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This is the country of the author who gave us ship names such as Gunboat Diplomat, You'll Thank Me Later, and (my personal favorite) I Blame Your Mother. You'd

This is the country of the author who gave us ship names such as Gunboat Diplomat, You'll Thank Me Later, and (my personal favorite) I Blame Your Mother. You'd think the NERC would understand that it's all in good fun and would have the grace to use the name chosen by us unwashed masses. I mean, it's irreverent, but it isn't obscene, so who cares?

TheCowboy 11y ago
I wouldn't have thought to bring up Banks, but it's a good point. To think that a lack of gravitas in naming is an indictment of democracy is absolutely ridiculous. I think it's on topic as there are many ships in his books with names referencing a lack of "gravitas". As explained by Banks: "But it was a scathing review of Culture ship-naming policy delivered by another Involved civilisation. They suggested that such enormously powerful and intellectually refined entities ought to have names with a little more gravitas, to reflect their near-god-like status; the immediate and sustained reaction of one of the Culture's ship manufacturies was to name all its subsequent vessels things like: Stood Far Back When The Gravitas Was Handed Out; Gravitas, What Gravitas?; Gravitas... Gravitas... No, Don't Help Me, I'll Get It In A Moment; Gravitas Free Zone; Low Gravitas Warning Signal"
detaro 11y ago
Reusing a Culture ship name would have been a great tribute, now that I think of it :(
- pilsetnieks 11y ago
  At least Musk will do it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_shi...
cpeterso 11y ago
"Culture ship name" was the first thing I thought when I first read about Boaty McBoatface. :)