Titanic Quiz

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Errr...Captain Smith changed course, even though it wasn't as far south as it should have been.<<

Weeeeellllll...yeah...but that's kind of misleading too. Dave Gittins and Sam Halpern have both done the homework on that one, but the delay in turning The Corner had nothing to do with avoiding ice. It was more of a correction to get on track then anything else.

 

[Jason D. Tiller]

Oh, I know. But nonetheless, it still gives the reader wrong information.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Oh, I know. But nonetheless, it still gives the reader wrong information.<<

Yeah, it does. That's why I'm not fond of such quizzes. It sure would be nice to know what the author of any of these used for their source material. That bit above about "Titanic, Adventure Out Of Time" doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

 

[Jason Schleisman]

Yeah, as I stated earlier, there was a lot of misleading and/or wrong information in this 'test'. Pity that whomever created it didn't do any proper homework (other than perhaps watching Titanic and saying, "Hey, I think I'll write a fun little online quiz about that. Maybe I'll leave out the question about the Heart of the Ocean so that my quiz will seem legit)

 

[Hildur Panula-Heinonen]

Here is a sort of, commenting question, that is too say, i would say think a lot on this question, and there would be a lot of very different answers. After a while i'll place my answer. I really don't think anyone can get this wrong as it is a kind of matter of opinion. Here is the question:

"What do you think was the most valuable things to have gone down with Titanic?"

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

The thing is, if it had been comprised by some yokel, I can understand it [to some degree], but this is a SCIENCE site, and supposedly a reputable one at that. When major fu . . . when major screw ups occur on one of their tests that really makes one wonder what kind of research strategies they employ--and I can't help but become concerned! Yes, they are writing it for the "average person," but still, accuracy is always the best policy.


As for what the captain did regarding the warnings, however, the best answer given was: He did nothing, because that's basically what happened. As David Brown once said, going south around the field would have been the best alternative . . . but it didn't happen that way. Still,"he did nothing" makes it sound as if the captain didn't really care and acted nonchalantly. Saying "He maintained his course while keeping a vigil for what lay ahead" sounds a little better, IMO.

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

quote:

"What do you think was the most valuable things to have gone down with Titanic?"

A: Human beings​

 

[Hildur Panula-Heinonen]

Okay, so you got the correct answer. I did the same question with a bunch of newly Titanic enthusiasts and they started going down first class belonging and what was in the purser's safe. They totally did not think of people as the worst thing to lose.
Good for you, and for whoever thinks the same answer.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>"What do you think was the most valuable things to have gone down with Titanic?"<<

The people hands down. Gold can be recovered and/or replaced. People really can't be.

>>The thing is, if it had been comprised by some yokel, I can understand it [to some degree], but this is a SCIENCE site, and supposedly a reputable one at that. When major fu . . .<<

Uhhhh..yep!

>>As for what the captain did regarding the warnings, however, the best answer given was: He did nothing,...<<

That may not be entirely accurate either. The messages did make it to the bridge, the watches were given instructions, and one could *hypothetically* make a case that Captain Smith was starting to work up a plot of where it all was. The problem here is that the actions taken...known as certain sure fact and possible hypotheticals...were inadaquate for the danger they were running into.

 

[Jason D. Tiller]

quote:

Still,"he did nothing" makes it sound as if the captain didn't really care and acted nonchalantly. Saying "He maintained his course while keeping a vigil for what lay ahead" probably sounds a little better.

Exactly my point, Mark; thank you.​

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

quote:

the watches were given instructions

This in itself was a reaction to disqualify "nothing" from being the correct answer. Presumably, however, those instructions summed up to keeping an eye open and turning slight, as you said above. Perhaps he underestimated the extensiveness of the field. Why, however, can be explained through the fact that many captains at the time hadn't seen icefields of such a size, especially those who hadn't had experience with ice. Considering that the ice flowed farther south that year than before, any underestimation on Smith's part is understandable.

quote:

they started going down first class belonging and what was in the purser's safe. They totally did not think of people as the worst thing to lose.

Unfortunately, a lot of people in our extremely materialistic world would be expected to offer such feeble and empty contributions as jewelry and other valuables. The world goes to hell and a hand basket whenever its people place money and trinkets before human life.

Nice consideration, Hildur. Thank you for making the point.

quote:

Exactly my point, Mark; thank you.

No problem, Jason. Error in content can easily be made in ambiguously or vaguely weak statements or misphrasings, despite intentions.​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Presumably, however, those instructions summed up to keeping an eye open and turning slight, as you said above.<<

The instructions to the lookouts were to be on the lookout for growlers and bergy bits. This may have been regarded as a warning sign that would give them advance notice of a need to alter course, but the testimony on record doesn't mention that, so chalk that one up to speculation.

I guess it never occured to them that they might encounter a Big 'Un right from the git go. Just goes to show just how steep the learning curve was that night.

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

quote:

but the testimony on record doesn't mention that, so chalk that one up to speculation.

Btw, what did Fleet and Hitchens say at the testimonies regarding Smith's response(s) to the ice warnings? This would serve as evidence to prove the test answer wrong and actually formulate the right answer. Still, that would need to be corroborated by the testimonies of the other officers, unless the lying, or "whitewash," to which Jim had referred some time ago rendered such testimony suspect and therefore questionable. Just curious.

Actually, I can look for myself, but I'm not quite sure which pages they're on.

quote:

Just goes to show just how steep the learning curve was that night.

For everyone. Still, that learning did very little good to those who died.​

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Btw, what did Fleet and Hitchens say at the testimonies regarding Smith's response(s) to the ice warnings? <<

Nothing. Fleet, as a lookout, would not be privvy to anything the Captain said, first hand. He got his marching orders from the Officer Of The Watch, and that was all he needed to know. Hichens would not likely be aware of any such either unless a conversation had taken place right in front of him.

Simply put, the Captain rarely explains himself to the troops. He may well do so with his officers, but the troops are seldom privvy to that sort of thing. All they need to know is "These are my orders."

>>This would serve as evidence to prove the test answer wrong and actually formulate the right answer.<<

Since it can be demonstrated that this so-called test is misleading, shallow, and downright wrong in what it regards as the Right Answers, I don't think we need to worry about that.

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

quote:

He got his marching orders from the Officer Of The Watch, and that was all he needed to know. Hichens would not likely be aware of any such either unless a conversation had taken place right in front of him.

Well, I wasn't inferring that the lookouts and QMs did hear directly from the captain, only that they would eventually receive their orders in response to iceberg warnings that they'd have likely heard about either during or after the sinking. Even if the captain hadn't issued orders directly, those orders would still have been passed along to them regardless. The lookouts and QMs, if attentive, would have knowledge of this.

quote:

All they need to know is "These are my orders."

I wasn't talking about reasoning, only content; the directives ordered, if clear, should explain themselves.

Example: "Keep an eye open for growlers and bergy bits, especially at night" need not be explained because the reasons are obvious.

quote:

Since it can be demonstrated that this so-called test is misleading, shallow, and downright wrong in what it regards as the Right Answers, I don't think we need to worry about that.

No argument from me. Exploring the intended question, though, will help come up with a well-developed appropriate answer . . . that is if the awkwardly phrased question is interpreted correctly in the first place.​