To fund his search for the legendary Titanic, Bob Ballard asked the US Navy for money. They said no ... unless you help us out by looking for two lost submarines.

And that's exactly what he did, finding debris from the USS Scorpion and USS Thresher, two subs that sunk with all hands during the 1960s. He discovered that contrary to the Navy's fears, there was minimal environmental damage from radiation from the two ship's reactors. He also determined that the Scorpion was sunk by one of its own torpedos and not Soviet activity as suggested.

Then, using the same techniques he perfected finding the subs, he was able to locate the Titanic.

Filed under: titanic, submarines, ships, and exploration

Here's an idea in sync with the times - an airship with solar panels that can drop down power to the ground, anywhere it would be needed. The possibilities in politically sensitive areas, such as Myanmar, where aid is tough to provide seem unlimited. Imagine an airship giving direct aid to the Tsunami victims, bypassing the government. It would create an enormous amount of good will the government would be unable to counteract.

The airship has solar cells on top of it, so it can provide electricity from anywhere sunlight can be found low enough for it to route its giant power cords down to the ground.

Power to the people, and clean solar power at that.

Cool.

Filed under: power, solar, airship, and blimp

Here's something crazy for the day: A private, people-powered zeppelin.

Video of it flying at the link.

Filed under: zeppelin, airship, aircraft, and flying

Here's a nice bit of hope for less attractive men.

Here's what the article says: Men feel best about their women when the women are beautiful, while women seek more supportive husbands. When the woman is more attractive than the man, the man is more likely to be supportive because he's getting "more than he deserves" in the all-important looks department, and so he needs to work to retain her affections.

Of course the visual example given, with Howard Stern and his undeniably beautiful wife, might also be explained by an attraction to money and power, which the article doesn't cover.

Filed under: beauty and relationships

An interesting, if environmentally sound, way to build your dream Viking ship: Construct it out of 15 million recycled ice-cream sticks, collected from 5000 school children!

“If you can dream it you can do it … I want to teach children that anything is possible,” the creator said.

I'm just amazed what a pretty ship he made out of the sticks!

Filed under: ice cream, boat, and ship