NOVA: Why Ships Sink

Computerised bridge simulator.

Credit: Courtesy of Samantha Beddoes

Find out if modern cruise ships are really safe — or if we're on the brink of a 21st century Titanic.

Are you safe aboard a modern cruise ship? Twenty million passengers embark on cruises each year, vacationing in deluxe "floating cities" that offer everything from swimming pools to shopping malls to ice skating rinks. And the ships just keep getting bigger: The average cruise ship has doubled in size in just the last 10 years. Some engineers fear that these towering behemoths are dangerously unstable, and the recent tragedy of the Costa Concordia has raised new questions about their safety. Now, NOVA brings together marine engineering and safety experts to reconstruct the events that led up to famous cruise disasters, including the ill-fated Concordia, the Sea Diamond and the Oceanos. NOVA: Why Ships Sink airs Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV/HD (DT21.1/cable 11 and 1011).

Watch Why Ships Sink Preview on PBS. See more from NOVA.