Oops: Colbert wins NASA space station name contest

Colbert Wins Space Station Name Contest

WASHINGTON – NASA's online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won.
The name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options in the space agency's effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.
NASA's mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes. That clobbered Serenity, one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes. Nearly 1.2 million votes were cast by the time the contest ended Friday.
NASA reserves the right to choose an appropriate name. Agency spokesman John Yembrick said NASA will decide in April, but will give top vote-getters "the most consideration."

Just thought I'd add some good news to an otherwise bad last few weeks. I think this is awesome, and just goes to show how much sway figures like Colbert and Stewart have over their audience.

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[edit on Wed Mar 25 2009 by Jbird]

So a popular TV personality made the vote, let's name it after him.

Call it the Colbert Module and let him promote it on his show.
The station will need continuous funding and a little commercialism and endorsements from a popular show will only bring a larger interest in space travel from the general public.

Agreed. It is my personal view that the space program is the single most relevant program to the survival of the human species in the long term. We can't stay on this rock forever. So I'm all for anything that draws attention to the space program. Even if it isn't intended to do so.

Click here for more information.

This is totally unfair and silly. The node is the most important component to date. It is supposed to offer a 360 degree view of the earth from inside the station. And I am very eagerly awaiting the day, the first image from the node comes back to earth and is available for the public. I voted for serenity. I would expect this name to be removed and this node be named after a scientist.

If your going to have a contest why deny the winner?

Colbert won. Too bad nasa. It could have been worse. It could have been named the Bevis and Buthead Module.

Originally posted by peacejet
This is totally unfair and silly. The node is the most important component to date. It is supposed to offer a 360 degree view of the earth from inside the station. And I am very eagerly awaiting the day, the first image from the node comes back to earth and is available for the public. I voted for serenity. I would expect this name to be removed and this node be named after a scientist.

Ya know....i love hypocrisy.

For a long time, scientists and NASA as a whole, have been complaining that nobody is interested in space anymore.

Who can be interested in a space module named after a scientist that nobody knows? And Einstein won't work either, because honestly, who cares?

If you have to have a successful as can be NASA, to propel the space program light years ahead of the potential it can muster on it's own steam, then you need the interest of the General Public.

This captures the interest of the General Public, and anything on Colberts show does, as well.

Want to get noticed? The ol' Colbert Bump does work wonders.

Why wouldnt you want the attention?

Your comments totally bewilder me and make me want to say this:


Fine, don't name it after Colbert who won fair and square with MORE votes in a drastically shorter amount of time.
People didnt vote because Colbert told them to, people voted because they wanted Colbert to win.

if you strip him of that, then i dont ever want to hear another nerd complain that nobody cares about space - ever again.

Originally posted by Fremd

Your comments totally bewilder me and make me want to say this:


Fine, don't name it after Colbert who won fair and square with MORE votes in a drastically shorter amount of time.
People didnt vote because Colbert told them to, people voted because they wanted Colbert to win.

if you strip him of that, then i dont ever want to hear another nerd complain that nobody cares about space - ever again.

Oh yeah, take a look at the line in opening post, which totally contradicts your saying.

NASA's mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes.

So, he didnt win in a fair manner. He asked his fans to vote for him. Look, there needs to be fair play. What is the use of naming a space module after him, he has nothing to do with it. He is in a entirely different field. Comedy and Space are miles away. If you want to honour him, name a theatre after him. The module is scientific, hence it is suitable to be named after a scientist.

You dont know how complex and challenging space exploration is. I have been following all mission's since my childhood, and I know what pain the astronauts and the scientists undergo for a successful mission. And when all work is done, this "idiot" comedian will come and take all the popularity. As if he had spent sleepless nights working.

To conclude, dont compare space with comedy, it insults the dedicated effort of the people involved in space exploration. Let the deserving people get what they deserve.

reply to post by peacejet


PJ...Mate...
I understand what you are saying, but you gotta admit...this IS piss funny.

Besides, even tho it may be a joke that got out of hand, there are probably 230,539 people that have some degree of interest in space exploration that they never had before....

reply to post by VIKINGANT


Just because they voted for him; doesnt mean that there is interest induced in them for space. Think on the other side of the coin.

Maybe not ALL of them but chances are some of them might...just sayin'

Originally posted by VIKINGANT
Maybe not ALL of them but chances are some of them might...just sayin'

Fine, there is a probability that some might have got interested. But think of this. Does this colbert guy deserve a module after him? The answer is a big NO NO. He is just a comedian.There is absolutely no connection of comedy to space exploration. Think of it. Is it fair?

Btw, this clearly shows how tv brainwashes people watching it.:shk:

I still stand by my "It was piss funny" comment.

reply to post by VIKINGANT


Can you just tell who this colbert guy is? I have never seen him before.

reply to post by peacejet


Stephen Colbert

www.colbertnation.com...

Hope that helps

Originally posted by whatukno
reply to post by peacejet

 

Stephen Colbert

www.colbertnation.com...

Hope that helps

Yep, that was useful.

Edit: Never mind on the second part, I am a lot busier.

[edit on March 31st, 2009 by peacejet]

reply to post by peacejet

So, he didnt win in a fair manner. He asked his fans to vote for him

So by this ... errr..... 'logic'? ... not one single elected official wins because they all ask you to vote for them?

He won fair and square. There were no rules in place to prohibit this from taking place, and people voted for Steven not because he TOLD them to, but because they wanted him to win.

Case in point:

Nobody even knew about this damn module (in the group at large that is) until it was on his show.

Just because a few space geeks know about it, doesn't mean you have to name it after a scientist.

If NASA is smart - they'll realize the potential for getting television rating gods like Colbert involved with space exploration.

Exploiting the moronic masses....this time....for the good of mankind.

[edit on 31-3-2009 by Fremd]

Call it the Tek Jensen Module.

At first, I was sort of upset about this. I felt that Colbert was gaming the system. It also just seemed dumb. But then, when I really thought about it, I felt that this is really a great thing.

Think about it: this is quintessential Americanism. A nobody hits it big and does something crazy that nobody ever expected to succeed. That's America! I say God bless him and name the friggin' station after him. Also it's such an analogy for the American spirit: Sort of goofy and trying to beat the system, and somehow it works. It proves that we are no respecters of Titles, but of Actions.

NASA should abide by the spirit of the competition and honor the game as it played out. Name the thing after Colbert.

Furthermore, how many space stations, shuttles, etc. do we want named after Galileo, Keppler, Hubble, et al? Boring.

Originally posted by Fremd
So by this ... errr..... 'logic'? ... not one single elected official wins because they all ask you to vote for them?

The elected officials are in the field of politics and they can ask for votes. But this colbert guy is not in the field of space exploration. Why did he asl his fans to vote for him. Did NASA have his name in the list in the first place? The answer is a big "NO". Then why did he have to put his nose in some other business.

He won fair and square. There were no rules in place to prohibit this from taking place, and people voted for Steven not because he TOLD them to, but because they wanted him to win.

He has "begged" for votes just to increase his popularity and his fans voted for him because the television medium has hypnotized the people watching it.

Case in point:

Nobody even knew about this damn module (in the group at large that is) until it was on his show.

Socratic Question:

Why did he air information about this module on his program in the first place? NASA didnt ask for that.

Just because a few space geeks know about it, doesn't mean you have to name it after a scientist.

Sorry for being rude. But you are forcing me to ask this.

Will you name a human after a dog?

If NASA is smart - they'll realize the potential for getting television rating gods like Colbert involved with space exploration.

NASA doesnt need marketing strategies. It is a governmental organisation and not a fortune 500 company.

Exploiting the moronic masses....this time....for the good of mankind.

NASA does not need morons. NASA only requires interested people.

Hope I have made my point clear.