NavList:

I believe the scientific jury is still out on both of the issues you raise regarding sperm whales. The real problem is that it is next to impossible to stick a medical monitor on a diving whale. They don't appreciate it. BTW, have you seen photos of sperm whales sleeping? They stand on their heads in pods with their flukes just below the surface. Or maybe they're not sleeping, and you have to be a whale to understand what they're up to...

 

I'm no expert on whales, so let me suggest another Internet site to ask these questions. I have a place I visit for general science discussions online which is inhabited mostly by intelligent, friendly people including a handful of professional scientists (at least two physicists). It used to be a free-for-all, as annoying as any "crowded room" on the net, but it is now a sleepy backwater. It's the Compuserve Science & Math Forum. It's located here:

Any of you on the list who enjoy scientific and mathematical discussions may find some good conversation there. But bear in mind, there's not much else. This is a fossilized resource of the old net, and it has very little in the way of "web" content.

 

To post on the Compuserve forums, you need a user id. This can be an AOL or Compuserve id. They're available at no cost, and you don't have to divulge much personal info to get one. If you do visit, you can ignore most everything you see on the opening page. The interesting talk can be found under the headings "Recent Discussions" and "Board Folders" (the message board categories).