Sudden Gravity Unravelled - First, the Submarine Mystery Question of the Week

Hardly a day goes by lately without a reporter generating a slightly different take on old news --- how some female submariner is making history. Does starting with 19 female selectees making history guarantee all 19 will eventually complete one tour of duty on a submarine? Of course not, and M.E. is not here to quibble about gender trivia, or give odds (16 or 17 will probably complete one full tour).

As usual, M.E. is here to unravel a deeper mystery, whether or not some wish it to be unravelled. Today's mystery is in anticipation of an entirely new risk for the Navy. The risk is also related to female service aboard submarines.

HINT ONE: Since the media will continue to hype the advent of women in sub crews at least until the first 16 report aboard, the Navy is on notice for something else the media will hype relentlessly, if it ever occurs.

HINT TWO: WASHINGTON, 9 June 2010 - Military & Aerospace Electronics - Navy asks for industry ideas on submarine technology, including submarine communication, sonar, and combat systems

U.S. Navy researchers are asking industry for new ideas in submarine technology - particularly involving submarine communication, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), submarine combat systems, and towed array sonar applications.

QUESTION of the WEEK: Why is open solicitation of technological industry news? DARPA formulates new ideas, tests the feasibility of sound concepts and sometimes directs development of successful prototypes. Ask yourself how opening up old cans of worms (requesting concepts that never passed muster with DARPA) could be of possible value now?

M.E.'s Answer: Tomorrow

Submarines are always silent and strange.