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NPR writes about the NERC naming poll for their $300million polar research vessel:
Britain's Natural Environment Research Council asked the public to help think of possible monikers for the new world-class ship, urging them to look for "an inspirational name" that exemplifies the vessel's mission, a historical figure, movement, landmark or a famous polar explorer or scientist.
"The polar research ship represents a leap forward in securing Britain's place as a world leader in marine and climate change science — and illustrates this government's commitment to invest in research facilities on a record scale," Jo Johnson, minister of universities and science, said in the initial press release. "Can you imagine one of the world's biggest research labs travelling to the Antarctic with your suggested name proudly emblazoned on the side?"
A name like, you know, Boaty McBoatface.
Since the NERC announced the poll, the Internet (as it is wont to do) hijacked it and went full-steam ahead with Boaty McBoatface. While the poll's Web page is experiencing "technical issues" due to what the NERC said was "overwhelming interest," Boaty McBoatface had amassed 27,000 votes as of Monday morning, while the second place pick had racked up around 3,000, according to the BBC.
Other perhaps less-than-inspirational names suggested include Ice Ice Baby, Usain Boat and It's Bloody Cold Here.
Alison Robinson, NERC's director of corporate affairs, said in a statement that the council is "pleased that people are embracing the [naming] idea in a spirit of fun," but noted that the NERC will have the final say over the boat's name.
Good faith would be naming a lifeboat, or a submersible using the results.
(Score: 2) by VanderDecken on Wednesday March 23 2016, @05:16AM
... was "notthetitanic".
The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.
(Score: 2) by yarp on Wednesday March 23 2016, @08:24AM
There are some great submissions, some of which put me in mind of Culture ship names [wikipedia.org] :)
(Score: 2) by theluggage on Wednesday March 23 2016, @11:38AM
Absolutely. If the late lamented Iain Banks were still with us, a planet-sized GSV, with the power to vaporise a solar system, called "Shippy McShipface" or "Its Bloody Cold Here" or "Comet? What Comet?" would have fit right in. NERC should give it a silly name, launch it with a bottle of decent single malt* and dedicate it to Banks.
(* preferably having first surreptitiously consumed the original contents and replaced it with Aldi Scottish-style distilled beverage)
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday March 24 2016, @12:39AM
I too thought that many of the names had a banksian charm to them, I'd be delighted to see the ship named 'it's bloody cold here'.
Can't resist a small but pick though - I'm pretty sure that most gsvs were in the tens of kilometre range, with some of the eccentrics going up into the hundreds. I don't think the culture had any planet sized ships. Feel free to correct me though, this is off the top of my head.