Ocean Gate/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
OceanGate’s Titan submersible has not been approved for operation by safety authorities
On June 23, it was confirmed that the Five people aboard the Titanthe tourist dive boat from OceanGate Expeditions, perished after a catastrophic implosion.
Ever since the story broke, it was clear that this was a predicted disaster, due to OceanGate’s lax stance on certification and the submersible’s questionable build quality. The company started taking tourists to the Titanic ruins in 2021. It makes you wonder: What drives some people to willingly take risks and sign up for experiences that have the potential to be devastating?
Here are 6 questions to answer about the case:
Forbes USA/Ocean Gate/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
#1. What were the knocking noises?
Stefan Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney, told Insider: “It’s possible that the noises were made by marine life like whales.” The noises could also have come from the sinking of the Titanic, according to Chris Parry, a former British admiral Royal Navy, who suggested the noises recorded at 30minute intervals could be caused by other things under the sea: “There is a lot of mechanical noise in the sea.”
US Coast Guard/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
#two. Why does the search with remotecontrolled vehicles take so long?
Only two vessels were involved in the search as of Wednesday, and neither was equipped with a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) that could penetrate the depths of the Titanic wreck at 12,000 feet (3,800 meters). According to CNN, France dispatched the research vessel Atalante, equipped with an ROV capable of reaching depths of up to 4,000 meters, but it arrived late Wednesday. The US Navy, which CBC says has dispatched a rescue vessel, operates an ROV capable of reaching depths of 6,000 meters but has not been used in search operations. The ROV that identified the Titan wreckage was from a private Massachusetts company.
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#3. What caused the implosion?
Williams speculated that if Titan had “some defect” in its hull that would yield to the “intense atmospheric pressure” of the deep sea, the submersible would implode in a “catastrophic failure.”
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#4. Why did it take so long before we heard the Navy notice the sound of an implosion?
The U.S. Navy on Sunday “discovered an anomaly suggestive of an implosion or explosion” in the area where communications with Titan were disrupted, officials told The Wall Street Journal. However, it is not possible to say “unambiguously” whether the sound came from the titanium.
Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
#5. Are the bodies recovered?
Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said during a news conference on Thursday that he had “no answer” about expectations for recovering the bodies of victims aboard Titan, adding that it was “incredibly ruthless there at sea” what makes the operation of ships “incredibly complex”.
Ocean Gate/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
#6. Why did it take OceanGate almost eight hours to sound the alarm?
OceanGate Expeditions, which lost communications with the Titan after an hour and a half, did not explain why it was taking so long to notify Coast Guard officials, although Sean Leet, coowner of the support vessel for the submersible, explained that “all the logs were being kept.” tracked”.
Forbes USA/Ocean Gate/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
#1. What were the knocking noises?
Stefan Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney, told Insider: “It’s possible that the noises were made by marine life like whales.” The noises could also have come from the sinking of the Titanic, according to Chris Parry, a former British admiral Royal Navy, who suggested the noises recorded at 30minute intervals could be caused by other things under the sea: “There is a lot of mechanical noise in the sea.”
Check out what the research says to help us understand our complicated relationship to new and dangerous experiences:
#1. Some people can be born hungry out of dangerous situations.
A 2013 study found that people who are attracted to extreme sports like skiing and snowboarding may process dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and reward, differently than the rest of the population. The study made this discovery by analyzing a variant of a specific dopamine receptor (DRD4, or the “adventure gene”) that is associated with novelty seeking.
This tells us that there may be a genetic variant responsible for risktaking behavior in people who seek the thrill of extreme and novel situations.
A 2021 article published in the journal Nature Human Behavior that summarized data from nearly 13,000 participants seems to confirm these findings. The study found that people who exhibited riskier behaviors may have had less brain tissue in certain brain centers involved in emotions, rewards, and decisionmaking, possibly due to genetic variations.
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Although these studies suggest that there is a genetic link to seeking dangerous situations, physiology cannot be the sole explanation. In fact, there is evidence that culture also plays a role in shaping our perceptions of, and response to, danger—which brings us to our next point:
#two. Social media can increase the fear of missing out, which can make participation in risky situations attractive.
These platforms allow us to see what others are doing in realtime, and this can create a sense of pressure to keep up and not miss out on seemingly onceinalifetime experiences.
A 2013 study found that social media use is associated with FOMO (fear of missing out) and that FOMO can lead to less happiness and life satisfaction among social media users. These negative consequences of feeling excluded can lead people to act in ways that are considered risky.
For example, consider the case of the Chinese social media influencer who recently died at a weight loss camp she attended to inspire her followers. Although the exact cause of death is unknown, we do know that she attempted to lose more than half her body weight through a rigorous exercise and diet regimen.
This tragic incident highlights the potential dangers of social media and the pressure it can create in our society to conform to certain standards or engage in risky behavior.
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When considering risky behavior, remember that your safety and wellbeing must always come first. The popularity or demand of a risky activity does not guarantee that it is safe or worthwhile. If you tend to look for dangerous situations, you should be aware and always make an independent assessment of the risks and benefits of engaging in activities that may be outside of your comfort zone.
*Mark Travers is a writer for Forbes USA. He is an American psychologist who studied at Cornell University and the University of Colorado at Boulder.