This Op-Ed just published today in the NYT expands on the theme of innovation vs safety and discusses the history of public-private partnerships developing the first viable submersibles in the 1960s
Jun 26, 2023·edited Jun 26, 2023Liked by Eric Fish, DVM, PhD
I enjoyed your article. One of the most ironic parallels I can think of is the sinking of the Titanic itself. Now, I’m not an engineer, but my understanding is that walls separating individual bulkheads of the “watertight” Titanic only extended a few feet above the water line, so that if the ship pitched forward, the water flowed freely from one compartment to the next. There’s also the obvious shortage of life boats and materials that did not perform well on a cold night at high speed, akin to the various shortcuts taken with this sub.
It is indeed very similar to the Titanic, darkly ironic and meta that two very similarly named ships both were destroyed due to design flaws and arrogant captains who did not heed warnings and now they lay side by side at the ocean floor.
Even weirder, Stockton Rush is distantly related to a 19th century sea captain who ALSO killed 6 people including government officials:
"OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush kept reminding me of an obscure historical figure, Captain Richard F. Stockton, who in 1844 was responsible for a similar maritime disaster that killed 6, including U.S. Secretary of State Abel Upshur. I looked into their family tree, and they're actually related."
Thank you Michael, I agree it was an avoidable tragedy. There were so many Stockton Rush anecdotes and quotes I could have included, but it felt like it could get excessive. In a number of recent stories, he essentially harbored resentment at being unable to fulfill dreams of being an astronaut or fighter pilot due to poor eyesight, so he went all in on deepsea exploration as his substitute. He originally got into it building DIY vessels from available blueprints that wouldn't go much deeper than technical and commercial divers. His early successes (or more accurately, lack of failures, or luck) must have emboldened him and turned his hubris up to an 11.
On the one hand, the fact that he put his money where his mouth is and piloted the vehicle himself is somewhat commendable, and suggests that *unlike* Holmes or Elon he was not just a conman but a true believer in his own BS. On the other hand, he surely must have known most failures that deep would end in a quick death and he would not have to deal with the aftermath of angry families, lawsuits, and destroyed lives.
"A true believer in is own BS". One of my favorite quotes from a veterinarian is "If you go out into a solo practice, be careful you don't start believing your own BS" - Steve Withrow. We all would do well to remember that, in all fields, we need to stay connected to colleagues that challenge our ideas and dogma. Excellent article Eric.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/opinion/titanic-titan-oceangate-innovation.html
This Op-Ed just published today in the NYT expands on the theme of innovation vs safety and discusses the history of public-private partnerships developing the first viable submersibles in the 1960s
I enjoyed your article. One of the most ironic parallels I can think of is the sinking of the Titanic itself. Now, I’m not an engineer, but my understanding is that walls separating individual bulkheads of the “watertight” Titanic only extended a few feet above the water line, so that if the ship pitched forward, the water flowed freely from one compartment to the next. There’s also the obvious shortage of life boats and materials that did not perform well on a cold night at high speed, akin to the various shortcuts taken with this sub.
It is indeed very similar to the Titanic, darkly ironic and meta that two very similarly named ships both were destroyed due to design flaws and arrogant captains who did not heed warnings and now they lay side by side at the ocean floor.
The parallels don't end there. Stockton Rush's wife is the great-great-granddaughter of a couple who perished ON THE TITANIC (https://www.today.com/news/news/wendy-rush-wife-oceangate-ceo-ancestry-titanic-rcna90708)
Even weirder, Stockton Rush is distantly related to a 19th century sea captain who ALSO killed 6 people including government officials:
"OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush kept reminding me of an obscure historical figure, Captain Richard F. Stockton, who in 1844 was responsible for a similar maritime disaster that killed 6, including U.S. Secretary of State Abel Upshur. I looked into their family tree, and they're actually related."
https://www.reddit.com/r/Genealogy/comments/14h9x7r/oceangate_ceo_stockton_rush_kept_reminding_me_of/
The Reddit post above is a true deep dive and worth reading if you're interested.
I do not believe in the supernatural, but there are certainly some creepy coincidences in this family!
Great reporting! This is the best article I've read on this sad affair. Hubris indeed. Recklessness. Tragedy.
Thank you Michael, I agree it was an avoidable tragedy. There were so many Stockton Rush anecdotes and quotes I could have included, but it felt like it could get excessive. In a number of recent stories, he essentially harbored resentment at being unable to fulfill dreams of being an astronaut or fighter pilot due to poor eyesight, so he went all in on deepsea exploration as his substitute. He originally got into it building DIY vessels from available blueprints that wouldn't go much deeper than technical and commercial divers. His early successes (or more accurately, lack of failures, or luck) must have emboldened him and turned his hubris up to an 11.
On the one hand, the fact that he put his money where his mouth is and piloted the vehicle himself is somewhat commendable, and suggests that *unlike* Holmes or Elon he was not just a conman but a true believer in his own BS. On the other hand, he surely must have known most failures that deep would end in a quick death and he would not have to deal with the aftermath of angry families, lawsuits, and destroyed lives.
"A true believer in is own BS". One of my favorite quotes from a veterinarian is "If you go out into a solo practice, be careful you don't start believing your own BS" - Steve Withrow. We all would do well to remember that, in all fields, we need to stay connected to colleagues that challenge our ideas and dogma. Excellent article Eric.
Thanks, Sharon! That is a great quote indeed! :D
In the end who can say what was in his mind...? The human heart is deeper than the deepest ocean.
Eric you are a polymath !