Britain's Natural Environmental Research Council made a fateful mistake by allowing the internet to vote on a name for its new $287 million research vessel. On Friday, the Ministry officially vetoed the wishes of the 124,000 people who voted for the winning name, "Boaty McBoatface," and instead choose a more "suitable" name: "David Attenborough," a much duller option in honor of the famous naturalist.
But in an attempt to soften the blow, the Research Council announced they weren't scrapping the winning name entirely, The New York Times reports. "We're ensuring that the Boaty name lives on through the sub-sea vehicle that will support the research crew," Science Minister Jo Johnson said.
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