HMS Polyphemus (1881) HMS Polyphemus (1881) The third HMS "Polyphemus" was a Royal Navy torpedo ram, serving from 1881 until 1903. A shallow-draft, fast, low-profile vessel, she was designed to penetrate enemy harbours at speed and sink anchored ships. Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby primarily as a protected torpedo boat, the ram was provided very much as secondary armament. It has been suggested that H. G. Wells’ fictional HMS "Thunder Child" from his novel "The War of the Worlds" may have been based on this ship, in part because he described "Thunder Child" as an ironclad torpedo ram, and "Polyphemus" was the only ship
Sci-Fi on the Rock highest score is crowned "Ultra Geek". Mark Downey was crowned as the first Sci-Fi on the Rock Ultra Geek on April 1, 2007. Dr. Glyn George, a MUN professor and Doctor Who and Star Trek enthusiast, was crowned on April 20, 2008. He later abdicated his throne, as he became involved in the planning of Sci-Fi on the Rock, retiring from the competition undefeated. Newfoundland's Ultra Geek for 2009, crowned at Sci-Fi on the Rock 3, was Chickie Who. They, too, retired undefeated. Andrew O'Brien was crowned as Newfoundland's fourth Ultra Geek on April 18, 2010. Unlike his predecessors, he