Does this seem fishy (no pun intended) to anyone else?

[Pale Blue Dot]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3335283

Bob Ballard is now claiming that his Titanic excavation in 1985 was actually a super-secret undercover operation for the U.S. Government. Is this more plausible than it sounds, or am I right to be skeptical?

[Deep13]

1. That's entirely feasible.

Doesn't mean it is true, but it is feasible. The Navy has lied before about the purpose of its operations. Cold War underwater surveillance and out-right spying has been well documented. The entire deep-sea resucue vehicle program was just a funding vehicle for underwater espionage. The Thresher and Scorpion in particular have long been the subjects of Naval interests.

[TZ]

2. I think its feasable

I'm sure that weren't the reasons Ballard went, but I'm sure he was MORE than happy to take their money to do what he really wanted. I've heard about this happening that the military gives funding for something and the scientist does the research but also works on their own "projects".

[jberryhill]

3. Ah... the Glomar Explorer....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Glomar_Explorer_(T-AG-193)

The Hughes Glomar Explorer (HGE), as the ship was called at the time, was built between 1973 and 1974, by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., at a cost in excess of $350 million. It set sail on June 20, 1974. Hughes told the media that the ship's purpose was to extract manganese nodules from the ocean floor. This marine geology cover story became surprisingly influential, spurring many others to examine the idea. But in sworn testimony in United States district court proceedings and in appearances before government agencies, Global Marine executives and others associated with the Hughes Glomar Explorer project unanimously maintained that the ship could not be used in any economically viable ocean mineral operation.

[Orrex]

4. I heard that he discovered it while experimenting on the mid-atlantic ridge with a HAARP satellite

And probably some other stuff with the word "quantum" in its name.

[TZ]

5. Don't be silly HAARP had nothing to do with it...

because you know the Titanic didn't REALLY sink..It was abducted by aliens who cleverly left rusting metal behind to cover their tracks....

[Orrex]

6. Damn! I'll bet they're so crafty that only a guy in Denver could ever film them!