EPISODE NUMBER: 7016 (January 27, 2011)
GUESTS: Daryl Bem, Brian Greene
SEGMENTS: Candyquake, Time-Traveling Porn – Daryl Bem, Gordita Supreme Court
VIDEOS: Thursday, January 27, 2011
For those of you who may not have watched the thundersnow clip from 2006 recently, Stephen used the same opening line (“I am Colbert!”) in both shows. It’s interesting to watch the way the line is delivered differently in both shows, though, and the difference in the character portrayal in the line. In 2006, it was more of an explanation – “Welcome to the Colbert Report – I am Colbert.” Whereas, in 2011, it was more of a declaration – “Welcome to the ‘Report’ – I am Colbert!” Hear him roar!
Stephen’s “Is it me?” ESP trick was so very adorkable. He was just so proud of his ESP ability. I very much enjoyed Stephen’s interaction with Dr. Bem, and his marveling at the way that Bem brought pornography into the equation of his study. The Taco Bell thing was quite interesting as well. I had heard of the controversy with the meat, and didn’t think too much about it. I rarely eat Taco Bell, and when I do, it’s mostly bean-based treats (tostada, 7-layer burrito, etc.). But on occasion, I’ve felt the need to get my taco on. But when Stephen said that there was sand in the tacos? I don’t know if I can ever really enjoy Taco Bell again. Yuck! I even got on Wikipedia and looked up Silicon Dioxide, and they say:
In respects other than inhalation, pure silicon dioxide is inert and harmless. Clean silicon dioxide yields no fumes and is insoluble in vivo. It is indigestible, with no nutritional value.[citation needed] When silica is ingested orally, it passes unchanged through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, exiting in the feces, leaving no trace behind.
Wikipedia even cites a study showing that “with an increase of 10 milligram-per-day of the intake of silica in drinking water, the risk of dementia dropped by 11%.” So by transitive logic, it looks like Taco Bell reduces the risk of dementia. Run with that, Greg Creed!
I love it when really cerebral guests, like Brian Greene, come on the show. It’s so interesting to see how ridiculously far “Stephen” is going to push the guest. Loved the “Evil Stephen” reference in the interview, too. One year, for Halloween, I went to work with a goatee drawn on, and when people asked me what my costume was, I said “Evil DB.” No one got it. God, I hated that job.
What did all of you think of this episode? Leave it in the comments!
- A nor’eater blew up the east coast, and now New York is buried under 19 inches of Satan’s cocaine. That reminds me, I’ve got to punch my frequent blizzard card. Ooh, that makes five – we get a free one!
- Now thundersnow is when a snowstorm has a three way with lightning and thunder. Just like a regular three way – it feels unnatural and makes the dog hide.
- With that in mind, I'd like to report on an even rarer phenomenon. It’s called Candy Quake – when the earth cracks open and delicious nougat oozes from the fault line.
- Everyone here, in the studio audience, who came to see me on my show, I want you to concentrate on me and think of a famous person. Okay – don’t tell me who it is. Just look at me. Think of a famous person. Is it me? Did anyone else get chills?
- I know you’re thinking ‘Stephen, that’s bulls**t. But on the other hand, I *know* you’re thinking, ‘Stephen, that’s bulls**t.’
- Apparently, when it comes to seeing the future, we like to watch.
- That’s right – science has finally discovered time-traveling porn. Apparently, if the flux capacitor’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’.
- I say rather than fearing time-traveling porn, we should use its power for good. Which is why I will use it to predict who’s going to win the 2012 Presidential election. The winner will be … Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. I also have them winning the Super Bowl and performing at the halftime show. Powerful stuff.
- Wait a second, are you saying that Obama is a time-traveling pornographer? That’s why he won’t show us the birth certificate! Because the date is from the future!
- 3% is the Colbert Bump? Show me some pornography, it might get bigger.
- It is all that and a bag of chips in that it contains a bag of chips.
- I say if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, glue some hooves on that thing and call it beef.
- Now you might know silicon dioxide by its street name – sand. It’s like your mouth has gone to the beach to take a vacation from meat.
- Tell my kids I love them.
- Brian Greene: You are bag of particles governed by the laws of physics.
Stephen Colbert: That is a great pick-up line.
Stephen Colbert and Brian Greene together! How I wish I could hear an in-depth conversation between Brian Greene and the real Stephen! Stephen seems so interested in cosmology and understanding “reality,” and I’m guessing from the look on his face when Brian Greene suggested we are all the sum total of “equations,” that Stephen wished he could go on and on. He seemed genuinely charmed and amazed by what Brian Greene was saying. What an amazing interview! More, please!
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1
This show had everything! Two really interesting guests (the interviews that get super conceptual are probably my favorites, plus the line about making the Colbert bump bigger by looking at porn was a FANTASTIC ad-lib), Stephen eating something disgusting and ridiculous, and a healthy dose of egomania based on twisted logic (“I control the weather”).
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1
I probably laughed hardest at: “On a scale of 1 to beef, it’s got something in there.” :P
I could listen to Brian Greene for hours. I don’t have the money to shell out right now for his new book, but I found Fabric of the Cosmos on Amazon for £3. Time to get my geek on.
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1
Great episode. I love it when they take a break from headlines and riff on a little-known story.
As for the use of sand in taco meat, I’ve read that more places than Taco Bell put it in their beef, um, stuff. For example, the powdered sauce mixture in Old El Paso taco kits contains it in order to keep the added beef from clumping together. So, there’s a reason for it, besides the Mexican food industry’s ‘silent and diabolical’ wearing-down the teeth of American citizens, of course;)
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1
Actually what the Taco Bell folks say is that their beef-like product contains silicon dioxide. Sand is silicon dioxide, as is glass. But, I’m guessing the main source of silicon dioxide in pseudobeef is as diatomaceous earth (DE). DE is essentially an ultra fine version of sand or powdered glass (mmm, yummy!) that comes from massive deposits of fossilized algae (mmmm, yummier!). Among many other things it is used as an abrasive in some toothpastes and face creams. It is also used as a “natural” insecticide because it kills insects by abrading their exoskeleton without harming the digestive tract of larger animals. Stored grain is often treated with DE so no doubt some makes it into the food supply that way. And livestock are often dusted with DE to control external parasites, and their feed may be supplemented with DE to control internal parasites. You can even buy “food grade” DE to sprinkle on your Wheaties to control your own tapeworm load. None of this makes anything that originates at Taco Bell any more appetizing to me, but seriously, the silicon dioxide content of their products is the least of my concerns.
Oh, and loved the show. Daryl Bem seems to be one weird dude.
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1
Stephen’s look of complete awe and wonderment at Brian Greene’s suggestion that we may be, as Stephen so nicely interpreted it, expressions of an equation was my favorite part of the episode, hands down. The look on his face that said “I actually understand this and I am fascinated by it” put a giant smile on my face. I also loved how Greene continually talked with his hands (I talk with my hands constantly) – it actually helped explain the subject matter that much better. Such a great interview!
Shout Out (Hey!):
+3
Ahhhhhh, yes, I was just going to comment on that as well, I loved that look on his face, too :D! It’s so fun to see him get so eagerly invested in a topic like this. And the discussion was so weird and strange and intriguing and cool. Space is such a vast topic and the fact that there’s still so much we’re learning about it-yeah, I don’t blame Stephen for his look of complete and total awe.
He seemed awfully invested in the time-traveling porn discussion, too, which was…interesting, to say the least :p. Very funny, though, and to think people actually do studies involving that stuff is odd. Hilarious and curious, but odd.
Interesting information shared here about the beef in foods. Even if there’s a reason behind it, knowing that information does tend to make one look a little more warily at their food…
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1
I love to watch Stephen get his science-fanboy on. He really does a great service by helping to make science cool and funny for a general audience.
Fantastic episode through and through.
Shout Out (Hey!):
+1