Meet the "Flying Spaghetti Monster" of the Deep
This creature has been nicknamed “The Flying Spaghetti Monster” (FSM).
It’s actual name is siphonophore, which appears to be a jelly (aka “jellyfish”) although they are not. They also appear to be single organisms, but they are actually colonies of multiple creatures. The best known species is the Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis). Siphonophores might very well be “monsters” in their own right, as some species can grow as long as 160 feet! Some of them can even emit light. A British Petroleum (BP) survey team captured the underwater footage of this siphonophore swimming off the coast of Angola at nearly a mile below sea level. As reported by UPI:
The Siphonophore, a cousin of coral and jellyfish, has been nicknamed “The Flying Spaghetti Monster” due to its resemblance to the deity of the tongue-in-cheek Pastafarian religion.
The Pastafarian religion (or movement) and its deity, The FSM is, essentially, a thought experiment which uses satire to illustrate that Intelligent Design is not science, but rather a pseudoscience manufactured by Christians to push Creationism into public schools. The letter which started it all in May of 2005 is worth a re-reading.
So while it is not actually a Flying Spaghetti Monster, it sure does look like one, and no matter the creativeness of the mind of humans, nature often seems to have a way of beating us to the punch.
We live in the UK and my son (4) is a big fan of a show called Octonauts. Essentially sea exploring themed cartoon. It is loaded with science so much that I enjoy watching it with him. One episode is all about the siphonophore so for my 4 year old and his friends, you said nothing new. Isn’t it great to have quality TV out there?