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U.K. polar research ship will not be named Boaty McBoatface; internet loses its mind
Maturity prevails.
The new British polar research ship will not be named Boaty McBoatface.
In a poll last month, the public overwhelmingly voted to name the $290 million vessel RRS Boaty McBoatface, but officials demurred.
Instead, the government chose RRS David Attenborough as the 419-foot-loong ship’s moniker.
It was “one of the top suggestions with over 11,000 members of the public supporting it and was chosen on the basis of his career as a broadcaster and natural scientist,” according to a press release from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Boaty McBoatface rallied significantly more support, with more than 124,000 votes.
The powers that be didn’t totally ignore the public vote, though — Boaty will still get some recognition.
Science Minister Jo Johnson confirmed that the ship’s remote sub will be named Boaty McBoatface, even though it is a yellow submarine.
“The ship has captured the imaginations of millions, which is why we’re ensuring that the Boaty name lives on through the sub-sea vehicle that will support the research crew, and the polar science education program that will bring their work to life,” Johnson said.
He said that some of the name suggestions were “truly inspirational and creative.” Other top ten suggestions included “It’s Bloody Cold Here” and “I Like Big Boats and I Cannot Lie.”
