Discussion > Name the new UK Polar Ice Breaker
Can't do Emojis, but a graphic of NOAA, building an Ark, in Central Park, Manhattan, waiting for Hansen's biblical flood?
golf charlie
So now we know that the ship has been named after David Attenborough. This struck me as curious and revealing.
If the BBC (or anybody) built a new TV studio and named it after Sir David Attenborough then, well, that seems appropriate. Especially if it specialised in documentaries.
They seriously ought to do that, actually. Good public service broadcasting
But this is not a media project (officially). It's a research vessel.
It's like a football club naming their new stand after the guy who commentated on their big match. Not after the manager who led them to the FA Cup final or their star striker who scored the goals on that run...
But after John Motson instead.
If they did that you could be pretty sure of one thing. - They didn't win the final.
This says a lot about the achievements of the British Antarctic Survey.
All the Gear but no Idea.
M Courtney
M Courtney
Yes Franklin or one of his ships would have been more suitable, even Vivian Fuchs but I suspect that had to choose someone the entire British public knows and loves, or nearly everyone loves. It's the age of celebrity and this is just another example, having asked the public to vote then having rejected the vote that had to make a popular choice.
SandyS
Given that the ship will not be ready to sail until 2019, what are the odds of the eponymous Sir David being able to wish it bon voyage? He's 90 tomorrow, and according to the ONS, remaining life expectancy for a 90 year old male living in England is 4.05 years. By interpolation, the odds of still being alive become 50/50 after 3 years and 4 months.
It doesn't add up...
Didn't William M Connolley work for British Antarctic Survey? Did I read that on Wikipedia?
Can Wikipedia be trusted, if William M Connolley's name appears? Or climate science? Or Real Climate?
golf charlie
golf charlie
In this case probably true in order to give him Climate Change Kudos, however it's doubtful if he ever left an office in Cambridge.
SandyS
@Sandy surely he left his desk often to FLY to glamorous location Climate Conferences in order to rack up his Frequent Hyprocrite Miles
#GreensGoByAir
stewgreen
I noticed that there are already two ships in the fleet, the RRS James Clark Ross is primarily an oceanographic research ship, whilst RRS Ernest Shackleton is primarily a logistics ship used for the resupply of scientific stations (Wikipedia). Previous vessels named John Biscoe, Bransfield and of course HMS Endurance. So Boaty McBoatface aka the Sir David Attenborough is a bit out of step with their naming tradition.
SandyS
SandyS, a taxpayer funded vessel named the 'WC', would be appropriate, for climate science money, and how it is flushed away.
golf charlie
golf Charlie, I suppose RR CRAPPER, would not be really appropriate, he being an American. Otherwise what an evocative name, conjuring up, as it would have done, so many connections (including your own).
Alan Kendall
Alan Kendall, I thought Radical Rodent normally types a lot of sense, and would not wish to be associated with a derogatory name for a ship.
golf charlie
@M Courtney If I am allowed to think about negatives, I can
and I think your comments hints at something
- A cosy relationhip between the BBC and another body
..which is surely at odds with the BBC's duty to be INDEPENDENT and able to scrutinize.
It's not the biggest deal, and I have little against the bloke himself or think that the scientists on the ship are necessarily dishonest, but we know how things can end up working out.
It's a poppy decision, as a rule I think things paid for out of public funds should not be named after living people. You see in other countries political families abuse that, the younger ones get free advertising cos their family name is on lots of buildings etc.
Another reason is when people are long dead no negative things crop out of the woodwork ..Things named after Jimmy Saville have already had their names changed
It's also unfair to not give other names a chance I think a few things have already been named after him
Like 9 different species 11 on Wikipedia
stewgreen
GC: I do have respect for David Attenborough, and would not refer to his name as derogatory (…I know, I know – I just couldn’t resist reading it wrong). When it all boils down, he is a TV presenter; he is doing a job that most people would be happy with as a hobby, and he gets well-paid for it. That he has now started to use his position to thrust his own (his? Or what the BBC insists? Who knows?) ideological opinions at us is what soils his name for me, I’m afraid; he should have stuck to presenting, with that boyish enthusiasm that made him (and many others, such as David Bellamy, Johnny Ball and Steve Irwin) so popular and effective, and left political grandstanding to politicians.
I agree with SandyS, and think that those who wanted the public to select the name but cannot stand the most popular choice should have selected the name of a renowned personage who is no longer with us – Colin Archer seems to fit that bill particularly well; of British descent, born and raised in Norway, where he did so much for the design of shipping, especially for those navigating in ice.
Radical Rodent
Gwen. I refute your censure.
I was wrong, in that Thomas Crapper was a Yorkshireman, not an American. Nor did he invent the flushing toilet, but did invent the ballcock. I believe this esteemed inventor, who did so much for mankind, might well deserve recognition in the form of a ship's name. Unfortunately I have failed to find any links with polar regions. Which I admit is a big impediment.
I'm sure, however, that a shortened version of his name will be universally employed on-board when certain aspects of climate science are evaluated.
Alan Kendall
Alan Kendall, it is lucky that Thomas Crapper did not create a chain of burger bars. Going Large with a BigCrap and Fries might not have become as popular.
The invention of the flush toilet does cause confusion, and there is no definitive answer. The question remains, who was the intended beneficiary? The person who used the toilet, or the person who had to clean it, or use it next?
Radical Rodent, agreed. A brilliant man, being encouraged to tarnish his own legacy. Makes me sad.
golf charlie
So they couldn't even go along with the suggestion I made to name a boat on board "boaty mcboatface", just christening one "boaty". Do the BAS have absolutely no sense of humour? I note, with some joy, that BBC's Look East, refers to it as Boaty McBoatface".
ACK
ACK, as a demonstration of respect, faith and goodwill, it is only fair that the real Sir David Attenborough, should now be known as Sir BoatyMacBoatFace, though this may present a challenge to those dubbing or subtitling his brilliant BBC TV series for the export market.
golf charlie
Announcing a brand new competition.
Exercise your creative talents and create new emojis suitable for communications about climate change.
The leading contender at this stage is a half drowned emoji suitable for sea level fantasy messages. Mann, Schmidt and Hansen have been banned, they submitted likenesses of themselves and are accused of plagiarism.
Emojis of Boaty McBoatface will not be considered.
The grand prize is a vellum bound copy of the latest IPCC report, personaly signed by all the Nobel prizewinners. Mann's signature alone is worth your effort. Shouldn't take you more than five minutes.