Comments on: Playing "Still Alive" with a fiber laser and a piece of stainless steel http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 09:12:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: danimagoo http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376687 danimagoo Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376687 Technically, he's a person not a thing, but yes. He is also an extremely talented musician, and very funny. The other song of his most people are familiar with is Code Monkey. Technically, he’s a person not a thing, but yes. He is also an extremely talented musician, and very funny. The other song of his most people are familiar with is Code Monkey.

]]> By: Donald Petersen http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376547 Donald Petersen Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376547 And here I was expecting "Stayin' Alive."  Which, while certainly possessed of the groove to make your booty move, probably wouldn't work so well played on the LaserSteel as this tune does. I've always liked "Still Alive" since I first played Portal a few years back, but I'm pretty sure it's the only Jonathan Coulton song I've ever heard.  Is he, like, a thing? And here I was expecting “Stayin’ Alive.”  Which, while certainly possessed of the groove to make your booty move, probably wouldn’t work so well played on the LaserSteel as this tune does.

I’ve always liked “Still Alive” since I first played Portal a few years back, but I’m pretty sure it’s the only Jonathan Coulton song I’ve ever heard.  Is he, like, a thing?

]]> By: jamesjamesm http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376540 jamesjamesm Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376540 I misread it as "Stayin' Alive" by the Beegees...  I am also disappoint. I misread it as “Stayin’ Alive” by the Beegees…  I am also disappoint.

]]> By: JohnHinesJr http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376206 JohnHinesJr Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376206 Awesome to see someone use "lagniappe" in a sentence that isn't about the word itself.   Awesome to see someone use “lagniappe” in a sentence that isn’t about the word itself.  

]]> By: Mike Norman http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376151 Mike Norman Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376151 Somehow, I misread that and was expecting Aretha Franklin's "I Will Survive." While I understand that this sentiment would not be shared by all here if they were under my circumstance, I was disappointed. Somehow, I misread that and was expecting Aretha Franklin’s “I Will Survive.”

While I understand that this sentiment would not be shared by all here if they were under my circumstance, I was disappointed.

]]> By: void_ptr http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376054 void_ptr Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376054  I like to think of it as the machine singing along.  I like to think of it as the machine singing along.

]]> By: CH http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376018 CH Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376018 This is so much full of win it knocked me right over!!!! But... I... I never realized it was a Jonathan Coulton song! Or I've forgotten... my memory is shorter than my nose. I'm so ashamed, please don't take my geek badge away from me!!! This is so much full of win it knocked me right over!!!!

But… I… I never realized it was a Jonathan Coulton song! Or I’ve forgotten… my memory is shorter than my nose. I’m so ashamed, please don’t take my geek badge away from me!!!

]]> By: info http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1376019 info Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1376019 Thanks! My bad for thinking the pulse rate was stable all the way through. Thanks! My bad for thinking the pulse rate was stable all the way through.

]]> By: OtherMichael http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375744 OtherMichael Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375744  In the meantime, please listen to our assembly-floor-generated hold-music....  In the meantime, please listen to our assembly-floor-generated hold-music….

]]> By: nixiebunny http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375702 nixiebunny Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375702 I'm sorry, sir, but your job has been held up in CAM for two days. We're not sure quite what the programming problem is, but I'll see that it gets etched right away. I’m sorry, sir, but your job has been held up in CAM for two days. We’re not sure quite what the programming problem is, but I’ll see that it gets etched right away.

]]> By: nixiebunny http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375698 nixiebunny Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375698 You're hearing the laser pulse rate, not the plate's resonance. Each pulse makes a short popping sound as the metal vaporizes. You’re hearing the laser pulse rate, not the plate’s resonance. Each pulse makes a short popping sound as the metal vaporizes.

]]> By: info http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375682 info Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375682 Sure. But would anybody kindly explain to me how the plate is tuned? I must be stupid, but I can't understand how a superhot light beam can vibrate at discrete frequencies something apparently lying flat on something else. Sure.

But would anybody kindly explain to me how the plate is tuned? I must be stupid, but I can’t understand how a superhot light beam can vibrate at discrete frequencies something apparently lying flat on something else.

]]> By: alex4point0 http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375667 alex4point0 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375667 m/ o/` o/` I'm ... Sailin' aaaawaayyyyy.... o/ o/ m/ m/ o/` o/` I’m … Sailin’ aaaawaayyyyy…. o/ o/ m/

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375641 Nathan Hornby Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375641 Gah, I thought the track was fun when I heard it in-game, but it's so old now, I thought it was too much when I could download the track for Guitar Hero, and that was at least 2 years ago. Gah, I thought the track was fun when I heard it in-game, but it’s so old now, I thought it was too much when I could download the track for Guitar Hero, and that was at least 2 years ago.

]]> By: styrofoam http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375628 styrofoam Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375628 Started to watch the video for the concept, had to finish watching because I'm apparently physically incapable of shutting off any rendition of "Still Alive". Started to watch the video for the concept, had to finish watching because I’m apparently physically incapable of shutting off any rendition of “Still Alive”.

]]> By: James Lindstrom http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375605 James Lindstrom Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375605 I understand your point and slightly agree with you, but when I think of the valve logo i think of that image of a bald man with a valve protruding somewhere from his skull (they seem to change its location with each new game they release; not that there are a whole lot of those....) I understand your point and slightly agree with you, but when I think of the valve logo i think of that image of a bald man with a valve protruding somewhere from his skull (they seem to change its location with each new game they release; not that there are a whole lot of those….)

]]> By: Martijn Rotman http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375600 Martijn Rotman Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375600 "Valve's logo" is technically correct because they designed it but most would call it "Aperture logo" Edit: James was a couple of seconds quicker “Valve’s logo” is technically correct because they designed it but most would call it “Aperture logo”
Edit: James was a couple of seconds quicker

]]> By: peterkvt80 http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375601 peterkvt80 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375601 Lasers are awesome, but maybe not for music. Sometimes slightly flat and nearly as melodious as a Stylophone. Lasers are awesome, but maybe not for music. Sometimes slightly flat and nearly as melodious as a Stylophone.

]]> By: James Lindstrom http://boingboing.net/2012/03/21/playing-still-alive-with-a.html#comment-1375599 James Lindstrom Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=150439#comment-1375599 Is it bad that after, what, almost five years now I still enjoy these videos? Small correction, you stated the laser carved the valve logo when it actually carved the Aperture Science logo. Is it bad that after, what, almost five years now I still enjoy these videos?
Small correction, you stated the laser carved the valve logo when it actually carved the Aperture Science logo.

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