Robservations on the media beat:
Jessica D'Onofrio
"Where da Higgs at?" That is perhaps the most succinct formulation of one of the hottest questions in physics, as coined by funky49 (his hip-hop nerdcore challenge to Euro-science closes out the latest Clever Apes). Meanwhile, there's actually some news to report on that question: Fermilab scientists announced today in Paris that they've closed in further on the elusive "God Particle." 
We have to start with Chicago’s house dance community. I used to dance for a lot of the house-dance artists back when I was in high school: Kashmir who is better known as Green Velvet, Dashé, Tin City, Fast Eddie . . . a lot of the house-music artists. Footwork is a style that originated in Chicago out of the house-dance genre, and eventually the music started changing. They termed it ghetto house, then from ghetto house they called it juke…[laughs].
You’re familiar with house, right? Well OK, house—how do we describe house? House is dance music, it just has a [slaps hands] consistent thump that just makes you want to move [laughs]. House is such a free expression. We did of course have to choreograph certain things, anything from little pieces of vogue—you know vogueing—involved in house, lower body movement [snaps]. You know, footwork. We also did jazz movement, my partner and I—my former partner Larry Sims, who is now a celebrity hair stylist [laughs] who works and lives in LA. It’s such a free-spirited dance. You do what you feel —Afrocentric movement. I see a lot of breakers dancing to house. It’s probably, to me, the most free-spirited music. It doesn’t really put you in a box, whereas other genres of music have particular dances that you do to those particular types of music.
Not to be outflanked by its competitors, top-rated ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 will expand its weekday morning newscast by moving its start time to 4:30 a.m., effective next week.
Judy Hsu and Hosea Sanders will anchor the expanded newscast from 4:30 to 7 a.m., along with meteorologist Tracy Butler and traffic reporter Roz Varon.
Monday's announcement came just 10 days after Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Channel 9 unveiled plans to start its morning news block at 4:30 a.m., effective Aug. 16. NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 was first in the time period, starting at 4:30 a.m. in 2007.
I think at this point, we've figured out that we all work really well together. Just a quick stroll through the archives will confirm that. It's amazing, and exciting actually, seeing what is possible when we harness our collective energy and ideas.
So what do you say we roll up our sleeves and create the coolest advertising campaign ever? I love that we'd simultaneously be the client, the end-users and the advertising agency!
Let's make posters. and short videos. and jingles. and bumper stickers. and radio commercials... and... and... and...
So much of science is about finding patterns -- repetitions that let us predict outcomes for given circumstances. The universe is full of these rhythms -- from the vibrating loops of string theory to the orbits of stars and planets to the pulsing of our heart. On this episode of Clever Apes, we delve into these deep rhythms.
When you're walking and not consciously thinking "put one foot in front of the other," that's because little drummers are keeping time for you in your brain. If you want to see what the planet looks like deep beneath the crust, then you can use the earth's vibrations like sonar to scan the structures. And if you use beats and rhythms to crow about your lab, than you best watch out for rival science MCs.
Speaking of which, in this episode you'll hear about the particle physics community's answer to Tupac and Biggie.
Plating at the X-Marx dinner (photo: Steve Dolinsky)
As some of you know from reading this blog, I haven't had the greatest experiences at some of Chicago's underground dinners. ‚
