The "Titanic", Blame The Physics

There is a lot of comment and discussion about the sinking of the “Titanic” in 1912.  Along with this is occasional reference to her sister ship the “Olympic”.

For those of us with a taste for “omens” that we should be marking the “Titanic” anniversary with an Olympic Games being held in London could be thumbing our noses at the ancient gods.

But if the pessimists of the blogosphere are to be believed there are more than enough disasters impending not to need any omens.  Humanity is all too capable of visiting disasters on itself without divine help.

This article appeared in Science Daily, link below, the web summary science site from which many of our MSM science stories seem to be drawn. 

Unluckily, the interns, temporaries and work experience people who do the devilling often do not quite understand what the scientists are saying.

Basically, the article linked below suggests that one key problem is good old British workmanship allied with management cost cutting leading to severe stress on impact in parts of the ship’s hull.  Physics did the rest.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120401194413.htm

The article concludes:

"No one thing sent the Titanic to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Rather, the ship was ensnared by a perfect storm of circumstances that conspired her to doom," writes Corfield.

Grandad, a decorator, who did some work on the “Olympic”, claimed that the “Titanic” was commanded by incompetent officers.  At least that’s what his father in law, an engine room man, told him.

But neither of them was taught any Science at school.