Editing 2935: Ocean Loop

{{comic
| number    = 2935
| date      = May 20, 2024
| title     = Ocean Loop
| image     = ocean_loop_2x.png
| imagesize = 317x286px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = I can't believe they wouldn't even let me hold a vote among the passengers about whether to try the loop.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a GULF STREAM JET - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Upon hearing the term "ocean loop", many people think of horizontal {{w|ocean gyres}} or {{w|ocean currents}}. This comic illustrated a vertical, rather than horizontal, ocean loop.

The comic shows a large construction, rising out of the sea to dwarf a nearby cruise ship. It involves a submerged water-jet sending water up out of the surface and round a rollercoaster-loop-like water-flume trough. The scale is such that it seems that the ship, once caught in the necessarily powerful stream of water, is intended to be in turn propelled around the inverting loop before 'safely' exiting at the other side.

Apart from various other issues regarding {{what if|43|large "loop-the-loop"s}}, the stream of water required to maintain this setup would be {{w|Entrainment (hydrodynamics)|acting upon the nearby water}} and so the nearby ship is probably already close enough to be drawn into the loop (with the best option left being to deliberately steer into it, rather than risk being swept uncontrollably into the structure), assuming that it isn't already caught in the tug of the water-jet's inward flow.

Even assuming a 'successful' loop (the stresses, and rotation, inflicted by the loop are likely beyond the design limits of such a vessel), the emergence back into the ''relatively'' calm and stationary waters beyond the exiting outflow would be a severe challenge to navigation. On the positive side, due to the nature of buoyancy, if the loop structure itself is capable of withstanding the force of the water being forced round it then it ''should'' be equally capable of withstanding the passage of the ship, unlike an impromptu rail-based loop which might stand up on its own but then shake itself apart when the first carriage is sent around it.
 
Not only would there be problems for the engineers, ship and navigators, the "ride" wouldn't be pleasent for the passengers of the ship in any way. Many of the passangers would suffer extreme injuries and/or likely fall off the ship all together (unlike {{w|rollercoasters}} the passengers aren't strapped down). Because of the way the loop's designed, several hundreds (if not thousands) of tons of water is being launched onto the top of the cruise ship at a high speed. Needless to say, this would not only likely capsize the ship, but would also flatten any passenger on the deck. Not only that but any passengers on the inside would fall anywhere from ten to two hundred feet when the ship flipped upside down. That isn't taking in the fact that forks and knives would go flying, as would breakable glass, (flammable) alcohol, any personal possestions unsecured, and many other dangours objects.

The bottom text, "I don't know why the cruise line fired me", implies that Randall either suggested or implemented this idea, much to the dismay of his company.

The title text suggests that the not only are those in charge of the ship skeptical about sailing into this loop, but that they are worried that opening the decision-making process to the passengers might favour the risk over (well-founded) reason.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}


[A cruise ship aproaches an enormous loop-de-loop flume. A large jet of water is being propeled into the loop-de-loop]

[Caption below the panel:]

I don't know why the cruise line fired me

==Trivia==
* '''This trivia section was created by a BOT'''
* The [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/ocean_loop.png standard size] image was uploaded with a resolution/size larger than the supposed 2x version.
* This may have been an error.
* At the time of posting, the image was ''huge'', 4760 x 4295 pixels.

{{comic discussion}}