Academe: May 2008 Archives

So today I called in to a media teleconference that was featuring one of the researchers in one of the colleges I do PR for.

Now, in order to attend a media teleconference, someone in a PR office has to give you the dial-in number and a passcode.  You dial in, give the passcode, and tell the folks your name and affiliation, then you're signed in.  Usually, they'll have the scientists give 5 minute presentations, then they open the floor to media questions.

To ask a question, you hit a couple of keys on the phone and you're in the question queue.

Sounds easy and civilized, right?

O.M.G.  Not today.  Today, after the presentation portion of the media conference, the questions began.  The first two were garden-variety science writers asking follow-ups on the research.

And then some random weirdo comes on and says, "So does this mean we can ship moon crickets off of earth?" 

Huh?  I don't know about moon crickets, but you could hear regular crickets chirping as everyone tried to figure out what in the hell this yahoo was talking about.  [ETA - apparently, the "moon cricket" thing is a racist slur, and one that was completely lost on me, as well as the others at the press conference.  Seriously, I thought the guy was trying to conflate space aliens and insects, or something.  Good Lord.  This only makes the whole thing simultaneously worse and, if possible, more stupid.  Thanks for the head's up, Skippy!]

So the mediator recovered nicely and moved on, and things went along okay until suddenly beeping was heard and some wackjob starts yelling about how he wants to talk about va-jay-jays!

At a press conference.

About astrophysics.

Yeah.

My only question?  Well, perhaps I should say my most important question? 

Who gave those freakjobs the number and passcode?

My job...never, ever, boring.

UPDATE - Wired liveblogged the event.  Their version of events is here.