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132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

museum.wa.gov.au

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Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#21

Post by mythrwy »

kazinator wrote: post #10
s0rce wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you read the article? The details of the bottle lines up with the ship captain's logs. It would have been quite elaborate hoax to correctly reference the logs, find a vintage bottle, paper and printing press and forge the handwriting... not saying it isn't possible but the museum staff seemed skeptical and were convinced by the evidence.

That's assuming the bottle, paper, and museum staff even exist. From where I'm sitting, this is just pixels and text. > It would have been quite elaborate hoax to correctly reference the logs, find a vintage bottle, paper and printing press and forge the handwriting. Ah, from that point of view it seems like a lot of effort. But suppose someone already happens to have the vintage bottle in their possession, from a lo…

What you are suggesting is possible. But IMOP just not very likely. Where's the motive? Is the potential reward worth the work?

Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#22

Post by Maken »

kazinator wrote: post #6

I don't see how it could "damp", yet in such good condition after such a long time. Ah right; ingress of moisture began just days or weeks before discovery. Very likely! Hoax/fake, I think.

>I don't see how it could "damp", yet in such good condition after such a long time.

Can you provide other pieces of paper from the same time period so we can compare their state of conservation?

Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#24

Post by kazinator »

mythrwy wrote: post #21
kazinator wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's assuming the bottle, paper, and museum staff even exist. From where I'm sitting, this is just pixels and text. > It would have been quite elaborate hoax to correctly reference the logs, find a vintage bottle, paper and printing press and forge the handwriting. Ah, from that point of view it seems like a lot of effort. But suppose someone already happens to have the vintage bottle in their possession, from a lo…

What you are suggesting is possible. But IMOP just not very likely. Where's the motive? Is the potential reward worth the work?

Maybe the bottle had been sterilized the interior of the bottle with arsenic or something of that sort? In spite of the ingress of moisture, no mould or bacterium took hold.

Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#25

Post by kazinator »

Maken wrote: post #22
kazinator wrote: post #6

I don't see how it could "damp", yet in such good condition after such a long time. Ah right; ingress of moisture began just days or weeks before discovery. Very likely! Hoax/fake, I think.

>I don't see how it could "damp", yet in such good condition after such a long time. Can you provide other pieces of paper from the same time period so we can compare their state of conservation?

Not ones that were left outside in a bottle that allowed them to become damp (without being soaked in a solution of arsenic or something).

Of course we have books and documents form that period that are in good shape.

Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#27

Post by TheGrassyKnoll »

a_t48 wrote: post #16
kazinator wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's assuming the bottle, paper, and museum staff even exist. From where I'm sitting, this is just pixels and text. > It would have been quite elaborate hoax to correctly reference the logs, find a vintage bottle, paper and printing press and forge the handwriting. Ah, from that point of view it seems like a lot of effort. But suppose someone already happens to have the vintage bottle in their possession, from a lo…

Are you real or just a chatbot?

I post on HN, therefore I am.

Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#29

Post by InclinedPlane »

kazinator wrote: post #6

I don't see how it could "damp", yet in such good condition after such a long time. Ah right; ingress of moisture began just days or weeks before discovery. Very likely! Hoax/fake, I think.

What's your alternate theory here? That a ship from the 1800s sailing through tropical oceans is going to fill its bottles with zero humidity air before throwing them overboard? Of course there will be water inside the bottles, the air in the bottles will be humid, and temperature cycling through the seasons and from local weather will lead to formation of dew inside the bottle from time to time.

Re: 132 year old message in a bottle found on West Australian beach

#30

Post by jeffcore »

sooper wrote: post #9

I am really amazed that a ships log from 132 years ago was retained and is still available. Is this a common thing?

I know the U.S. Navy permanently retains the deck logs of its commissioned ships. The ONRL has some logs dating back to 1776.
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