British scientists expected heroic or inspirational names when they asked the public to vote on the name of their planned $290 million polar research ship.
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That’s right, a $300 million ship is about to be named Boaty McBoatface.
The council is learning the hard way that when you ask the internet for something serious, most likely you will get something snarky in return.
Other suggestions include the RRS David Attenborough, the RRS Its Bloody Cold Here and the RRS Usain Boat.
For all its publicity, NERC said it will select the final name. The ship will be deployed in both the Arctic and Antarctic and will spend up to 60 days at sea at a time.
So the National Environment Research Council thought it would be a good idea to give the public the power to name the vessel.
“I’ve apologized profusely to the people behind the website”, Hand is quoted as saying. Since you’re not constantly caught up with research or studying the latest scientific advancements, you’ve actually had the time to read a few comments on various online articles or YouTube videos.
“We’ve had thousands of suggestions made on the website since we officially launched”, NERC’s Alison Robinson said.
The nomination RRS Henry Worsley, after the explorer who died trying to make the first unassisted solo crossing of the Antarctic in January, was the second most popular with more than 2,400 votes.
“We are pleased that people are embracing the idea in a spirit of fun”.
“In the midst of recent news coverage, NERC released an enthusiastic statement regarding Boaty McB’s innovations: “[Ton-for-ton], the ship-together with NERC’s existing two blue water research ships-will provide the United Kingdom with the most advanced floating research fleet in the world and will help put the United Kingdom at the forefront of ocean research for years to come”. Was he expecting RRS Boaty McBoatface (I can’t stop laughing) – we think not.
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The Debrief: But isn’t this the best name for a boat ever? The contender even has a twitter account, encouraging people to vote for it. The hashtag #BoatyMcBoatface is also trending.
