Balance in the Universe: Taijitu

For the past few weeks, I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about the concept of "balance" in the universe. Along the way, I have reviewed some of my earlier readings about Taoism generally and the idea of yin yang specifically.

While I continue honing my beliefs on this topic (likely a life-long effort), I thought posting the Taijitu here might promote ongoing reflection. Over the years, I have spent countless hours just staring at this symbol, and each time something new seems to grab me. I find it amazing that such a simple image can generate so much thought and analysis!

Whitney Houston's death

On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston died. That was less than a week ago, and I'm still thinking about it. Why? I'm not sure. Celebrity deaths rarely affect me, but for some reason this one did.

Perhaps it was because she was such a icon during the 1980's, my formative teen-age years? Perhaps it was because I never got tired of being blown away by her voice? So much range, power, control, and beauty. She had a "big voice" years before anyone even thought a voice could get that big. Absolutely amazing.

Or perhaps her death hit me so hard because of her acting debut in the 1992 film, The Bodyguard, with Kevin Costner? The movie was OK, her acting was really good, and her singing was expectedly stellar. However, what hit home with me was Costner's character, Frank Farmer. I wanted to be Frank. I wanted to be a Protector. Something about that profession called to my base instinct to protect others.

A couple of years prior, I had read a book called The Fifth Profession by David Morrell. The main characters were also professional protectors, and I was hooked then. I wanted to be a Protector. Years later I joined the U.S. Marine Corps to protect our country. Now I would give anything to protect my family. That base instinct is still there. But Whitney is not. At least I will always have Rachel Marin. And Frank Farmer.

Here is Kevin Costner's wonderful eulogy at her funeral:

Deepest-Diving Submarines in the World

When I co-founded OceanGate in 2009, my partner and I wanted to create a business that helped "expand humanity's understanding of the world's oceans" ... by using manned submersibles ("submarines") to support ocean exploration and marine research. One of the most common questions I get is "How deep can submarines go?"

Well, the deepest part of the world's oceans lies approximately 11,000 meters underwater. The Challenger Deep region of the Mariana Trench in the South Pacific is such a deep canyon that you could place Mt. Everest inside and still have 1.5 miles of water above the peak. Only two human beings have ever been to this remote location: Swiss oceanographer and engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh made the descent on January 23, 1960. No one has been back since (although there are currently a few individual efforts underway to do so).

In fact, the deepest diving (non-military) manned submersibles in the world reach just about half that depth (which still gives humans access to roughly 98% of the world's oceans). There are currently only 6 submarines in the world capable of reaching these extreme depths, and they are operated by 5 national governments. Hopefully, this will change in the near future (with OceanGate playing a key role), but until then here is the line-up:

Alvin -- 4,500 meters -- United States

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Nautile -- 6,000 meters -- France

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Mir I & Mir II -- 6,000 meters -- Russia

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Shinkai 6500 -- 6,500 meters -- Japan

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Jiaolong -- 7,000 meters -- China

No Time On Our Side

One of the most common questions we get about our submarine, Antipodes, is this: how long can you survive in case of an emergency?

As with most submarines, especially those with similar A+1 safety classifications from the American Bureau of Shipping, the answer is 72 hours, or roughly 3 days. (Actually, the technically correct answer is 360 man-hours, so 72 hours is at our full complement of 5 people.) Of course, it is difficult for me to imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a small submersible with four other people for three days ... the whole time waiting to be rescued.

In 1973, two submarine pilots had the misfortune of living through this exact experience. At the end of an exhausting 9-hour mission 150 miles off the coast of Cork, Ireland, the Pisces III submarine became disabled and sank to the ocean floor at 480 meters (1,575 feet), trapping pilots Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson with no way out. They waited on the sea bottom for over 3 days while a massive global rescue effort took place with the entire world watching and holding its collective breath. Much like the Apollo 13 mission three years prior, it was a life-and-death struggle where hundreds of professionals worked feverishly to bring home safely two brave men from an immensely hostile environment. The outcome was a testament to the courage of the trapped pilots, but an even stronger affirmation of the ingenuity, resolve, and teamwork of the many people who made possible the successful recovery of the sub and crew.

Chapman later wrote a gripping book about the ordeal, and he appropriately entitled it No Time On Our Side. I think about this story every time I get in our sub, and I have made it required reading for all of our pilots and crew. I hope that someday someone will turn this into a major motion picture and associated documentary, because it is a dramatic human story that should be shared with a global audience and new generation of explorers.

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