"Prof. Orzel gives the impression of an everyday guy who just happens to have a vast but hidden knowledge of physics." (anonymous student evaluation comment)
The miscellaneous ramblings of a physicist at a small liberal arts college. Physics, politics, pop culture, and occasional conversations with his dog.
Stay abreast of your favorite bloggers' latest and greatest via e-mail, via a daily digest.
« Accelerate and Switch | Main | links for 2008-05-11 »
Category: Science • Science Books • Television
Posted on: May 10, 2008 9:22 AM, by Chad Orzel
Via Swans On Tea, I see that Comedy Central has put up the video of George Johnson's appearance on the Colbert Report. Or, I should say, they claim to have put it up-- their video player didn't work worth a damn on my computer.
I saw this on the day-late rerun, and it was hilarious. Not because Johnson is at all witty or amusing-- he's not. But toward the end it turns into an xkcd comic, and achieves a sort of accidental brilliance.
Check it out, if you can get it to play.
Find more posts in: 
Physical Science
(TrackBack URL for this entry: )
YES! Send me a free issue of Seed.
If I like what I see, I'll receive 5 more issues (6 in all) for just $14.95. That's 50% off the cover price! If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll simply write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing. The free issue is mine to keep.
(Non-U.S. subscribers, click here.)
Comments
# 1 | asad | May 10, 2008 11:07 AM
Wow, that was so worth it for those last 20 seconds. I almost spit out my cold pizza breakfast.
# 2 | Uncle Al | May 10, 2008 11:13 AM
http://xkcd.com/242/
There are four final paths. A generic menality learns not to touch the boojum. A religious sot does it regularly and prays for a more benign outcome - test of faith! Enviro-whiners petition to demand more boxes, financed by taxing mandatory touching of this one, lest the phenomenon go extinct. A scientist looks inside the box then builds a better one.
# 3 | Tom | May 10, 2008 11:30 AM
I had trouble with the player, too.
I found another link http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/105782/detail/ which worked a little better for me.
# 4 | CCPhysicist | May 10, 2008 9:38 PM
Saw it live (well, the first time they rolled the tape) and we were just howling through most of it, but especially at the end. I think I need to do that demo next year!
It helps even more that my wife and I both know George.
Let his appearance there be a lesson to anyone who wants to go on those shows: If it takes you a day to hone a nice thought on a subject, Colbert will eat you alive unless you prepare for all possible interpretations of what you are doing.
Like when you demonstrate the Faraday effect by moving a magnet inside of a coil, about 3:30 into that clip. "I've done that."
I also noticed that George never learned to play the camera like the politicians do. He keeps moving between the live audience and Colbert, ignoring the home audience.
# 5 | agm | May 11, 2008 3:50 AM
I laughed so hard I probably woke my roommate.