Fish Farts Almost Caused World War III

Sweden was at the forefront of keeping an eye on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. And even after the collapse of the USSR, the Swedish navy suspected the Russians of running covert submarines into their waters. In 1994, sonic recordings that sounded suspiciously like submarine activity caused a diplomatic row between Sweden and Russia that went on for ten years.

This diplomatic conflict raged on until 2004 when scientists made a vital diplomatic discovery: Herring’s fart. Sent out to investigate the sound, researchers Magnus Wahlberg and Hakan Westerberg discovered that the hissing came from bubbles filled with gas, which herrings secrete through their anuses to covertly communicate with one another.

LINK (via: Neatorama)

One thought on “Fish Farts Almost Caused World War III

  1. Amazingly, a lot of Official British Fishers (as opposed to just go out and do it, anywhere and as much possible, for the fun and not the glory, Anglers) still do the same – mark out their still (apparently) time-honoured territories with rings of bubbles.

    Cold War back then, but an increasingly Hot (and highly destructive) One now….

    A song from the end of an earlier War, still sung today by certain (British) Soccer-supporters who are always “up for” a fight with some perceived enemy or another

    Some of you “Drive nine hours across Texas” TransAtlantics can probably understand and sympathize at this time….

    https://youtu.be/s8epPksKZ7U

    Stay cool, guys.

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