NASA To Announce Module Name On Colbert Show 201
olddotter noted that NASA's Facebook page says "NASA's newest module for the International Space Station will get a new name on April 14. The agency plans to make the announcement with the help of Expedition 14 and 15 astronaut Sunita 'Suni' Williams on Comedy Central's 'The Colbert Report.' The program will air at 11:30 p.m. EDT."
Glad they are playing along... (Score:5, Insightful)
The medium is the message (Score:5, Insightful)
The real news was that this was announced on the NASA Facebook page. The medium is always the message - as Colbert's success demonstrates.
Pro-Science Colbert (Score:5, Insightful)
I know its been covered a lot elsewhere (scienceblogs.com) but I don't think it can be understated. Colbert Report is a great venue for science, a wonderful public face. He's had on lots of scientists, more than any show I can recall in a couple decades.
I don't recall the last fun show that had the host actually talking to an Astronaut in orbit.
So even if NASA goes with Serenity for the name, I'm glad they went onto Colbert to announce it.
Re:A Strategem (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Too "Colbert".. (Score:5, Insightful)
But, since it is essentially a toilet, I think Colbert should get the honors; Serenity should be the name of a spacegoing vessel.
Amen to that. Let me try this comment again, I think it got modded down by the dumber side of the Firefly fanbase (you know, the side I'm not on) last time: Serenity is a spaceship. This thing is not only not a spaceship, but its ass does not glow. It does not make any sense whatsoever, whatsofuckingever to name it Serenity. I know a lot of you loved the show, so did I; I know a lot of you voted for that name, but it was silly. Don't get your back up because you're wrong :D
I do have to admit to liking the idea of naming just the toilet after Colbert. He likes to twist people's dicks after all (metaphorically speaking, so far as I know) and it would only be justice. But then we'd probably end up with a toilet module named Serenity which is just not much of a tribute. Sorry.
Re:Pro-Science Colbert (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A Strategem (Score:5, Insightful)
I said it before, and I'll say it again:
The public's lack of interest in NASA has nothing to do with pop culture, it's that NASA isn't doing anything interesting anymore.
In the days of the space race, it was very exciting. The "us vs them" competition with the USSR, people doing things never done before, going to places nobody ever went before. And all that done by launching people with experimental hardware done on monumental scales.
Where is all that now? NASA keeps shuttling people between ground and space station, where they do amazing experiments, such as how spiders react to a lack of gravity. The hardware is still big and dangerous, but now if something goes wrong it's not because it's new unproven tech, but because the management at NASA is stupid. The Mars robots are about the most interesting thing being done these days, and even that isn't all that exiciting.
What's needed is not nonsense like Britney getting involved in the space program, but a space program that does something the public would be interested in. A colony on the moon, and astronauts on Mars would be a start. Sure it's dangerous and expensive, but it's also very much exciting, and the danger didn't stop anybody in the race of getting to the moon.
Fairly obvious name... (Score:5, Insightful)
I think, judging by their chosen venue, the name they release will be obvious. To do otherwise would just be tacky.
"Yes, we'll get all the recognition we can from your show, but not scratch your back in kind."
Glad they went with it, as it was the winner. Aside from that, the name marks much more than anything like Serenity would.
Serenity shows the world what? There are a few scifi geeks in NASA? At most, maybe that they find inspiration in grand goals. Naming it Colbert, on the other hand, signifies a return to pop-culture significance. That the people are excited about space again. Or at the very least, naming it after Colbert will ensure that the module stays in the public eye as he continues his "status updates" (like he did for his baby eagle and a few other stunts). It would be a huge missed marketing opportunity NOT to name it after a television host who has supported science more than any other in recent history.
Of course, they already know this. That's why it's being revealed on his show.
Re:Fairly obvious name... (Score:5, Insightful)
Not sure I'd declare victory until the facts are in. I don't know which way they'll go, but if I were to bet, I would bet against the name being Colbert.
Saying it would be "tacky" to announce a name other than Colbert on Colbert's show misses the entire context in which this is happening. Colbert doesn't take these stunts seriuosly. If anything, the Colbert character needs things to be outraged about.
Re:Too "Colbert".. (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm reminded of the dumbasses that lobbied to get the shuttle prototype named "Enterprise". Due to design changes, it never went into space. Nice tribute.
On the plus side, it didn't blow up either.
Re:Too "Colbert".. (Score:3, Insightful)
Serenity is as meaningful as "Enterprise". Hell, the name "Enterprise" is pretty damn boring without the back-history. It conjures visions of boardrooms and suits, "enterprise-wide mandate", "enterprise agreement", "enterprise regulations".
Re:Fairly obvious name... (Score:3, Insightful)
This is true. But it's also done as satire. The dog and pony show, which is in some respects pure genius, is all in an effort to shine a light on the ridiculousness of the media and the institutions that it reports on.
Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert D.F.A. attacks most "harshly" the things that common sense says there's no point in attacking. Controversial subjects are glazed over while minutia are battled. It's a show that goes much farther than the reach of the TCR stage. In a recent interview on the Today show (or was it GMA?) when asked if he would turn down the naming of the module after him, his response was laughter, followed by something along the lines of "Are you serious? Why would I do that?"
But that's not to say the guests who come on his show behave in the same way. Yes, they know what the show is. They know what it represents. They know that the host is a fun-house version of FOX News. But that doesn't prevent them from going on for their own purposes (usually to promote a book, or in the case of NASA- to gain popular support).
I think they'll be naming it after him just based on the question: if they don't plan to announce the name is Colbert, why would they go on his show to announce it?
Either way, I'm sure it'll be great for ratings. I know I'll be tuning in (I catch maybe 50% of the episodes). He knows how to build drama where there is none (always has), and how to get his audience to care about relatively trivial things. That's 90% of the reason we're talking about this on /.