
Boaty McBoatface may not be name of new polar research vessel - justinv
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/18/boaty-mcboatface-may-not-be-name-of-new-polar-research-vessel
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anigbrowl
When bureaucrats won't accept the outcome of a vote on a trivial matter, is it
any wonder that people no longer feel motivated to participate in more serious
political issues? What this comes down to is that the minister and his
deputies don't want to deal with the momentary political embarrassment of
officially launching a boat with a silly name, so ministerial ego requires
snubbing thousands of people who voted in good faith, notwithstanding the
somewhat childish humor on display.

I actually think it's a good name; Thomas the Tank engine has been a rather
successful global cultural export for Britain, and Boaty McBoatface could have
done the same for British scientific endeavor. After all, Charles Darwin made
many of his intellectual breakthroughs while sailing around the world on a
ship named after someone's favorite breed of dog (HMS Beagle). If a ship with
a silly name was good enough for King George IV it's good enough for today.

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jrnichols
I like their idea of going with a different name, but making a children's
education book with Boaty McBoatface. Not bad.

