What I Learned from Netflix’s “Titan” Documentary – and the 2023 Submarine Tragedy
When Netflix released its documentary on the 2023 Titan submersible disaster, it wasn’t just the speed of production that caught audiences off guard. The film stood out for its rich archival footage and intimate, real-time feel — as though viewers were witnessing the tragedy unfold alongside those involved.
Yet beyond the visuals, Titan compels viewers to reflect on broader themes: innovation, ego, authority, and the fine line between ambition and recklessness.
A Tragic Dive into the Depths
At the heart of the Titan story is Stockton Rush, founder of OceanGate, who sought to revolutionise deep-sea exploration. Dismissing safety standards and defying regulatory norms, Rush built a submersible from carbon fibre instead of the conventional titanium — operated not by sophisticated systems, but by a modified gaming controller.
In the summer of 2023, he took four passengers — including a British billionaire and his teenage son — on a dive to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Hours after launch, communication was lost. Days later, the vessel was confirmed destroyed, with all lives lost.
Lesson One: Innovation Must Be Grounded in Responsibility
Rush’s approach — sell adventure, ignore warnings — mirrors the rhetoric of certain modern disruptors. He managed to convince wealthy clients to pay hundreds of thousands for a ride in an uncertified vessel, buoyed by personal charisma and the promise of trailblazing glory.
This echoes the path of tech moguls like Elon Musk, whose ventures — from SpaceX’s Starship to Neuralink — often challenge regulatory oversight, brushing aside the FAA or FDA under the guise of “moving fast and breaking things”. In politics, the parallel is Donald Trump, who frequently undermines institutions and treats laws as optional.
Progress is essential. But when innovation discards accountability, disaster follows.
Lesson Two: Charisma Without Credibility Can Kill
The film shows Rush dismissing concerns from passengers — even mocking their fear — while essentially treating them as live test subjects. No simulations. No trial runs.
Likewise, Musk implanted Neuralink chips in humans amid ongoing safety concerns and murky ethics. Trump, during the COVID-19 crisis, famously mused about injecting disinfectants — a chilling example of how reckless ideas, when backed by influence, can have deadly consequences.
Lesson Three: Human Lives Are Not Testing Grounds
No visionary — no matter how brilliant — has the right to treat others as expendable for the sake of ambition.
This leads to a sobering truth: There is a razor-thin line between visionary ambition and destructive ego.
Rush saw himself as a pioneer who would redefine ocean exploration. Instead, he led his passengers to a tragic end.
Musk dreams of colonising Mars — but is this for humanity, or a personal empire?
Trump brands himself a saviour, yet his divisive rhetoric fractures American society at its core.
Big dreams are not the problem. The danger lies in shielding them from scrutiny, exalting individuals above systems, and confusing leadership with infallibility.
The Titan disaster is more than a tale from the deep. It is a global cautionary tale — a warning against the cult of the “hero genius” who believes he is above science, above regulation, and above consequence.
Whether we’re plumbing ocean depths, reaching for Mars, or navigating the halls of power — one principle must remain sacred: accountability.
Without it, ambition becomes a weapon.
And lives — whether at sea, in tech labs, or in the voting booth — become the collateral.
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