Last Call For The Collectively Named Love Boat

Democracy in action is sometimes...awesome.

When the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) spent millions of dollars outfitting a boat for latest in polar research technology, someone got the bright idea: What if we let the Internet vote on the name of the ship? 

"Ton-for-ton, the ship—together with NERC's existing two blue water research ships—will provide the UK with the most advanced floating research fleet in the world and will help put the UK at the forefront of ocean research for years to come," said the NERC in a statement. "We're looking for an inspirational name that exemplifies the work it will do. The ship could be named after a local historical figure, movement, or landmark—or a famous polar explorer or scientist."

The Internet being The Internet, you can imagine what happened next.

The internet was glad to help, offering up names like "Usain Bolt," "Ice Ice Baby," and "Notthetitanic." The ultimate winner? The RMS Boaty McBoatface.

Of course, there's no guarantee the ship will actually set sail under that moniker. The NERC gets ultimate say about what the ship is named. But the orgnization don't go with RMS Boaty McBoatface, it's missing the chance to make the future of naval exploration much, much funnier.

I for one think the RMS Boaty McBoatface needs to happen simply as a warning to other people not to let The Internet be allowed to name things.

Ever.

(It's still funny though.)