Humpback whales are forming super-groups • Hacker News Board

Re: Humpback whales are forming super-groups

#131

Post by vasco » Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 11:45 AM UTC

dTal wrote: post #129

vasco wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So make predictions about stuff that happens next year and be right about them. The problem is that strongly predicting what will happen in 30 years has always been wrong so far. My point is just focus on what you know. Anyone can say whatever about 30 years from now and ride that for the next 29.

>strongly predicting what will happen in 30 years has always been wrong so far No it hasn't, this is climate change denialist nonsense. In fact no less a figure than ExxonMobil correctly predicted the trajectory of global CO2 levels and corresponding increase in warming as far back as the 1970s and their predictions remain accurate today.

I've been alive long enough that my hometown was supposed to be underwater several times already. Climate change is real and predictions have also been very wrong.

Re: Humpback whales are forming super-groups

#132

Post by griffzhowl » Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 12:03 PM UTC

qsera wrote: post #124

griffzhowl wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is to convince people who are undecided. Using information that's known to be false or weakly supported is then short-sighted and counterproductive, because enough false predictions will turn up that those undecided will tune out entirely

>Using information that's known to be false or weakly supported But where does such information originate from? Is laypeople just making it up?

It applies to anyone knowingly using false information to try to influence people

Re: Humpback whales are forming super-groups

#133

Post by kulahan » Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 4:09 PM UTC

timschmidt wrote: post #48

kulahan wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would be great news if the whale literally only required krill to survive, but complex megafauna have complex needs, so the ability of krill and other small creatures to evolve is largely irrelevant in a discussion regarding the ability of megafauna to survive. This is especially true if you read TFA and see that the whales already adapt to eat different things as necessary.

Humpbacks have a highly specialized feeding mechanism. They only prey on krill and small fish. The food chain really is sun -> algae -> krill (and sometimes small fish) -> humpback whale

My point is, for instance, that they need appropriate temperatures in the water. Again, nothing survives PURELY based on caloric intake. It does not matter much at all if krill evolve.

Re: Humpback whales are forming super-groups

#134

Post by kulahan » Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 4:10 PM UTC

bmitc wrote: post #81

timschmidt wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humpbacks have a highly specialized feeding mechanism. They only prey on krill and small fish. The food chain really is sun -> algae -> krill (and sometimes small fish) -> humpback whale

That's just one view of the stack and isn't a systems view. Other things support and interact with those other things.

Right, this is my point. Looking at krill is looking at one PIECE of the stack. Other things support and interact with that stack. The stack is the whale. The point is that it doesn’t matter if this one single piece of the stack can evolve, it’s not nearly enough.