Is Jim Carrey Using a Prompter in His Quantum Mechanics Chat with Conan?

[Manchot]

I thought this was pretty funny:

 

[Moridin]

Wonder how long it took him to memorize that

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Wonder how long it took him to memorize that

You cynic

That's pretty funny actually.

 

[Cyrus]

Nice.

 

[G01]

That is funny!

 

[humanino]

What is funny
This is an interesting discussion
Although, <insert here silly geek comment>

 

[morphism]

Haha. That was classic!

 

[Gokul43201]

What is funny
This is an interesting discussion

You must be an insider! I found it nonsensical.

Although, <insert here silly geek comment>

For instance, how does the "diffusion constant D", which is dimensionally the inverse of time, supposed to "approach t_n"? Also, Carrey's first sentence sounds like a great revelation or exciting explanation, when in fact, it is simply the definition of a phase bistability, and is not at all specific to an electron in a Penning trap.

 

[Moonbear]

You must be an insider! I found it nonsensical.

I saw it on Conan the other night and thought it was hilarious, but did wonder if it was just a bunch of nonsense strung together to sound smart, or if someone had actually coached them and helped put together something actually scientifically sound. I'm glad someone found a clip to ask here. The exchange did sound like some of the arguments I've read in a few subfora around here.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You must be an insider! I found it nonsensical.
For instance, how does the "diffusion constant D", which is dimensionally the inverse of time, supposed to "approach t_n"? Also, Carrey's first sentence sounds like a great revelation or exciting explanation, when in fact, it is simply the definition of a phase bistability, and is not at all specific to an electron in a Penning trap.

In order to understand, you would have to watch the entire show.

 

[Gokul43201]

I saw it on Conan the other night and thought it was hilarious, but did wonder if it was just a bunch of nonsense strung together to sound smart, or if someone had actually coached them and helped put together something actually scientifically sound.

Despite my objection above (and I didn't watch the entire show) it may be scientifically sound. But it is still reading of definitions made to sound like a discussion of interesting results. Everyone knows that particles that are thermally activated from a trap will escape at a rate that goes "exponentially like the negative of the activation energy". You learn the Arrhenius equation in a high school chemistry class.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Btw, I was kidding.

 

[humanino]

Btw, I was kidding.

I think Gokul is kidding too

 

[Astronuc]

You must be an insider! I found it nonsensical.
For instance, how does the "diffusion constant D", which is dimensionally the inverse of time, supposed to "approach t_n"?

A diffusion coefficient usually has units of unit area per unit time, e.g. cm² s^-1.

Perhaps t_n is normalized time.

I am sure it sounded impressive to the audience.

I found it non-sensical too.

 

[turbo]

Nice skit, though!

 

[MadScientist 1000]

My opinion: Show off...

A decade ago they thought we nerds were really creepy and avoided us whenever we came down the hallway (Mind you, I was doing really nerdy 3 year old stuff back then), and now, they USE us! For publicity!

 

[Moonbear]

I am sure it sounded impressive to the audience.

That's all they were supposed to accomplish.

I found it non-sensical too.

It didn't matter if it was. It was meant to be funny, not educational. I doubt anyone assumed they were talking serious science. I just found it hilarious that I've actually heard people talk like that (though, sometimes it hasn't been about science, but science fiction...*snickers* "Only a moron wouldn't know that in episode 2 of season 3 of Stargate..." )

 

[Cyrus]

Talk about beating a dead horse. -it was a joke people, -

 

[Moonbear]

Talk about beating a dead horse. -it was a joke people, -

There's a good deal of irony in the amount of discussion that has occurred here over that particular joke.

 

[Manchot]

My opinion: Show off...

A decade ago they thought we nerds were really creepy and avoided us whenever we came down the hallway (Mind you, I was doing really nerdy 3 year old stuff back then), and now, they USE us! For publicity!

Don't worry about it, Conan O'Brien is also a huge nerd. He was a writer for the Simpsons and SNL, after all.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I think Gokul is kidding too

I was worried about Cyrus.

 

[DeadWolfe]

Don't worry about it, Conan O'Brien is also a huge nerd. He was a writer for the Simpsons and SNL, after all.

Yeah, but he never went to college

 

[Math Is Hard]

Yeah, but he never went to college

Nerdiness is innate. It is not a product of college education.

 

[Cyrus]

After graduating from high school, O'Brien entered Harvard University and, in his three upper-class years, lived in Mather House. Throughout his college career, he was a writer for the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. During his sophomore and junior years, O'Brien served as the Lampoon's president, making him only the second person ever to serve as president twice, and the first person to have done it in 85 years. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1985 with a B.A. in U.S. History.

Hahaha, he showed you. Top 20% of class of 85' at Harvard.

 

[Integral]

Wonder how long it took him to memorize that

Sheesh! Have you never heard of prompters?