this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2025
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And Finally...

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In short:

Indian police have arrested an American man who visited a restricted island and left offerings to a tribe not contacted by the modern world.

Mykhailo Polyakov had previously made two unsuccessful attempts to reach North Sentinel Island, home of the Sentinelese people.

What's next?

Local authorities say he has been released on a three-day remand "for further interrogation".

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The Sentinelese are famously hostile toward outsiders. Would they drink from a strange can that appeared on the beach? Would they know that it is a drink, or even how to open it? These are things we know because we grew up with the concept of canned soda. But even with that knowledge, I sure as hell wouldn't drink from a random soda can I found sitting on a beach. I find it hard to imagine that the Sentinelese, who shoot arrows at anyone they see approaching their island, would interpret a random can as a sign of goodwill (let alone as something they're supposed to ingest.)

They may assume it's a weapon, or some kind of cursed item. If they do something to agitate it, like shooting an arrow or throwing a rock, they'd probably be terrified by the exploding carbonation - which could reinforce the idea of it being a weapon or something demonic.