Extra! Extra! Live (broadcast) giant squid event coming up on 18 June

[Tintenfisch]

(Edited to add link)

Hi everyone,

So... we have some giant squid in the freezer that we need to examine, and we're planning to do them across the week of June 16-20. With a little luck, we'll be able to have a live video feed of the event (which will take place here at AUT) for some or most of the day on June 18 (for most of the world; it will be June 19 here). We're also hoping to have some kind of a live chat going so people can ask questions. One of the specimens will be going to Auckland Museum for fixing and display; we'll be getting what information we can from the others, sampling them, and preserving some pieces.

Event details:
Live Video: 9am-3pm 19 June (NZ time) via this very link
Live Chat: now, through the event. The Chat Room will be live in the dissection room!
More updates to follow. Stay tuned!
(Thats 5:00PM-11:00PM June 18 Eastern Daylight Time) edit: dwhatley, tonmo

 

[tonmo]

YES! And I'll be working with @Tintenfisch to see what we might be able to do here on TONMO to support a live chat. Stay tuned!

 

[Taollan]

"Live giant squid" in the subject line got me very excited.
After reading the rest of the post, it is still exciting but not quite what I thought .
Hopefully I will be able to tune in for a bit. June 18 is the first day of my field season.

 

[DWhatley]

@Tintenfisch could definitely write catchy news topic headlines if she should choose to become an editor. I think it stems from a paper NOT getting the attention of one containing similar information by someone else a year later but she did not include the word sex in the topic sentence

 

[Tintenfisch]

D, I can't imagine to what you might be referring

Yes, perhaps the title was slightly misleading--sorry! I'll update it now. We're making progress on the video feed planning and I should be able to post the link soon!

In the meantime, I'm putting together a list of FAQs to try to pre-answer some of the most common public questions we're likely to get via chat on the day. I'd love to hear your input on other questions that would be sensible to include... so far I have:

Is this the “real” giant squid?
How big does it get?
What does it eat?
How smart is it?
Where did these specimens come from?
Where will the specimens go after they’re examined?
What kinds of analyses are you doing?
Can I see the eye?
Is it edible?
Where can I find out more?

Thanks guys!

 

[Thales]

Exciting!

 

[tonmo]

We now have a live chat feature (like a shoutbox) in the right margin of our forums... enjoy!

Daily archives will be posted here.

 

[Heather Braid]

This is going to be the best week ever!

 

[DWhatley]

What time will this shindig start (give or take some kind of approximation)? I am trying to put it on my calendar so that I don't miss anything

 

[Tintenfisch]

I think we are aiming for about 9am NZ time, which is 4pm US central, but I will confirm as soon as we have the exact times figured out.

 

[Jean]

Hi everyone,

So... we have some giant squid in the freezer (four, to be exact) that we need to examine, and we're planning to do them across the week of June 16-20. With a little luck, we'll be able to have a live video feed of the event (which will take place here at AUT) for some or most of the day on June 18 (for most of the world; it will be June 19 here). We're also hoping to have some kind of a live chat going so people can ask questions. One of the specimens will be going to Auckland Museum for fixing and display; we'll be getting what information we can from the others, sampling them, and preserving some pieces.

I'll post updates here when I know more about the mechanics of the online interactive stuff. Stay tuned!

Will Tyler be coming up for that???

 

[Jean]

D, I can't imagine to what you might be referring

Yes, perhaps the title was slightly misleading--sorry! I'll update it now. We're making progress on the video feed planning and I should be able to post the link soon!

In the meantime, I'm putting together a list of FAQs to try to pre-answer some of the most common public questions we're likely to get via chat on the day. I'd love to hear your input on other questions that would be sensible to include... so far I have:

Is this the “real” giant squid?
How big does it get?
What does it eat?
How smart is it?
Where did these specimens come from?
Where will the specimens go after they’re examined?
What kinds of analyses are you doing?
Can I see the eye?
Is it edible?
Where can I find out more?

Thanks guys!

Can I/we get our mits on the beak/statoliths??????

 

[DWhatley]

OK, I have you scheduled as 5:00 PM June 18 US Eastern Daylight time. About how long do you expect to be live? Looks like sandwiches for dinner

 

[OB]

Oh goody!

 

[beingevolved]

This sounds amazing! I work for a small, non-profit maritime museum in Massachusetts and the staff absolutely LOVES squid. Would we be allowed to show the broadcast as a free public event?