One-Minute Facts: Boaty McBoatface
What happens when you let the Internet decide…..

A few years ago the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council launched an online poll to name a new polar research ship. The results were a little bizarre.
A DJ tweeted that the ship should be called Boaty McBoatface. The Interwebby public took up this joke and cast so many votes that the name won.
Bit of a dilemma for the NERC here. R.R.S Boaty McBoatface is hardly a credibly serious name for a serious ship with a serious purpose.
So, they ignored the poll results and called the vessel R.R.S David Attenborough.
Savvy move.
Nobody will say a bad word about Sir David who is a true national icon and treasure. Plus, the council did give the name to one of the ship’s submersibles to try not to look like they had cheated too much.
Guess that works better than Submersibly McSubmersibleface.
