110 Years on: Why do some still believe the Titanic never sunk?
In the early hours of the morning of April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic disappeared under the calm North Atlantic waters. The calmness of the waters that night had been one of the many elements that had contributed to the tragedy- the stillness had created a mirage-like effect on the water that made it difficult for the lookouts to see the approaching iceberg (not to mention the binoculars were forgotten). Approximately 1500 people died.
Conspiracy theories about historic places, events, and people are nothing new. Simply turn the History channel on at any given time and you're likely to see documentaries claiming ancient aliens built the pyramids (more on that later.)
That’s why I decided to start my new podcast, Quincy and Claire Talk Conspiracy. On the podcast, we discuss and debunk these theories with the help of experts, and our first episode focuses on the unsinkable ship.
Without delving into too much detail (because I naturally I would love for you to listen to the podcast!)- what are some of the theories that have made people believe that the wreck that is sitting at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Canada is not the Titanic, or that it was put there on purpose?
The most classic and probably well-known of the theories is the ‘switch,’ theory. This theory goes that the Titanic was swapped out for its sister ship the Olympic, built by the same line only a few years earlier. The Olympic had sustained damage when she was involved in a crash, and believers in this theory claim that the Olympic (disguised as the Titanic) was sunk on purpose for the insurance money. Talk about unbridled greed.
Once this theory is put under the microscope it quickly falls apart, but that has not stopped people from flocking to this and similar theories, why?
I believe that there is something so random and deeply tragic about the sinking that it would almost be easier to accept that some sinister plot had been in place. It is hard to accept the randomness of life, and that tragedies are often completely random events.
If you are interested in learning more about the ‘switch’ theory and others- and in listening to an interview with maritime history researchers and authors, you can listen to Quincy and Claire Talk Conspiracy wherever you get your podcasts! Next week our episode about the so-called ‘Ancient Aliens’ will be out, a whole can of worms in of itself.
