Link: https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/04/23/im-not-the-only-one-easily-seduced-by-giant-cretaceous-octopuses/

One the key mechanisms science stays healthy is skepticism. This article throws some over a recent sensational paper published on Science.

Yeah I had similar thoughts reading about the cretaceous kraken underlords. If you are anywhere familiar reading paleontology papers this isn't the first time you see people make the wildest estimates based on fragments of something, which spark arguments that take decades to settle. I'd be surprised if nobody challenges this one.

Good to see push-back like this, a healthy sign of the general scientific process at work.

There are indeed some pretty famous species reconstructed with the barest of remaining material ("Gigantopithecus," i.e. 10ft-tall orangutans) come to mind, altho hypothesizing their behavior seems like quite the stretcharoo without more evidence...