Science Friday on Saturday

Last night’s Talk of the Nation topic was delightfully-surprisingly apropos: Oceans! (My trip to Seattle was for visiting the oceanographers and marine geologists, not the earth science department as you might have supposed.) For those of you too lazy to listen to the program, here’s a summary:

Ira Flatow: So the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released a fabulous report, and the Bush Administration said nice things about it.
Admiral Richard West: Why yes, it was fabulous, and the administrative response appeared unusually reality-based.
IF: So how’s the funding situation, then?
RW: Worst. Budget. EVAR.
IF: Let me list some of the oceanographic research-funding agencies that have experienced budget cuts lately.
RW: Here are some more.
IF: What about these other initiatives, have they been funded?
RW: No. By the way, our research fleet is going to explode in three to five years. Not only will the ships not be replaced, the explosions will kill any graduate students on board.
Me: OH TEH NOES!!!1!

Musical Interlude

IF: My next guest is Dr. Deborah Kelley, Associate Professor of Oceanography at the University of Washington.
Me: Squeeee! [So I left the visit feeling like regardless of my nominal advisor, I could easily end up as the transgenic (transmemic?) intellectual love child of almost the whole marine geology department, including Dr. Kelley.]
IF: OMG these new hydrothermal vents are teh sexay!!1!
DK: Doooooood!
IF: No seriously, how sexy is this?
DK: pH 11, yo. Think about it.

Musical Interlude

IF: Blah blah biology.
Dr. Douglas Bartlett: Blah blah blah biochemistry. Blah blah blah.

Comments

  1. Sabine wrote:

    That was great! But I don’t get the meaning of “OH TEH NOES!!!1!”…

  2. yami wrote:

    It’s some kind of slang thing

  3. Sabine wrote:

    Thanks, I’ll have to remember that one. I’ll try it like, “Ohhh noes, you stepped on my toes!!!”

  4. Rana wrote:

    *giggling*
    I heard that one — perfect re-enactment! Tha best ev-ah!

  5. yami wrote:

    I do feel bad about leaving out the callers, they were funny too:
    Caller: Isn’t this ocean stuff just a conspiracy?
    RW: What? You’re insane.
    IF: No. Thank you for calling.
    Caller: Irrelevant gibberish climatology?
    IF: IGNORANT FOOL! You have shamed the family of contributors at your local public radio station! Thank you for calling.

  6. Ms Bookish wrote:

    Liek TOTES kool.

  7. Ira Flatow wrote:

    Wow! I must be in a parallel universe, since this transcript doesn’t sound at all like my recollection of my conversations. For example, I would never say “teh sexay.” I would say “the new hotness,” or something that an old geezer like me might speak. I’m sort of a “far out” or “cool, man” guy. You know, “hep to the jive” or “right on!” I’ve even been know to say “wow” now and then.
    It’s good to know that someone like you is translating my dinosauric language. “Wowee Zowee.” You’ve got the “right stuff.”

  8. yami wrote:

    Well, radio is dinosauric retro-flavored these days, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be seemly for a radio host to use futuristic internet vernacular.
    I merely adapted the conversation to the stylistic conventions of a new medium, but I’m glad you liked it

  9. Further Trivialities wrote:

    […] Further Trivialities One: Visitation Zoinks almighty, I’ve been visited by celebrity! You may all stand in line for sprinklings of secondhand radio pixi […]

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