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[thecjfthistle]

Update from Mercury:

Not
Discovery Scarp
Discovery rupes
Amru Al-Qays

I couldn't resist the crater named after the obscure Arab poet.

Mercury is looking devoid of atmosphere.

[fozzy]

the card

[locqust]

Thats a good idea! Never thought of that...right off to do some research!

[uneasyjd]

Re: the card

[Cartman]

A quick google for the phrase

[chippy]

ok, following on from the Von's tip, I think its to do with a sense of the brain, most likely Visual. I think its a topographic representation made from rastergrams of signals from neurons of the visual cortex (... from poor little monkeys)
Saying this, however, from what ive found - the thing that looks most like it is the same thing, but to do with the auditory centre (also on those poor monkehs). At the very least "topographic" is a good search keyword

[thecjfthistle]

giving up on mercury for the moment...
I have access to the OED and looked up elucidate. It has the meaning, which we are all familiar with but also a list of quotations and dates for the word as well as the etymology.
I reproduce it here to see if anyone can spot anything pertinent.

By the way, did you know that it was used as an adjective, as in 'this card is really very easy, the solution was elucidate'. Found in the 1670s in the sermons of John Hackett. Anyway. This is to get other people thinking, hope this isn't just clutter.


f. late L. lcidt- ppl. stem of lcid-re, f. out + lcidus bright.]

trans. To render lucid; now only fig. to throw light upon, clear up, explain. Also absol.


a1568 COVERDALE Let. Wks. II. 492 Such annotations..elucidate and clear [the text]. 1675 BAXTER Cath. Theol. II. v. 88 Your own conceptions..tend to elucidate. 1676 BULLOKAR, Elucidate, to make bright or shining. 1685 EVELYN Mem. (1857) II. 256 This..was made out of human blood and urine, elucidating the vital flame, or heat, in animal bodies. 1748 J. MASON Elocut. 33 The great End of Pronunciation is to elucidate and heighten the Sense. 1789 GIBBON Autobiog. (1854) 85 Sir William Hamilton..has elucidated a country of such inestimable value to the naturalist. 1804 WELLINGTON Let. in Gurw. Disp. III. 127, I mention these circumstances only because they tend to elucidate the foreign policy of this Prince. 1825 MACAULAY Milton, Ess. (1851) I. 1 His notes have the rare merit of really elucidating the text. 1840 MILL Diss. & Disc. (1873) I. 408 This language..serves not to elucidate. 1872 DARWIN Emotions Introd. 5 Elucidating the physiology of the muscles of the hand.

[ramsfan]

I for one was very interested in your info even if it doesn't help us solve the card. We already feel like we're spilling blood. I hope the etymology doesn't lead someone to p on it as well.

[Hunting4Treasure]

Rams,
ROFLMAO!!!

[cheesey]

Ive been sitting back patiently reading away at your comments - just trying to find some inspiration

Unfortunately, I think I have too much, and have gone off on a muddle of tangents.

1. Ok from the hint

[Dysper]

Just throwing one in at random here (it's 3:25am so cut me some slack especially if it's already been suggested )...

Does our esteemed puzzle scribe have any interests in the ocean? Maybe we need to shed some light on the ocean floor

Acoustic backscatter (example here: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/pacmaps/sd-mos.html ) has some eerily familar features.

The only problem is whether our card has some major cliffs and troughs or if it is not completely mapped

[luvcraft]

[Jaeneas]

Hi

I sent a scan of the card to a Dr. Davies at Cardiff University School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences. I asked if the picture represented any kind of geological area or phenomenon. He very kindy replied to say...

[Reason]

I was thinking along the same lines. I've been loking at maps of the sea but haven't managed to come across any that look like the correct location.

[elbee909]