NOVA: Why Ships Sink

Airs Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV

Computerised bridge simulator from NOVA's "Why Ships Sink."

Credit: Courtesy of Samantha Beddoes

Above: Computerised bridge simulator from NOVA's "Why Ships Sink."

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Are you safe aboard a modern cruise ship? Twenty million passengers embark on cruises each year, vacationing in deluxe "floating cities" that offer everything from swimming pools to shopping malls to ice skating rinks. And the ships just keep getting bigger: The average cruise ship has doubled in size in just the last 10 years.

High angle shot of ship architectural model submerged in water tank.

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Credit: Courtesy of Samantha Beddoes

Above: High angle shot of ship architectural model submerged in water tank.

Some engineers fear that these towering behemoths are dangerously unstable, and the recent tragedy of the Costa Concordia has raised new questions about their safety.

In "Why Ships Sink," NOVA brings together marine engineering and safety experts to reconstruct the events that led up to famous cruise disasters, including the ill-fated Concordia, the Sea Diamond and the Oceanos. Are we really safe at sea — or are we on the brink of a 21st century Titanic?

NOVA is on Facebook, and you can follow @novapbs on Twitter.

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Preview: NOVA: Why Ships Sink

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Above: NOVA brings together marine engineering and safety experts to reconstruct the events that led up to famous cruise disasters, including the ill-fated Concordia, the Sea Diamond and the Oceanos. Are we really safe at sea — or are we on the brink of a 21st century Titanic?

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