chris_gerrib: (Default)
Multiple sources are reporting that the missing sub Titan imploded at depth while on it's most recent dive to the wreck of the Titanic. The only good news about that (for certain values of good) is that an implosion at that depth killed the occupants literally before they knew what hit them. A few more thoughts.

1) Allegedly, the interior of the sub had shelves purchased "of the shelf" from a camping supply store. If, as I assume, these shelves existed solely for the convenience of the occupants, I don't see why that would be a problem.

2) The sub used a game controller to steer. Assuming they had a spare unit or two onboard, I also don't see why that would be a problem. Now, given that the sub was not certified by anybody, the general systems integration of the sub could be problematic.

3) Speaking of problematic, the (late) CEO of the company was quoted as saying he didn't want to hire ex-military personnel for his company, because he got "50-year-old white guys" who weren't inspirational enough.

This has been pointed to by The Usual Suspects as "go woke, go broke." (And dead, in this case.) I think this is wrong. The (late) CEO wanted people who were willing to accept the risks - in many cases, because they didn't understand the risks.
chris_gerrib: (Default)
I've written before about how every organization needs a Doctor No, which I define as somebody who says, "no, damn it, that isn't safe." I used the example of Titanic, where, to quote myself, "Thomas Andrews, designer of the Titanic, did not deliberately design the ship to sink or to deliberately skimp on lifeboats. Rather, Andrews made an optimistic assessment of the risk involved. This assessment proved wrong - fatally so for Andrews, as he went down with the ship."

Today comes news which, IF TRUE, makes that case in the most ironic way possible. Missing Titanic Sub Once Faced Massive Lawsuit Over Depths It Could Safely Travel To. Basically, David Lochridge, a submersible pilot, was (allegedly) fired over concerns about the sub's safety. I've since seen that the sub had a carbon-fiber hull. These hulls are very binary - they either are 100% or they fail catastrophically.

Again, nobody intended for the sub to not return to the surface. Rather, it appears that somebody made an optimistic assessment of the risks involved.

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