Mystery Solved: The Sinking of Titanic
By leighz
@leighz (456)
April 15, 2012 4:08am CST
April 14, 2012 marked the 100th year anniversary of Titanic's sinking. There has been a breakthrough in the investigation as to why Titanic sank. For years, experts were baffled why officers of the ship were not able to see the iceberg ahead of time.
After a thorough forensic investigation and countless survey of the area. Experts have concluded that a phenomenon called Mirage is the reason why they didn't see the iceberg right away. The change of atmospheric air has an effect on how an object gets to be completely unseen at a distance.
Check out this video for a better explanation of a mirage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x52290in9w
Others say this is just an excuse to officers negligence of duty, what are your thoughts on this?
2 people like this
5 responses
@akp100 (13640)
• India
15 Apr 12
HI
I just show that episode on the national geography channel yesterday night till 2AM.. And I must say that's a very good explanation about the matter that, why those people don't able to see that ice and why other ship ignore the Titanic too.. And yes surely it could have happen. They show the proper proof to for this thing. I don't used to see such program usually but I found it too interesting yesterday night so I couldn't stop my self. 
@leighz (456)
•
15 Apr 12
Glad to hear you got hooked watching that episode too. There's another one to be shown on The History channel tonight. Their own take on Titanic's sinking, but I'm guessing there's not much new insights since National Geographic already covered it. I was also immersed watching it, its amazing to see the full details of their presentation, especially the computer simulation.
@leighz (456)
•
15 Apr 12
One interesting part of it, was when they've shown video testimonials of survivors who contests the experts belief that titanic sank in one piece. Survivors claim that it was indeed cut in two, was finally validated when the ship was discovered in 1985. educational channels should invest in these types of expedition, its interesting to watch.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
15 Apr 12
It's a plausible explanation. I mean, that could really happen. I think even the best of seafarers could experience seeing mirages brought about by varied causes. Besides, it was nighttime and probably visibility isn't that perfect also. Personally, I feel it was really an accident that wasn't brought about by negligence on the crew's part. Well, only as far as hitting the iceberg. The insufficient lifeboats and the emergency protocol followed by the crew is a different matter altogether.
@leighz (456)
•
15 Apr 12
Yes, you're right. When I saw the episode they aired on National Geographic, I told myself "this totally make sense". Other details of strange events that happen were accurately reccorded and those documents support this theory. It took us 100 years to finally answer the big question.
@ShacharRB (27)
• Israel
15 Apr 12
Hey there,
I totally agree. I also saw that program on National Geographic and they are well known to publish very accurate and backed up theories about various subjects. If something is published in National Geographic, I personally take it as true. With that said, also by common sense this phenomenon is very logical and can happen.
@marguicha (223010)
• Chile
15 Apr 12
I agree that even if the mirage phenomenom was the reason of the sinking of the ship, there´s no reason whatsoever as to why there weren´t enough life boats abord. That is the company´s fault and probably a need to use up all the weight and space the boat could carry in something that had a price and could be sold.
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
15 Apr 12
This is a good example of human nature, at its worst. The Titanic was the biggest ship ever built at that time, and the hype was horrific! The builders, and even the owners believed this ship was unsinkable, so why would the crew be worried? What can a little ice-burg of(100 tons plus)do to a ship of 46000 tons?(was the way the thinking went)
Champagne and other inebriates were still flowing, and the crew were celebrating along with the passengers. Its even doubtful if there was any kind of work ethic among the crew at the time!
If there was a sea fog that night, it was in the heads of the officers and crew of the Titanic!
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
15 Apr 12
To further my thoughts along those same lines- safety was so far from the minds of the builders and owners, that they neglected to place enough life boats on board. There would have been plenty of time for all the passengers to deploy into life boats, had there only been enough!
@leighz (456)
•
15 Apr 12
It was actually the mirage, this explanation makes a lot of sense. With regards to work ethics, I'm not so sure about it.
But you're right the arrogance of man, has conditioned their minds at that time that nothing worst could come to Titanic. That probably is God's way of having the world reflect on how to be rational when it comes to safety and nothing could be greater than him. Just like the tower of Babylon.
@Aja103654 (5646)
• Philippines
16 Apr 12
I'm not really surprised about that. I have always thought that that was the explanation why the officers in Titanic didn't get to see the iceberg. Naturally, it would have been foggy, disabling them from seeing clearly ahead of them. It was cold in the ocean that time, icebergs would have been expected. There was that thing about the iceberg being bigger under the water but when they saw it on the surface, it was small. That's a possibility as well.
