The other day in class, my accounting teacher was talking about the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. I obviously knew that it was a big deal, but really had not looked into it to the extent that I felt I should be educated on the topic. This morning I decided to read an article on the disaster to better inform myself. Following my reading of the article, I watched a video of the event. Although the passengers of the Challenger Space Shuttle were aware of the risks that are involved in space travel, they all still decided that they wanted to take part in a mission into space. Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at SeaWorld endured a fatal bite by a killer whale this past week. If the name "killer whale" is not enough for you, I am not sure what would be. Attached are photos of Brancheau with the whale that caused her death. I was very surprised when I looked at photos of her with the whale, Shamu. One that particularly shocked me was the photo above. (There are more on the attached website link.) It appears as if the whale would have just slightly opened their mouth and she would be done.
The Titanic sank, because it was going too fast and could not be stopped in time when the iceberg ("dead ahead") came into view. There is a pretty strong theory that Bruce J. Ismay, chairman and director of the White Star Line, ordered the Captain of the Titanic to speed up in order to make a record time crossing the Atlantic on the night that the Titanic sunk.
Roy Horn, famous Las Vegas magician, was mauled by a Bengal tiger (by the name of Montecore) in 2003 while performing. The seven year old tiger was well trained and had been part of Siegfried & Roy's act for quite some time. However in the end, Montecore was still a wild animal.
What makes people take risks like these? When one looks at the examples that I have provided, it seems rather silly for one to risk his or her life in this manner. Is it fame that is driving people to do these outrageous things? Is it money? Or is it passion for what they love and enjoy? It is definitely something to think about when you or someone you care about is taking a big risk.
Below are the related links:
Challenger Space Shuttle
Dawn Brancheau and Shamu
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-504083_162-10002596-10.html?tag=page
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-504083_162-10002596-10.html?tag=page
Titanic
Roy Horn
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