Pufferfish the Magic Dragon
December 30, 2013 2:19 PM Subscribe
The latest generation of the UK's world-leading state-backed surveillance technologies have reportedly captured shocking scenes of high-risk potentially lethal narcotics use by gangs (or "juvenile pods") of young dolphins, who have worked out how to get a high from chewing pufferfish to release their neurotoxins
No videos of the actual shock dolphin drug use scenes are online yet (sorry, the documentary airs on the BBC in the UK on Jan 2), but here's some video of dolphins "frolicking" with pufferfish which now looks disturbing in the light of the new evidence.
While dolphins are known aggressive (NSFW) and shameless extreme sexual deviants (NSFW/NSFL), pufferfish are civilized romantics whose gentle and polite courtship rituals centre around their careful creation of beautiful and intricate geometric patterns in the seafloor sand to impress potential mates.
No videos of the actual shock dolphin drug use scenes are online yet (sorry, the documentary airs on the BBC in the UK on Jan 2), but here's some video of dolphins "frolicking" with pufferfish which now looks disturbing in the light of the new evidence.
While dolphins are known aggressive (NSFW) and shameless extreme sexual deviants (NSFW/NSFL), pufferfish are civilized romantics whose gentle and polite courtship rituals centre around their careful creation of beautiful and intricate geometric patterns in the seafloor sand to impress potential mates.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble
I have flagged this as the best post for reasons which are difficult to articulate but which I nevertheless feel very strongly.
posted by elizardbits at 2:23 PM on December 30, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 2:23 PM on December 30, 2013 [4 favorites]
although it probably has a lot to do with the whole SPY TURTLE thing
posted by elizardbits at 2:25 PM on December 30, 2013
posted by elizardbits at 2:25 PM on December 30, 2013
you know one dolphin is saying to his dolphin friend, 'dude, after I did that puffer last night I found -- I found a mechanical tortoise, man!' And the other dolphin rolls his eyes and reconsiders the friendship.
posted by angrycat at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by angrycat at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2013 [7 favorites]
Which isn't to say that they aren't playing with pufferfish. They probably will do it once or twice. But they aren't doing it to get high.
posted by empath at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2013
posted by empath at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2013
Ain't no party
Like a dolphin party
cause a dolphin party has deadly puffer fish drugs.
posted by The Whelk at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2013 [10 favorites]
Like a dolphin party
cause a dolphin party has deadly puffer fish drugs.
posted by The Whelk at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2013 [10 favorites]
This is extremely unlikely to be accurate for the simple reason that pufferfish toxin doesn't pass the blood-brain barrier, and so cannot induce an intoxicating effect. Poor science reporting, as usual.
Once again, big science underestimates the cleverness of delinquent dolphins. Pufferfish spines are used to inject the poison directly into the brain. This is known on the "street" as "Puff" even though it is not, strictly speaking, an inhalant.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:28 PM on December 30, 2013 [9 favorites]
Once again, big science underestimates the cleverness of delinquent dolphins. Pufferfish spines are used to inject the poison directly into the brain. This is known on the "street" as "Puff" even though it is not, strictly speaking, an inhalant.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:28 PM on December 30, 2013 [9 favorites]
Which isn't to say that they aren't playing with pufferfish. They probably will do it once or twice. But they aren't doing it to get high.
They can give up anytime they want.
posted by Artw at 2:31 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
They can give up anytime they want.
posted by Artw at 2:31 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
There's a pretty good critique of this hypothesis already on the science sushi blog over at Discover, largely going for empath's line that is is just experimental puffer use....
posted by AFII at 2:36 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by AFII at 2:36 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Something something magic dragon.
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 2:36 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 2:36 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
AH DAMN YOU POST TITLE.
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 2:36 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 2:36 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
Dolphins are porpoisely getting high?
posted by Chitownfats at 2:38 PM on December 30, 2013 [20 favorites]
posted by Chitownfats at 2:38 PM on December 30, 2013 [20 favorites]
Sounds like you're on the Puff.
posted by The Whelk at 2:41 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 2:41 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
I kind of regret my earlier, jokey comment. I should have written "it is not, strictly speaking, an inwhalent." Sorry.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:43 PM on December 30, 2013 [17 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:43 PM on December 30, 2013 [17 favorites]
Control the Puff, and you control the dolphins. Atlantis learned this long ago - how do you think Aquaman does it? The king stay the king.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:46 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 2:46 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Lemurs getting high on millipedes. (just so the dolphins don't feel so alone on this one)
posted by iamkimiam at 2:49 PM on December 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by iamkimiam at 2:49 PM on December 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
So Long, and Thanks for all the Spliffs
posted by Flashman at 2:49 PM on December 30, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 2:49 PM on December 30, 2013 [4 favorites]
empath: "This is extremely unlikely to be accurate for the simple reason that pufferfish toxin doesn't pass the blood-brain barrier, and so cannot induce an intoxicating effect. Poor science reporting, as usual."
Exactly. I try to remind my cats that since the catnip doesn't work on me, it doesn't work on them either, but then they just keep on eating it and rolling around on the floor. People like to throw the phrase 'impudent dogs' around, but if you ask me it's the cats who are the impudent ones.
posted by mullingitover at 2:50 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
Exactly. I try to remind my cats that since the catnip doesn't work on me, it doesn't work on them either, but then they just keep on eating it and rolling around on the floor. People like to throw the phrase 'impudent dogs' around, but if you ask me it's the cats who are the impudent ones.
posted by mullingitover at 2:50 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
Our graphics department has created this true-to-life simulation of what a dolphin experiences on a pufferfish high.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:53 PM on December 30, 2013 [14 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 2:53 PM on December 30, 2013 [14 favorites]
Have you ever swam with the dolphins...on fiiiiiiish?
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 3:02 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 3:02 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is extremely unlikely to be accurate for the simple reason that pufferfish toxin doesn't pass the blood-brain barrier
As I understand it, the blood-brain barrier can vary in its permeability due to interaction of other chemicals. For example, in humans, cocaine "elicits a signaling cascade, leading to the induction of PDGF-B chain which is a key mediator of increased endothelial permeability." It may be possible for it to cross, perhaps in a very weak way if the environment and diet alter the 'normal' strength of the barrier. Also, wouldn't the fact that they are getting 'spiked' in the roof of the mouth, making the delivery process more like insufflation (i.e. snorting) than an injection into the muscle from outside the body?
Add to that the concentric layers mentioned in Bwithh's link above, and I'd say at least it may move the possibility from "extremely unlikely" to "unlikely." However, IANA marine biologist or neurologist, so take my counterpoint as a request for those more knowledgeable to educate me.
posted by chambers at 3:03 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
As I understand it, the blood-brain barrier can vary in its permeability due to interaction of other chemicals. For example, in humans, cocaine "elicits a signaling cascade, leading to the induction of PDGF-B chain which is a key mediator of increased endothelial permeability." It may be possible for it to cross, perhaps in a very weak way if the environment and diet alter the 'normal' strength of the barrier. Also, wouldn't the fact that they are getting 'spiked' in the roof of the mouth, making the delivery process more like insufflation (i.e. snorting) than an injection into the muscle from outside the body?
Add to that the concentric layers mentioned in Bwithh's link above, and I'd say at least it may move the possibility from "extremely unlikely" to "unlikely." However, IANA marine biologist or neurologist, so take my counterpoint as a request for those more knowledgeable to educate me.
posted by chambers at 3:03 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Have you ever echolocated at your fins? I mean, really echolocated at them?
posted by cog_nate at 3:09 PM on December 30, 2013 [29 favorites]
posted by cog_nate at 3:09 PM on December 30, 2013 [29 favorites]
Ironically, they do so to reach a higher state of consciousness in a fruitless attempt to communicate with the mysterious beings creating underwater crop circles.
posted by prinado at 3:22 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by prinado at 3:22 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
This is known on the "street" as "Puff" even though it is not, strictly speaking, an inhalant.
"Puff" is what they used to call it. Now it's only used on the evening news and by narcs looking to seem hip to make a bust.
I hear the calves in the so called 'hip' pods are calling it by a few names:
Ridin' Poseidon
Playing the Thistle Whistle
Spiking
Bazooka Joe (due to the pain that both can cause on teeth, as well as the "exploding the mind" effect of the drug)
posted by chambers at 3:22 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Puff" is what they used to call it. Now it's only used on the evening news and by narcs looking to seem hip to make a bust.
I hear the calves in the so called 'hip' pods are calling it by a few names:
Ridin' Poseidon
Playing the Thistle Whistle
Spiking
Bazooka Joe (due to the pain that both can cause on teeth, as well as the "exploding the mind" effect of the drug)
posted by chambers at 3:22 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Lemurs getting high on millipedes. yt (just so the dolphins don't feel so alone on this one)
That's a William S. Burroughs wet dream right there.
posted by dortmunder at 3:30 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
That's a William S. Burroughs wet dream right there.
posted by dortmunder at 3:30 PM on December 30, 2013 [3 favorites]
Tetrodotoxin is a potent vasodilator--which is exactly what sildenafil does by a different mechanism.
Pufferfish are their Viagra.
posted by jamjam at 4:31 PM on December 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
Pufferfish are their Viagra.
posted by jamjam at 4:31 PM on December 30, 2013 [6 favorites]
Don't give dolphins Viagra. And definitely don't stay in the water with them afterward.
posted by wotsac at 5:42 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by wotsac at 5:42 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
I wonder if John Lilly taught this to them...
posted by the_artificer at 8:35 PM on December 30, 2013
posted by the_artificer at 8:35 PM on December 30, 2013
The problem is they stop producing endolphins and stay hooked for life. Not even once! YOHOL!
posted by lordaych at 6:43 AM on December 31, 2013
posted by lordaych at 6:43 AM on December 31, 2013
AFII: "There's a pretty good critique of this hypothesis already on the science sushi blog over at Discover, largely going for empath's line that is is just experimental puffer use...."
I'd call that a pretty terrible, anthropomorphic, and naive critique, myself.
FTFA:
But I’m to believe that dolphins are using tetrodotoxin regularly to get baked? Or even worse, include these toxic treats as a part of their “diet“? No way. Not even dolphins are crazy enough to take that risk.
So, the author is an expert on juvenile dolphin risk-taking limits? I'd love to read some of her studies.
Tetrodotoxin simply doesn’t make sense as a drug (and let’s be honest—if it did, humans would be snorting it off bathroom counters already). In very, very, very low doses, tetrodotoxin causes numbness, tingling, and the slight lightheadedness that fugu, the Japanese preparation of raw pufferfish flesh, is known for. I guess it’s possible to see how one might relate these mild effects to the “high” feeling that comes from THC, the main ingredient in marijuana*, but it’s a stretch to say the least.
Yep, hard to imagine anyone enjoying numbness, tingling, and slight lightheadedness. That's crazy talk! I mean, people would be using, I dunno, clove cigarettes if those effects were at all pleasurable!
In low doses, it numbs. In slightly higher ones, it paralyzes. In between it slows heart rate, plummets blood pressure, and causes respiratory distress. It’s a poison, not a party drug. There is nothing fun about it.
Well, that settles it. The author wouldn't enjoy those low-to-moderate dose effects, so no one would! Not even an animal from another order of Mammalia, that diverged from us 50 million years ago.
Honestly, despite the sciencey-sounding words, that article is worse than the one in The Independent (2nd link in the FPP).
posted by IAmBroom at 8:18 AM on December 31, 2013 [6 favorites]
I'd call that a pretty terrible, anthropomorphic, and naive critique, myself.
FTFA:
But I’m to believe that dolphins are using tetrodotoxin regularly to get baked? Or even worse, include these toxic treats as a part of their “diet“? No way. Not even dolphins are crazy enough to take that risk.
So, the author is an expert on juvenile dolphin risk-taking limits? I'd love to read some of her studies.
Tetrodotoxin simply doesn’t make sense as a drug (and let’s be honest—if it did, humans would be snorting it off bathroom counters already). In very, very, very low doses, tetrodotoxin causes numbness, tingling, and the slight lightheadedness that fugu, the Japanese preparation of raw pufferfish flesh, is known for. I guess it’s possible to see how one might relate these mild effects to the “high” feeling that comes from THC, the main ingredient in marijuana*, but it’s a stretch to say the least.
Yep, hard to imagine anyone enjoying numbness, tingling, and slight lightheadedness. That's crazy talk! I mean, people would be using, I dunno, clove cigarettes if those effects were at all pleasurable!
In low doses, it numbs. In slightly higher ones, it paralyzes. In between it slows heart rate, plummets blood pressure, and causes respiratory distress. It’s a poison, not a party drug. There is nothing fun about it.
Well, that settles it. The author wouldn't enjoy those low-to-moderate dose effects, so no one would! Not even an animal from another order of Mammalia, that diverged from us 50 million years ago.
Honestly, despite the sciencey-sounding words, that article is worse than the one in The Independent (2nd link in the FPP).
posted by IAmBroom at 8:18 AM on December 31, 2013 [6 favorites]
Look, it's all fun and games until one gets a bad dose of Puff, then they're in for hours and hours of mazes, crystal glyphs, and giant aliens. Take a tip from Ecco, calves - stay in pod!
posted by sysinfo at 9:06 AM on December 31, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by sysinfo at 9:06 AM on December 31, 2013 [4 favorites]
You can identify the delinquents by their pierced fins.
posted by detachd at 10:33 AM on December 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by detachd at 10:33 AM on December 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Wow. The boingboing report and corresponding conversation is a little better. Just saying.
posted by clvrmnky at 2:09 PM on December 31, 2013
posted by clvrmnky at 2:09 PM on December 31, 2013
New species of river dolphin born of Amazon rapids
posted by homunculus at 1:47 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by homunculus at 1:47 PM on January 23, 2014
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posted by empath at 2:23 PM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]