sciencecenter:

What is this thing, and how old is it?

The answer to the first question is easy. It’s an explosive lance tip, used to harpoon whales.

The second question is pretty easy too. The lance, which was patented in 1879, is over 100 years old. It has been safe and snug for that whole time, as it was embedded in the head of a bowhead whale until 2007, when it was found during a dissection.

Whales are very difficult to age (we currently age them by measuring proportions of proteins in the eye lens), but this piece of evidence is the latest and most direct for the astounding age of whales. They’re believed to live up to 200 years.

Whales can live up to 200 years :o

the blog where I got this from is so interesting I can’t stop reading it!

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    I wonder how old Free Willy is.

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    years :o the blog where I got this from is so interesting I can’t stop reading it!

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    years! Holy. Crap.

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    disgusting all at

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    only people who actively defend them are complete idiots?

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