That's in dry dock with the HMS Macaroni

Here's my take on it.

Presumably the idea behind inviting the public to participate in naming was in part a way to make the public more involved or even invested in the ship, its projects, and science in general, rather than a paucity of imagination when it came to thinking up ship names.

Within a few hours the name Boaty McBoatface outstrips the leading contender ultimately winning by a factor of 11.
This tells me that anytime a ship named Boaty McBoatface does anything the press are going to report on it because, d'uh, Boaty McBoatface. People are going to stay interested and invested in B McB, in a way they never would even for Sir David Attenborough; Who the fuck is he? vs. Boaty McBoatface-hahahah that's hilarious, I want to have, like, a hundred of his dinghies.

You would have people tuning into science, the environment, and everything. Now you've got, "Fuck it, I'm going to go back to playing the first person shooter version of Tetris." ( <-- BTW totally my idea)

So, the irony of this is that now, all man made environmental disasters can be directly attributed to the wankers who voted down B McB. They've sown the seeds of ambivalence in the general public with their broken promises and hollow assurances. Why should we care what your stupid ship is doing? You never really cared what we thought anyway.

Asshats. The only way the press will ever cover anything that ship does is if it sinks.

There is nobody in Britain who does not know who Sir David Attenborough is.

I can sort of see that it could be a problem when reporting on a serious issue. I mean - imagine if it sank? Poe-faced news reporters having to report the tragic deaths of people on board Boaty McBoatface. There is also the danger that, whilst drawing public attention, it may not draw it the right way - as in, nobody would be listening to the sciencey part of the report - they'd just be chuckling at Boaty McBoatface.

I still think they should have gone with it.

I meant Who is DA in the sense that if you didn't know who he was, it's just a name and carried no meaning for those people. But everyone will engage with Boaty McBoatface. As for chuckling at him and not digging the science, I think even if people aren't going to go hook, line, and sinker for it, at least it will start showing up on their radar. And as the Jesuits have observed it is far easier to teach indirectly than directly.

And your example of "What if it sank?" seems a bit like the appeal to emotion fallacy. Basing a decision on the possibility of a negative outcome, would halt the decision making.

It would help to make science more fun and accessible, rather than formal and imposing with Attenborough's voice in the backs of our heads intoning how whatever-the-thing is the most, the largest, the oldest, the deadliest, the [insert superlative here] on the planet.

Just count me as disappointed we won't have a Thomas the Tank Engine polar ambassador. :sniff::sniff:

"Tragic news today, The crew of Boaty McBoatface all dies of hypothermia after getting shipfaced and deciding to have a nude snowshoe race in minus 50 degree weather. Their bodies were frozen mid-stride and the tragedy was only discovered by members of the Polar Google Earth subreddit after scrutinizing the latest images from Google..."

Agreed, anytime Boaty would be mentioned people would say, hey that's my ship, Ill listen to what it's up to with interest.

Sign the petition to have Sir David Attenborough change his name to Boaty McBoatface.

hahahahahaha. Excellent

He played John Hammond in Jurassic Park, right? ;):p:

yeah that's the fellah :P

It's his brother...so, Boaty McBROface

hahahaha

talking of Sir David ....




Fucking 90 years old, man. 90!

Here we go again...

Oldham council has asked the public to name their new Mitsubishi Fuso gritter.
So far among the suggestions Spready Mercury, Gritney Spears, Usain Salt, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Grita Garbo, and Grit Expectations.

No Regrits

True Gritter

Jowls