So, this isn't about his presidential qualifications... or is it? I just wanted to say I heard Phil's name on TV last night -- maybe. And this thread is sitting here begging for it.
Now I can't remember what it was about... Some physics calculation, maybe the force of some falling object? A guy in a falling elevator? Sorry. The narrator said something to the effect of: "Dr. Phil Platt (sounded like Platt a little, not Plait), of Sonoma State University, says..." and relayed whatever. No Phil sound-bite. No clip. And, again, I am pretty sure it was some some physics calculation and not an astronomy fact.
The show? Ah, well... Spike TV's "MANswers". I was gonna cite a Spike TV MANswers web page for the curious, but they all include obnoxious video.
Wikipedia will explain the show. No, I'm not proud to have listened to it. And, I sure wasn't listening hard. It came on and I was web-surfing and the remote was too far away, and I let it play, and I wasn't paying attention (except for the nudity -- number-1-rated nude beach? Copacabana, Brazil!) and I heard Phil's name, or at least thought I did. Definitely "Sonoma State" (his old gig) and definitely "Phil" and probably "Plait".
So, I guess maybe he is qualified to be president. He was probably cited on MANswers but didn't seem to make an actual appearance. Well played.
Edit: I should have Googled before posting.
BA Blog: BA on Manswers?:
Quote:
|
I was sent an email from a reader who said he saw me (or possibly the site) mentioned on the new — and incredibly annoying — TV show Manswers, which airs on Spike TV.
|
Edit for followup: For the record, I dug a little and reported to the BA, who seemed to want to locate the episode containing a brief reference to him:
Web video of the segment:
AOL Video: How to survive an elevator fall
or
Vidslib.com Video: How to survive an elevator fall
or
Spike TV Excerpt: Survive an Elevator Freefall?
It's at around 2:50 in, of the 3:20 video.
During falling elevator video, narrator cites [Physicist Philip Plait] for: "In Freefall...
a Person Accelerates 30 ft. per Second" with overlayed CGI text.
From Wikipedia: MANswers, the segment appears to be "HOW MANY FLOORS
CAN YOU FALL AND STILL SURVIVE IN AN ELEVATOR PLUNGE?" from Episode
102, September 26, 2007.