The interior of the SS Bessemer with the gimballed passenger cabin. Source: J R Brown / Public Domain.

The SS Bessemer: the Worst Idea in Nautical History?

This is a story about an inventor and his invention. It is the story of striving to create something new and innovation in problem solving. It is also, perhaps more than anything, a story of failure. It is the story of a brilliant man trying to solve a longstanding problem. It is the story of

The end of the Dancing Mouse: The USS Edsall sinks, as captured by the attacking Japanese task force. Source: US Naval History and Heritage Command / Public Domain.

The Dancing Mouse: USS Edsall Wreck Rediscovered After 80 Years

It is March, 1942, and the US is reeling from the Japanese surprise attack on her surface fleet at Pearl Harbor three months before. A lone, Clemson-class destroyer, the USS Edsall, crosses the Indian Ocean headed for Tjilatjap, the only deep-water port on the island of Java. The Edsall is far from cutting edge. Launched

The brand new NS Savannah in 1962. Source: US Government / Public Domain.

The NS Savannah and the Brave New World of Nuclear Shipping

Nuclear power is perhaps one of the most divisive inventions in history. Its advocates point to almost unlimited energy with minimal pollution and waste, providing power for an ever-more power hungry world. Of course this is only one part of the story, and its detractors would equally point to the equally unlimited damage which can