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[SCULLIBUNDO]

Richard Branson, James Cameron and some dude named Bruce Jones in Florida are still getting ready to dive to the bottom of the ocean to see some crazy shit.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolo...xploring-the-deepest-point-on-earth/242486/1/

At the southern end of the Mariana Trench, a deep scar that cuts into the bottom of the ocean floor, there is a point known as Challenger Deep. Here, just outside of the Marianas or Ladrones, a series of 15 islands made up of volcanic mountains that peak just above the water line, a small slot-shaped valley plunges nearly seven miles down. At 35,797 feet, Challenger Deep is the deepest known point in the oceans. It is so deep that, if you were able to place Mount Everest inside of the valley, there would still be 6,811 feet of water separating it from the surface.

At just 7,000 feet down, about where the tallest mountain in the world would peak, the pressure becomes so great that whales rely on unique evolutionary traits when hunting for giant squid. Whales have lungs that can collapse safely under pressure and ribs bound by soft cartilage that allows the cage to shift and settle in extreme environments rather than snap. Without similar anatomical gifts, we don't know much about what happens below that level. Imagine what creatures might live at depths five times greater than where whales and giant squid battle in the pitch-black ocean.

Branson's team, led by legendary submersible designer Graham Hawkes and chief pilot Chris Welsh, has been planning to take the Virgin Oceanic out for water tests as early as this summer, but, due to setbacks, no date has been confirmed. In early rounds of laboratory testing, the borosilicate viewing bubble through which the Oceanic's crew would peer out at the ocean floor cracked under just 2,200 pounds per square inch of pressure, about one-eighth of the 16,000 psi expected at Challenger Deep.

Admittedly, Cameron doesn't care if he's the first (well, the first of this group) to reach the bottom ... he just wants to be the best. Cameron's team is working on building what appears to be the most high-tech (and least reliant on a tourism-based model to fund future exploration) submersible. The as-yet-unnamed project will include a giant lighting array, several 3-D high-definition cameras, an arm that can grab samples from the ocean floor and a small ROV similar to that used to swim in and around the Titanic wreckage, according to an email that Cameron sent to Outside's Anna McCarthy.

Unlike Branson's Virgin Oceanic, Cameron's Challenger Deep project has passed pressure tests; at a Penn State University lab, the team turned the dials to 16,000 psi and waited. Nothing. But at what cost? Nobody knows how much time or money Cameron has put into this submersible, about which he has been pretty tight-lipped since kicking off the design stage with a couple of sketches in 2003. Now, more two dozen people are working around the clock to prepare the sub for sea trials next April.

Bruce Jones is the odd man out in this triumvirate. And that's because you have no idea who Bruce Jones is -- and you're not alone. Building a vessel that can safely sink to the bottom of the ocean is no easy feat; it's one that requires big backers with deep pockets, something that Jones doesn't have. While the 55-year-old entrepreneur has drawn up plans and marketing materials -- they call this project the "race to inner space!" -- he has not yet secured the funds to construct a prototype. He's currently shopping around the idea. "We're talking to a number of first clients because, quite frankly, we don't have the money to build one of these on spec," Jones told Outside.

So Jimmy boy is still leading the pack and looks set for trials in April next year.

Hearing of those crazy giant squid that exist at just 7,000 ft depth makes me really excited to see what the hell they find when they go 28, 000ft deeper.

 

[Atrus]

Hearing of those crazy giant squid that exist at just 7,000 ft depth makes me really excited to see what the hell they find when they go 28, 000ft deeper.

 

[Dan]

Here's a question I've had: have we encountered deep sea creatures that are harmed by light?

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Here's a question I've had: have we encountered deep sea creatures that are harmed by light?

I think we're about to!

 

[TheVarangian]

Here's a question I've had: have we encountered deep sea creatures that are harmed by light?

who knows but james cameron will find out with his big ass light submarine.

 

[2th]

Here's a question I've had: have we encountered deep sea creatures that are harmed by light?

that is a great question. cant wait to get an answer on this.

 

[Mangoverboard]

Those fools will kill us all

 

[tino]

I hope Cameron win the race and boost his ego, so he will spend all his Avatar mega money into privatized Moon manned mission.

 

[BobTheFork]

Unless they cut a metal album while there I'm not impressed.

 

[goober]

Finally another pioneer type race to do something that hasn't been done before before.

 

[Conceited]

I hope Cameron win the race and boost his ego, so he will spend all his Avatar mega money into privatized Moon manned mission.

I read that as "privatized Moon mansion" and it sounded way more awesome.

 

[Clydefrog]

just wait until they find one of these terrifying creatures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcodzcCFJ28&feature=related

 

[Incognito]

awesome shit

 

[Treefingers]

Reading about this makes me really admire both dudes. The fact that we still haven't explored an enormous part of our planet is pretty amazing.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

I hope Cameron win the race and boost his ego, so he will spend all his Avatar mega money into privatized Moon manned mission.

LOL moon. Cameron isn't on the Mars council for nothing. You think he would waste his time developing plans to go back to the moon?

 

[Socreges]

ETD for Cameron, Sculli?

 

[Darklord]

Please find something cool down there. I love deep sea creatures.

 

[Gregorn]

Cameron plans to film Avatar 2 & 3 down there. I don't care about your opinions on the first film as that fact makes the sequel(s) sound extremely interesting.

Hopefully he won't need CGI to create the aliens.

 

[thoughthorizon]

I predict that Cameron will discover that it costs too much, and at those depths colours will be washed out, and objects out of focus...

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

ETD for Cameron, Sculli?

2024. A year after Battle Angel releases and he uses the Avatar trilogy profits to launch himself on a one-way mission to Mars. His death coming about as a result of his ship being 0.002 off in his angle of approach, so he blows the airlock and decides to jump to the planet surface as he passes it, sending out his last transmission as he goes down: his divorce request from Suzy Amis.

 

[BlackSalad]

this is supremely awesome! 35,000 under water > human on mars. The evolution of the animals down that far could lead to some substantial breakthroughs! I hope it pays off for all parties involved!

Hopefully Cameron isn't trying to film a The Abyss sequel >_< haha

 

[Socreges]

2024. A year after Battle Angel releases and he uses the Avatar trilogy profits to launch himself on a one-way mission to Mars. His death coming about as a result of his ship being 0.002 off in his angle of approach, so he blows the airlock and decides to jump to the planet surface as he passes it, sending out his last transmission as he goes down: his divorce request from Suzy Amis.

I actually meant for Challenger Deep, but that was awesome.

 

[Kurdel]

Awesome, these kinds of adventures often find new things.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

I actually meant for Challenger Deep, but that was awesome.

Ha. ETD could be so many things. ETA is better imo.

Anyway, trials in April next year, and Cameron says he plans on using bits of footage from the dive for Avatar 2 and whatever creatures they see could act as inspiration for the design of more on Pandora.

Avatar 3 will most likely not benefit from the footage, since they'll be exploring the other moons around Polyphemus, where as A2 is where they're gonna head to the oceans of Pandora.

 

[jambo]

 

[McNei1y]

I read that as "privatized Moon mansion" and it sounded way more awesome.

Same. I pictured some Gatsby-esque mansion on the moon. Now I'm upset that it wasn't mansion.

Looking very much forward to this. I hope there are some crazy ass creatures down in that deep point. I'm hoping for lots of pics and information. Bring us new monsters! Maybe we can see if the Bloop creator is indeed a giant monster. Would be awesome!

Spoiler

this wont happen

 

[Socreges]

Was just doing some reading about the Challenger Deep and it sounds like the organisms down there might be quite boring. In previous explorations, they've only witnessed or identified fairly simple creatures, but that could obviously be because they didn't have very good technology or much time to really look around.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Was just doing some reading about the Challenger Deep and it sounds like the organisms down there might be quite boring. In previous explorations, they've only witnessed or identified fairly simple creatures, but that could obviously be because they didn't have very good technology or much time to really look around.

The only other time they went down there, their windows cracked and they could barely make out the organisms they saw due to the darkness.

 

[Socreges]

The only other time they went down there, their windows cracked and they could barely make out the organisms they saw due to the darkness.

I accounted for that, and am also referencing other voyages:

Nereus spent over 10 hours at the bottom of the Challenger Deep and measured a depth of 10,902 m (35,768 ft), while sending live video and data back to its mothership RV Kilo Moana at the surface and collecting geological and biological samples from the Challenger Deep bottom with its manipulator arm for further scientific analysis.

I think I'm going to be personally interested in seeing how different organisms have adapted and what types of creatures have been able to flourish (eg, by size), but I don't expect anything wildly different.

 

[~Kinggi~]

I swear it must be so awesome being James Cameron. What a badass motherfucka. This guy can spend a truckload of money on the most high tech sub to go to the deepest place in the ocean, and bring multiple 3d cameras with him.

He is probably gonna get a ton of awesome footage for either Avatar 2 or another documentary.

 

[castlegar]

So awesome. More rich people should be as cool as this

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

I swear it must be so awesome being James Cameron. What a badass motherfucka. This guy can spend a truckload of money on the most high tech sub to go to the deepest place in the ocean, and bring multiple 3d cameras with him.

He is probably gonna get a ton of awesome footage for either Avatar 2 or another documentary.

What are you crazy? Don't say the 'D' word. Cameron could be reading and we won't see him for another 12 years.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

“Mars is one of your better planets,” Cameron says. “Because you could actually land there, and it’s close enough to get to, and it’s close enough to the sun that it’s not a big ball of ice.” He is a member in good standing of the Mars Society, a private organization whose membership includes science-fiction writers and astronauts (Gregory Benford, Buzz Aldrin), and whose purpose is to advocate for the human exploration and settlement of that planet. “We should ultimately have colonies on Mars, for purposes of expanding the footprint of the human race,” Cameron says. He shares with the Mars Society the opinion that nasa—on whose advisory council he sat for three years—has become too risk-averse. “We’ve become cowards, basically,” he says. “As a society, we’re just fat and happy and comfortable and we’ve lost the edge.”

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/26/091026fa_fact_goodyear

Cameron <8

 

[2th]

Unless they cut a metal album while there I'm not impressed.

There are no fingerprints
Deep under water
Nothing to tie one to a crime
And if you seek vengeance
All you need are instruments of pain

You need your

Knives? Check.
Rope? Check.
Dagger? Check.
Chains? Check.
Locks? Check.
Laser Beams? Check.
Acid? Check.
Body Bag? Check.

Murmaider [x16]

But beware
For when you quench your blood thirst
Others will seek their vengeance on you
And they won't rest
Until you're dead

They'll have their:

Shiv? Check.
Pipe? Check.
Hammer? Check.
Axe? Check.
Subject? Check.
Location? Check.
Desire? Check.
Vengeance? Check.

Hold your breath, swim and strain
The smell of death, can't escape
Blood will cloud and drift away
Attract the murders of Murmaids
It's so cold they all know

What you've done, you can't run
Vengeance is the law for thee
A thousand leagues below the sea
You've been tracked, you've been seen
Murdering the next kin
Ate their hearts drank their blood

Washed your fins in blackened mud
Now you swim try to hide
Heart beats faster from inside
Thought it was a big charade
Your life was ended by Murmaids.

Murmaider [x16]

Swords? Check.
Saws? Check.
Clubs? Check.
Claws? Check.
Hatred? Check.
Anger? Check.
Mermaid? Check.
Murder? Check.

MURDER! MURDER! MURMAID MURDER!

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Hopefully he can find the origin of the mysterious underwater Bloop from 1997 :/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloop


I know, I know... different part of the world and all...

 

[Krispy]

This is the coolest thing since sliced bread. The lowest point on Earth, available in 3D HD. Coming soon. Product not yet rated.

Spoiler

Am I the only one who wanted to throw my drink at the screen in Transformers when the Sec Def says we'll drop them in the deepest trench known to man and he says the wrong fucking one? How hard is it to Google that shit? /rant

 

[Clevinger]

Is Cameron filming any of it?

edit: Nevermind.

several 3-D high-definition cameras

 

[Goldrusher]

According to Wikipedia we first reached the bottom unmanned in 1899 and manned in 1960.

So how can it be so hard this time ?

 

[Saiyar]

Was just doing some reading about the Challenger Deep and it sounds like the organisms down there might be quite boring. In previous explorations, they've only witnessed or identified fairly simple creatures, but that could obviously be because they didn't have very good technology or much time to really look around.

Hopefully they find something akin to the cyborg snails they found in the deep Atlantic.

 

[JaseC]

This is bloody brilliant. Fuck yeah, Cameron!

 

[Parallax Scroll]

Cameron's gonna get eaten.

 

[ektoll]

According to Wikipedia we first reached the bottom unmanned in 1899 and manned in 1960.

So how can it be so hard this time ?

Well, these expeditions surely didn't plan on doing a lot of work, collecting samples... It was more for the achievement. Now, those new submersibles will load a lot of sophisticated gadgets as well as a panoramic viewing bubble that's seemingly difficult to produce.

It's a lot more difficult but maaaan, it's a scientific eldorado! I'd be willing to trade a Dirt3/Battlefield 3 beta key to be in one of those crews.

 

[indigo-cyclops]

According to Wikipedia we first reached the bottom unmanned in 1899 and manned in 1960.

So how can it be so hard this time ?

Compared the depths.. Then you'll see why.

 

[HephalumpsAndWoozles]

According to Wikipedia we first reached the bottom unmanned in 1899 and manned in 1960.

So how can it be so hard this time ?

Because its a similar task of going to the moon...

Compared the depths.. Then you'll see why.

Challenger Deep couldnt have got that much deeper in 50 some years...

 

[Skeyser]

I'd be willing to trade a Dirt3/Battlefield 3 beta key to be in one of those crews.

What a sacrifice!