Rachel Maddow interviews Jon Stewart

They end up having a really fascinating conversation about public discourse and the role of the media. Forget prime-time TV – set aside an hour to watch it this evening.

(bigger version here)

I find it interesting that Jon Stewart sees himself as fighting one battle (against TV news’ amplifying echo chamber) while everyone else wants to see him as fighting another (against rampant stupidity, especially on the right wing).

Twin Suns of Tatooine

I hate pennies

From Landing to Liftoff

Time-lapse photography of the preparation process for the Space Shuttle. Pretty amazing little video.

What the weather feels like this week

Chocolate Bunny from Lernert & Sander on Vimeo.

TurtleCam

Double-slit experiment

Your daily dose of quantum weirdness.

Are Wii Fit?

I can’t laugh too hard, because we own one.

Happiness in pixellated form

New World Order

Hiphopopotamus

The Problem with Palin

Sam Harris eviscerates the Palin pick:

Americans have an unhealthy desire to see average people promoted to positions of great authority. No one wants an average neurosurgeon or even an average carpenter, but when it comes time to vest a man or woman with more power and responsibility than any person has held in human history, Americans say they want a regular guy, someone just like themselves. . .

This is one of the many points at which narcissism becomes indistinguishable from masochism. Let me put it plainly: If you want someone just like you to be president of the United States, or even vice president, you deserve whatever dysfunctional society you get. You deserve to be poor, to see the environment despoiled, to watch your children receive a fourth-rate education and to suffer as this country wages — and loses — both necessary and unnecessary wars.

The Daily Show highlights the usual lies and hypocrisy from conservative talking heads:

They must not realize that their words are being taped.

Knights of Cydonia

I knew the song from GH3, but I hadn’t seen the video until just now. Epic, I tell you.

Font Conference

This is Brilliant.

Scissors Bomb Mailbox! MAILBOX!!

Solar Eclipse from a Plane

Ode to Beaker

Italian Training Camp

Origin of Species

While My Youtube Gently Weeps

Today’s Youtube find: two fantastic covers of George Harrison’s ‘My Guitar Gently Weeps’. The first is by Jake Shimabukuro, on ukelele:

The second is by Tom Petty, Prince, and company. Don’t miss Prince’s lengthy solo towards the end.

Catchy song, clever video.