Background: I used to work as the receptionist at the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics (about 15 years ago). I spent a lot of time typesetting physics papers (that’s how I developed tendonitis) and dealt with a bunch of physics professors, post-docs, and grad students. One of the more fun folks at the CTP was Sean Carroll, who was at the time a post-doc.

Imagine my surprise when, upon watching a Lewis Black comedy special on pay per view tonight in which a couple of comedians “debated” whether it was high school or American Idol that was the root of all evil, I briefly saw him there. He was one of three scientists shown in a clip of a fictitious “last scientist standing” American Idol-style science show.

Dang he’s aged well! And, may I say, it’s VERY surreal tuning in to watch one of your favorite comedians and seeing a clip of someone you used to work with ten or fifteen years ago. I think my head just asploded.

Yes, that’s a technical term.

More soon. Sorry for the lack of communication, but we’ve had a friend visiting from out of town all week!