The comments on both those sites are something to behold. Every theory, from underwater seismic activity to deliberate geopolitical nastiness is being entertained...
I would rule out seismic activity as that is pretty well monitored globally along with even more sensitive stuff to monitor weapons testing.
I have an alternative theory other than those mentioned.................
Sharks! yes, they are known to attack underwater cables (for at least the past 20 years!), possibly as a defensive or annoyance jesture, pure curiosity, or mistaking them for food.
Sharks! yes, they are known to attack underwater cables (for at least the past 20 years!), possibly as a defensive or annoyance jesture, pure curiosity, or mistaking them for food.
Sharks... with lasers? *Pets hairless, wrinkly cat...*
Hey phernandez, I want a refund of the time I just spent reading those horribly inane posts on schneier.com. I'll take beer or hookers, your pick. I'll send over my address later.. LOL
As for sharks feeding on those cables, as possible as that is, I would hope that those cable companies would've learned how to protect their cables from shark teeth. Duh!
I'll wait for the repair crews to blame the U.S. for it. I mean everything is Bush's fault someway, ya nkow? Precursor to war, blech.
Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it.
- Samuel Johnson
As for sharks feeding on those cables, as possible as that is, I would hope that those cable companies would've learned how to protect their cables from shark teeth. Duh!
Well it is still being researched, as we never had the problem with the old copper wire cables. This is purely a fibre optic cable phenomenon, and we don't know why.
Sure they could armour the stuff better, but that would increase costs considerably.
These cables can be thousands of kilometers long and a typical cable laying ship has a capacity of 5,000 Km.
Armour it to double the thickness and you will probably also double the manufacturing cost and halve the cable laying capacity which would double the cost of that.
At the moment they are financing marine biological research to try to find out what attracts sharks to this type of cable.