HDC Geeky Moments #1: Do monsters exist?

[_____V_____]

As the title suggests, its for the geeks in us to come out and have a roll in these threads.

So I take you back to the times when we sat and heard/saw stuff like this open-mouthed in awe. Admit it, you do love being geeky from time to time. After all, all work and no play indeed makes Jack a dull boy. ;)

Sooooooo...do monsters exist?

By monsters I do obviously refer to monsters - Bigfoot, Sasquatch, krakens, giant sharks, Abominable Snowmen, Jersey Devil, etc. We do have records of such creatures, and even photographic evidence. Records of testified accounts of people who swear on their own lives of seeing them.

(I am pretty sure thats not Newb in Freak's signature...if it is, then whoa!)

We did have an era of dinosaurs. And the evidence of them being here is still with us, which makes the legends of Godzilla or King Kong have a tinge of reality in them.

And like the tales of granma in our childhood, we always did have a fear of the dark, and the Boogeyman who lurked behind it in the closet. Was the Boogeyman a reality at some point in the past?

Have your say.

[newb]

New species are being discovered all the time.But as much as I hate to admit it...I really don't think they will ever find a "Bigfoot" or "Loch Ness" type "monster". What with the equipment they have today They should have discovered one of them by now.



although we still can't find Bin Laden and I believe O J is still looking for his wife's killers.

[milktoaste]

I wouldn't say all monsters exist-obviously, but do you only mean not-yet-proven-to-exist-monsters? The animal kingdom is pretty much full of monsters that really do maul and eat people. Some people are monsters too.

As far as Bigfoot and the likes, it sure would be cool if they would just come out from their sub-terrainian homes, and pass on their knowledge of space and time already.;) You'll all see, one day.

[missmacabre]

They are finding the caves of giant sharks and the bodies of giant squids a lot recently. I think it's only a matter of time before Loch Ness monster and the monster of Lake Ogopogo are found.

So called monsters like chupacabra and The Jersey Devil could really just be mutated or disfigured animals.

Wasn't there something about a year ago where the guys who faked the Sasquatch video confessed? I may have dreamed it, I do that a lot.

In short, I believe that all these monsters exist, but that there is a much easier explanation of them.

[ChronoGrl]

New species are being discovered all the time.But as much as I hate to admit it...I really don't think they will ever find a "Bigfoot" or "Loch Ness" type "monster". What with the equipment they have today They should have discovered one of them by now.

I have to reluctantly agree with the latter half of that... I grew up LOVING cryptozoology (Bigfoot, Nessie, Champ, etc.) but as I get older I realize the unlikelihood of these creatures existing...

BUT

As Mulder says, I want to believe. SO badly (and, yes, I realize that identifying with an X-FILES character is even MORE geeky).

Not gonna lie - When they "discovered" bigfoot's body (http://www.bfro.net/hoax.asp) last year in Georgia, there was a true part of me that tingled with anticipation and crossed my fingers hoping that it wasn't just a bunch of redneck attention seekers... But then I saw the photographic evidence...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/thawed-creature-in-freezer1.jpg

Aquatic Monsters I want to believe in even more - The ocean is a massive, unexplored space. I LOVE the concept of Pleasiosaur-like creatures existing in big bodies of water - Loch Ness, Lake Champlain in NY (pretty much every country has 'em).

Giant squids and octopi DO exist - their existence isn't really that that much a stretch and the actual evidence (sucker marks on whales, pieces of tentacles) is more hard-coded than a lot of other cryptids.

There's "Bloop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloop)," the supposed sound proving the existence of a beast even larger than a Blue Whale - That's a cryptid that I'd like to see have more traction.

And, of course, there's rogue taxidermy, like P.T. Barnum - Fake mermaids and that sort of thing which I find macabre and fascinating.


At any rate - I absolutely WANT monsters to exist. I know that undiscovered species DO exist... But the big cryptids... Unfortunately not very likely.

Shows like Monsterquest are actual disappointments to me. I WANT them to be better, but I think that they don't focus on interesting "monsters" - They waste their time on GIANT PIGS and URBAN WILDCATS (both of which DO exist - no mystery there... and they're not really "monsters") when I think they could and should be focusing both famous and obscure cryptids (they've done Nessie and Champ, and of course Bigfoot, but I'd love to see something on Mokele-mbembe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokele-mbembe) - "Baby Brontosaurus," or the Mongolian Death Worm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_Death_Worm)).

[Posher778]

What do you think i'll say? Hell yea. Krakens do exist. Loch Ness, I believe that too. Aliens- maybe not in the cinematic viewpoint, but there has got to be more than just us. Ghosts, yes.

[cheebacheeba]

I think it's likely that there are some as yet undiscovered creatures, predominately sub-terranian and deep-aquatic that we've not yet encountered.
People see something they don't know or understand, it becomes an object of fear, a "monster".
So yes, and no.

[CryptKeeper13]

Shows like Monsterquest are actual disappointments to me. I WANT them to be better, but I think that they don't focus on interesting "monsters" - They waste their time on GIANT PIGS and URBAN WILDCATS (both of which DO exist - no mystery there... and they're not really "monsters") when I think they could and should be focusing both famous and obscure cryptids (they've done Nessie and Champ, and of course Bigfoot, but I'd love to see something on Mokele-mbembe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokele-mbembe) - "Baby Brontosaurus," or the Mongolian Death Worm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_Death_Worm)).

Did you ever watch Destination Truth? They did the Mongolian Death Worm and I'm almost sure the did Nessie or at least something similar.

[bwind22]

No ghosts, no aliens, bigfoots, or Loch Ness monsters.

I'm a fact and science guy. Until I see some form of proof, there's no reason to believe any of that stuff is more than old wive's tales.

Obviously there are sharks and squids, abnormally large ones could be considered "giant" by some but it's a relative term.

[_____V_____]

The geeks in us are well and truly alive, as is amply evident by the poll (so far).

There is plenty of evidence of giant marine life in obscure parts of the ocean still to be fathomed by man. But on land, its still a hit-miss scenario. I have yet to see any concrete proof for Yeti, Bigfoot, Chupacabra, et al...which doesnt mean they dont exist. Yes, science has made rapid strides in progress and we should have SOME sort of evidence with us by now, but who knows.

Remember, a large part of the Amazon rainforests are still untouched. So are the primitive rainforests of Africa. What about the wilderness on Canada's north? Alaska? Even Antarctica?

Unless and until the whole of the Earth is scoured through, its difficult to say for sure. The geek inside me is staying fingers crossed.

[cheebacheeba]

I think underground and deep ocean is where it's at, more likely than undiscovered/unexplored regions of the land - I mean sure they'd have some stuff we hadn't seen before, unusual centipedes, spiders, insects, animals etc but I don't think anything all that out of the ordinary, more like subspecies or "relatives" to things we've already encountered, perhaps some things thought to be extinct.
Though I say, if you're looking at BIG, and WEIRD, I think you've got to go deeper - places where complete absence of light, higher heat and pressure will either make things appear stranger through adapting to these environments, perhaps "stronger" through dealing with higher pressures, and the deeper, I'd say the larger - say ultra-deep sea, where only something large and incredibly well constructed could really exist without being torn apart.
Funny, if you think about those things rising, it would be interesting to observe just how powerful, manouverable and nigh invulnerable they'd become when so much pressure is off.
I'm sure some would die in the attempt, or get the wicked bends though...but who's to say that's something they'd actually experience - they've gotta have SOME way of dealing with pressure.

So yeah, I'd look more into places we cannot thus far venture.

[mrbelle]

I do belive in things like bigfoot and aliens but they are not the real monsters. The real monsters are these lowlife child molesters and killers the scumbags that hurt poor defenceless animals and people that will kill you for your shoes or a video game system like the guy in florida a few years ago that killed like 5 people for an xbox those are the real monsters.

[milktoaste]

The term 'monster' covers so much ground that it is truly unfair to ask such simple questions as 'do they exist?'. Once considered imaginary monsters, like the Giant Squid, sewer gators and Earwigs that lay eggs in your brain, seem to lose their monster status once they become common knowledge.

If the question was aimed more towards the existance of Bigfoot(and not just in our hearts and minds), then no. Come on people, it's just common sence. There are however humans living in the mountains who don't want you to know they live there, who may throw rocks and make noises to scare you away. And let's not forget the pranksters, who feed right into our open minds for kicks.

Aliens totally do exist. I'm not saying there flying around putting probes in us. I'm sure that we'll find bacteria and plant life on the first planet we get a good look at with liquid water. I'll bet money that Jupitors' ice moon Europa, has bacterial and plant lifeform under the miles of ice on the surface. Maybe even a fish.:D Those wouldn't really be monsters though.

[urgeok2]

i dont believe in monsters/aliens/etc

i do believe there are some odd animals, but as far as monsters go - just the human type (sociopaths/CEOs/circus clowns/televangelists)

[TheGemini]

Yes they do. It would be foolish to deny their existence.

[milktoaste]

Hey Cheebacheeba,

As far as deep ocean creatures coming to the surface goes, without the great pressures of the deep pushing in around them they litteraly explode. Deep Ocean animals usually have to be brought to the surface in a jar, or other sealed container that can maintain the higher pressures. I've seen early footage of such creatures being brought aboard boats, they practically fall apart.

[ferretchucker]

I'd say it depends on what you call monsters. There's a hell of a lot of the ocean that we know so little about, right deep down there. Things that have come forward in recent years, such as the Anglerfish. Some would consider that to be a monster. It definitely sounds like a monster when you say the description of it to yourself. A small creature that survives in the pitch black, using a small glowing appendage to lure in creatures which it visciously eats with it's large razor sharp teeth.

Then there's the things like giant and collosal squid, which do without a doubt exist and could and probably is the explanation for the Kraken. So, I will have to echo many of the other statements on here and say Yes, I do believe that there are undiscovered species that are being misinterpreted. Who's to say that the mongolion death worm wasn't merely a strange plant blowing in the wind that gradually twisted to become a much more interesting creature?

As for other things, such as aliens, I definetely believe that there are other creatures in the universe. Life finds a way, and so what if they say that these planets are incapable of supporting life? All that means is that they can't support life by our standards. Things evolve and adapt to suit their environments!

[milktoaste]

I bet to a squirrel, I look like a monster. Squirrels always act so freaked out when they get too close to people. I cut down trees for a couple summers during highschool, I killed a lot of squirrels, bats, birds, possums and whatever else lives in trees. If I were to describe how I threw a handful of baby squirrels into a running wood chipper, I may look like a monster to some of you. I bet I look like a monster to fish too.

The squirrels fell safely to the ground through a large slot in the chipper before the blades could hurt them. This 'slot' is there to make sure someone doesn't accidentaly feed a couple rocks into the chipper. You see, baby squirrels require alot of care, and can not survive on their own. I have friends who have raised baby squirrels into adulthood and set them free, I know. So the only humane thing to do is kill them as quickly as possible and get back to work. I stomped about 6 baby squirrels to death beneath my boots-they were squealing and everything. That was only one time.

[newb]

I bet to a squirrel, I look like a monster. Squirrels always act so freaked out when they get too close to people. I cut down trees for a couple summers during highschool, I killed a lot of squirrels, bats, birds, possums and whatever else lives in trees. If I were to describe how I threw a handful of baby squirrels into a running wood chipper, I may look like a monster to some of you. I bet I look like a monster to fish too.

The squirrels fell safely to the ground through a large slot in the chipper before the blades could hurt them. This 'slot' is there to make sure someone doesn't accidentaly feed a couple rocks into the chipper. You see, baby squirrels require alot of care, and can not survive on their own. I have friends who have raised baby squirrels into adulthood and set them free, I know. So the only humane thing to do is kill them as quickly as possible and get back to work. I stomped about 6 baby squirrels to death beneath my boots-they were squealing and everything. That was only one time.

http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/psycho_shot5l.jpg

[bwind22]

Yes they do. It would be foolish to deny their existence.

Why would it be foolish to deny the existence of something that has never been proven to be real? Seems to me it'd be foolish to believe in it.

[Elvis_Christ]

How come believing in monsters is geeky?

There's bound to be strange oddities that ignorant people will label monsters.

[crabapple]

Why certainly they exist!
What a silly question.

[ChronoGrl]

Did you ever watch Destination Truth? They did the Mongolian Death Worm and I'm almost sure the did Nessie or at least something similar.

Ooooooo - No. But now I want too.

[Roderick Usher]

I exist, so of course we're real.