Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
The Blue Economy points to a supplement in The Guardian about "Cities at Sea". They depict the Lilypad cities in addition to homes that rise and fall with river flood levels in the Netherlands (see story in der Spiegel). One other project, meant for the open ocean, is the Freedom Ship.
Originally designed as a floating city capable of housing up to 60,000 residents, it ran into financial trouble in 2002. 3,000 people had signed up to live aboard in what was advertised to be a
"luxurious "endless retirement cruise", free of taxes and government pressures". But the idea has been reborn as an answer to rising sea levels. Whether any of these often fantastical schemes get beyond the drawing board remains to be seen."Think this sounds like a grand idea? Then check out the residential listings. Or perhaps you want to capitalize on this opportunity of getting thousands of wealthy cruise-ship retirees (or global warming refugees) together in one place and open up a store. Think this might be a tax dodge or an attempt to create a new country? Let founder Norman Nixon put your fears to rest in the FAQ.
I wonder if Freedom Fries will be served on the Freedom Ship? All Aboard!
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Humanities & Social Science
Comments
To be honest, that freedom ship thing looks like it'd make an absolutely superb prison.
Posted by: Ian Tindale | July 21, 2008 12:54 PM
It's a parking garage.
Unless I'm meeting deep throat to exchange inside ocean information, I'll take the lilly pad or the buoy before this thing.
Posted by: Jives | July 21, 2008 1:18 PM
Let's let it get to full occupancy and then sink it.
Posted by: vanderleun | July 21, 2008 1:44 PM
Mother nature may beat you to it. Does anybody know how to make a ship 3 times as long as the largest supertanker, that won't break apart when ocean waves high-center it? For that matter, does anybody know how to maintain public health on a ship that size? Existing cruise ships carrying one-tenth as many passengers sometimes have outbreaks. And four-hour firewalls make it "virtually fireproof"?
Truly, a boring disaster movie waiting to happen.
Posted by: decrepitoldfool | July 21, 2008 2:17 PM
Decrepit Old Fool FTW!
The Lilypads are way more aesthetic, which will be important if we are to live our lives on it! Of course the same sociological and psychological issues from the Lilypad City thread are relevant here as well.
Posted by: kevin z | July 21, 2008 5:29 PM
Anyone else remember this 'Freedom Ship' stuff when watching Wall-E?
Living on the blue-water ocean is a lot like living in the arctic (or antarctic)... there may be some good reasons why a few people need to be out there, but it isn't someplace to move to unless there is a damn good reason to be there.
Posted by: travc | July 21, 2008 5:42 PM
damn good reason = everywhere else is under water
Posted by: Jives | July 21, 2008 5:57 PM
Bad storm?
http://www.freedomship.com/freedomship/news/news.shtml
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Posted by: Ginger | July 22, 2008 11:56 AM
lol, yeah i read that too and thought it was hilarious. I wonder if that financial aide got the same email I got from the Nigerians....
Posted by: kevin z | July 22, 2008 12:12 PM
It looks like a giant parking house on sea.
The designer of this Freedom ship maybe not a naval architecture, I think.
Because he doed not know the grand force of wave on the ocean. In the severe weather condition on the ocean with more than 18m high waves, like the Freedom ship's weak construction must be broken in a moment.
Posted by: C.Y. Hahn | October 17, 2009 6:38 AM