Breakfast Babble

Some reflections over breakfast – at least breakfast part II. Well, elevenses, really. Today is, I hope, a day to spend mostly on thinking about research issues. There’s a project I’m still unhappy with, in terms of where I’d like it to be, and I want to try to move things on. I had a new idea on the bus yesterday that I’ll be testing out today. Since I’m giving a seminar about this project on Friday, I’d also rather like to get it all uploaded back into the more active buffers of my brain, as it were.

Tuesday is a welcome day, being between my two biggest teaching days of the week, days that usually completely drain me. I try to use it to remind myself that I’ve a ton of other activities besides teaching that I should be getting on with. Research is one of them.

This morning began with something else, however, and I thought I’d update you on that. At 8:30am I took a call from a producer working on a program for the National Geographic Channel. It’s a new show, and we chatted about ideas that could go into the show, possible topics (black holes will be involved, among other things) and contributions and contributors, and whether I’d get involved. It sounded like a good show idea that will have a good reach to a wide audience, and with capable people involved in the making of it. Key for me is also that they sounded like they are keen to listen to scientists about the science they want to cover before deciding on the shape of the show, and that’s good to hear. I agreed to be a contributor. At 9:00am, I took another call. Person with the same job title, and same reason. Discovery Channel this time. Somewhat different topic and show format, but the key things were also rather promising, and so I agreed to contribute to that too. Should be some fun shooting for these – probably next month and the month after. I’ll report on it to you.

That reminds me that I was supposed to report on two more fun shoots from the early Summer. One involved fortune tellers down at Venice beach, and the other one had me cycling in circles on a track in Encino with a time trials cycling champion. I’ve got some pictures somewhere and will try to recall some of it to share it with you.

I’ve got to do it soon, since the two programs those were for are about to air. They were both for the History Channel’s The Universe (a rather good show I’ve told you about a lot here – use the search engine and/or look here), and one is called Parallel Universes and the other is called (I think) Light Speed, both doing more or less what it says on the packet. I’ve not seen the final cut of either show this time, so I’ll be curious to see how they put the material together. They’ll air in the upcoming new season of the series, on the 18th November and the 25th November, respectively. I think – not 100% sure – that is all that is coming up from me on that series for the rest of this year (there is another thing due on that channel in December, and then that’s certainly enough of me showing up in your living rooms for a while), not counting the reruns – the Cosmic Holes episode (see here and here) seems to be getting a lot of play recently, as I’m getting lots of email about it all over again, and (bizarrely enough) a few sightings/recognitions on the street and elsewhere. It’s really good to know (based on these signs) that a wide variety of people are watching these sorts of programs, contrary to what is sometimes said or assumed. (I ought to write a post about this at some point.) As I’ve said before, I recommend the whole series if you’re looking for some nicely done work on several different aspects of the Universe, both near and far.

Well, I think it is high time I dig out the notebooks and my pen, make another cup of coffee, and withdraw into thought…

-cvj