Yo Ho, Yo Ho, an Ocean Topic for Me!
May 7, 2018 4:14 PM Subscribe
Every week, I give a talk at a retirement home on a different piece of history. I do a few days of research and put together a powerpoint with images, summaries and some video clips. I usually follow themes for a few months at a time.
In June, we will be doing activities around World Oceans Day on the 8th. I would love to do a series of oceanography or nautical stories. Some ideas I've had include the Kon-Tiki, development of SCUBA diving, and.... help! What else would make a compelling hour of new information?
Best answer: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
http://idlewords.com/2010/03/scott_and_scurvy.htm .
posted by novalis_dt at 4:33 PM on May 7, 2018
http://idlewords.com/2010/03/scott_and_scurvy.htm .
posted by novalis_dt at 4:33 PM on May 7, 2018
New insights into the intelligence of ocean dwellers, e.g., octopuses, dolphins, etc.
posted by carmicha at 4:56 PM on May 7, 2018
posted by carmicha at 4:56 PM on May 7, 2018
Best answer: Female pirates
The Long Pause
Accurate measurement of longitude is a great one too.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:27 PM on May 7, 2018
The Long Pause
Accurate measurement of longitude is a great one too.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:27 PM on May 7, 2018
I don't know if this fits but the discovery of the Coelacanth I always thought was pretty cool. (Although, I just read that the fish stayed alive for hours on the deck of the boat. Seems like they could have put it in water or not let it die slowly and horribly. People are terrible.)
posted by Glinn at 5:37 PM on May 7, 2018
posted by Glinn at 5:37 PM on May 7, 2018
Best answer: Mary Ann Brown Patten? 19 years old; married to the captain of a merchant clipper; he was struck blind so she took over as captain, while tending to him at the same time; rounded the Horn; fought off a mutiny attempt by the first mate; arrived in port and gave birth to a son.
It might be a bit grim, but the story of the Batavia is also compelling.
posted by Paragon at 6:21 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
It might be a bit grim, but the story of the Batavia is also compelling.
posted by Paragon at 6:21 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Marshall Islands stick charts
There are videos, too.
posted by unknowncommand at 7:31 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
There are videos, too.
posted by unknowncommand at 7:31 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Chanplains astrolabe is a fascinating story which ties neatly into early navigation which is a whole topic of its own. Viking navigations stones are another neat tie in.
On mobile but heres a good starting point for the Champlain astrolabe. https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/treasure/222eng.shtml
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 9:35 PM on May 7, 2018
On mobile but heres a good starting point for the Champlain astrolabe. https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/treasure/222eng.shtml
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 9:35 PM on May 7, 2018
Best answer: The laying of the first transatlantic cable, especially the parts where they'd have the next supply of cable brought out on another ship, and splice it, but they dropped it and had to drag a hook around on the bottom for 6 days; and the part where they fried it after a few months and it took them years and years to raise enough money to try again.
People say the ocean is deep, and it is, but the continental shelves are only an average of 500 feet, the abyssal plain is only 10,000 to 20,000 feet. That's only 2 miles to 4 miles. I can imagine swimming 2 miles. So, except for the pressure, I could swim to the bottom of the ocean. That's very fanciful, of course, but that blows my mind... how shallow the oceans are. Even the deepest trenches are something like 35,000 feet. That's less than seven miles. Closer to your home than ____ (pick something 7 miles away).
How the whaling industry went from just going out for the day and returning home each night, to being gone for months, and years.
The choral reefs, there are a few really great documentaries.
The 52 Hz whale
Mary Anning
Stan Rogers' Northwest Passage and Stanfest
The colorful fish, amazing species, variety, behavior.
Salt water acquariums.
How a sailboat works. The simplest boat, like spitting a watermelon.
posted by at at 11:31 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
People say the ocean is deep, and it is, but the continental shelves are only an average of 500 feet, the abyssal plain is only 10,000 to 20,000 feet. That's only 2 miles to 4 miles. I can imagine swimming 2 miles. So, except for the pressure, I could swim to the bottom of the ocean. That's very fanciful, of course, but that blows my mind... how shallow the oceans are. Even the deepest trenches are something like 35,000 feet. That's less than seven miles. Closer to your home than ____ (pick something 7 miles away).
How the whaling industry went from just going out for the day and returning home each night, to being gone for months, and years.
The choral reefs, there are a few really great documentaries.
The 52 Hz whale
Mary Anning
Stan Rogers' Northwest Passage and Stanfest
The colorful fish, amazing species, variety, behavior.
Salt water acquariums.
How a sailboat works. The simplest boat, like spitting a watermelon.
posted by at at 11:31 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
As a generality, the sea history of your local area is a great topic. Since you are in the PNW, the explorations of Cook and Vancouver, etc. and the first surveys of the Columbia river and Puget Sound are appropriate.
The first exploration of the west coast north of, say LA is interesting.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:24 AM on May 8, 2018
The first exploration of the west coast north of, say LA is interesting.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:24 AM on May 8, 2018
Best answer: There is a ton of fascinating history around the diving bell! You can also dip into other submersibles like bathyspheres and bathyscaphes!
Edit: I’ll bet your crowd would get a kick out of the Civil War submarine too.
posted by stinkfoot at 6:08 AM on May 8, 2018
Edit: I’ll bet your crowd would get a kick out of the Civil War submarine too.
posted by stinkfoot at 6:08 AM on May 8, 2018
Best answer: How about Around Cape Horn (here titled "The Peking Battles Cape Horn"), which is (pretty much the only video ever) of what it was like to work on one of the last wind-driven cargo ships, the Peking. The (incredible) footage, taken by Captain Iriving Johnson back in 1929, is narrated by him many years later in 1980.
(I find it a little mind-blowing to think that tall ships were still plying the cargo trade as late as 1929.)
Maybe the 1968 Sunday Golden Globe Race , the race wherein the first nonstop circumnavigation of the earth occurred?
That race is an incredible story, with a bunch of twists and turns of fate, including tragedy and fraud (previously on mefi).
There are two books published about it that I can recommend (the latter a firsthand account from one of the lengendary participants), and a PBS documentary, Deep Water (trailer).
(I also find it mind-blowing to think that the first nonstop circumnavigation didn't happen until 1968 - and then to think of how different that trip would be today - no gps, no satellite phones, etc... )
posted by namewithoutwords at 10:38 AM on May 8, 2018
(I find it a little mind-blowing to think that tall ships were still plying the cargo trade as late as 1929.)
Maybe the 1968 Sunday Golden Globe Race , the race wherein the first nonstop circumnavigation of the earth occurred?
That race is an incredible story, with a bunch of twists and turns of fate, including tragedy and fraud (previously on mefi).
There are two books published about it that I can recommend (the latter a firsthand account from one of the lengendary participants), and a PBS documentary, Deep Water (trailer).
(I also find it mind-blowing to think that the first nonstop circumnavigation didn't happen until 1968 - and then to think of how different that trip would be today - no gps, no satellite phones, etc... )
posted by namewithoutwords at 10:38 AM on May 8, 2018
Best answer: Howard Hughes building the Glomar Explorer to recover a sunken Russian submarine?
posted by quercus23 at 4:54 AM on May 9, 2018
posted by quercus23 at 4:54 AM on May 9, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 4:23 PM on May 7, 2018 [3 favorites]