the rv flip looks like it might be an april fool , but it as been working hard for more than 50 years .
the 355-foot vessel can flip 90 degrees in 20 minutes allowing researchers a unique opportunity to study the ocean .
the vessel does not have its own form or propulsion and relies on tugs to tow it to the area of study .
the rv flip was commissioned in 1962 and can sit still in heavy seas with more than 300 feet beneath the waves .