# Japan takes a poke **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 21, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317 "2005-10-21T19:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jimbobboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/22d042/32.png) [@jimbobboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbobboy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/1 "2005-10-21T19:24:48Z")
Just an FYI related to Karen’s excellent staff report [What’s at the center of the earth?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mearthcore.html) Karen informs us that > [@](#): > > The deepest man-made hole I’m aware of is in the Kola peninsula in Russia. It’s about 12 km deep, nowhere near reaching mantle. Some holes are being dug in the ocean [3], where the crust is thin … The _Chikyu,_ a japanese ship now in final fitting-out, is [expected to drill all the way through the crust to the mantle](http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00059DD3-A6CE-1330-A54583414B7F0000) by punching through at a thin point in the sea bed. That’s 9.5 km of drill – 2.5 km for the ocean’s depth, and 7 km of crust. It’s quite a project. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/2 "2005-10-21T19:35:25Z")
When they finally emerge, I, for one, will welcome our fiery masters from under the Earth’s crust. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/3 "2005-10-21T21:33:16Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > When they finally emerge, I, for one, will welcome our fiery masters from under the Earth’s crust. Crab People! Crab People! Taste like crab! Talk like people! Crab People… ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/4 "2005-10-22T01:49:33Z")
And when they’re done, the SMDB will have a successor to the Mariana Trench meme! _Once, for twenty minutes, in 2005…_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/5 "2005-10-22T14:45:49Z")
An intentional volcanic eruption; well, that’s novel. Ignoring physics, I keep picturing the earth spewing out stuff and zipping around like a toy balloon. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/6 "2005-10-23T04:48:20Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > An intentional volcanic eruption; well, that’s novel. Ignoring physics, I keep picturing the earth spewing out stuff and zipping around like a toy balloon. :eek: [Eek!](http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/inferno/) indeed. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/7 "2005-10-23T13:00:09Z")
Japan takes pokes at deep trenches in the earth. Somehow, it just doesn’t have the same giggle-making ring as poking trenches in something that gives you the woolies. Hope they don’t elect Mr. Briston prime minister… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/8 "2005-10-23T18:21:56Z")
What do we hope to accomplish doing this? Surely going to a volcano and gathering the lava would serve the same purpose? (but if there’s a hole in the crust, would it be lava or magma that comes out into the ocean? I was always taught that it’s “lava” after coming out of a volcano… but here there isn’t a volcano…) ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/9 "2005-10-23T18:55:39Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > What do we hope to accomplish doing this? Surely going to a volcano and gathering the lava would serve the same purpose? The article says that lava from a volcano may have been significantly altered before it gets to the surface, so they want a sample straight from the source. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/10 "2005-10-24T15:16:38Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > when they’re done, the SMDB will have a successor to the Mariana Trench meme! Fortunately, the Marianas Trench (around 11km below sea level) will still be in first place, depth-wise. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/11 "2005-10-24T18:54:52Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > And when they’re done, the SMDB will have a successor to the Mariana Trench meme! SMDB? Straight Message Dope Board? A board made just for me! RR ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/12 "2005-10-24T18:59:33Z")
I hope they’re taking Jack Handey along. A deep hole without deep thoughts is like a long empty cylinder. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japan-takes-a-poke/327317/13 "2005-10-24T19:02:05Z")
> [@RiverRunner](#): > > SMDB? Straight Message Dope Board? A board made just for me! > > RR No, it’s an analog to the IMDB, and S stands for “Straight”. It catalogs straight porn, I guess.