The implosion of the Titan near the wreck of the Titanic is a grisly reminder that the sea is unforgiving. Man in his quest for technological supremacy has paid the ultimate price from Apollo 13 to the Hindenberg, from The Concorde to The Challenger space shuttle disaster.
The deadly side of deep sea exploration, began in 1960 and for over 63 years has been focusing the world’s attention on mankind a rapidly expanding technical mastery in the deep depths of our vast and unfriendly oceans.
In June 1870, science fiction writer, Jules Verne published, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, today, 153 years later, underwater deep sea exploration into the caverns of the oceans, are no longer fiction.
The true cost of progress will mean the unprecedented decline of the planet’s inhabitants, an ever increasing rate of global extinction. Man is attempting to rocket his way into Mars and live in a harsh environment, rest assured that these epic journey will come at an enormous price. The lessons learned from the Titan tragedy must be taken into account. Breath-taking journeys require backup plans to rescue those stranded in deep space and in the deep bowels of the oceans. Technology has helped us travel across the world, five years from now, we will travel at three times the speed of sound, shrinking both hemispheres as we break the sound barriers at an alarming pace. This type of immense speed will have no room for errors as we cruise from continent to continent.
With our massive technological growth, we have become a powerful species, yet these mind boggling technologies pose a mortal threat to all of humanity. It is feasible that mankind could meet its end as a result of nuclear warfare, artificial intelligence and the drastic changes associated with climate change. The desire to explore is fundamental to the human spirit. It is what inspires explorers to cross the threshold of tolerance when venturing into deep space and delving into the cruel depths of the oceans. Star Trek and long journeys into other planets will take place in our lifetime regardless of the human and financial costs involved. Tragedies and setbacks will not deter mankind from venturing into the realms of the unknown. Man is a fearless traveller, one of the greatest epic’s in our history is man’s conquest of the earth.
The Titan submersible. (Reuters)
