Comments on: String Theory’s Star on the Rise http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:42:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Elegant physicist makes string theory sexy | Alanat News http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-236908 Elegant physicist makes string theory sexy | Alanat News Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:44:40 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-236908 [...] In fact, the biggest knock against Greene is that he’s so busy with public outreach that scientists wonder whether he actually has time for string theory. Last year, for example, he was the subject of a meticulously plotted http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/ having to do with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [...] [...] In fact, the biggest knock against Greene is that he’s so busy with public outreach that scientists wonder whether he actually has time for string theory. Last year, for example, he was the subject of a meticulously plotted http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/ having to do with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [...]

]]> By: Questions and Answers about Theories of Everything - Asymptotia http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-230356 Questions and Answers about Theories of Everything - Asymptotia Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:06:41 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-230356 [...] Sometimes the journalists and editors get it right. In fact, they get it right a lot of the time, but you hear more about the complaints (sometimes from me, sometimes elsewhere) about them getting it wrong, when it comes to things like science coverage especially. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the set of questions and answers that are in a new article on MSNBC that a number of people pointed out to me yesterday and today. It starts out as an article about Brian Greene’s science outreach efforts (books, and tv and movie appearances, including a new one), with some discussion of how this is regarded by his colleagues, the value it has had in raising public awareness of physics (and fundamental science in general, I would argue), and so forth. (Picture above right is from a fun joke I carried out last year that you can read here - be sure to read the comments too.) All that is interesting, but not nearly as interesting to me right now as the later parts of the article which is simply a question and answer session. [...] [...] Sometimes the journalists and editors get it right. In fact, they get it right a lot of the time, but you hear more about the complaints (sometimes from me, sometimes elsewhere) about them getting it wrong, when it comes to things like science coverage especially. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the set of questions and answers that are in a new article on MSNBC that a number of people pointed out to me yesterday and today. It starts out as an article about Brian Greene’s science outreach efforts (books, and tv and movie appearances, including a new one), with some discussion of how this is regarded by his colleagues, the value it has had in raising public awareness of physics (and fundamental science in general, I would argue), and so forth. (Picture above right is from a fun joke I carried out last year that you can read here - be sure to read the comments too.) All that is interesting, but not nearly as interesting to me right now as the later parts of the article which is simply a question and answer session. [...]

]]> By: Cosmic Variance Goes To Church | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-19839 Cosmic Variance Goes To Church | Cosmic Variance Wed, 26 Apr 2006 03:55:20 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-19839 [...] Ok. I’m sorry you spilled your beverage all over your front….or unwittingly sprayed it all over your monitor! Given some of the things written here at Cosmic Variance in the past, you’re thinking either I’m going to burst into flame the moment I set foot into the place of worship, or that this is another -even more elaborate than last time- April Fool Joke perpetrated by cvj, or….. the Religious have begun to take over some of your trusted sites on the blogosphere. [...] [...] Ok. I’m sorry you spilled your beverage all over your front….or unwittingly sprayed it all over your monitor! Given some of the things written here at Cosmic Variance in the past, you’re thinking either I’m going to burst into flame the moment I set foot into the place of worship, or that this is another -even more elaborate than last time- April Fool Joke perpetrated by cvj, or….. the Religious have begun to take over some of your trusted sites on the blogosphere. [...]

]]> By: Ambitwistor http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16470 Ambitwistor Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:08:11 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16470 My first reaction was, "Man, they give stars out to <em>anyone</em> these days... quickly followed by, "Hey...." My first reaction was, “Man, they give stars out to anyone these days… quickly followed by, “Hey….”

]]> By: PK http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16464 PK Mon, 03 Apr 2006 14:32:26 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16464 I was looking on the Internet Movie Data Base for quite a while, looking for "Brian Green(e)" and never suspected an April Fools joke. And to think that I got up that morning on the lookout for jokes... I was looking on the Internet Movie Data Base for quite a while, looking for “Brian Green(e)” and never suspected an April Fools joke. And to think that I got up that morning on the lookout for jokes…

]]> By: Cynthia http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16456 Cynthia Mon, 03 Apr 2006 11:08:36 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16456 What sort of prize will Little Joe receive for solving Clifford's joke? Perhaps, a "string trip" to the Ponderosa. Might be fun... What sort of prize will Little Joe receive for solving Clifford’s joke? Perhaps, a “string trip” to the Ponderosa. Might be fun…

]]> By: Clifford http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16451 Clifford Mon, 03 Apr 2006 08:39:36 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16451 Bonanza is the name of the show Lorne Greene is famous for acting in you see.... and Little Joe is one of the characters..... So Little Joe saying "It's a real bonanza for string theory" as a clue that he/she had figured out the role of the Lorne Greene star in the plot....... That sort of killed me for a bit...... really funny.... Then I looked in the internal stuff to see the email of the commenter, and they'd signed it with username Hoss...... that's another Bonanza character..... I was choking for air at that point.... (I guess you had to be there.) -cvj Bonanza is the name of the show Lorne Greene is famous for acting in you see…. and Little Joe is one of the characters….. So Little Joe saying “It’s a real bonanza for string theory” as a clue that he/she had figured out the role of the Lorne Greene star in the plot……. That sort of killed me for a bit…… really funny….

Then I looked in the internal stuff to see the email of the commenter, and they’d signed it with username Hoss…… that’s another Bonanza character….. I was choking for air at that point….

(I guess you had to be there.)

-cvj

]]> By: erc http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16449 erc Mon, 03 Apr 2006 08:21:20 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16449 <i>I hope everyone saw the full joke in the comment by Little Joe including the commenters’s name? To me, that takes the prize!</i> No... :( <i>Gotta run….. apple pie to complete.</i> Hey! I made apple pie last night! I hope everyone saw the full joke in the comment by Little Joe including the commenters’s name? To me, that takes the prize!

No… :(

Gotta run….. apple pie to complete.
Hey! I made apple pie last night!

]]> By: lambda T http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16437 lambda T Mon, 03 Apr 2006 04:21:39 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16437 Well done, Dr. Johnson!! I was completely fooled! But it'd be SO cool if Brian Greene actually DID have a star on Hollywood Blvd.! Hmmm....perhaps there should be a walkway similar to the Hollywood one, except for physicists and other scientists (such as Feynman, Greene, Marie Curie, Fermi, etc.)!! Instead of stars, their names could be inlayed on top of something physics-related. Any takers? ...or we could just superimpose physicists' names on the actual Hollywood stars, just for kicks... :-P Well done, Dr. Johnson!! I was completely fooled! But it’d be SO cool if Brian Greene actually DID have a star on Hollywood Blvd.!

Hmmm….perhaps there should be a walkway similar to the Hollywood one, except for physicists and other scientists (such as Feynman, Greene, Marie Curie, Fermi, etc.)!! Instead of stars, their names could be inlayed on top of something physics-related.

Any takers?

…or we could just superimpose physicists’ names on the actual Hollywood stars, just for kicks… :-P

]]> By: Stephan http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16434 Stephan Mon, 03 Apr 2006 03:44:09 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16434 Nice job. You got me. Nice job. You got me.

]]> By: Clifford http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16432 Clifford Mon, 03 Apr 2006 01:35:56 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16432 Better ask John Smith's permission...... I hope everyone saw the full joke in the comment by Little Joe including the commenters's name? To me, that takes the prize! Gotta run..... apple pie to complete. Cheers, -cvj Better ask John Smith’s permission……

I hope everyone saw the full joke in the comment by Little Joe including the commenters’s name? To me, that takes the prize!

Gotta run….. apple pie to complete.

Cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: Moshe http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16431 Moshe Mon, 03 Apr 2006 01:03:38 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16431 Clifford, with your permission I will ignore your last comment, the scenario in which you are John Smith is much more beautiful and elegant (abd funny), and we all know that what ultimately matters... Clifford, with your permission I will ignore your last comment, the scenario in which you are John Smith is much more beautiful and elegant (abd funny), and we all know that what ultimately matters…

]]> By: Clifford http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16425 Clifford Mon, 03 Apr 2006 00:17:46 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16425 What? I've no connection to the John Smith comment guys. Also, the positioning if the writing as upside down is in fact correct. Cynthia, the first Sean is not our Sean. You're all seeing clues, with 20/20 hindsight, that were not in fact clues! :-D (And most people don't see the misalignment the first time around... it's something you spot once you've already realized it is a fake.... note the comments finding something wrong with the E in GREENE, or the whole of GREENE itself when those were in fact not doctored at all......) This is such fun though, isn't it?! -cvj What? I’ve no connection to the John Smith comment guys. Also, the positioning if the writing as upside down is in fact correct.

Cynthia, the first Sean is not our Sean.

You’re all seeing clues, with 20/20 hindsight, that were not in fact clues! :-D

(And most people don’t see the misalignment the first time around… it’s something you spot once you’ve already realized it is a fake…. note the comments finding something wrong with the E in GREENE, or the whole of GREENE itself when those were in fact not doctored at all……)

This is such fun though, isn’t it?!

-cvj

]]> By: Moshe http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16421 Moshe Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:47:08 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16421 Wow, I hadn't noticed that comment, very nicely done, all the classics of the genre are there. Nice job Clif..., ahem, I mean John Smith. Wow, I hadn’t noticed that comment, very nicely done, all the classics of the genre are there. Nice job Clif…, ahem, I mean John Smith.

]]> By: erc http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16420 erc Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:07:17 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16420 OK, so it was I who ruined the joke (I'm sorry), so I'll just note what gave it away to me, and then shut up (as I should have done in the first place)... a) I thought it strange Clifford was (partially) in the photograph: you so often take photos without yourself in them. Why put yourself in unless hoping it would give verisimilitude? b)"Brian" and "Greene" are not in the same plane c) The star is upside-down wrt the other in the photo (though this may be realistic, I don't know) d) you only linked to one other post in which you expound on your wish for greater inclusion of science in popular culture, when in fact there are several but the thing which first made me suspicious: e) comment no. 2 by "John Smith". Because it was such an unnecessary comment - so predictable that Clifford had already said don't bother. It was as though a trap had been set and he fell right into it, though it had been pointed out. And then I realised it was a "trap". Again, sorry for asking the question. OK, so it was I who ruined the joke (I’m sorry), so I’ll just note what gave it away to me, and then shut up (as I should have done in the first place)…

a) I thought it strange Clifford was (partially) in the photograph: you so often take photos without yourself in them. Why put yourself in unless hoping it would give verisimilitude?
b)”Brian” and “Greene” are not in the same plane
c) The star is upside-down wrt the other in the photo (though this may be realistic, I don’t know)
d) you only linked to one other post in which you expound on your wish for greater inclusion of science in popular culture, when in fact there are several

but the thing which first made me suspicious:
e) comment no. 2 by “John Smith”.
Because it was such an unnecessary comment - so predictable that Clifford had already said don’t bother. It was as though a trap had been set and he fell right into it, though it had been pointed out. And then I realised it was a “trap”.

Again, sorry for asking the question.

]]> By: Aaron Bergman http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16417 Aaron Bergman Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:29:13 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16417 As I initially said, my impression is that a lot of stars are just the result of money donations and publicity campaigns these days, so it didn't seem at all surprising that Brian Greene could have had one. Ryan Seacrest has one, for example. As I initially said, my impression is that a lot of stars are just the result of money donations and publicity campaigns these days, so it didn’t seem at all surprising that Brian Greene could have had one. Ryan Seacrest has one, for example.

]]> By: Cynthia http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16416 Cynthia Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:56:48 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16416 Clifford,my initial gut reaction as I was digesting your blog topic can be summarized as follows: I did not feel complete shock to discover that a string theorist is granted the title as the first physicist in history to gain a star on the walk of fame. Nevertheless, my thoughts on you casting a shadow on "e" at the end of GREENE turned out to be totally irrelevant to the relevance of your prank. I simply thought Sean was stepping in to drop a clue. If Sean was dropping a clue, it was a misleading clue. Clifford,my initial gut reaction as I was digesting your blog topic can be summarized as follows: I did not feel complete shock to discover that a string theorist is granted the title as the first physicist in history to gain a star on the walk of fame. Nevertheless, my thoughts on you casting a shadow on “e” at the end of GREENE turned out to be totally irrelevant to the relevance of your prank. I simply thought Sean was stepping in to drop a clue. If Sean was dropping a clue, it was a misleading clue.

]]> By: michaeld http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16415 michaeld Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:23:43 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16415 I opened Cosmic Variance actually expecting an April Fools' message but by the end of the message I thought it was probably serious! I opened Cosmic Variance actually expecting an April Fools’ message but by the end of the message I thought it was probably serious!

]]> By: Clifford http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16413 Clifford Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:03:28 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16413 It's a combination of perspective and the fact that the light hits the shiny letters differently. The E is in fact perfect. I made no adjustments to GREENE. -cvj It’s a combination of perspective and the fact that the light hits the shiny letters differently. The E is in fact perfect. I made no adjustments to GREENE.

-cvj

]]> By: Little Joe http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/04/01/string-theorys-star-on-the-rise/#comment-16412 Little Joe Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:01:34 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=732#comment-16412 <blockquote> Little Joe (#19):- I laughed out loud for almost a full minute! You’re brilliant, in that you were closest to the answer, in a flash. Want to tell us more? </blockquote> Not much to tell ... (1) Noticed Mary Brian (2) The second google hit for `hollywood stars sidewalk' has a list of stars by addresses (3) Found a Greene at the same address. Didn't even have to reach into the fifth dimension. My first guess was that you had started from a Brian Green because the final E looks askew, but that must be a trick of the light, there are no Brian Greens on the walk.

Little Joe (#19):- I laughed out loud for almost a full minute! You’re brilliant, in that you were closest to the answer, in a flash. Want to tell us more?

Not much to tell … (1) Noticed Mary Brian (2) The second google hit for `hollywood stars sidewalk’ has a list of stars by addresses (3) Found a Greene at the same address. Didn’t even have to reach into the fifth dimension.

My first guess was that you had started from a Brian Green because the final E looks askew, but that must be a trick of the light, there are no Brian Greens on the walk.

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