Jeffrey A. Karson, professor emeritus of Earth and environmental sciences, was quoted by several leading news outlets, including the Daily Mail and The Mirror regarding newly released audio of the rhythmic knocking noises that some believed could be those aboard the Titan submersible. Five men disappeared last June as they traveled to the floor of the Atlantic to see the wreck of the Titanic. Late into the second day of searching for the missing sub, reports emerged that banging noises were detected in 30-minute intervals deep under the ocean.

Karson, who has extensive experience using submarines for seafloor investigations in his research, noted that beliefs that the sounds could be from the missing crew were likely to be 'wishful thinking.' It was later discovered that the Titan had collapsed instantaneously under immense water pressure, resulting in the loss of all lives on board. The audio of the banging sounds was featured in a new documentary titled "The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute."