Comments on: Instant Elements: Tom Lehrer's "Elements Song," with Google Instant (video) http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 11:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881164 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881164 what an amazing product demo video. i mean not only is it entertaining but it really shows off the products core strength. SPEED! nice work goog and joe! what an amazing product demo video. i mean not only is it entertaining but it really shows off the products core strength. SPEED!

nice work goog and joe!

]]> By: bkad http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-880722 bkad Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-880722 Cool demo, for sure. That Internet connection is Waaay better than mine. Google instant or not, I'm impressed at how fast the graphics come down. (Is this the kind of speed the rest of you are seeing? curse you comcast!...) Cool demo, for sure.

That Internet connection is Waaay better than mine. Google instant or not, I’m impressed at how fast the graphics come down. (Is this the kind of speed the rest of you are seeing? curse you comcast!…)

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881502 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881502 At 1:04, the search box misspells sulfur as "sulfer", but the search results are all for the correct spelling, without even a "Did you mean...?" Is that a new feature of Google Instant, or an artifact of the video editing? At 1:04, the search box misspells sulfur as “sulfer”, but the search results are all for the correct spelling, without even a “Did you mean…?” Is that a new feature of Google Instant, or an artifact of the video editing?

]]> By: brinylon http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881001 brinylon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881001 Gods, I love that song. Gods, I love that song.

]]> By: merreborn http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881005 merreborn Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881005 Re: comments on speed: were I to try this, I think I'd record it while playing the song back at, say, 1/4 speed. Then run video at 4x and dub the song over at regular speed. Re: comments on speed: were I to try this, I think I’d record it while playing the song back at, say, 1/4 speed. Then run video at 4x and dub the song over at regular speed.

]]> By: silkox http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881007 silkox Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881007 Back in the day, in my >500-student intro chem lecture hall (and I expect many others) they had a light-up periodic table, with a separate switch for each element. One of the many acts the professor had was to play the elements song while flipping each appropriate switch in real time. Using GI in real time would take some practice, but should be possible. Of course, one could always finger-synch using this video. Back in the day, in my >500-student intro chem lecture hall (and I expect many others) they had a light-up periodic table, with a separate switch for each element. One of the many acts the professor had was to play the elements song while flipping each appropriate switch in real time. Using GI in real time would take some practice, but should be possible. Of course, one could always finger-synch using this video.

]]> By: farrellmcgovern http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-880758 farrellmcgovern Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-880758 That is totally awesome! That is totally awesome!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-880783 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-880783 It's almost certainly cut together, but it's still awesome. It’s almost certainly cut together, but it’s still awesome.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-880785 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-880785 very creative! if google doesn't buy that video for a generous chunk o dough, they're foolish very creative! if google doesn’t buy that video for a generous chunk o dough, they’re foolish

]]> By: retchdog http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-880796 retchdog Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-880796 I think the video is sped up at least a little. I think the video is sped up at least a little.

]]> By: Scurra http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881080 Scurra Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881080 Entertaining idea, well implemented. It's interesting to see how bad Instant is at predicting some of them though, but the thing moves at such a pace it's hard not to be impressed. And some of the gags are quite good too. Entertaining idea, well implemented.
It’s interesting to see how bad Instant is at predicting some of them though, but the thing moves at such a pace it’s hard not to be impressed. And some of the gags are quite good too.

]]> By: wylkyn http://boingboing.net/2010/09/08/instant-elements-tom.html#comment-881109 wylkyn Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-881109 I went to UC Santa Cruz back in '86 and '87 and I was lucky enough to get the lead in a musical. The guy who was helping with the music was hilarious, and we had a great time screwing around on the piano, making up silly songs and cracking ourselves up. When I came home that Summer, I mentioned to my dad that the piano guy's name was Tom Lehrer, and my dad nearly had a heart attack. He pulled out a couple of Tom Lehrer albums, and there he was on the cover. I even remembered his songs from Electric Company when I was a kid. I just hadn't made the connection because I hadn't ever heard the name. Part of me wished I could go back in time and get an autograph or something, but I think Mr. Lehrer enjoyed the anonymity and the freedom to just be normal...well, as normal as he could be. And it's great to hear his songs now knowing that he's genuinely a nice guy. I went to UC Santa Cruz back in ’86 and ’87 and I was lucky enough to get the lead in a musical. The guy who was helping with the music was hilarious, and we had a great time screwing around on the piano, making up silly songs and cracking ourselves up.

When I came home that Summer, I mentioned to my dad that the piano guy’s name was Tom Lehrer, and my dad nearly had a heart attack. He pulled out a couple of Tom Lehrer albums, and there he was on the cover. I even remembered his songs from Electric Company when I was a kid. I just hadn’t made the connection because I hadn’t ever heard the name.

Part of me wished I could go back in time and get an autograph or something, but I think Mr. Lehrer enjoyed the anonymity and the freedom to just be normal…well, as normal as he could be. And it’s great to hear his songs now knowing that he’s genuinely a nice guy.

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