Questions swirl around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse after the so-called black box stopped working for two minutes.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently recovered the voyage data recorder, commonly called the “black box,” from the DALI cargo ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The findings, disclosed in a press conference led by NTSB investigator Marcel Muise, show investigators recovered nearly six hours of data from midnight to 6 a.m. was retrieved.
Aside from voice recordings and radio transmissions obscured by background noise, the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) sensor data ceased recording for two minutes before the collision. Muise clarified that while the sensor data recording halted, the audio feed persisted, albeit on a redundant power source.
The resumption of sensor data recording coincided with the issuance of steering commands and rudder adjustments by the ship’s pilot, further deepening the enigma surrounding the incident. The ship’s pilot urgently dispatched radio calls for tug assistance and reported a complete power outage aboard the DALI, causing Maryland Transportation Authority units to shut down traffic lanes on the bridge in response to the impending crisis.
As investigators delve into the sequence of events, concerns about the missing two minutes of crucial data from the black box. The void, containing the ship’s speed, engine RPM, and course trajectory, amplifies suspicions of potential foul play.
Moreover, observers, including specialists in various fields ranging from predictive behavioral analytics to counter-terrorism, suggest the possibility of orchestrated operations looking for vulnerabilities in the U.S. infrastructure, setting the groundwork for future disruptive events.
The idea of behavior and possible acts of terrorism become more focused when the nationality of the unnamed shipmaster is Ukrainian. With the identity also being kept from public scrutiny, speculation is ramping up regarding background, experience, and blame, not to mention the geopolitical tensions and heightened scrutiny of foreign actors operating within U.S. waters becoming a concern.
Driving the matter further down the “rabbit hole” are the tactics used by legacy media designed to obfuscate the truth and manipulate public perception.
One of the strategies employed is the deliberate introduction of engineered complexity. By inundating the public with nonsensical variables and extraneous information, malevolent actors seek to sow confusion and divert attention from the crux of the matter, overwhelming the cognitive faculties and making it nearly impossible to discern what is true among the flood of misinformation.
Another ploy involves reframing the narrative by focusing on inconsequential details. By diverting attention away from the central issues at hand and fixating on tangential elements, manipulators seek to distort perceptions and sow doubt by capitalizing on cognitive biases and human susceptibility to suggestion, leading the unwitting into a labyrinth of misinformation and half-truths.
Common sense, skepticism, and critical thinking are bulwarks against manipulation in the information warfare arena. Recognizing this, adversaries employ sophisticated techniques to circumvent these defenses, leveraging psychological insights to create cognitive overload. By inundating individuals with a barrage of conflicting information and manufactured doubt, malevolent actors aim to erode trust in established truths and institutions, leaving populations vulnerable to manipulation.
Finally, a cornerstone of information warfare is cultivating doubt and uncertainty. Adversaries exploit cognitive vulnerabilities by inundating individuals with conflicting narratives and contradictory evidence.
The inundation of variance creates cognitive dissonance, leading to self-doubt and undermining confidence in perception, destabilizing societal cohesion.