In an infamous 1970 news report, journalist Paul Linnman described a stinky situation: a sperm whale had washed ashore near Florence, Oregon. Measuring 45-feet long and weighing approximately eight tons, the decomposing whale presented a challenge for the city. Officials were left baffled by the predicament, unable to bury or burn the carcass. Their solution? Blow the thing up with dynamite. Unfortunately for the residents of Florence, the whale did not blow out to sea as planned, nor did it break into convenient bits for seagulls to carry off. After…
