Read Titanic for Free Online Page B

participants hope it creates a “virtual”
Titanic
for scientists and nonscientists alike tostudy.
    In late 2011, as artifacts began to dot the map, scientists began to get a clearer picture of how every item came to rest on the ocean floor. The stern and its debris field particularly intrigued them. Previous visits had only haphazardly documented the stern, which is not only less visually appealing than the bow but also dangerous for submersibles to approach because of a rat’s nest of fallen cables and cranes that could ensnare the unwary.
    â€œNo one had really gone into that area since 1986,” Woods Hole imaging expert William Lange told the federal court.
    Lange said the map doesn’t represent the classic narrative of how a ship breaks apart and sinks, in which “the heavy pieces are at one end and the lighter pieces at the other, and it is a gradual comet trail type of debris trail.” Instead, he said, the images present a much more complicated pattern.
    That pattern may hold the key to learning how
Titanic
really sank. It may lead to greater understanding of other important shipwrecks.
    The completed map also will serve as a baseline for tracking changes at the site as the shipwreck slowly deteriorates from microorganisms consuming its hull and deck plates. And that will help experts care for the site as an archaeological treasure, ensuring that the wreck of
Titanic
receives proper management for many years to come.

Dr. Michael S. Sweeney is a professor at Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, where he serves as director of the graduate program and teaches print journalism courses.
    He has written a variety of books for National Geographic Books, including
God Grew Tired of Us, Brain: The Complete Mind
, and
BrainWorks
. He also has published academically on the history of wartime journalism, and particularly on the methods and effectiveness of censorship in wartime. His first book,
Secrets of Victory
, about the American Office of Censorship in World War II, was named book of the year for 2001 by the American Journalism Historians Association.
    He is associate editor of
Journalism History
, a quarterly academic journal published at the Scripps School.
    Dr. Sweeney received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, his master’s from the University of North Texas, and his Ph.D. from Ohio University.
    He lives in Athens, Ohio, with his wife, Carolyn.
    (Author photo by Carolyn Sweeney)

A LSO BY THE AUTHOR:
    Secrets of Victory: The Office of Censorship and the
American Press and Radio in World War II
    From the Front: The Story of War Featuring
Correspondents’ Chronicles
    On the Move: Transportation and the American Story
Return to Titanic
    The Military and the Press: An Uneasy Truce
    (Medill School of Journalism Visions of the American Press)
    God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir
    Last Unspoiled Place: Exploring Utah’s Logan Canyon
    Peace: The Biography of a Symbol
    National Geographic Complete Survival Manual
    Brain: The Complete Mind: How It Develops, How It Works, and How to Keep It Sharp
    Dog Tips From DogTown:

A Relationship Manual for You and Your Dog
    Brainworks: The Mind-bending Science of How You See, What You Think, and Who You Are

Discover More NG shorts
    Quick Takes on Hot Topics for Today’s Busy Ebook Readers

    AVAILABLE WHEREVER EBOOKS ARE SOLD
Find us on facebook.com/NatGeoBooks

DIVE DEEPER INTO THE SECRETS OF THE WORLD'S MOST TRAGIC SHIPWRECK
    With the National Geographic Channel, Magazines, Books, Maps, DVDs, Games, Teaching Tools, and More
    www.natgeotv.com/titanic