1. Comment #112620 by Steven Mading on January 17, 2008 at 3:08 pm

Colbert (well, his fake persona where he pretends to be a fool) seemed uncharacteristically nice to his guest in this interview.

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2. Comment #112621 by Inferno on January 17, 2008 at 3:09 pm

I am so buying this book.

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3. Comment #112622 by Crazymalc on January 17, 2008 at 3:09 pm

I love this interview.

Colbert has a great ability to make people look like idiots (See the d'souza interview for example).

Shubin does a great job at talking about science in a fascinating and interesting way.

Well done that man!

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4. Comment #112626 by aadnk on January 17, 2008 at 3:29 pm

Steven Mading: I reckon the writer's strike in the US has something to do with it.

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5. Comment #112632 by Gmork on January 17, 2008 at 3:44 pm

Crazymalc wrote: "Colbert has a great ability to make people look like idiots (See the d'souza interview for example)."

Watching.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/01/17/colbert-nails-dinesh-dsouza/

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6. Comment #112646 by Storeo on January 17, 2008 at 4:39 pm

Watching.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/01/17/colbert-nails-dinesh-dsouza/

That interview was great, thanks for posting, Colbert nailed him.

My love for Stephen has just gone up a few notches.

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7. Comment #112654 by Copernic on January 17, 2008 at 4:59 pm

Colbert has always had a soft spot for scientists. He's typically given them a bit more leeway even with writers on board.
J

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8. Comment #112658 by APPlet on January 17, 2008 at 5:12 pm

"We are constrained by the data."
Beautiful!!

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9. Comment #112660 by Steve Zara on January 17, 2008 at 5:30 pm

Watching.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/01/17/colbert-nails-dinesh-dsouza/

Wow. I almost felt sorry for D'Souza. Almost.

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10. Comment #112667 by Cokane on January 17, 2008 at 5:50 pm

Hohoho. That was a real slapping down if ever I saw one. I agree I almost felt sorry for the guy. Very sharp stuff from this Colbert guy.

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11. Comment #112679 by LeeLeeOne on January 17, 2008 at 6:58 pm

Colbert-Shubin - what a hoot! Actually not a bad "inter"view. I really want to get the book Your Inner Fish from Neil. Oooh, I feel a budget splurge set for next month!

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12. Comment #112686 by Jaffas85 on January 17, 2008 at 8:21 pm

Pretty funny and weird interview from Colbert and I'm sure the book would be really interesting.

Has he ever had Hicthens or Dawkins on the show?

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13. Comment #112694 by Cerberus on January 17, 2008 at 9:52 pm

He never had Hitchens on the show but he did have Dawkins when he was promoting TGD. You can see the interview here: http://richarddawkins.net/article,210,Stephen-Colbert-Interviews-Richard-Dawkins,The-Colbert-Report-Richard-Dawkins

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14. Comment #112702 by mintcheerios on January 17, 2008 at 11:16 pm

He also had Sam Harris on the show.

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15. Comment #112714 by Sharrow on January 18, 2008 at 1:01 am

On Dinesh D'Souza....Fantastic!

It's about time that D'Souza was finally made to look the fool that he is. I sat amazed watching Dennett let him get the better of him and then was staggered to see Hitchens of all people lose on points to such a lightweight.

I guess the trick is ridecule and attack!

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16. Comment #112715 by AllanW on January 18, 2008 at 1:03 am

Yep, nice job by both Shubin and Colbert. I agree that Colbert seems to be science-friendly but Shubin did a great job of seeming relaxed, getting the science information broadcast and being humorous with it.

Read the Pharyngula piece where he describes his preparation for the interview. Any real scientist who can appear this relaxed and informative on television needs our support.

I ordered his book immediately after seeing this interview and can't wait for it to arrive.

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17. Comment #112746 by Vinelectric on January 18, 2008 at 3:15 am

The first time I saw the Tiktaalik I thought: well that must be how Crocodiles started out, what' the big deal..

then I looked at the Wikipedia entry and learnt something very significant:

Crocodiles are among the more biologically complex reptiles despite their prehistoric look. Unlike other reptiles they have a four-chambered heart, diaphragm and cerebral cortex.

So they do fit the bill of a transitional form, afterall.

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18. Comment #112758 by Ian Bamlett on January 18, 2008 at 3:53 am

Colbert is a great.

As others have mentioned he does seem to hold back and give the scientists he has on an easier time of it than some others. Dawkins, Harris, Pinker and now Shubin; they all came out well from the Colbert experience I thought. Based on that I don't think it unreasonable to conclude that the man behind the Colbert persona is, 'on side'.

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19. Comment #112794 by Storeo on January 18, 2008 at 5:19 am

I think debating Dinesh is a problem purely because the amount of strawmen, irrationalality, and unintelligable ideas he espouses would take an awful long time to disect and fully refute. I think a written debate, preferably with Sam, would be the best way to conduct any future mode of dialogue.

With that said, I just watched Michael Shermer's debate with him from last week and he did a pretty good job. The Q & A session gives you a real insight into how Dinesh's mind realy works. For example on a question asked as to why 'doesn't god heal amputees?' Dinesh absolutely floundered and offered now clear answer, yet was remarkebly insistant that he had. Its interesting because i believe that he really thought he had when its evident to anybody watching that he didn't (especially somone in the audience who replied with some frustration 'What are you talking about?' lol)

Here's the link if anyones interested,

http://www.richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=27490
(post 6)

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20. Comment #112822 by Johnny O on January 18, 2008 at 6:28 am

Colbert is a legend. He did a pretty decent job of making Behe look like a cock too.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1483,Interview-with-Michael-Behe,The-Colbert-Report

I haven't heard Behe use his "Mousetrap" analogy since Colbert's comments

"Wood, metal and springs. What possible use could any of those be"

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21. Comment #112847 by mcadamsdj on January 18, 2008 at 7:13 am

Bought the book yesterday...and the pile grows ever larger.

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22. Comment #112951 by robotaholic on January 18, 2008 at 10:24 am

I'm afraid I found myself thinking wow that seems far fetched even though I know it's basically true. Science has a long way to go with public opinion in the United States... but having the fossil right there on the table was a good start

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23. Comment #112959 by GSP on January 18, 2008 at 10:36 am

I'm afraid that we have to admit that scientists trying to fit the principles of evolutionary biology into 3 second sound bites are doing more harm than good. I mean, I know what the guy is trying to say, but that is because I am a regular on this site as well as a student of evolutionary theory.

However, I just don't think the general public is going to take what this guy has to say seriously. For someone will next to no background in evolutionary biology (a majority of the American population) I imagine this guy sounds absolutely insane.

We are at a point where the responsibility for learning about the natural world rests on the shoulders of individuals, not on comedic television shows.

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24. Comment #113000 by tieInterceptor on January 18, 2008 at 12:24 pm

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/01/17/colbert-nails-dinesh-dsouza/

that was amazing, d'Souza had that coming big time

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25. Comment #113209 by DalaiDrivel on January 18, 2008 at 11:34 pm

If only the creationist found his marine roots in the form of certain evolved organs as fascinating as I do.

This information is so utterly cool!

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26. Comment #113210 by DalaiDrivel on January 18, 2008 at 11:49 pm

Well,

After watching Colbert interview D'Souza...

I see there is no substitute for intelligence.

Yet there is even less (yes I know that's impossible) for wit.

Did it really take Colbert to cause Dinesh to fall, to commit, cutting him off amid protests? Not that I mind...

I'm not too surprised. I think they were well suited- both professionals at different forms of comedy- one sad farce, the other calculated mockery.

Colbert went after D'Souza. You could see that. He was not aggressive at all with Shubin. He didn't crowd the latter with compromising questions for instance.

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27. Comment #113234 by Goodwithwood on January 19, 2008 at 4:11 am

Here is one of Colbert's best. He was the guest speaker at the White House's correspondent's diner. Bush him self had too sit there and take the beating he gave him. Great shit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa-4E8ZDj9s

GWW

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28. Comment #113239 by Goodwithwood on January 19, 2008 at 4:24 am

And the second half.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOYZF3It848&feature=related

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29. Comment #113242 by Goodwithwood on January 19, 2008 at 4:31 am

And the third half....??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAvFM4TYQKU&feature=related

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30. Comment #113260 by bluebird on January 19, 2008 at 5:59 am

Youtube link for Shubin interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3e2sdY_XnE

Mr. Shubin is very affable. He seems to be a great spokesperson for science.

Colbert asking if we can "go back" to being fish reminds me of the Star Trek episode 'Genesis'.

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31. Comment #113383 by ligfietser on January 19, 2008 at 1:17 pm

This is why i don't watch television.

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32. Comment #113778 by Shuggy on January 20, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Boy, if I could ever keep my head and stay on track and go for the nub of an argument as well as Shubin, I'd have avoided a lot of trouble and embarassment in the past. What's he like with a real interviewer?

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33. Comment #116491 by tmg on January 26, 2008 at 3:45 pm

Here is an excerpt from the novel. I'm giving it to my second-year biology students to summarize (and possibly learn a thing or two). If I tell them the author's been on Stephen Colbert, maybe they'll pay more attention!
http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0812/features/fish_out_of_water.shtml

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