Nuclear Submarine Deep Dive - Behind the Scenes - PATRON EXCLUSIVE -

@Destin, I missed the live stream but just watched the video and WOW was it great. Thanks for producing such great educational content.

Ryan Fiorini

I was hoping we'd find out about this on the stream. Destin, are you allowed to answer this question here?

Austin Burnham

I missed the livestream but watched the video later. I wanted to ask about the water leak thing though. I've seen this in submarine films and assumed it was just a trope, I'm surprised to see that they actually have clamps for pipes - how many sea-pressure pipes do they actually have running through there, and why? I assumed the pipes running through the populated areas of the ship are carrying low-pressure water for HVAC, sinks, toilets, etc. Do they have any equipment to plug a leak in the hull?

Matt Blank

My Dad was on a '688 in the early to mid 90s and my younger brother just graduated from NNPTC this previous weekend.

Brady OBrien

Did anybody tell you what a 'Trim Party' was, what they used to do for Bluenose ceremonies, or what other shenanigans bored submariners get up to?

Brady OBrien

My question: why do they play the telephone game with every instruction? The CO says something, then it seems like 3 or 4 other people say the same thing before anybody does any work. This was especially apparent in the last video when surfacing.

I read the book a few weeks ago through audible, it is such an interesting read! Recommended as part of my transition to accompany teams to perform better and self organize. This is super interesting even to raise kids! Superb suggestion.

Tibo

As an Australian freeloading off the US's massive military might for global stability and protection, how do you feel the US is prepared against a skirmish against China? I have been watching Aaron's sub brief videos, some of the weapons out there are truly terrifying (Russia's Status-6 for example.) I sincerely hope we never get to find out.

Adrian Levi

Have you read "Turn The Ship Around" - is a book by a former US Navy Sub Commander - about a few topics, like his transition from a being a captain trying to give better orders so the boat performs better, to one with a crew with initiative and experience and authority to know what needs to be done, so they can explain plans to the captain, and all he needs to say then is "Very Well" which echoes with what the Toledo's captain said in the last video, but possibly wasn't / isn't the standard doctrine for ship command in the navy? (if you've not read it, or if you have, could be another good read for NDQ book club - has an audible version)

Martin Hill

How did you prepare for your time on the USS Toledo? What submarine systems did you study in advance? Which systems were a total or pleasant surprise to learn about? Thanks for the chance to learn about your learning process!

They touched on communications with the "outside world" briefly at times, but would be interested in more info on both official communications and personal by the crew. Does the whole crew have access to email with family/friends while in port? I think it was Popular Science years ago had an article on Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) system that was going to be used to communicate with submarines. It was interesting in that the "antenna" was somehow determined to be placed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to work properly. Just interested in communications, in general. Thanks.

I want to know all about the process they used to vet you. Did you have an existing DOD clearance from your time as a contractor for the army that they were able to transfer, and then brief you and get you to sign an NDA? Having worked in a classified environment, I'm guessing you would have had to have an existing Secret or TS clearance to be allowed around that information. I'm not sure if this would be interesting to others, but that's the question that was floating around in my head the whole time. Maybe you're not even allowed to talk about it.

Austin Burnham

Sounds great! I'll have to watch the video on the second channel later though, as it's at 2am in the morning here in Germany...

David Sallge

A couple questions: - Did you have any ideas and/or assumptions about submarine life/work prior to this that were confirmed or squashed as a result of the ride along? If so, what were they? - Assuming you can discuss at any level (don't want any OPSEC violations), what other topics did you learn about that you didn't do a video on?

Not sure I can make the livestream due to it being in the middle of night here in Sweden. 😅 But what was your biggest 'aha' moment while onbord the USS Toledo?

Sorry. Can't make this one. I have church on Wednesdays. My question: How disorienting was it to have the sub move (pitch, roll, accelerate, etc.) with no visual point of reference. Is seasickness better or worse on a sub?

Trint Ladd

Very cool that you're doing this. Thanks Destin!

Arnau

I doubt the 'censorship' process was two way. More like give me all you video and we will release what you can use. Everything else gets deleted. I'll bet they had the right to review the final cut before it was released too. How close is that to reality Dustin?

Richard Burgan

my question (since I can't do the live stream): how much of a pain was it to get your footage through the censor? was there a lot of back and forth? did they cut stuff you wanted to use? did you find it a challenge to tell the story you wanted to tell given the necessary compromises you had to make with respect to the required censorship?

V.E. Griffith

Were ale to get any realtime feedback about the content of your videos? I noticed especially in the last episode when breaking though the ice you were very intentionally keeping the camera angle low. Was the editing an iterative process with the Navy?

I'll have to catch the video after due to prior plans sadly. Also, anything I would want to ask about is absolutely classified. Dad used to work for a lab that worked for the navy, specifically on the reactors. Thanks to Dads job we got to go watch a sub being launched from Groton, and I got to see the Uss Seawolf being built...

Clifton Ballad

What did it smell like in the sub

From "https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/ielapa.980504618" "Thermal Transfer to Surrounding Seawater. Conventional and nuclear submarines draw in substantial quantities of seawater specifically for the purpose of cooling. In the case of a nuclear submarine producing about 190 MW of useful power, about 188 MW of heat energy is released into the ocean. While this appears to be massive, heat transfer calculations reveal that at a speed of about five knots, the temperature immediately behind the submarine only rises by about 0.2 degrees Celsius. This temperature differential will diminish rapidly as the submarine moves further away. In addition, this slightly warmer water, as it rises to the surface could, depending on the depth it was generated, eventually encounter water of the same density at which point it will rise no further and therefore not be detectable on the surface."

This is super neat and something I hope I can catch, I have some decent experience with streaming so if you'd like to reach out I'd be happy to help. Main points are test everything beforehand in a recording, OBS is arguably the best software to stream from, remember that YouTube doesn't start the stream until you hit start in the YouTube stream page, and have a second monitor to see chat ideally.

gidooo

But now my question about submarines! I don't recall any discussion of heat signature? I would think a nuclear powered sub would have a real challenge hiding it thermal footprint. Is that something you can discuss or is that off the table as "classified"?

Steven Kershaw

Destin, my question is not so much specific to the deep dive but rather your personal bigger picture of balancing your faith and your work. I understood you "quit" working for the military in a direct or subcontractor line of employment and I applaud you for making those hard choices. I also understand your fascination with all things science including that which is connected to national defense as is the case in this series of videos. Do you still feel you are running a gaunlet attempting to present the science and the understandings behind it and you naysayers who chastize you for having any connection with the military?

Steven Kershaw

Is the hull manufacturer process similar at all to a Delta IV heavy? How thin or thick is the hull of a sub?

James Heuberger

What did you learn by being there and talking with the crew that you thought you already had a good grip on before you got there?

What did you learn during this series that wasn't part of the main subject? For example learning how to deal with cold weather better, video/audio recording in small spaces

Preston McElravy (mac)

this was obviously right before covid (i think you even mention it in the first video). well, what happened after you got out? "surprize"?

You bring independent modern eyes to an agency that is historically slow to change. Did you see any repetitive mindless tasks that should be fixed to recover valuable sailor time? Are there things that obviously need an infusion of technology? I work for the right people to make that happen.

Gary Huntress

I can't think of anything specific to ask about making this video series but I did come up with two that are about the aftereffects of this series. Did this video series bring out any new weird and wondrous contacts and/or video topic offers that you're exited about and/or would've though impossible before? (Yes/No answer is fine unless you're cool sharing something in public. *winkyface*) Do you personally now feel more confident in your ability to accept seemingly impossible video projects? I mean this one was WAY out there. Extreme weather, extreme timeline at the location, extreme traveling, extreme considerations about the video material and A LOT of new people to organize everything with. Basically everything must've been harder than would be "typical".

Petja Hartikainen

I'll be probably asleep then but I'll watch it first thing in the morning. Current mechanical engineering classes leave no space for late nights, but that's okay

Alexander Scheeben