[News] Missing submersible.

[Sid and the Sharknados]

The Tacoma bridge appeared to be an engineering marvel until the wind got it to its resonant frequency.

Almost immediately - it collapsed the same year it opened.
It's actually a perfect example of hubris and taking assumptions too far, the designer had expressed his admiration for the slender bridge decks of early British suspension bridges like the Menai Straights, seemingly not realising that most of them had been replaced on numerous occasions due to wind damage. The bridge was well beyond the envelope of what was understood or had been experienced at the time.
It's also, strictly speaking, not related to resonant frequency, but explanations of what was actually going on tend to get bogged down in terms like "aeroelastic flutter" that are rather harder to explain in a GCSE Physics class.

 

[Nottseagull]

The wreckage of the Titanic is now no more than a giant mass grave. Why people can't stay well away as a mark of respect, and are driven to go and gawp at it l've no idea.

Do you object to people looking round old graveyards or military cemeteries?

 

[BadFish]

I believe it was the orcas.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Do you object to people looking round old graveyards or military cemeteries?

That’s a bit different in that they are recognised places where death has been properly dealt with - places to pay respect, and often to glean interesting social history.
Visiting the Titanic wreck is pure voyeurism in my view. An adventure? Rubbish.

 

[Kosh]

That’s a bit different in that they are recognised places where death has been properly dealt with - places to pay respect, and often to glean interesting social history.
Visiting the Titanic wreck is pure voyeurism in my view. An adventure? Rubbish.

I tend to agree… graveyards and battle sites are different for many reasons… with the knowing outcome of a ‘war’ making the sense of wastefulness and mourning quite poignant… I can fully understand wanting to peacefully pay respects and remember loved ones, whilst trying to comprehend the futility of war… or life in general.

This is entirely different, this was an unwitting disaster, where the protagonists had no idea they were going to die, and horribly so… the survivors too, having to live with the horror as they did… I can guarantee few if any would have chosen to return to the sea, let alone the site of such a tragedy…

Studying the wreck, safely, and for research purposes is understandable to a point, but selling tickets for commercial gain… to individuals who (doubtless) were permitted to take selfies/vids with a mass grave site behind the viewport… with the majority there to do just that, and claim “I’ve seen it man…” is ghoulish and frankly disturbing…

Now the outcome is awful, it really is, but the need or desire to do this is lost on me… normal (ahem) people should not be allowed to see something like that, let it rest … in peace … commercial tourism… it just makes me feel really, really uncomfortable.

But I guess that’s the rich man’s world we inhabit… and it’s absolutely abhorrent.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I tend to agree… graveyards and battle sites are different for many reasons… with the knowing outcome of a ‘war’ making the sense of wastefulness and mourning quite poignant… I can fully understand wanting to peacefully pay respects and remember loved ones, whilst trying to comprehend the futility of war… or life in general.

This is entirely different, this was an unwitting disaster, where the protagonists had no idea they were going to die, and horribly so… the survivors too, having to live with the horror as they did… I can guarantee few if any would have chosen to return to the sea, let alone the site of such a tragedy…

Studying the wreck, safely, and for research purposes is understandable to a point, but selling tickets for commercial gain… to individuals who (doubtless) were permitted to take selfies/vids with a mass grave site behind the viewport… with the majority there to do just that, and claim “I’ve seen it man…” is ghoulish and frankly disturbing…

Now the outcome is awful, it really is, but the need or desire to do this is lost on me… normal (ahem) people should not be allowed to see something like that, let it rest … in peace … commercial tourism… it just makes me feel really, really uncomfortable.

But I guess that’s the rich man’s world we inhabit… and it’s absolutely abhorrent.

I was going to post something along the lines of 'why don't they just drain the ocean?' the other day, but even I have my limits.

However....if you watch 'drain the oceans' you may well have seen the Titanic episode. High definition 3D images that allow scientists to piece together the entire sinking. There is no scientific reason for diving down and gawping at the wreckage. It is pure tourism and, I suspect voyeuristic - a chance to spot the remains of someone who perished.

So, from my lofty perch I'm afraid my reaction to the faulty sub is hopefully that will put an end to this tomfoolery.

 

[Kosh]

I was going to post something along the lines of 'why don't they just drain the ocean?' the other day, but even I have my limits.

However....if you watch 'drain the oceans' you may well have seen the Titanic episode. High definition 3D images that allow scientists to piece together the entire sinking. There is no scientific reason for diving down and gawping at the wreckage. It is pure tourism and, I suspect voyeuristic - a chance to spot the remains of someone who perished.

So, from my lofty perch I'm afraid my reaction to the faulty sub is hopefully that will put an end to this tomfoolery.

Brave words Harry - but ones I entirely agree with.

I’ve been thinking about that scene from Airplane this week, you’ll know the one I’m sure… as horrible as this has been, I live in hope the outcome will end this form of morbid (millionaire) tourism and now.

Space will (as we all know) be next… literally the final frontier for many a billionaire… I really dread to think.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

They would have known nothing about it, instant death apparently.

 

[Bozza]

Space will (as we all know) be next… literally the final frontier for many a billionaire… I really dread to think.

Isn't it the other way round?

Plenty of people have gone into space - it's relatively routine now - whilst diving to the deepest depths of the oceans is more difficult and has been performed by far fewer people.

 

[Kosh]

Isn't it the other way round?

Plenty of people have gone into space - it's relatively routine now - whilst diving to the deepest depths of the oceans is more difficult and has been performed by far fewer people.

Yes, until unregulated amateurs start building spaceships in their backyard and selling tickets to anyone with pockets deep enough to pay the going rate…

I don’t disagree btw, and yes deep sea exploration is (clearly) very risky - more risky than a quick jaunt into space (perhaps) … I just live in hope, that loopholes don’t emerge allowing overly enthusiastic ‘innovators’ (cranks) to start taking people up in ‘ships’ I’ll equipped to survive the flight.

 

[Algernon]

I understand why some consider this wrong but I have no problem with anyone visiting any grave. I know people who dive down to war wrecks in the Channel. Visiting and looking is OK. Taking pictures is OK but somewhat morbid if they're selfies.
Removing anything from a wreck site is wrong.
The repeat visits by Bob Ballard (I think that was his name) don't seem to have been a problem. Was he paid by sponsors to find the wreck of Titanic? I'm sure he would've made money.
Some (but not all) of the dislike is because it's only the very rich who can afford to drop $250,000 on something like this?

People visit Auschwitz regularly and I'm sure someone somewhere makes money from it. Yes it's sanctioned by a governing body but money is being made at various places along the line.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I was going to post something along the lines of 'why don't they just drain the ocean?' the other day, but even I have my limits.

However....if you watch 'drain the oceans' you may well have seen the Titanic episode. High definition 3D images that allow scientists to piece together the entire sinking. There is no scientific reason for diving down and gawping at the wreckage. It is pure tourism and, I suspect voyeuristic - a chance to spot the remains of someone who perished.

So, from my lofty perch I'm afraid my reaction to the faulty sub is hopefully that will put an end to this tomfoolery.

There are no remains down there. At those pressures and with various bacteria and algae the bodies and bones have long since gone.

 

[GT49er]

There are no remains down there. At those pressures and with various bacteria and algae the bodies and bones have long since gone.

Exactly. And is it any more 'voyeurism' than walking round and looking, say, at the war graves in Flanders?

Still a damn silly and needless way to die though.

 

[Triggaaar]

I believe it was the orcas.

Talking of orcas, I've just googled how deep whales can dive. Apparently one has been recorded diving to 3km! WTF? How on earth can their bodies take the pressure at that depth?

 

[drew]

Some (but not all) of the dislike is because it's only the very rich who can afford to drop $250,000 on something like this?

I'm not aware of anyone who has criticized this expedition because only the rich can afford it!

It seems there has been plenty of prior critique from experts about this sub and the owners have waived them away and threatened law suits. I'm guessing the only way they were allowed to use this uncertified sub was because it was in international waters however I suspect that Oceangate will now see themselves facing a lawsuit.

 

[Nottseagull]

Talking of orcas, I've just googled how deep whales can dive. Apparently one has been recorded diving to 3km! WTF? How on earth can their bodies take the pressure at that depth?

And the bizarre thing about that is the theory that beached whales die simply because their organs aren't supported by buoyancy (I think - would be glad to be corrected).
But how can they avoid the bends when resufacing from such depths? They must be holding their breath because they are mammals.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

And the bizarre thing about that is the theory that beached whales die simply because their organs aren't supported by buoyancy (I think - would be glad to be corrected).
But how can they avoid the bends when resufacing from such depths? They must be holding their breath because they are mammals.

The bends are primarily caused because humans are breathing pressurised air underwater. This adds nitrogen in the blood stream, when a diver ascends as the pressure changes that nitrogen reverts back to a gas, if the diver rises too quickly and before the body can expel the nitrogen you get the bends.

As mammals like whales and dolphins don’t breathe pressurised air they don’t have this issue.

 

[Bakero]

Talking of orcas, I've just googled how deep whales can dive. Apparently one has been recorded diving to 3km! WTF? How on earth can their bodies take the pressure at that depth?

Enjoy https://neal.fun/deep-sea/

 

[Algernon]

I'm not aware of anyone who has criticized this expedition because only the rich can afford it!

It seems there has been plenty of prior critique from experts about this sub and the owners have waived them away and threatened law suits. I'm guessing the only way they were allowed to use this uncertified sub was because it was in international waters however I suspect that Oceangate will now see themselves facing a lawsuit.

I think if you Googled this tragedy you'd find people who (to my cynical mind) appear to view it as a rich person's folly.
I wasn't specifically referring to on NSC or I'd have added the words "on here" between the words "dislike" and "is".

I also think Oceangate who probably thought they'd covered themselves are in for a bit of a shock.

 

[drew]

I think if you Googled this tragedy you'd find people who (to my cynical mind) appear to view it as a rich person's folly.
I wasn't specifically referring to on NSC or I'd have added the words "on here" between the words "dislike" and "is".

I also think Oceangate who probably thought they'd covered themselves are in for a bit of a shock.

I don't disagree that it has been referred to as a rich man's folly but the point I was making is that it wouldn't make a difference whether it was rich men or poor men (or women) to the interest in the story. It's the rather unique set of circumstances. The Thai football team stuck in a cave or the Chilean miners weren't rich people but they were out of the ordinary circumstances.