Cool Science

So I thought I would post a comment on the aforementioned blog entry on the CNN site. I commented "Does CNN think this is science?". Kept it simple, to the point. Naiively I thought it might provoke a response from the editor/author. It never made it through the moderator who I assume is the author. In the meantime at least one other post did. I am forced to conclude that I've been censored by CNN. I think I feel pretty good about that actually. Yes, it would seem that CNN has very complex emotions about science.

Today was a good day. Got recommended for tenure and promotion. Yeah! Thought I'd shout that out to cyberspace. Maybe I should go totally controversial and risque with this blog now - woo hoo!!! Yeah, right. Let's face it -I don't have the guts.

I'm really in the mood for some whacky, nerdy movie tonite for emotional catharsis for the last five and half years. In the spirit of CNN I propose a post that has nothing to do with science. Let's talk about the movies nerds like me love (in no particular order)

1. The Princess Bride - sure laugh, but it's the only chick flick that ever attracted a male audience

2. Ghostbusters - "back off man, I'm a scientist" ; should I say any more?

3. Akira - a disturbing hand-drawn masterpiece that makes you wonder 'how'd they do that?'

4. The Matrix - Neo was the everyman hero for the digital age

5. Star Wars (4-6) - Show them to Henry in a few years I will.

6. Buckaroo Bonzai - Bigboote! (if you don't get it, then you obviously have no appreciation for the fine arts); did I mention that Peter Weller references Mr. Wizard?

7. Big Trouble in Little China - "Jack Burton, Me!"

8. LOTR - extended editions of course

9. Jurassic Park - forget the CGI dinos, this is the movie that depicted a 3D computer GUI that drove all us computer types crazy and which Apple has a huge headstart on over Microsoft, according to patent drawings.

10. All Star Trek movies: Kahhhhhn! Am I the only one totally sick of the whale movie?

11. Jackie Chan - you must learn to say this like one word: Jackiechan! Then you will truly know the awesomeness of the drunken master.

12. Doom (the video game) - movie was a good try but didn't work (sorry - that's the way it is).

13. Civilization (the video game) - even science types like me were embarrassed to admit how addicted we were to this. But it didn't change the fact that we played it until carpal tunnel set in.

...back to movies...

14. Steel Dawn - the movie Patrick Swayze wishes he never made, but which got me through college.

15. Blade Runner - a gorgeous, musing film predicated on the famous 'Turing Test'

16. Fifth Element - supergreen

17. Predator - groundbreaking cinematography and sci-fi; true fans recognize how significant this flick is.

18. Tremors - a lesson on whose basement not to break in to. OK, a lesson on how low-budget sci-fi can be totally awesome. Think about it - this is the movie that made the Blair Witch possible.

19.The Keep - so overlooked it is not even on netflix; you are a true fan of the genre if you know this one, featuring Ian McKellan, Gabriel Byrne and Scott Glenn; eerie, wandering, frightening movie with some social commentary thrown in. You are a truer fan if you are drawn to this movie because of the superb score by Tangerine Dream.

20. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - a most unprecedented movie; see the above comment about Tremors.

That should do for now.