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James Cameron and Eric Schmidt's SOI Grieve Loss of Nereus ROV
theodp (442580) writes "Wealthy guys love extreme submarines, observed Billionaire in 2012. And the Washington Post reported that deep sea exploration is getting to be a rich man's game in 2013. The NY Times also covered the privatization of American science earlier this year. So, it's not too surprising to see the [Google Chair Eric] Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) post filmmaker James Cameron's eulogy-of-sorts for the loss of the Nereus ROV, the hybrid remotely operated vehicle that's believed to have imploded under 16,000 PSI of pressure at a depth of 9,990 meters as it explored the Kermadec Trench. 'I feel like I've lost a friend,' wrote Cameron. 'I always dreamed of making a joint dive with Nereus and [Cameron's] Deepsea Challenger at hadal depth.' Also feeling Cameron's pain is SOI, which used the Nereus to explore the Mid-Cayman Rise in 2013 and had plans to use the $6 million HROV again to explore the Mariana Trench in two missions later this year. SOI is currently working with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to build the world's most advanced deep-diving robotic vehicle for use on SOI's ship R/V Falkor, which Wendy Schmidt indicated provides ship time that enables researchers to tap into available funding."
Why does this posting reek of a PR person's assignment? Has /. sunk that low?
Then the initials would have been "S.O.L."
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Underwater robotics is all about advancing the state of the art. A machine that lived six years was reaching obsolescence. I'm sure that the boys in the back room will have fun building its successor. (I have helped to build a few underwater robots for competitions, and it's always a joy to start work on the next one.)
The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
“For better or worse,” said Steven A. Edwards, a policy analyst at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, “the practice of science in the 21st century is becoming shaped less by national priorities or by peer-review groups and more by the particular preferences of individuals with huge amounts of money.”
Coz, like, science has never relied on rich benefactors before. Hint: Before government-funded science it was rich benefactors that provided residence, food and money for artisans and scientists.
6 million to a billionaire is like me losing a $50 Toy RC Helicopter. Only I don't whine about it as much, or milk it for all the PR I can get.
Sure, for developers it's fun and exciting to build a new vessel with the latest and greatest technology. For a scientist, it's great to have access to a vessel at all. Maybe it won't have stuff developed in the last 8 years or so, but even being able to up to 8km down safely and having a plethora of sensors and fishing equipment available is more than most deep see researchers will get access to in the next five years, probably more. Obsolescence? Not by far, people would be queueing up to use it for the next decade at least.
I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
Allow me to refer you to this infographic.
"Mike Cameron, brother to James, is a super-smart aerospace engineer. He came up with a way to film at 12,600 feet underwater, and JPL wants to use the technology to explore one of the moons of Jupiter."
Oh great, haven't they read the memo about attempting no landings there? Now those aliens are going to get all monolith on our asses.
Underwater robotics is all about advancing the state of the art.
That may be true but the primary aim here is marine research, better robotics is a secondary consideration and besides we already know a 10 km high water column can turn a sub into a cigarette box in the blink of an eye, and it only takes a microscopic imperfection in the hull to trigger such an event.
When we are talking about very expensive research tools "Obsolete" does not mean useless, we are talking about a sub that can (almost) reach 10km down. I can only think of two other subs that have reached that depth and resurfaced in one piece on their maiden voyage. For example, the Woods hole institute has another sub called Alvin that can reach 4.5 km and has been in use since 1965, to date it has transported over 8000 researchers into the abyss, it has told us more about "what's down there" than all the others combined. If anyone wants to know what it found and what it's like diving to that extreme depth, there's an interesting book written by Alvin's only female pilot, well worth a read. I highly recommend all slashdotter's buy a copy for their (12 and up) grand_daughter(s), daughter(s), niece(s), ect.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Isn't $6 million small change for Schmidt and Cameron? couldn't they just check out the loose change down the back of the armchair/ in their car's ashtray and pay for a new (and better one)? I am sure several US universities would be more than happy to have one of these folks offer to buy a new submarine for them on the agreement that said donor gets a certain amount of access to it.
Surely this is small change for these folks (and they are canny enough to work out how to make money out of the donation, e.g. by making a film about it).
Only a lunatic would risk violating the Benthic Treaty. Giving Blue Hades a casus belli would be a really, REALLY bad idea.