Coolest Billionaire Of The Day: Today, Sir Richard Branson has announced his plans for Virgin Oceanic, a team up that combines the talents of Google, American explorer, pilot, and sailor Chris Welsh, and submarine designer Graham Hawkes. Their combined mission is to uncover “the last frontiers of our own Blue Planet: the very bottom of our seas.”
Using deep sea submarines piloted by Branson, Welsh will complete five dives in two years, including a record breaking 36,201ft walk at the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Google will be tasked with chronicling their findings.
The submarine that will be deployed was originally commissioned by billionaire adventurer and dear friend of Sir Branson, Steve Fossett, who died tragically in a plane crash before his dream could be realized.
Branson said of his launch of Virgin Oceanic:
“What if I were to tell you about a planet, inhabited by ‘intelligent’ beings that had, in the 21st Century, physically explored 0% of its deepest points and mapped only 3% of its oceans by unmanned craft, when 70% of that planet’s surface was made up of water. Then I tried to convince you that only 10% of the life forms inhabiting that unknown world, are known to those on the surface – you’d think I’d fallen asleep watching the latest sci-fi blockbuster!”
Um, guess Sir Richard hasn’t seen Sphere. On second thought, maybe he shouldn’t….
[via Boing Boing]
