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The Next Big Thing / January 30, 2004

The Next Big Thing

Friday, January 30, 2004
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  • Idiotarod, photo by Jami Attenberg
    Idiotarod, photo by Jami Attenberg

    Movements Great and Small

    Conversations with careful observors of forward motion, from astrophysicist Janna Levin to Sam Easterman, a video artist who’s taken to strapping video cameras on water buffalo, tumbleweeds, and other natural entities. Stops along the way include a sound portrait of professional track and fielders, dispatches from an idiotic road race, and Steve Buscemi as Tom Finnegan, a fictional character plagued by poodles.

It’s Not Easy Being Dean

We’re not talking about our show host here, but rather the Democratic candidate struggling for the nomination. Lyrics written by Next Big Thing contributor Jesse Green and sung by puppeteer Rick Lyon, now of Avenue Q fame.

Post-Infinite

Mars from the Hubble Hello Mars, goodbye Hubble Space Telescope. Not a great day for science - at least according to Columbia University astrophysicist Janna Levin . Surrounded by the implements of her research, she and host Dean Olsher take the discussion beyond Hubble to infinity - and further still. Produced by Curtis Fox. To see pictures taken by the Hubble spacecraft, click here.

I Want to Buy the Guy a Drink Who…

A winter poem from Next Big Thing contributor Steve Almond.

Goat People

Goat
Photo by Karl Schatz
While those who celebrate the Chinese New Year have just embarked upon the Year of the Monkey, Karl Schatz and Margaret Hathaway are still caught up in the Year (or so) of the Goat. The couple left their city jobs to travel across the country visiting places and persons related to goats. They spoke to Dean from their latest goat sighting - a livestock auction in San Angelo, Texas. Produced by Amanda Aronczyk.

Poodles

Tom Finnegan sees competition for his wife’s affection coming from all sides, from the neighbors up the street to his household pets – Pierre LaRouche, Lilakee, Scarlet O’Hara et al. This fictional portrait of a man and his predicament was written by Next Big Thing contributor David Cale, and performed by actor Steve Buscemi. Produced by Emily Botein.

View from the Snout

Buffalo
Buffalo roaming. Photo: Animal Vegetable Video
Slurping, sniffling, scuttling, chomping - these are the sounds of the animal and plant kingdom, brought to you by video artist Sam Easterman. He attaches tiny video cameras to water buffalo, slugs, and other living things so that we humans can get a better sense of their perspective. You can find out more about the project, Animal, Vegetable, Video, by clicking here. Produced by Amanda Aronczyk.

Listen here to more animal sounds...
» Buffalo licking food off its face
» Chick running around the farm
» Horse eating hay

Urban Iditarod

Idiotarod, photo by Jami Attenberg
Photo by Jami Attenberg
Heard on the street...the sounds of an Alaskan dogsledding race with a twist. It’s the Idiotarod, it involves shopping carts and drinking holes, and it was captured by Next Big Thing contributor Laura Starecheski.

Track & Field

Great athletes are masters of the body, but they must also be masters of the mind. This was something sound artist Ben Rubin learned in interviews with famous track and field athletes for an installation he’s created for the new National Track and Field Hall of Fame in New York. His piece features the voices of Shawn Crawford, Amy Acuff, Brendon Couts, Jason Pyrah, Derrek Atkins, Jon Drummond, and Larry Wade.