We've been watching the Colbert Report, just like everybody else.

It's a wonderful show. It even has an official unofficial fan site, The Colbert Nation. If you are one of the 10 people who haven't tuned in, the show is a parody of hard hitting right wing talking point shows like O'Reilly Factor.

Stephen also interviews a guest each night, on monday he interviewed our favorite theoretical physicist, Brian Greene. We've discussed Greene before, he is the biggest proponent of Superstring Theory. He also wrote a book about the subject called The Elegant Universe. You can also watch his NOVA special about Superstring Theory for free on the internet.

String Theory is an attempt to explain the whole of the universe using one simple mathematical theorem. In the way that Einstein's Theory of Relativity ties space and time together, String Theory hopes to unify the universe by explaining both the infinitely large (planets, black holes) and the infinitely small (atoms, quarks) in one elegant equation. An equation that predicts AT LEAST 11 parallel dimensions existing in space-time all at once. That could mean that there are 11 more of you reading 11 diffferent version of this post written by at least 11 different clunkyrobots.

The thing about String Theory is that it deals with things so incredibly small that we currently have no means to test the theory. We're technologically incapable of testing it. Until it can be tested and either proved or disproved we must respect Carl Sagan by keeping a healthy skepticism. However, it's exciting stuff.

I had a great weekend in Chi-city. If you have time, check out the Chicago photoset on flickr.

I've been to Chicago before, so we didn't do the Sears Tower or anything like that. We stayed in a neighborhood called Belmont, in the eastern most part of Lakeview. We were just a few block from an elevated train station. I always enjoy staying in a town that has good public transit. Chicago has one of the best. Somebody described the city has a spread out New York. I can see that, it has all the appeal of city living, without the cramptness of NYC. Plus you can just about anywhere on the train.

From what I've heard, Chicago has a big scooter community. And while there I stopped by the Scooterworks storefront. They had some sweet Vespa GT's from the 60's and 70's just waiting to be bought by me... when I am rich. I told the mechanic working there that I knew some people from Scooter Parts Direct here in Atlanta and he gave us a discount on a t-shirt. (thanks Dañell)

Oh, I also left a little bit of myself behind:

We're spending thanksgiving weekend in Chicago.

It's cold, but pretty.

We rode the L today, I'm a fan.

The Gelitin art collective has a new art show at the Leo Koenig gallery in New York. The show centers around a "machine" that the collective describes as the “Tantamounter 24/7, a gigantic, complex and very clever machine."

In reality the machine is a big box with 2 doors, in one door you put an item of your choice. Then a little while later, a yellow light comes on. In that time the collective has not only returned your original item to you, but has duplicated your item with whatever happens to be nearby at that time. Sometimes the items are very complex, sometimes they are funny, and they all seem to have that "crafty but crappy" charming feel to them. Also, you get to keep your artful copy.

One local artist even put his 2 year old daughter into the machine. Reports say she spent a few hours in the machine, and was returned unharmed along with her duplicate. She was sworn to secrecy whilst inside the machine and so far has kept her promise. (via boingboing)

P.S. Have a happy Turkey Day. The clunkyrobot will be in sunny and warm Chi-city visiting my lady's family. Hooray for "lake-effect"

seriously, that's messed up.

We Are Scientists

How would you describe your music?

A question no band likes to be asked. Like asking a writer to describe her work using a guitar solo.

Earlier today my buddy Ryan had a Low Country Boil:

It was delicious. I had three plates like this before I gave up, and there was still food to be eaten.

Grandaddy says:

Apparently before Jed had left us
he wrote some poems
wrote them for no one
I guess I'll show them
here's one of Jed's Poems.

[via the ape]

In Star Wars, the TIE fighter is driven by, and gets its name from, Twin Ion Engines. I remember as a kid when I first heard that. TIE just sounded like a made up word, but back then Lucas was smarter than that. Now, Ion Engine, that sounded made up also... But, it's not.

In 1960 at the Glenn Research Center NASA invented the first real life Ion Engine. It works just like the proposed Star Wars ion drives, just on a much smaller scale.

"Ion propulsion is a technology that involves ionizing a gas to propel a craft. Instead of a spacecraft being propelled with standard chemicals, the gas xenon (which is like neon or helium, but heavier) is given an electrical charge, or ionized. It is then electrically accelerated to a speed of about 30 km/second."

NASA first live tested an Ion Drive in it's space craft Deep Space 1 in 1998. Ion Drives are ideal for deep space missions:

"Because the ion propulsion system, although highly efficient, is very gentle in its thrust, it cannot be used for any application in which a rapid acceleration is required.

This means that Ion Propulsion isn't going to get you out of the atmosphere, but once you've escaped Earth's gravity, say into the vacuum of space, it'll take you far, far away.

Another fine article from McSweeny's:

To begin, you're going to have to resign yourself to the fact that Teen Wolf is probably going to drop at least 50 points. That might seem like a lot, but, unfortunately, it's just the way the ball bounces. As coach, you need to recognize that your job isn't to do the impossible; you're not going to stop Teen Wolf entirely, but you can try to contain him by making him play your team's style of basketball. [via mackattack]

A Kansas School Board redefines "science" so they can cram nonsense into children's skulls.

"The board rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations of phenomena."

Yes, this is that same Intelligent Design nonsense that's so ridiculous the Catholics have denounced it. The Catholics! When the guys who wouldn't accept the sun as the center of our solar system until 1979 tell you that you're on the wrong track... listen to them.

The Mayor of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman has proposed cutting the thumbs off of grafffiti offenders on TELEVISION as a way to deter the spread of more graffiti.

"I also believe in a little bit of corporal punishment going back to the days of yore, where examples have to be shown," Goodman said.

stay classy Las Vegas.

We watched an early rough cut of an episode of the Boondocks cartoon...

yikes.
um, it looks pretty.

*update #2* Toonzone DOES NOT heart Boondocks

*update* CNN hearts Boondocks

Are you a friend of P?

Well if you worked and lived at Dad's Garage Theatre Company from 1999 to 2003 like we did, you would be. That means you would have been obsessed with a little band called The Rentals.

While attending art school the band Weezer came into prominence with sulking, self-loathing kids everywhere, including myself. Later, due to a legendary falling out within the band (aren't they always "legendary"), a founding member of Weezer would split and create his own rebel band. That man was Matt Sharp, his rebel band would be known as The Rentals.

If Weezer was cool music for outcasts, then The Rentals played outcast music for the outcast's outcast, that's double cool and hipster. It was a wonderful time to listen to music, and be an social outcast. With a line-up that would include actress and comedian Maya Rudolph currently of SNL, and Petra Hayden currently of The Decemberists, The Rentals were where it was at. We even opened our ThetareSports improv show with a Rentals song for years, and years, after some not so gentle pushing from me.

Well, get your head out of the sun:
The Rentals are Returning.