, and lock my door. And turn off my flippin cell phone. And I'm going to put on some tunes and have a drink. And chill. And I will have as many drinks as I feel like and I won't answer to anybody. I'm just going to cocoon all friggin weekend and not worry about anything or anyone. And sleep on the sofa when I pass out. Yes!

    17. Re:Not a mystery by RoccamOccam · · Score: 2

      Recursively speaking, "Scientist claims to have solved the mystery of the Slashdot typo."

    18. Re: Not a mystery by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Wow, you're in a bad mood today. If you want to find the original source, do an internet search.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    19. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or fuel delivery problems, or electrical problems, or pilots falling asleep.

      WAIT! Bigfoot is reaching up and snatching those planes.

    20. Re: Not a mystery by msauve · · Score: 1

      If you want to claim to point to the original source, do so.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    21. Re: Not a mystery by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      I didn't claim that.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    22. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kudos for your superiority dig on US TV, but I don't think you actually know much about actual US TV. There are hundreds of channels, and while most is not of interest to me personally, that does not mean it is bad. There are quite a few channels that put out quality content, which you probably get over there and don't even realize is not British (The same that BBC material makes it here and many don't realize because the branding is switched).
       
      Congrats though, on getting in your hourly dig on the US.

    23. Re: Not a mystery by msauve · · Score: 1

      " a citation. We can look at it..."

      You then went on to make claims which were totally unsupported by that "citation." You lose. *plonk*

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    24. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know what happened there. You were already thinking about typing 'some' when you were still typing the word 'scientist'. I do that a lot. It's very annoying.

      I don't know what is worse - that I can totally relate to both of you or that I replaced "so" with "with" when I read the original comment without even realizing it.

    25. Re: Not a mystery by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Yeah.......you're having a bad day today. Cheer up! It's one less day until Trump's gone! Then we can remember him like we do Reagan (that is, completely hypocritically in the way that most helps ourselves).

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    26. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then why aren't they drilling there more and getting rich?
      Are people disappearing from drilling rigs from this anywhere?

      Show your math or quit fooling yourself.

    27. Re:Not a mystery by DamnOregonian · · Score: 1

      I've been telling myself I was going to do that for a decade.
      It sounds... healthy. And fucking amazing.

    28. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The answer to the mystery, is, I believe, summed up by the word "statistics".

    29. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How pure is that methane from the ocean floor? Methane is lighter than air, but unless it's really pure it's likely to have a higher density closer to that of air.

    30. Re:Not a mystery by Mr0bvious · · Score: 1

      Yep, that'll be it!

      --
      Never happened. True story.
    31. Re:Not a mystery by tsa · · Score: 1

      LOL

      --

      -- Cheers!

    32. Re:Not a mystery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't know what happened there...

      so = with

      Assuming you're a stupid shit-for-brains nígger neatly explains the whole thing.

  3. Things by JustOK · · Score: 5, Funny

    Things melt in the Bermuda Triangle. It's always exactly 180 degrees in the triangle.

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
    1. Re: Things by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Funny

      One of the most awkward things about the triangle is, in most places on earth, when you turn, you end up going a different direction. But in the triangle you can turn 360 degrees and you are *still* going the same direction. That's why people don't understand listen people.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re:Things by ls671 · · Score: 2

      Things melt in the Bermuda Triangle. It's always exactly 180 degrees in the triangle.

      It is actually much worse in Times Square.

      --
      Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
    3. Re:Things by meglon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually.....

      As the three points used to denote the triangle are on a sphere (the Earth... or a close approximation of a sphere at such scale), there would be more than 180 degrees inside the triangle if it were measured on the surface of the ocean.

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    4. Re:Things by meglon · · Score: 1

      or....could be.

      --
      Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
    5. Re:Things by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Actually, it's even more.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:Things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sooo.... things melt even faster then?

    7. Re:Things by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually..... As the three points used to denote the triangle are on a sphere (the Earth... or a close approximation of a sphere at such scale), there would be more than 180 degrees inside the triangle if it were measured on the surface of the ocean.

      Cliff Claven! Long time no see!

    8. Re:Things by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      I don't know how people function at the Pentagon all day.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    9. Re:Things by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Sphere? What a load of tripe! Everyone KNOWS that maps are accurate, and they are FLAT, Mr. smarty-pants! Damn round-earthers...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    10. Re:Things by forty-2 · · Score: 1

      HA! "Little known Fact..."

      --
      never drink kool-aid from a big vat
    11. Re:Things by ls671 · · Score: 1

      That's nothing compared to France, the hexagon.

      https://lawsofsilence.blogspot...

      --
      Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
    12. Re:Things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For the last time, the earth is FLAT!

      The Bermuda Triangle phenomenon is cause by the giant sea turtle that holds up the earth popping up to grab a breath.

  4. A bit of both I'd guess by evanh · · Score: 1

    Rogue waves were big news a couple decades ago. They are nasty - basically breakers in the middle of nowhere, so do require the right conditions to form. Like a tornado requires the right conditions.

    Maybe they've demonstrated that the right conditions do regularly occur in that area.

    1. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Insightful

      There's nowhere in any of the linked articles that suggests they did that (it would be very cool if they had). Instead it seems they proved that a giant wave can sink a ship. Woohoo I'll bet Nature is wishing they got the submission on that remarkable paper.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by evanh · · Score: 1

      The two aren't necessarily separate. A demonstration can be a simulation of possible conditions that fits known parameters.

      The TV'ised version probably will be more sensational than showing any hard numbers though.

    3. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by DES · · Score: 2

      The ship in question was overloaded, had only one functional engine out of two, and had two sister ships that both sank due to structural failure.

    4. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by evanh · · Score: 1

      Doesn't need any ship present for demonstrating rogue wave potential.

    5. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by DES · · Score: 1

      You don't need a rogue wave to explain why a limping, overloaded, structurally unsound ship sank.

    6. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by tehcyder · · Score: 2

      You don't need a rogue wave to explain why a limping, overloaded, structurally unsound ship sank.

      But apart from the fact that it was limping, overloaded and structurally unsound, what other explanation for the sinking, that doesn't involve mysterious alien forces, have you got?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    7. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The front fell off. It's not typical.

    8. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by evanh · · Score: 1

      The simulation is of potential for rogue waves.

    9. Re: A bit of both I'd guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well played sir, well played, you have the makings of a first class conspiracy theorist!

  5. Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    Actually the theory is that methane from methane hydrate from the ground and/or fresh water "sinkholes" cause the trouble.
    OTOH there was no plane loss since roughly 1955 ...
    No idea if ships/planes avoid the area ...
    Nevertheless the old stories are interesting reads, as many pilots, regardless of ship or plane, made super stupid mistakes.

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    1. Re: Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

      Well that wasn't very nice

    2. Re: Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who is?

    3. Re:Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by DES · · Score: 2

      Ships and planes do not avoid the area. It is one of the most heavily trafficked stretches of ocean in the world, and statistically just as safe as any other. Most of the stories of mysterious disappearances are either greatly exaggerated or outright fabrications.

    4. Re: Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by tsa · · Score: 0

      It was extremely funny though.

      --

      -- Cheers!

    5. Re:Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      made super stupid mistakes

      There was a Nova or something from the 80s (I think) that covered that. In one case a pilot had less-than-reliable instrumentation, mistook one island for another, and in doing so flew "back" the wrong way and crashed in the Atlantic.

    6. Re:Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually the theory is that methane

      No, you read incorrectly. This hypothesis is about waves. The methane one is different.

    7. Re:Air planes don't get missing by rogue waves by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      It is one of the most heavily trafficked stretches of ocean in the world
      https://www.marinetraffic.com/...

      Actually it is not. The place is close to empty to those areas that really have dense shipping routes. At the moment of me writing this, there are just a few dozen ships. Of course you have to zoom into the area manually. Compare it with the Mediterranean Sea or West Africa or the street of Malacca.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  6. This shouldn't be on Slashdot by Darkling-MHCN · · Score: 4, Informative

    This garbage article isn't news that matters.

    1. Re:This shouldn't be on Slashdot by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      You must've been sleeping a really long time...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:This shouldn't be on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah no shit

      Slashdot : this article :: Discovery Channel : Literally every show on the Discovery Channel

    3. Re:This shouldn't be on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Vice.com articles should be outright banned from Slashdot.

      They're a garbage sensationalist tabloid on a good day and the politically mirrored version of Infowars on other days.

  7. Now that's a lot of damage by volodymyrbiryuk · · Score: 2

    The "rogue vawes" are gonna saw those boats in half. I bete the 309 people would still be alive if they had some Flex-Tape.

    --
    sudo rm -r -f --no-preserve-root /
  8. Aircraft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So giant waves reach up in to the sky and knock planes down?

    yeah...right

    1. Re:Aircraft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're obviously a small thinker.

  9. Boats by Freischutz · · Score: 1

    ...The bigger the boat gets, the more damage is done...

    ***Cringe*** A boat is a small to medium size vessel that stops being a boat and becomes a ship at a displacement of about 500 tons, larger than that and it's a ship. As a rule of thumb a ship can carry a boat, a boat cannot carry a ship and this does not count, a destroyer is a 'warship' not a 'warboat'. In fact some modern destroyers should probably be re-classified as light cruisers so the are most definitely not 'boats'. In the Navy they also apply the word "boat" to very large submersibles and even then only for reasons having to do with naval tradition. So please stop pointing at a huge half kilometre long oil tanker or an aircraft carrier with a crew of several thousand and several squadrons of aircraft on board and calling it a big boat, they are both really, really huge ships.

    1. Re:Boats by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Ship is a subset of boat.

    2. Re:Boats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What you meant to say was that a ship is just a really really big fucking boat.

    3. Re:Boats by jcr · · Score: 2

      Yeah, yeah.. I'll still call it Boaty McBoatface.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    4. Re:Boats by OneAhead · · Score: 1

      Thank you for your most valuable and on-topic essay on how you wish for the English language to have a similar degree of internal consistency as some other languages. As a token of appreciation, you get to choose: gunship or gunboat? In the latter category, we have the real antique USS Asheville (PG-21) in store. Or perhaps the gentleman would prefer something heavier - or was it lighter, I always forget - like the USS Wickes (DD-75) destroyer from the same year? Or maybe you'd rather like to be put into some kind of sloop - a sloop-of-war perhaps?

      </tongue-in-cheek>

    5. Re:Boats by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      As a token of appreciation, you get to choose: gunship or gunboat?

      This'll really blow your mind: a gunboat refers to a type of sailing vessel while a gunship refers to aircraft. You could theoretically have a coastal bombardment ship with a complement of ground attack helicopters on board and you would have the only instance where it is possible for a boat to carry and launch a ship.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    6. Re:Boats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to mention that all submarines are called boats.

      None of it is consistent or makes sense. Deal with it punks.

    7. Re:Boats by msauve · · Score: 1

      Bullshit. You're making things up to suit your needs. There is no hard and fast distinction between a boat and a ship, the difference is just a matter of the speaker's conventions and customs.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    8. Re:Boats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This'll really blow your mind: a gunboat refers to a type of sailing vessel while a gunship refers to aircraft.

      Not quite. Gunship refers to both aircraft and sailing vessels. In particular, early Ironclads are often referred to as gunships.

      Then there are monitors.

    9. Re:Boats by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      I can confirm his assertion about the rule of thumb. Ships carry boats, boats don't carry ships. Naval traditions are very strict, especially where naming things is involved. Not necessarily consistent, but strict.

    10. Re:Boats by msauve · · Score: 1
      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    11. Re:Boats by OneAhead · · Score: 1

      And... and then those gunboats go WHOOSH through the sky!!!1!

    12. Re:Boats by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      OP specifically gave the example of semi-submersible heavy lift ships. They're a new class of very special purpose ship (remember, we're talking about tradition) that can carry other ships. The ships carrying boats thing is a rule of thumb, which means there's more to it. Ships often carry, and launch, utility boats because the boats can do things the ships are too big for.

      Your second example is a dinghy. It's in the title. Dinghies aren't really boats in the naval sense, only the colloquial one. However, a dinghy does meet the definition of being small enough to be carried on a ship.

      The definition I and the OP gave is more for identifying boats than ships. To be a ship you have to do more than just carry a boat. But if you're small enough to be carried by a ship, excluding the special cases, then you're a boat.

      As I said, naval traditions are strict, but not consistent. The average Slashdotter would likely be what's known as a "sea lawyer" and would have to be flogged into submission before he could start being made into any kind of a seaman.

    13. Re:Boats by msauve · · Score: 1

      What's with this "naval sense?" The military defines terms only for the military. Want to get into a discussion of what a "gun" is?

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    14. Re:Boats by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      Naval tradition affects a lot more than the navy. If you belong to a (civilian) yacht club you may decide to participate in a regatta where the participants will salute the commodore. You will likely refer to many of the parts of your boat using the same terms that were used in Napoleonic-era navies. You may even roll your eyes at "landsmen" who call ships boats, charts maps, and talk about how many ropes there are.

    15. Re:Boats by msauve · · Score: 1

      Non sequitur. How many of those boat owners say they keep things "boatshape?" You claim a dinghy isn't a boat. Is a sloop not a sailboat? Most civilians don't follow the navy and call submarines, "boats."

      Is a cutter a boat or a ship? Why is a Marine Protector Class Boat not a ship, when it carries a boat? Why do the names of all US Navy Torpedo Boats and submarines start with USS (U.S. Ship)?

      Forget about any rule of thumb - with so many exceptions, the fact remains that there is no objective difference between a boat and a ship - it's all based of someone's personal, subjective, experience. Hell, the military can't even be consistent.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    16. Re:Boats by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      Yup, sea lawyer.

    17. Re:Boats by msi · · Score: 1

      What's with this "naval sense?" The military defines terms only for the military. Want to get into a discussion of what a "gun" is?

      This is my rifle and this is my gun,
      this is for shooting and this is for fun

    18. Re:Boats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well if you want to apply pedantry (you really should be careful with that around here) a ship is actually a marine vessel with three or more masts, all of them square-rigged, it has nothing to do with displacement

      You new fangled definitions guys

  10. The times, they are a‘changing by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Years ago it was supposed to be rogue aliens or rogue pirates, now it‘s rogue waves.

    1. Re:The times, they are a‘changing by gtall · · Score: 2

      Just the mere mention of the new Space Force has scared off the rogue aliens and pirates.

  11. How does it explain missing planes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bullshit

  12. As Edmund Fitzgerald Said by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That big ship went down for the same reason.

  13. Rogue waves. by keithdowsett · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Rogue waves are more interesting than the original article.

    In deep water rogue waves fall into two categories. There are areas in the ocean where two currents meet, for example along the east coast of Southern Africa. This can result in increased incidence of rogue waves in those areas. These are quite well known to mariners. But the others are what are sometimes called "Schrodinger waves".

    Historically, mathematicians have treated ocean as classical waves with a normal distribution of wave heights because that was a very good match to what was observed. But when you apply the Schrodinger wave equation it predicts a low probability of extremely large waves which appear from nowhere and vanish equally quickly. The probability of these events is extremely small, but there are a large number of ships spending very long times on the open ocean. Consequently, there will be a small number of ships which encounter waves many times larger than the average wave height and sink without warning.

    The final class of rogue wave is a 'soliton' wave. These have been generated by ships travelling at a high speed in moderate depths (30-40m) of water. The wave picks up energy from the wake but is almost invisible in deep water. Because it is a soliton the wave packet continues to propagate with little loss of energy instead of dissipating quickly like a normal wake. If the wave hits a beach, a rogue wave appears and sweep sunbathers into the sea.

    Much more mathematically interesting than you might think.

    1. Re:Rogue waves. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Historically, mathematicians have treated ocean as classical waves with a normal distribution of wave heights because that was a very good match to what was observed. But when you apply the Schrodinger wave equation it predicts a low probability of extremely large waves which appear from nowhere and vanish equally quickly.

      Actually, the Schoedinger equation in this case describes an actual wave, instead of a probability wave function. Meaning, the shape of the function corresponds with the shape of the water wave.

    2. Re:Rogue waves. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >These are quite well known to mariners.
      That's true, but they were widely considered to be tall tales until relatively recently.
      I remember in particular how stubbornly skeptical the JREF forum landlubbers were ;)

    3. Re:Rogue waves. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Soliton waves require the ship to be traveling fast in a channel. A video explaining why they are very rare.

    4. Re:Rogue waves. by pubwvj · · Score: 1

      "when you apply the Schrodinger wave equation it predicts a low probability of extremely large waves which appear from nowhere and vanish equally quickly."

      Appears from nowhere, goes nowhere, does nothing.

      These are Jeffries Tube waves.

      Jeffries waves from the distance.

      -WJ

  14. collier Not carrier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The ship was a collier - a carrier of ore, not an aircraft carrier

    1. Re:collier Not carrier by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      Between Vice and Slashdot, do you expect even the a cursory review for facts?

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  15. What mystery? by jcr · · Score: 1

    I remember hearing about a statistical study some years ago that found that shipping losses in the area were proportional to the amount of shipping in the area. A lot more boats go through that area than most other parts of the ocean.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:What mystery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Statistics don't necessarily identify causes, which means mysteries remain.

    2. Re:What mystery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Further rogue waves have no bearing on aircraft that are also part of the triangle mystique.

    3. Re:What mystery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sound like a godless heathen. If you would use a little more imagination, you could learn to ignore facts like that, leaving you with a mystery. And once you have a mystery, you get to make up answers.

  16. Very interesting. How about this by Sqreater · · Score: 1

    Can there be rogue gravity waves in the universe that are much stronger than the gravity waves that one would expect? Or don't gravity waves reinforce that way. If they do exist, how would they show? What effects would they have? And how would we (humanity) go about finding them? A rogue wave passing through might disturb the Kuiper belt or Oort cloud and send objects speeding toward the Sun...and us. Did that happen 66 million years ago? Did a rogue wave destroy the dinosaurs?

    --
    E Proelio Veritas.
    1. Re:Very interesting. How about this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, gravity waves don't work like that.

      Firstly, they're utterly weak as shit.

      Secondly, even if a strong rogue gravity wave passed through the earth it would not leave any death and destruction in its wake. That's because it will stretch and relax all of the space along its path, including the sea floor as well as the ocean water.

      To create waves you need to put energy into the system, and generally require one part of the system to remain static. As such you either stir the water while holding the container fixed (like air drag on the ocean, Google "fetch") or you shake the container (like an earth quake). Shaking both together, which a gravity wave would do, doesn't do anything.

    2. Re:Very interesting. How about this by Sqreater · · Score: 1

      And they have detected gravity waves exactly how? Motion of atoms. And things would move at the wave front. That is to say, where the wave front is not presently present would be "static." And normal water waves in the ocean are not all that energetic, but in addition they are potentially and actually sometimes huge.

      --
      E Proelio Veritas.
    3. Re:Very interesting. How about this by Sqreater · · Score: 1

      And I said nothing about "death and destruction on the Earth." Don't change what I said to an absurdist example to suit your ego. I indicated that a nudged comet or asteroid could be dislodged and sent in the direction of the Sun and intercepted by the Earth.

      --
      E Proelio Veritas.
    4. Re:Very interesting. How about this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Did a rogue wave destroy the dinosaurs?"

    5. Re:Very interesting. How about this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      +1 for outside the box thinking. Fascinating postulation.

  17. Re:Rogue waves. SHIPS CAT WARNING by deviated_prevert · · Score: 2

    Rogue waves are more interesting than the original article.

    In deep water rogue waves fall into two categories. There are areas in the ocean where two currents meet, for example along the east coast of Southern Africa. This can result in increased incidence of rogue waves in those areas. These are quite well known to mariners. But the others are what are sometimes called "Schrodinger waves".

    With Schrodinger waves it is always the death of the ships cat that causes the sinking, at least in the Bermuda triangle.

    --
    This message was not sent from an iPhone because Peter Sellers really was a deviated prevert without a dime for the call
  18. Lots of accidents in one place... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A high traffic area in a critical location for international shipping has a lot of accidents? That same area is also known for rough seas with little warning because of the geography of the place. Who'd have thought it... must be ghosts.

    I wonder if it's the same ghosts that inhabit the Cape of Good Hope (aka: Cape of Storms). Probably! There's no evidence to suggest that it's not.

  19. So I have some questions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So how are these waves created, and why haven't they affected land the same as any other large wave created? Waves don't explain aircraft disappearances or why we have never found any wreckage. Sort of on the same theories that flight 370 has. Lot of talk, very little evidence, but I guess science doesn't need proof anymore?

  20. Re:Of course GAY NIGGER ATTACK ON BOATS WITH WOMEN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You need new copy. That one was launched in 2015, and it was kind of old then?

    Otherwise fine trolling I guess.

  21. There is no mystery to the Bermuda Triangle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First off, the dimensions of the triangle Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto-Rico are the most common, but depending on which events authors want to include, they have stretched it as far as the UK.

    Second, This is THE MOST BUSY SHIPPING area of the world. Of course they get more wrecks than other less used parts of the ocean.

    Finally, Much of what you read is absolute BULL EXREMENT! Some of the "research" done by Berlitz and Weiener was done via "Fate" magazine, or ripping each other off.

  22. Other Bermuda Triangles? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If this theory of rogue waves is true, then there should be numerous "Bermuda Triangles" scattered around the world, where storms congregate.

    1. Re:Other Bermuda Triangles? by deviated_prevert · · Score: 1

      If this theory of rogue waves is true, then there should be numerous "Bermuda Triangles" scattered around the world, where storms congregate.

      And indeed there are. There is folk lore of sea creatures and mysterious gods that swallow up ships all over the planet from the Sea of Japan to the Straits of Gibraltar. The only mystery that is still baffling as hell about the Bermuda triangle is the squadron of 5 avengers that have yet to be found on the sea bottom. That one can only be explained by really bad navigation and rookie pilots not telling their squadron leader that they were way the hell of course and heading for an ocean ditch situation out of radio range in the middle of no where after sunset. Like many otherwise good Americans they were all ready to follow their leader even if the guy was completely and absolutely wrong.

      --
      This message was not sent from an iPhone because Peter Sellers really was a deviated prevert without a dime for the call
  23. Square Waves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Actually the Bermuda triangle has the Gulf stream running throught it, which is sometimes in opposiition to the prevailing winds. This tends to create more rogue waves. It also shears the waves, so that they are more of a square shape, which batters ships and smaller boats.

  24. Solution to the Bermuda Triangle mystery? Riiiight by Maritz · · Score: 1

    The real answer to the 'mystery' is that there is no fucking mystery, ships and planes do not go missing any more often in that region than anywhere else. Nothing to investigate. Yawn.

    --
    I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  25. Collier, NOT Carrier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A Collier is what the Cyclops was, not a Carrier.

    Shoddy reporting

  26. Like a puppy? I didn't know boats grew up by raymorris · · Score: 2

    > A boat is a small to medium size vessel that stops being a boat and becomes a ship

    A boat becomes a ship, like a puppy becomes a dog and a kitten becomes a cat? That's really cool; I didn't know that.

  27. Erm NO.... by gDLL · · Score: 1

    The russians would be speaking german right about now if it wasn't for all the help sent from the americans. Bad luck on their part I guess.

    1. Re:Erm NO.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The russians would be speaking german right about now if it wasn't for all the help sent from the americans. Bad luck on their part I guess.

      The reverse is also true of course. How about we stop measuring dicks?

    2. Re: Erm NO.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The reverse isnâ(TM)t even remotely true. Learn history, then get back to us.

    3. Re: Erm NO.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The trouble with Americans is that they'll help you out, but only for a price and they'll rub your nose in it forever.

      Not forgetting that they'll arrive late and claim all the credit.

    4. Re: Erm NO.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're welcome.

    5. Re: Erm NO.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The reverse isnâ(TM)t even remotely true. Learn history, then get back to us.

      Google who the largest ethnic group are in the US, read up on the history of US German fascist organisations..oh, and be aware, the second largest white ethnic group in the US had no great love of supporting the US intervening on the side of the UK in the war, in fact, it was in their interests to see Germany win (united Ireland and all that).

      That reminds me, it's been years since I last read It Can't Happen Here

  28. Re:Solution to the Bermuda Triangle mystery? Riiii by Maury+Markowitz · · Score: 1

    Indeed, there are more unexplained losses per square mile in the Great Lakes than the Bermuda Triangle, but I've yet to see the book on the Great Lakes Triangle.

    There was a book that went into all of this in excruciating detail. All the author did was go and get the official reports of the various "mysterious" losses. In many cases, there was no loss in the first place. For instance, one ship that was claimed to have disappeared forever was actually working the east coast of Africa and never ventured into the triangle in its entire life. The various triangle proponents would simply copy each other's lists, add a few of their own, and never bother to actually check any of them.

    Even the more famous examples, like Flight 19, are explained in depth if one simply goes and looks. The Wiki article is a great place to start.

  29. Didn't we know this already by OneFix · · Score: 1

    I thought we already knew this. I recall watching a documentary maybe 10 years ago that said this is the most likely explanation for these disappearances.

    Also, the fact that it's over open water explains a number of small airplanes going down in the area.

    1. Re:Didn't we know this already by descil · · Score: 1

      I've seen the same documentary. It wasn't long after I'd learned about episodic waves. However, applying the name "Rogue" to these waves as if rogues were things that appeared unexpectedly because of combined currents in the sea is even more blasphemous than discovering science that's already been invented.

  30. All right then the Bermuda Triangle. Go on explain by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

    That is genuine mystery. How did a song like that become a massive hit. It defies all reason.

  31. Headline should read... by gerald.edward.butler · · Score: 1

    Another Douche-Bag claims to have an explanation for a phenomenon which does not exist! Phlegm at 11!

  32. Wave eats Squadron of Fighter Pilot whole... by ElitistWhiner · · Score: 1

    Wave theory now suggests Bermuda Triangle is a cemetery where nothing can survive the physics of its waves - sure.

  33. Re:I hate niggers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's cool, man. Not everyone can have the kind of thick black dick that you love so much.

    So much big black cock in the world and you only have one asshole. Must be difficult for you.

  34. Must have been really really really rogue waves... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the rogue waves are the answer, then how did they reach aircraft flying @ 1000 to 1500 feet?

    I think the thawing methane hydrate from the ocean floor is a more plausible explanation, and it's one that explains boats, ships *and* aircraft.

  35. Re:Solution to the Bermuda Triangle mystery? Riiii by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Plagiarist...

    Copy verbatim much? oh wait.. you added snarky commentary Yawn.

  36. British WWI carriers by rossdee · · Score: 2

    Furious and Glorious were converted from "Large Light Cruisers" into carriers during WWI
    Eventually they ended up with a full length flight deck

  37. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  38. Seriously? That's Completely Absurd. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Rogue waves were big news a couple decades ago. They are nasty - basically breakers in the middle of nowhere, so do require the right conditions to form. Like a tornado requires the right conditions.

    Maybe they've demonstrated that the right conditions do regularly occur in that area.

    You take a tangentially related fact - rogue waves exist - and postulate in a fashion as to suggest acceptance as fact that a completely unrelated and highly unlikely possibility - that they demonstrated regular rogue wave occurrence in that area. It's an absurd supposition with zero evidence or basis in fact?

    By your very reasoning; maybe its alien abductions. You can't prove that it isn't therefore it must be so. No?

  39. 30m waves are not a big deal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL2XL17z8Fs
    It's fucking crazy and it sometimes tears up the deck but it's generally ok.

  40. Very Tall Waves by Bapu · · Score: 1

    Do rogue waves bring down airplanes as well?

    1. Re:Very Tall Waves by PPH · · Score: 1

      Depends on how low they fly. During WWII, one tactic for knocking down torpedo bombers was to aim ships' artillery ahead of them and knock them down with the resulting column of spray.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  41. Something Else Too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    None of these studies ever make a convincing case that the Bermuda Triangle has statistically significantly higher rates of the rogue waves (or whatever the explanation du jour is) than areas outside the Bermuda Triangle. Until you do that, these explanations are unconvincing.

    The summary contains the quote, "there are storms to the South and North, which come together..." OK, so North and South storms come together. The challenge to that thesis is, "can storms come together elsewhere, and do they?" And the answer is Yes, of course they do!

    This is just one datapoint, but it's an example of the problem. The storm depicted in the movie The Perfect Storm, was actually a merger of 2 different storms. That tended to generate many strong rogue waves. The problem this raises? That storm was far outside of the Bermuda Triangle. And it's not me that has to prove statistical significance, it's the study authors.

    https://www.imdb.com/find?ref_=nv_sr_fn&q=The+Perfect+Storm&s=all

    Unless they can prove that there's something special or unique about the Bermuda Triangle, something that would justify the name and the reputation, then these hypotheses are both flimsy and unproven. Yes storms merge, and generate rogue waves, and rogue waves are indeed dangerous. However it remains unproven that the Bermuda Triangle is any special place where rogue waves are any of:

    1). Greater in number;
    2). Greater in size;
    3). Especially dangerous for any reason at all.

  42. I figured that out decades ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When I was a kid we had a kidney shaped swimming pool and I would send waves in each direction along the inside edge of the pool walls and then watch them collide where they met, producing huge waves that would last a shorter distance. I really should learn to write scientific papers so the world won't linger so far behind my knowledge level.

  43. More like "Here Comes The Science!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sailors have known of the existence of rogue waves AKA freak waves for many decades. It is these waves which have been recently explained.

  44. Bermua Triangle debunked in 1975 by Mike+Van+Pelt · · Score: 1

    If you doubt it, check out Lawrence Kusche's masterpiece:

    https://www.amazon.com/Bermuda...

    He did what none of the writers of the other Bermuda Triangle books ever bothered to do: He went back to the original news items and historical accounts of what was going on at the time of each of the "disappearance". Lloyd's Registry of Shipping. Weather reports. Original newspaper stories. Later newspaper articles after the first ones.

    Each chapter starts out with "The Story As It Is Usually Told", then compares it with contemporary information, and results of investigations at the time.

    Contrary to the myth, it was not a clear, sunny day, it was in the middle of Hurricane Iona.

    The Marine Sulfur Queen was a horrific death trap, the real mystery is that it stayed afloat as long as it did. (Molten sulfur tank penetrating all previously watertight bulkheads; the tank leaked, and there were constant sulfur fires between the tank and the ship's hull.)

    Some ships were just delayed; next week's newspaper reports it arriving in port unscathed.

    Some stories, there's no record of the ship ever existing, so there's nothing to check.

    Etc. The book is definitely worth checking out.

  45. What about planes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are also a bunch of documented aircraft disappearances in the triangle. How does this theory explain those? (Or are those just coincidence?)

  46. No explanation needed for aircraft. by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 1

    Ok, maybe this explains ships disappearing in the triangle.....
    How do big waves explain the disappearance of aircraft??

    They don't.

    But if you read down toward the end of TFA, you find that the Triange has a LOT of aircraft traffic, including a lot flown by inexperienced pilots, and Lloyds of London says that, by their stats, the percentage that go down in the Triangle is just what it is elsewhere.

    An old saw says you can do any maneuver you want in an airplane, as long as you don't do it close to the ground. It probably applies about the same if you substitute "over water".

    = = = =

    A number of years ago my wife bought a sailboat from Hake Yachts, which was located in Florida. Hake is a great marine architect and makes sturdy ocean-capable small craft. (It has been said his products have enough epoxy/fiberglass in the hull to make TWO boats of a more typical design.)

    One of the interesting features of our model is a fold-up table in the cabin. Cast onto the bottom in clear plastic (so it's easily visible when the table is up) is a marine chart of the Florida keys. (If he'd known we'd be sailing in the SF Bay area he'd have substituted one for the Golden Gate / Farallon Islands.) His larger models have a chart of the Florida-Bermuda-Bahamas area.

    Why? Because he had a lot of customers who, newbies to sailing, would get their new boat, launch it, and immediately set out for Bermuda or the Bahamas, using no chart or a Florida road map. B-b Losing your customers at sea, even if it's totally their fault, is bad for your products' reputation. So this feature insures that they have at least ONE chart of the likely area.

    The ocean around Florida is really dangerous if you get lost. If you're East and lose power, the Gulf Stream will take you to Britain - in a few months. Or other currents will take you to the Sargasso Sea - a downwelling - and getting to land from there without power or sail will take forever (or until continental drift rearranges the currents). Go too far south, then head west to pick up the Florida coast, and you'll go into the Gulf of Mexico, where you can sail West for a long time and eventually reach Texas, Mexico, or the Isthmus of Panama. You can fix that by turning North, IF you know you're West of Florida. But if you're wrong and you're East, you can cruise North through the Pacific until you reach Greenland, Iceland, or the polar ice cap.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
    1. Re: No explanation needed for aircraft. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I assume you go through a wormhole in the Bermuda Triangle to reach the pacific first?

  47. The planes, boss, the planes! by Rick+Zeman · · Score: 1

    Must have been some mighty tall waves to explain the missing aircraft....

  48. Re:Rogue waves. SHIPS CAT WARNING by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But how do you know if the ship's cat is dead or alive?

  49. Again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought it had already been solved.

  50. 30 metre/meter waves are somewhat 'small'. by eionmac · · Score: 1

    In North Sea on an offshore rig at elevation about 180 feet (say 30 fathoms high, 60 metres approx) wave crashed into and over the rig. Yes a rough wave, unusual but actually recorded due to rig height!. This is one of a number of 'extreme wave heights'.
    Link: Paid Paper.
    http://offshoremechanics.asmed...
    Free but 'averaged' data (mean heights)
    https://agupubs.onlinelibrary....

    --
    Regards Eion MacDonald
  51. Never assume research was accurate, or wikipedia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ok First there are areas where ships go missing a lot more, but there the reason is known and/or the shipwrecks are found. (See areas of high Piracy) The big thing about the triangle is the lack of wrecks in the area that should be there. I also have to point out that some missing airplanes have been found there on the ocean floor as well as a few ships. But none of the ones found were actually listed as missing in that area. (Strange fact) Also it is not the only mystery triangle in a body of water on the planet.

    As far as rouge waves, and methane pockets go they are very sound theories that have yet to be be proved beyond a probable cause. I am also of the opinion that microbursts may also play a factor in losing aircraft and small ships and boats. There also seems to me some type of probably naturally occurring magnetic fields playing havoc with compasses. (Besides lightning in squalls)

    In short unless you know what is exactly causing it anything is possible, but not necessarily probable. Do not trust the scientific work of others unless you have sufficiently verified it. And last but not least buying a gun and getting it to smoke is not proof that you have thee smoking gun.

    I post as AC because I really could care less

  52. Re:Solution to the Bermuda Triangle mystery? Riiii by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ok fist the great lakes is considered another Triangle.
    Second there are lot of books on this so try going to a library sometime.
    Third the storms over the great lakes are epic, and they also produce rouge waves.
    Fourth most of the ships and planes that went down in the great lakes area have been found.

    I post as AC because I really could care less