Scientists Warn that Visitors are Loving Titanic to Death

NYT ^ | August 9, 2003 | William Broad

[lainie]

Yeah I don't know either. I'm no Titanic head. Just saw this whiny piece from the NYT and figured it deserved some derision.

[camle]

whatever their agenda includes it does not allow anyone else the opportunities to see, to touch, to really appreciate what these elites can. they will always be inthe superior positioe while normal people will continue to be locked out of the process - except when the time comes to pay for this...

[Heatseeker]

Different people get interested in different things. It's just a case of 'whatever floats your boat'.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Sloth]

During a 1996 dive and expedition, he discovered that its rivers of rust were populated by microbes and estimated that each day they removed 200 pounds of iron from the ship's bow. Two years later, after Dr. Cullimore dived to the wreck again, he found that the biological activity had intensified, and estimated that the microbes were removing 600 pounds of iron a day.

How dare these filthy preservationists, wanting to starve hungry microbes!

[Cogadh na Sith]

Yeah, who could possibly give a flying copulation at a rolling donut...

It's a SHIPWRECK! It is already wrecked. How do you wreck a wreck?! That's what it does--it sinks and the sea claims it.

I guess if they get really upset about it, they could build another big crappy ship and run it into an iceberg with a band playing--heck, even I would watch that.

[onedoug]

"Where's Sven?"

[Old Professer]

In order for steel to rust three conditions must be met: one, the steel nust be raw; two, there must be water present (salt water works best); three, there must be free oxygen molecules present.

Perhaps all the diving activity is adding free-air to the surrounding area.

[ko_kyi]

Professor, wouldn't the high pressures mean the O2 present wouldn't have to be that concentrated?

[Chewbacca]

The sun got hotter warming the oceans.
The increase in ocean temperature has increased the rate of oxidation of the iron that was supressed by the cold temperatures.

It's science and not caused by humans visiting the shipwreck.