At one point in the novel Slapstick, by Kurt Vonnegut, the force of gravity on the Earth suddenly "increased tremendously." As a result, "...elevator cables were snapping, airplanes were crashing, ships were sinking, motor vehicles were breaking their axles, bridges were collapsing, and on and on."
Would a ship really sink if the force of gravity were increased? Explain your answer using the laws of fluids and principles presented in the reading for this unit.