You don’t have to be called Brian to show that science is the new rock’n’roll…
A scientific rock’n’roll Brian, Yesterday
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I, Editor by Henry Gee
This is the Nature Network and therefore Terribly Extremely Very Serious foothold for Nature Senior Editor Henry Gee. If you want fun and games, visit http://cromercrox.blogspot.com/
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Science is the new Rock'n'Roll
- Date:
- Tuesday, 10 Feb ruary 2009 - 11:37 UTC
Another Scientific Rock’n’Rolling Brian, just to show the first one wasn’t a fluke.Yesterday I had the honour of being a panellist in a Nature Darwin Debate, this one on the future of human evolution. This took place before about 250
screaming fansattentive and studious souls in the trendy new theatre at King’s Place, so new you could even smell the woodwork.In the chair was Oliver Morton, our devastatingly hip Chief News and Features Editor, and on the panel (apart from me) were the distinguished geneticist Professor Andrew Pomiankowski of UCL, and Memographer-in-Chief Sue Blackmore.
The whole idea was that Andrew would make the case against the idea that human beings were still evolving, a view espoused by his colleague Steve Jones. Then Sue was to say that human evolution had been superseded by our own memes; and I was to round things up with the case that human beings were still evolving.
After that we were to have an interval in which we would enjoy the spectacle of women wrestling in mud. It was then that things started to go horribly wrong. Paris Hilton said she was up for it but only if she could bring the dog, and Victoria Beckham excused herself on the grounds that Cruz had a rather worrying sniffle, Brooklyn had his SATs, and she wanted to keep an eye on David’s adventures in Italy. Result? Washout.
After that things went from bad to worse. As Andrew didn’t really believe that human evolution had stopped, he outrageously broke ranks, making the case that humans were evolving, after all. However, his view was that the form this change is taking is a greater mixing of genes, as people from all over the world come into greater connubial contact, as it were. This allowed me some clear blue water, however, as I am not convinced that this contact is as great as people think (I live in Norfolk, you see). After that, Sue gamely did her bit on memes.
… so there I was, sitting there, wondering what the hell I was going to say. Although I’d had an uncharacteristic fit of preparedness, and had done some reading up, I usually just wing these things. As luck would have it I had made some notes, so I just read them out. This world premiere of my pomes before a
captivelive audience apparently went down very well, so much so that Our Correspondent in Second Life (to which the debate was being streamed)impaledcaptured some of it.After that we all answered lots of intelligent questions from the audience both in First and Second Life, and then we went home.
Well, not quite.
After the show, I was in the Green Room with Sue, her partner Adam Hart-Davis, and Nature Managing Editor Nick Campbell, scoffing the plate of sarnies and fruit that the management had so generously provided. Honestly, if I’d known, I think I’d have asked for my usual outrageous rider
After that we tried to get out of the cavernous warren beneath the theatre and into the light, which gave me the opportunity to shout Hello, Cleveland!
Eventually we succeeded, and Nick and I went to the Lincoln, an hostelry close by much patronized by Nature staff, for a quiet beer – during which I was accosted by gushing groupies, who had to be torn off by Nick, who very gallantly acted as my Minder/Manager. Shame, really. Had I been twenty years younger …
This morning I woke up with a crashing hangover. I didn’t trash the hotel room, which, I guess, reflects an inner temerity, and might get me into editorial trouble for not keeping up appearances.
Last updated: Tuesday, 10 Feb 2009 - 11:37 UTC
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Comments
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Your dedicated international
hooligan crewfollowing is interested in the outcome of the “Debate”. Was it a competitive affair? Were the audience asked before statements were given to vote on which side (of the trivide) they sat. Then asked after if the participants’ statements had swayed theirself importanceopinions?Us sports’ fans need stats!
@Henry – You don’t have to be called Brian – but it helps.
@ Mike – it was not really a debate at all. More of a panel discussion with questions from the floor. Like Question Time, really, only friendlier and without the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP.
The Rt Hon Hazel Blears, yesterday
@ Brian: How does it help being called Brian? In what way?
It all sounds fine, as long as you’re not actually dissing Cleveland.
I wouldn’t dare.
The problem with those second life thingies (apart from the crashing computers, the sitting next to a furry, and the general idiocy of it all) are that they are live, and therefore at a ridiculous time during which the majority of the world is either at work or asleep or otherwise submerged in their first life.
Is there any recording that people can listen to later?
Is there any recording that people can listen to later?
It’s life, Eva. You have to live it, not postpone it. Happy Birthday, by the way.
I just knew that YouTube link was going to be Spinal Tap.
That is all.
Yeah, well, there’s such a fine line between ‘stoopid’ and ‘clever’. If anyone wants me, I’ll be in the lobby waiting for the limo.
Dr Gee/Second Life/Youtube….
Graham, thanks for posting this – as geeky as it may be, it looks
relativelyperdy cool on this particular blog.Henry, you got dem rhymes down, dawg. I came home and watched Spinal Tap after work this evening. First time the wife’s seen it, but much of the
juvenile smuthigh brow humour apparently doesn’t translate well for non-native speakers, or wimmin, or all of the above.“apparently doesn’t translate well for non-native speakers, or wimmin, or all of the above”
…heeeyy!! I like Spinal Tap, and I’m all of the above!
Even better than Spinal Tap itself is the 20th anniversary Special Edition DVD commentary, where they are in character, but 20 years later, and give their comments on behind the scenes stuff of the “documentary”. (“She’s dead now.”)
I played my video of Spinal Tap to Mrs Gee, (only after we were married and she couldn’t back out of it). Her immediate reaction was “Henry, those people are just like all your friends”.
Eva, you’re obviously the exception proving the rule, or someone who fits somewhere in my response to Graham (no shame in that).
For some serendipitous reason, a related video to the nature debate on youtube was Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. For the uninitiated, they ain’t the Tarp, but they will rock your bluegrass off. One of my favourite groups for years. Check them out!
How does it help being called Brian? In what way?
It doesn’t necessarily help, but it May.
Science? Rock’n Roll?
I’m a scientist, and, um, er…
Oh dear.
Check out the Rock-It Sciecne Music Festival featuring scientists who play music (The Amygdaloids, Pardis Sabetti and Thosand Days, Dan Levitin, Dave Solider) and special guest artists (Rufus Wainwright, Lenny Kaye, Dee Snider, The Kennedys, Peter Holsapple, Gary Lucas, Steve Wynn and more).
Tuesday March 3, 2009, 6:30 unitl….
Highline Ballroom, NYC
www.rockitscifest.com
http://www.highlineballroom.com/bio.php?id=849