56 thoughts on “Philomena Cunk on “Time””

  4. Is this going to be a regular feature on your website until we run out? I would be very happy with that.

    From the crime episode: “But what is rules? A rules is basically a collection of laws. The first example being the ten commandments, which were left on a hill by god. Many of those laws, killing, gravity and the one about not interfering with oxes, are still used today. Even though god is dead.”

  6. My favourite part:

    Clocks was invented by the Ancient Mesopotamians in Ancient Mesopotamian times but they didn’t know it were Ancient Mesopotamian times because there was no clocks to see what the times was.

    1. Plenty of appreciative smiles, and one big laugh:

      “This is the only place in the world where I can be in the past and the future with the present running right up through my middle bits”

  10. I sussed out time long ago. It’s just a measurement of how things move in relation to the motion of one particular thing (of our choice), whose motion we assume to be regular. If nothing moved, time would not exist.

    In the same way, if things didn’t exist neither would length, volume, smells, etc. They are measurements or descriptions of things, not things themselves (hardly contentious, unlike my description of time).

        1. Hmm… Also attributed to Einstein and Ray Cummings, but Wheeler sounds right (given the style of his textbook for my physics course).

          I’m sure I came across it first in one of Clarke’s books; he must have been quoting Wheeler, explicitly or implicitly.

          /@

    2. Well actually – if you really do want to make the error of getting serious in a discusion about a comedy – time, like space, it’s merely a local condensation out of block spacetime. And block spacetime is only ever present. Which could prove to be little uncomfortable for our heroine’s middle bits.

    3. That is a crucial understanding. People who postulate timeless state or realms don’t quite realize what they mean.
      No dimension, no movement no nothing.
      One of Dennett like inversions.

  12. It’s the type of documentary video where you know exactly the same at the end that you knew before it began. Therefore, quite a learning experience as Philomena would say.

  14. I invested more “time” today than I ever intended to… reading the postings at this insane blog…. but this one video by Ms Cunk was, by far the best 4 minutes and 20 seconds of my limited “time” on earth…at least for this particular day… Sunday Feb. 22, 2015.

    I watched it two “times”… the second “time” was damn near as funny as the first “time”.

  15. I invested more “time” today than I ever intended to… reading the postings at this insane blog…. but this one video by Ms Cunk was, by far the best 4 minutes and 20 seconds of my limited “time” on earth…at least for this particular day… Sunday Feb. 22, 2015.

    I watched it two “times”… the second “time” was damn near as funny as the first “time”.

  16. I’m horrified that I didn’t know about this character until now. I’ve found five episodes on YouTube, so feel rather better about it.

    She has absolutely perfect deadpan timing.

  17. I’d like to see Philomena take over for the departing John Stewart. There would be a place to go for news once again.

  18. I wonder if Jerry has ever been in love with Daphne on Frasier. She’s pretty deadly on a word like monkey as well.

    2. Very perceptive. Jane Leeves(Daphne) was doing the same Mancunian accent. Trivia: Costar John Mahoney(Martin Crane) was from Manchester.

  21. One thing that I really like about these is that she (or the writers) must really understand sciencey stuff in order to spoof the series so well. Their study of trees will be great I am sure.

    1. I’m sorry to disappoint but if I remember correctly, the topic that is broadcast the following week is never what she says it will be.

  22. Totally brilliant! I loved every microsecond of time, which, I guess, doesn’t really exist.

  24. …”by the ANCIENT Mesopotamians in ANCIENT Mesopotamian times”…what science show host says that?!

    2. The best early indication of his work was how popular his PC Zone columns were. Used to love them as a kid in the 90s… even games journalism has some value!

  27. Precious. Science and Nature magazines should have her highlight/interview all of the science features. Interest in science would increase by an order of magnitude.

  28. She is very funny in a lovely way. When she looked back at the camera as Dr. Clark is trying to explain what a watch actually measures, I actually laughed out loud.

    As others have said, thank you for introducing her.

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