Seven miles beneath the waves

[naomi24]

In a specially designed craft, James Cameron recently completed a descent to the sea bed in the deepest part of the ocean. This was the second such expedition to be undertaken, and Richard Branson is now planning a third.

As a recreational scuba diver, I find the undersea world beautiful and, indeed, fascinating, and I'm all for exploration of the unknown, but I simply couldn’t do what these people do. I’d be terrified! It would be far too much water above my head for comfort.

Would you do it?

[naomi24]

JJ, my husband goes to Weymouth occasionally - and to Wittering and Littlehampton. Me? The Red Sea or the Caribbean. ;o)

[emmie]

i suffer from acute claustrophobia, so neither option would work for me, either being stuck in a tiny plane on the edges of space, or deep into the ocean, that would be like seeing into one's coffin, no thanks.

[joggerjayne]

The Red Sea and the Caribbean are both lovely ... in a different way.

There are some great dive trips out of the Old Harbour at Weymouth.

Thought for the day ...

Which ocean has part of it's sea bed closest to the centre of the Earth ??

(not as obvious as you might think)

[joggerjayne]

(sorry about the stray apostrophe!)

[naomi24]

Don't know. Tell me.

[joggerjayne]

no

=0)

[naomi24]

Rat! :o)

[RATTER15]

Pacific Ocean, Marianas trench?

[nescio]

Arctic Ocean ?

[joggerjayne]

Well, apparently the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is closer to the centre of the Earth than the Mariana Trench.

You probably know that the Earth os not spherical. It's a bit flat. The Poles are about 16 miles closer to the core than the Equator is.

As a result, the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is about 8 miles closer to the centre of the Earth than any point in the Pacific.

[Kiki-frog]

No, I'd be too scared. For the same reason that I won't use Eurostar.

[joggerjayne]

The prize ... bottle of cheap wine with a ribbon tied round the neck ...

... goes to nescio.

[nescio]

Thanks JJ.

OK, the opposite question now:

what point on the Earth's surface is furthest from the centre ?

By the way, it is NOT the summit of Mt. Everest

[joggerjayne]

Eurostar?

Mariana Trench?

Similar principle, I suppose.

[RATTER15]

JJ, you are correct, I just Googled it, I stand corrected. Dammit!

[joggerjayne]

nescio ... logically, it must be somewhere near the Equator.

I'm thinking ... Africa?

Kilimanjaro?

[joggerjayne]

"JJ, you are correct"

natch!

LOL

[naomi24]

Go on nescio - tell us. Errr... by the way, I like red wine. Any chance of sharing? Nudge, nudge.....

Love Eurostar.

[nescio]

Not yet.
You'll have to keep guessing.

[joggerjayne]

I'll have to see it the corner shop can exchange this bottle of Blue Nun for a red wine, then.

I bought it in 1984, so the shop might've changed hands, but I can always ask.