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[Alan Harris]

The post immediately above, Reply 16, says it perfectly for me as well.

I suspect the Huffington video is common or garden variety Discovery showmanship, and is adequately explained by an earlier specific report of non-AE things found (see my earlier post).  Today's "breaking news" snapshot is difficult to judge from the 895 x 595 web image, we don't get to see the HD resolution.  After much zooming and squinting I would not be shocked if there is a man-made object or two at the upper left; on the right side not so much.  Joining the chorus: all we can do is have patience.

[Gary LaPook]

The post immediately above, Reply 16, says it perfectly for me as well.

I suspect the Huffington video is common or garden variety Discovery showmanship, and is adequately explained by an earlier specific report of non-AE things found (see my earlier post).  Today's "breaking news" snapshot is difficult to judge from the 895 x 595 web image, we don't get to see the HD resolution.  After much zooming and squinting I would not be shocked if there is a man-made object or two at the upper left; on the right side not so much.  Joining the chorus: all we can do is have patience.

I expect that the frames taken overlap as the ROV goes by so there shouldn't be much of a mystery as the changing aspect should make any object clear. So I am suspicious that this is just a "hook" to get viewers.

gl

[Randy Conrad]

WOW!!!! I thought there was something fishy when Pat hadn't posted anything for several days on the return trip home! Anyway, the tire in the upper left hand picture of the main debris field photo must be legite. But, someone help me out please...but what is the square object in the lower right hand picture of the cropped picture? Is this a radio?

[Peter F Kearney]

New member here from Tokyo. Hi to all. Photography and image manipulation is my game. Found that a manipulated B&W filtered image is much easier to see. The object spotted by Randy is interesting.

[Ric Gillespie]

I expect that the frames taken overlap as the ROV goes by so there shouldn't be much of a mystery as the changing aspect should make any object clear.

Frames do overlap and the changing perspective will help Jeff get a better idea of what the object looks like, but it is not enough to "make any object clear."

So I am suspicious that this is just a "hook" to get viewers.

What you are suggesting? Do you really think that we would make something up? Good grief Gary, you know us better than that. 

[Tom Swearengen]

WELL---
Looks like its game time. I awoke this morning and see the news flashed all over yahoo, then Discovery News, and now here. Not to be pesimistic, but I certainly do hope that the news is good. Announcing to the world that you have found something, and then find it wasnt is a media disaster; something I've said for several years.
The pics are pretty good, and there does appear to be something there. I want to state publicly HERE my congrats. Looks like alot of members here 'MIGHT' be vindicated. Guys and gals, TIGHAR is on the verge here. I sense that something special is about to happen. Guess only RIC and Jeff know for sure.

[Ric Gillespie]

Guess only RIC and Jeff know for sure.

Ric and Jeff don't know for sure. We're not keeping any great secrets.  We tell you as much as we can as soon as we can.  That's what TIGHAR is all about.

[Ric Gillespie]

To put to rest the questions and conspiracy theories about why Discovery chose to air the show so soon, let me clear up that mystery.
The air date for the show was set weeks before we left Honolulu.  Like all networks, the bottom line for Discovery is ratings - delivering viewers for sponsors.  August 19th comes at the end of Shark Week - Discovery's biggest audience grabber.  Airing our show at the end of Shark Week is nothing more than Discovery's attempt to hold onto that big audience for one more day.

Discovery didn't know if we'd find anything but based on previous experience they knew that TIGHAR expeditions make great television.  The public loves Earhart, we do good science, we deliver vicarious adventure, and we're absolutely authentic.  Obviously, we all hoped for a big, dramatic, conclusive find but we also knew that rarely happens. 

At the end of the expedition all we knew is that we had not seen anything interesting in the standard definition video.  I hoped, but didn't honestly expect, that something would turn up in the HD video, but just getting it processed and ready to review turned out to be a time-consuming process. It was this past Monday before the first five and a half hour batch of video reached Jeff Glickman. Jeff spotted the debris field stuff late on Tuesday. He worked on it all day on Wednesday while I  matched the time-code on the video to the ROV logs to pin down where the debris is. By 04:00 Thursday morning Jeff had his initial report ready.  On Thursday we worked out with Discovery how to break the news and on Friday they were able to insert it in the show (way past the supposed deadline for changes).

So there was no "showmanship" beyond the desire to present the best, most accurate show to the biggest possible audience.

[Michael Calvin Powell]

Another report:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/18/us-usa-earhart-expedition-idUSBRE87H01C20120818

[Gary LaPook]

So I am suspicious that this is just a "hook" to get viewers.

What you are suggesting? Do you really think that we would make something up? Good grief Gary, you know us better than that.

Not on TIGHAR's part but The Discovery Channel putting out that press release worded the way is is to attract viewers and advertizing revenue. That's what I meant by "hook," just like I said.

gl

[Gary LaPook]

New member here from Tokyo. Hi to all. Photography and image manipulation is my game. Found that a manipulated B&W filtered image is much easier to see. The object spotted by Randy is interesting.

I have programmed both of the DVRs in my house to record the show and have set an alarm on my smart phone to make sure that I am sitting in front of my TV tomorrow night so maybe by doubts will be dispelled then. But, at this point, I do have a question based on having done a lot of diving on reefs in the pacific. IF the objects pointed out in the video still are portions of the object previously identified as "Nessie" and IF the still was taken in deep water then why, since "Nessie" was a complete assembly, are we not seeing the complete assembly in the photo? The obvious answer to this question is that it was broken up but then you have to tell us by what force. The most obvious answer to this is that it was broken up in the surf zone where it was subjected to the great forces of the waves but then you have to answer the question as to why these pieces are then found in close proximity to each other. It is very unlikely that an intact "Nessie" was broken up as it slid down the reef face once it was below the surf zone as turbulence does not extend down very far, ask any diver how quickly the water gets smooth as you descend. So, it must have broken apart far away from the spot where this photo was taken so why would these different components of different shapes and specific gravities end up so close to each other this far away from the point where the breakup occurred?
gl

[Steve D. Burk]

I am one of those individual's who has only had a casual interest in this search ---I say that before asking the following question:  Currently there is no way to attach a scale to the objects highlighted in these photos.  If that is the case, why is everyone getting so worked up over this discovery?  It may be something the size of an aircraft wheel or it may be the size of a wheel on a tricycle, right?  Aren't there any biological structures of a fairly well known size in any of these photos that might help establish a scale?

[dave burrell]

Guess only RIC and Jeff know for sure.

Ric and Jeff don't know for sure. We're not keeping any great secrets.  We tell you as much as we can as soon as we can.  That's what TIGHAR is all about.

Well fair enough. I take it that so far there is no definite objects that 100% can be identified as an airplane part? Like a huge tire with a fork hanging off it?
Cause these still pictures are a lot like seeing faces on Mars. We can make them into what we want.
The black and white photo manipulation above looks like a model airplane to me!

[Tom Swearengen]

Ric, I for one know that you are giving us the straight scoop. Having met you and talked to you at length, I know that. I think we all were alittle perplexed by the timing of Discovery's show. I know I was. But, not being from the media, I didnt get it. I do now.
Gary---a bunch of us have our alarms, dvrs, etc set, as well as popcorn and beverages (remember the NBC Saturday Night at the movies programs?). Been looking forward to this for a LONG time.
 You said, "I  matched the time-code on the video to the ROV logs to pin down where the debris is". Ok----do you think its where we thought it was, or somewhere else, and does that by chance match any locations from the previous video that Richie and Jeff Victor worked on? That would be interesting to compare the 2 videos and see the results.
Tom

[Ric Gillespie]

So I am suspicious that this is just a "hook" to get viewers.

Not on TIGHAR's part but The Discovery Channel putting out that press release worded the way is is to attract viewers and advertizing revenue. That's what I meant by "hook," just like I said.

You said you were suspicious that "this is just a 'hook' to get viewers."  It's the "just" that I find offensive.  We gave Discovery the information.  They used it to attract more viewers to the show.  I don't have a problem with that as long as they don't misrepresent the information we gave them.  I don't think they did.