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'Boaty McBoatface' Polar Ship Named After Attenborough Despite Less Votes (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the whatever-floats-your-boat dept.

The UK's 200 Million Euro polar research ship won't be called Boaty McBoatface. Instead, the new ship will be called RRS (Royal Research Ship) Sir David Attenborough. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) had originally planned to name the new ship via an online poll. In all fairness, RRS Sir David Attenborough did pick up a few votes, though in terms of popularity nothing came close to Boaty McBoatface (it earned over 124,000 votes). "We want a name that lasts longer than a social-media news cycle and reflects the serious nature of the science it will be doing," said Jo Johnson, the U.K. Science minister. BBC reports: While the polar ship itself will not be named Boaty McBoatface, one of its remotely operated sub-sea vehicles will be named Boaty in recognition of the vote. James Hand, who first suggested the flippant moniker, said he was pleased the name would "live on."

37 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. fewer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    it's "fewer votes" not "less votes"

    the same way you say "greater than" not "greater then"

    punk kids

    1. Re:fewer by Leuf · · Score: 5, Funny

      I knew Brienne didn't really kill you.

    2. Re:fewer by Athanasius · · Score: 2

      Less has always been used in English with counting nouns. Indeed, the application of the distinction between less and fewer as a rule is a phenomenon originating in the 18th century.

      So, for over 200 years now then, I think that makes it current usage.

    3. Re:fewer by Tablizer · · Score: 2

      it's "fewer votes" not "less votes"

      Grammar McGramface!
       

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  2. Strange irony by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Boaty McBoatface is actually very representative of the "democratic" process in our societies: people vote, but ultimately their voice doesn't matter one jot, and the powers that be impose whatever the hell they want.

    The inevitable conclusion, in politics as in silly internet ship-naming polls, is: why vote at all then? The deciders don't really need our opinion, now, do they?

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:Strange irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And sometimes the "deciders" need to use some common sense, because the voters vote for things that are obviously inappropriate...

    2. Re:Strange irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You're right, it perfectly illustrates *representative* democracy, whereby the people elected as the representatives take into account the public will, and make the decision they think is best for society as a whole.

      It seems you're getting that confused with "direct democracy", where any old bunch of idiots can implement stupid decisions that in many cases may not be the best course of action.

    3. Re:Strange irony by myowntrueself · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Boaty McBoatface is actually very representative of the "democratic" process in our societies: people vote, but ultimately their voice doesn't matter one jot, and the powers that be impose whatever the hell they want.

      The inevitable conclusion, in politics as in silly internet ship-naming polls, is: why vote at all then? The deciders don't really need our opinion, now, do they?

      Actually I was thinking this is kind of like what happens when you ask a bunch of toddlers to vote on "What do you want for lunch?" The choice will almost always be 'candy' or 'cookies'.

      No, you don't ask toddlers open questions like this and give them free reign to choose whatever they want; you let them choose between a restricted set of alternatives.

      And this is what you get when you let the Internet community (a bunch of toddlers) invent the names to vote for. What they should have done was generate a list of potential names and let people (toddlers) vote for one of them.

      And, yes, the Internet 'community' may as well be a bunch of toddlers.

      --
      In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
    4. Re:Strange irony by Fragnet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In what way was the name inappropriate, except insofar as it concerns the utter humourless pomposity of bureaucrats and scientists?

    5. Re:Strange irony by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually I was thinking this is kind of like what happens when you ask a bunch of toddlers to vote on "What do you want for lunch?" The choice will almost always be 'candy' or 'cookies'. No, you don't ask toddlers open questions like this and give them free reign to choose whatever they want; [...]

      Considering our rulers do exactly the same in real life (ask the public to choose and then do something else altogether), do I deduce from your comment that they consider their constituents to be immature toddlers?

      You prove my point: don't you see how incredibly patronizing that is?

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    6. Re:Strange irony by DaHat · · Score: 2

      You continue mock, yet do not see how your mockery of his name didn't matter in the slightest.

      I can't stand the man myself, but I at least understood this.

      --
      Help Brendan pay off his student loans
    7. Re: Strange irony by omnichad · · Score: 2

      Votes in a real election are far more important and far better considered when cast.

      Then how do you explain Trump?

    8. Re:Strange irony by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In what way was the name inappropriate, except insofar as it concerns the utter humourless pomposity of bureaucrats and scientists?

      (1) I know quite a few scientists. While they may not have the same sense of humor as the average person, they often have a quite well-developed (if sometimes weird) sense of humor. Bureaucrats? That's a different story...

      (2) While I find this whole situation funny, I do think the name is a bit inappropriate for a long-term thing in a serious scientific research ship. Maybe they could have named it that for a day or a week or something, just to honor the silliness (and get some media attention), and then renamed it something more "serious" for the rest of its lifespan.

      But naming it "Boaty McBoatface" for the long term? Can you imagine a scientist who worked on that ship and putting that on your resume? I don't know what you do for a living, but supposing you're a programmer, imagine that some serious research project that you put years of your life into was given the official designation "Codey McCodeface," and when you tried to get other jobs or talk to people in other fields, you had to use that name to tell them what you had invested your work in. "What was your project?!? What, were you one of the idiots who worked on Clippy??"

      Would some people find it funny? Sure. But there are way too many people in the word who make a distinction between times for humor and times to "act like a grown-up." That's the reality of the world. How would you feel if you lost a job or were denied interviews because people who didn't know about your company's "Codey McCodeface" joke thought you weren't a serious candidate when you submitted your resume or mentioned it in an interview?

      And, sure -- if you're secure in your career at the moment, you might say, "Well, I wouldn't want to work for those humorless idiots anyway." That's all well and good until you really need a job. Or you're a scientist up for tenure or some significant prize, and someone who doesn't read the news sees you did research on "Boaty McBoatface."

      We have social and linguistic conventions in the world. It's generally frowned upon to show up to a funeral dressed in ripped jeans and a tee-shirt, unless that's something the family is cool with. It's generally frowned upon to swear repeatedly in front of a bunch of little kids who aren't your own.

      And it's generally appropriate to follow tradition in choosing names for major sea vessels from certain kinds of linguistic categories. That's just the way the world is... when you get your own ship, you can name it what you want.

    9. Re:Strange irony by jmcvetta · · Score: 2

      Elites don't believe in democracy. No surprise here.

    10. Re:Strange irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Here is where the analogy halts.

      Eating cookies and candy for dinner isn't good for you.
      There is no harm done by naming the boat Boaty McBoatface. It is not even offensive.
      In fact the name could even be more beneficial than the alternatives since it gives more publicity and might inspire younger people to be more interested in science.

      In this case we get a worse alternative because of people taking themselves too seriously to go for a better option.

    11. Re:Strange irony by nbauman · · Score: 2

      (2) While I find this whole situation funny, I do think the name is a bit inappropriate for a long-term thing in a serious scientific research ship. Maybe they could have named it that for a day or a week or something, just to honor the silliness (and get some media attention), and then renamed it something more "serious" for the rest of its lifespan.

      But naming it "Boaty McBoatface" for the long term? Can you imagine a scientist who worked on that ship and putting that on your resume? I don't know what you do for a living, but supposing you're a programmer, imagine that some serious research project that you put years of your life into was given the official designation "Codey McCodeface," and when you tried to get other jobs or talk to people in other fields, you had to use that name to tell them what you had invested your work in. "What was your project?!? What, were you one of the idiots who worked on Clippy??"

      You really think there is a problem with a scientist having silly names on his/her resume?

      http://bitesizebio.com/23221/1...

      14 of the Funniest Fruit Fly Gene Names
      By Shruti Iyer
      - 2nd March, 2015

      Fruit flies (Drosophila Melanogaster) are the favourite model organisms of most geneticists, since researchers consider Drosophila melanogaster as “the poster child for genetics” because of the ease at which they can be manipulated and the spped at which effects can be observed. These sticky insect are obviously very different to humans, but studying them is stil beneficial as they carry many genes which are orthologs to the genes in vertebrates.

      When I started research in Fruit Fly Genetics research I found it fascinating to learn about the mutant fruit fly names, which range from funny to slightly disturbing.
      Here is the list of some interesting mutant gene names and their functions.

      1. Indy gene (I‘m Not Dead Yet)

      The indy gene encodes for an intermediate transporter protein in the Krebs Cycle; flies with mutations in this gene have longer than average lifespan.1,2 There is some controversy surrounding this gene, with reports that mutation does not result in increased longevity.3

      2. Boss gene (Bride Of Sevenless)

      Boss gene encodes a cell-surface receptor tyrosine kinase and this gene helps in photoreceptor cell (R-cell) development in the Drosophila compound eye. The flies carrying mutation in Boss gene fails to differentiate into a specific photoreceptor cell type called R7 cell.4 Bride of Sevenless gets its name from being the ligand which is binds to Sevenless,5,6 and is thus married to it.

      3. Ken and Barbie

      This gene encodes a putative transcription factor that functions in treminalia development in the fruit fly. Mutation in this gene leads to malformation in fruit fly’s genitalia development, meaning they lack external genitalia, just like our faithful Ken and Barbie dolls.7

      4. Cheap Date

      Flies with a mutation in this gene are very susceptible to alcohol.8 Interestingly, this gene is alternatively known as Amnesiac, since mutations in this gene also causes memory impairment.9

      5. Lush

      Flies with mutant LUSH gene are unusually attracted ethanol, propanol and butanol but have normal chemosensory responses to other odorants.10

      6. Halloween Genes

      This group of genes includes disembodied, spook, spookier, shadow, shade, shroud and phantom and all encode P450 enzymes which are involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones.11 Flies with mutations in Halloween Genes have altered exoskeleton development, giving the embryos a spooky appearance.

      7. 18 Wheeler

      This gene encodes a Toll-like receptor (TLR) and mutations in this gene result in defect in salivary gland invagination.12 This gene gets its name due to the segmented expression pattern which is thought to resemble a tarpaulin covering an 18-wheeler truck.

      8. Tinman

    12. Re: Strange irony by Frank+Burly · · Score: 3, Informative
      She got a law degree from Yale, which a lot of people find impressive.

      She helped build civil rights cases in the South, which a lot of people find admirable.

      She was actually re-elected to the Senate—so elected twice.

      If the her appointment as SoS was to placate her, then presumably she built enough genuine support to need placating (nobody is placating Cruz or Kaisch, after all).

      Very few people at that level can claim to have done it on their own. Trump is the son of a millionaire real estate developer (who's ROI is less than an index fund would have produced); Romney is the son of a millionaire industrialist and governor; McCain's father was an admiral and his wife is a beer heiress; George W is the son of a President and his father is the son of a wealthy banker and senator.

      I hope you didn't accidentally vote for any of these people!

    13. Re:Strange irony by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      It wasn't an election, it was a tabulated public survey designed to give the selection committee better feedback to instruct the process.

      That more people voted to troll them than to give serious feedback in no way interfered with the intended process. They simply ignored the trolls, and selected the most popular name that was consistent with the other elements of the selection process, such as honoring somebody British.

      Similarly, in a real election if you write in the name of a cartoon character, the cartoon isn't actually eligible.

      This doesn't tell you anything about democratic processes; your complaints about them are universal; you can say that no matter what happens in an election. (and a few people do)

    14. Re:Strange irony by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      Even in google,
      David Attenborough: About 3,090,000 results
      Boaty McBoatface: About 761,000 results

      Nobody is going to actually know anything about the ship except the people who work on it. That's the reality of working on a science ship. The whole point was to decide who or what to honor. There is no TV or movie deal to hype.

  3. Re:Boaty McBoatface would have been something ... by Qzukk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm pretty sure he'd have voted for "RRS It's Bloody Cold Here". It certainly seems like a name a Ship would choose.

    --
    If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
  4. Up front about it by SeattleLawGuy · · Score: 5, Informative

    They were up front about the fact that a name would have to be approved before it was applied to the ship.

    Boaty MacBoatface was obviously never going to be approved. Whatever snowball's chance in hell it might have had despite its deep irreverence toward Her Majesty's navy was eliminated by the fact that it's calling a ship a boat.

    You don't call a ship a boat. A boat is little. A ship is big. See, e.g., http://www.marineinsight.com/t...

    --
    Real lawyers write in C++
    1. Re:Up front about it by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 4, Funny

      They were up front about the fact that a name would have to be approved before it was applied to the ship.

      Boaty MacBoatface was obviously never going to be approved. Whatever snowball's chance in hell it might have had despite its deep irreverence toward Her Majesty's navy was eliminated by the fact that it's calling a ship a boat.

      You don't call a ship a boat. A boat is little. A ship is big. See, e.g., http://www.marineinsight.com/t...

      Actually, it's just easier to call them all targets; and leave the boat moniker where it belongs, to submarines.

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    2. Re:Up front about it by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 2

      So it should have been called Shippy McShipface?

      --
      That is all.
    3. Re:Up front about it by ItsJustAPseudonym · · Score: 2

      Subby McSubface

  5. I'd have paid by s.petry · · Score: 2

    To take a ride on, or donate money too, Boaty McBoatface. Now that it's named like all the other boats, like all the other boats I lost interest.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  6. Hindsight by asz1596 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "We want a name that lasts longer than a social-media news cycle" – I suggest you shouldn't have put it up for an online poll, then.

  7. Too late by spiritplumber · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Every time any newsworthy science is generated about this vessel, the Boaty McBoatface story will be referenced.

    --
    Liberty - Security - Laziness - Pick any two.
  8. David will now be known as Boaty McBoatface. by dsmatthews9379 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because having two Sir David Attenboroughs would be confusing.

  9. Maybe officially... by vanyel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...but you *know* everyone is going to call it "Boaty", regardless of what the Powers That Be want...

  10. As far as I'm concerned by NotSoHeavyD3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Pluto's still a planet and this ship is Boaty Mcboatface.

    --
    Did you know 80 to 90% of the moderators on slashdot wouldn't recognize a troll even if one dragged them under a bridge.
  11. Re:False Advertising by HuskyDog · · Score: 2

    As I understand it, it was always perfectly clear that the vote was not binding and merely a mechanism to collect suggestions. David Attenborough did get a substantial number of votes and those who voted for that name were probably rather more interested in suitably naming a polar research vessel than just having a laugh.

    Having said that, allowing a completely open vote online rather than allowing people to choose from a short list was clearly a daft idea and asking for trouble. They were lucky that the most popular name was at least repeatable in polite company.

  12. Make Boaty a Scientist by crow · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The solution here is to make Boaty McBoatface a real scientist. Anytime anyone publishes a scientific paper, they should add him as a coauthor.

  13. Poohbahs and PHBs didn't know a good thing... by dpbsmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...when they saw it. Under the name "RRS Sir David Attenborough" it will drop out of the public eye, do some good work, and be forgotten in thirty years. Under the name "RRS Boaty McBoatface" it would have been the subject of children's books, stuffed toys, animated cartoons, been remembered for a century, and inspired a generation of kids to become polar researchers.

    While not intentionally funny, the HMS Beagle and the DSV Alvin don't have the most dignified names in the world, and the scientific work they did is none the worse for it.

    --

    "How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

  14. Punctuation by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 5, Insightful

    it's "fewer votes" not "less votes"
    the same way you say "greater than" not "greater then"

    It's also customary to start sentences with capital letters and end them with a full stop. When it comes to your own posts it seems that you grasp the idea that an internet post does not have to contain precisely correct English (mine certainly don't). So it is rather strange that you won't let similar lapses in other people's posts pass without criticism.

    1. Re:Punctuation by oxbow+lake · · Score: 2

      I'm not sure I'd hold the AC posting in the comments to the same standard as the Slashdot editor posting on the front page.

  15. Shippy McShipface by Caesar+Tjalbo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Shippy McShipface would have been more appropriate.

    --
    "I'm not much interested in interoperability. I want substitutability. I want to be able to throw your software out."
  16. What's the big deal? by Rambo+Tribble · · Score: 2

    We have the same sort of thing here in the U.S., it's called the Electoral College.