Saturday, January 23, 2010

10 Questions with Gentill Abdulla


Gentill Abdulla is a young man with ideas for a time machine. You can read more about his project on CNN's iReport. You can also e-mail him directly at g_mobster2@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter.

1. Do you like tea? If so, any favorite type or brand?

I do like tea. I don't know what type of brand my mom buys but it tastes good all the same.

2. Could you give us a typical day in the life of Gentill Abdulla?

Wake up, shower, brush teeth, change clothes, go to school, eat breakfast, eat lunch, come home, do homework, eat dinner, and go to sleep.

3. If you could go back in time and have tea with any historical figure, who would it be?

I would go back and talk to Einstein.

4. What got you interested in time machines?

When I first heard about time travel in the TV series Dragonball Z.

5. When you first tell people you want to build a time machine what is their reaction like?

They usually don't think I'm all that smart first, so I really have to explain it a lot.

6. What has the feedback on your project been like?

Mostly good feedback. Lots of people have told me that I was smart and they hope for the best. Also some kids from my school keep asking me if they could be the first person to go back in time.

7. What was it like to be on Coast to Coast AM? Had you ever heard of the program beforehand?

I did hear about the program before, but I had never listened to it. I wasn't really nervous on Coast to Coast I think it was because it was just explaining what would happen and how.

8. If time machines already existed, what do you think you would be working on instead?

I would be working on getting to places faster than the speed of light.

9. If you could have tea with any living physicist, who would it be?

Kip Thorne.

10. Is there anything you would like to add?

Not really.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Reichel Talks Gourmet


Just in case you are still not tired of hearing about the end of Gourmet, former editor Ruth Reichel talks about her post-Gourmet world with WNYC's Leonard Lopate.
A few notes:
1) Yes, the infamous David Foster Wallce lobster story is mentioned.
2) At one point Reichel starts to expound on the magic of a post-print world. I have to say I agree with WNYC listener Ihk who posted the comment "haha lose the new media guru hat keep the chef's"
3) In case you were wondering but do not want to listen to the show, Gourmet's cookbook collection is now housed at NYU's Fales Library.