this is faaaantastic. March 21, 2011 4:14 PM Subscribe
Just featured on All Things Considered it's mefi's own: jedicus and valkyryn and their blog: The Law and the Multiverse. Previously discussed here and here.
And this all started over here at mefi projects.
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(Mine wouldn't have had an obit dot as the only "more inside.")
posted by cjorgensen at 4:20 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by cjorgensen at 4:20 PM on March 21, 2011
crikey! it also probably wouldn't have assumed the whole planet is sitting in my kitchen enjoying npr with me..... admins HOPE ME!
posted by zenon at 4:25 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by zenon at 4:25 PM on March 21, 2011
I'm sorry, what do you need? Or is this some sort of time travel joke?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:32 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:32 PM on March 21, 2011
Crikey, I just heard the very beginning of this segment in the car (not enough to get the MeFi connection), and thought, "Wow, somebody needs to post this blog to MeFi; it's totally their cup of tea." Ha!
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:32 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:32 PM on March 21, 2011
Crikey! (Just wanted to say "crikey")
posted by Stewriffic at 4:37 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by Stewriffic at 4:37 PM on March 21, 2011
I'm pretty sure zenon implanted that "crikey" into my brain against my will since I never otherwise type it. If so, is that actionable?
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:50 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:50 PM on March 21, 2011
I'm sorry, what do you need? Or is this some sort of time travel joke?
Looks like he wanted a link to the interview (now posted in the thread.)
posted by Jahaza at 4:56 PM on March 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Looks like he wanted a link to the interview (now posted in the thread.)
posted by Jahaza at 4:56 PM on March 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Huh. I've been reading this blog for a while now, but I didn't know it was MeFi-grown. Wonderful stuff.
posted by CrystalDave at 5:30 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by CrystalDave at 5:30 PM on March 21, 2011
I heard this while driving and squawked quite awkwardly when someone set they met on Metafilter.
Good job, guys.
posted by sugarfish at 5:59 PM on March 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Good job, guys.
posted by sugarfish at 5:59 PM on March 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
I heard this while driving and squawked quite awkwardly when someone set they met on Metafilter.
Good job, guys.
Ha, ditto. It was awesome. :)
posted by rollbiz at 6:07 PM on March 21, 2011
Good job, guys.
Ha, ditto. It was awesome. :)
posted by rollbiz at 6:07 PM on March 21, 2011
yea, I too was planning on writing this up when I got home, but I see that although I only heard it not 5 minutes ago, this thread has existed for nearly 2 hours.
I remember reading several of the case-studies several weeks back, so this story was a good reminder to check on it again (and bookmark it this time!)
In other news, next time I'm hanging out with friends playing games or eating dinner, I'm totally going to casually bring up the whole "whether privacy rights would have to be different on Kyrpton if all the people had x-ray vision" topic. I'm sure I can segue into that discussion pretty easily.
posted by johnstein at 6:08 PM on March 21, 2011
I remember reading several of the case-studies several weeks back, so this story was a good reminder to check on it again (and bookmark it this time!)
In other news, next time I'm hanging out with friends playing games or eating dinner, I'm totally going to casually bring up the whole "whether privacy rights would have to be different on Kyrpton if all the people had x-ray vision" topic. I'm sure I can segue into that discussion pretty easily.
posted by johnstein at 6:08 PM on March 21, 2011
Thanks for the shout-out. MeFi can definitely take a lot of credit for helping us build an audience and round out the site (e.g. the great logo that The Whelk created for us).
It's a little too inside baseball to mention in an interview, but I sat on the idea for a couple of days before I started writing anything. Probably the single biggest reason I finally went ahead with it was that I wanted to create something to share with the community. And the single biggest reason I spent a week writing, revising, and re-revising the early posts was that I was terrified of sharing it with the community. It was a huge relief when it got the positive response it did, and so I kept at it. So thanks, MeFi.
posted by jedicus at 6:23 PM on March 21, 2011 [6 favorites]
It's a little too inside baseball to mention in an interview, but I sat on the idea for a couple of days before I started writing anything. Probably the single biggest reason I finally went ahead with it was that I wanted to create something to share with the community. And the single biggest reason I spent a week writing, revising, and re-revising the early posts was that I was terrified of sharing it with the community. It was a huge relief when it got the positive response it did, and so I kept at it. So thanks, MeFi.
posted by jedicus at 6:23 PM on March 21, 2011 [6 favorites]
Just to be clear, did the Kyrptonians have X-ray vision when they are on Kyrpton? I thought it was our yellow sun that gave them their powers. Wouldn't think mean that the privacy laws would be about the same?
posted by cjorgensen at 6:32 PM on March 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 6:32 PM on March 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
Man everybody makes a fuss about the X-ray vision thing. So, yes, Kryptonians wouldn't have X-ray vision on Krypton because of its red sun. At dinner we were discussing a hypothetical situation where they either had intrinsic X-ray vision or Krypton orbited a yellow sun. That's why I never wrote a post about it; too hypothetical, even for us.
posted by jedicus at 6:40 PM on March 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jedicus at 6:40 PM on March 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
I loved this idea when it was posted. great news about the story. but Folks
Needs more Aquaman.
The maritime law angle is just rife with spatial relations and salvage law pirate material.
posted by clavdivs at 7:05 PM on March 21, 2011 [4 favorites]
Needs more Aquaman.
The maritime law angle is just rife with spatial relations and salvage law pirate material.
posted by clavdivs at 7:05 PM on March 21, 2011 [4 favorites]
I don't know the first thing about admiralty law, so it'll take a little research. But yeah, that's a great fit for the blog. Thanks for the suggestion!
posted by jedicus at 7:10 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by jedicus at 7:10 PM on March 21, 2011
Everything I know about both law and super heroes, I learned from watching television (lawyer shows yes, superhero shows, not really), and yet I find this blog consistently entertaining.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:29 PM on March 21, 2011
posted by jacquilynne at 8:29 PM on March 21, 2011
Probably the single biggest reason I finally went ahead with it was that I wanted to create something to share with the community. And the single biggest reason I spent a week writing, revising, and re-revising the early posts was that I was terrified of sharing it with the community. It was a huge relief when it got the positive response it did, and so I kept at it. So thanks, MeFi.
I don't know why, but reading this made me a bit misty. Good on you guys! I'll listen to the interview here in a bit.
posted by hippybear at 8:52 PM on March 21, 2011
I don't know why, but reading this made me a bit misty. Good on you guys! I'll listen to the interview here in a bit.
posted by hippybear at 8:52 PM on March 21, 2011
I TOTALLY DID THAT HEADER ILLUSTRATION AND IT GOT INTO THE TIMES SO BY THE TRANSITIVE PROPERTY I DID AN ILLUSTRATION FOR THE TIMES.
SUCK ON THAT ART SCHOOL EDUCATION!
posted by The Whelk at 9:10 PM on March 21, 2011 [7 favorites]
SUCK ON THAT ART SCHOOL EDUCATION!
posted by The Whelk at 9:10 PM on March 21, 2011 [7 favorites]
But now you have to pay $455 a year to visit your artwork.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:28 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by cjorgensen at 5:28 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
I really love the blog you guys - I have been thinking of dropping you a comment to say so, and I should have done that long ago. I really enjoy it!
posted by mrs. taters at 5:41 AM on March 22, 2011
posted by mrs. taters at 5:41 AM on March 22, 2011
Thanks guys. Definite props to jedicus for the idea. It's been awesome to be a part of the project.
posted by valkyryn at 5:44 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by valkyryn at 5:44 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wonder if projects is getting an increase in visits after this. Seems like a perfect case of the subsite doing what it was meant to do.
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 6:05 AM on March 22, 2011
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 6:05 AM on March 22, 2011
Yes, we were contacted by several producers after the New York Times article ran. We are in the process of signing a TV & film rights deal with Sony. Laura Ziskin, who produced the three recent Spider-Man films, is particularly interested in a TV series. I imagine it would be either a procedural or a law firm-centered show, probably a light drama either way, but that's up to other folks.
posted by jedicus at 7:38 AM on March 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by jedicus at 7:38 AM on March 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
Hah, I knew that was going to happen as soon as I read the first posts.
Congrats :)
posted by empath at 7:48 AM on March 22, 2011
Congrats :)
posted by empath at 7:48 AM on March 22, 2011
She-Hulk is already a lawyer, just sayin.
posted by The Whelk at 8:06 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 8:06 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Just claim that you meant to say "New Krypton" which in its brief existence while orbiting our yellow sun, the population of Kryptonians did have super powers.
posted by Atreides at 8:07 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Atreides at 8:07 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
She-Hulk is already a lawyer, just sayin.
What do you mean?
posted by jedicus at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2011
What do you mean?
posted by jedicus at 8:38 AM on March 22, 2011
This blog appears to be focusing on legal considerations in a Heinlein-style "World-as-Myth" multiverse so far. Very good start, but what if we're actually in one of the other Tegmark levels of multiverse? If Schrödinger's cat is still dead/alive in the other half of his reality, should he be more/less culpable for animal cruelty?
posted by roystgnr at 10:35 AM on March 22, 2011
posted by roystgnr at 10:35 AM on March 22, 2011
Do you chaps need someone to Bluebook for you? I'm happy to help.
posted by orrnyereg at 11:20 AM on March 22, 2011
posted by orrnyereg at 11:20 AM on March 22, 2011
If Schrödinger's cat is still dead/alive in the other half of his reality, should he be more/less culpable for animal cruelty?
You can't really tell until the court case is opened. That's when the culpability wave function is collapsed.
(Also, wasn't there a court case where the uncertainty principle was used as a defense against a parking infraction? The argument being that if they knew where his car was, they couldn't be certain of its velocity, and thus could not claim it was "parked". And if they knew its velocity was zero, then they couldn't be certain of its location, and therefore couldn't claim it was parked in an illegal place. And the judge responded with something like "Just pay the damn ticket!". I may be remembering this wrong, or maybe it never happened all, but I've decided to live in the universe where it happened just like that.)
posted by FishBike at 11:20 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
You can't really tell until the court case is opened. That's when the culpability wave function is collapsed.
(Also, wasn't there a court case where the uncertainty principle was used as a defense against a parking infraction? The argument being that if they knew where his car was, they couldn't be certain of its velocity, and thus could not claim it was "parked". And if they knew its velocity was zero, then they couldn't be certain of its location, and therefore couldn't claim it was parked in an illegal place. And the judge responded with something like "Just pay the damn ticket!". I may be remembering this wrong, or maybe it never happened all, but I've decided to live in the universe where it happened just like that.)
posted by FishBike at 11:20 AM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yay! Love the blog, one of my favorites for reading on the bus & at lunchtime. I feel like I'm learning a ton about how the law works, which feels both dorky & awesome.
posted by epersonae at 11:52 AM on March 22, 2011
posted by epersonae at 11:52 AM on March 22, 2011
She-Hulk is already a lawyer, just sayin.
jedicus: What do you mean?
That the show would feature She-Hulk, of course.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:02 PM on March 22, 2011
jedicus: What do you mean?
That the show would feature She-Hulk, of course.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:02 PM on March 22, 2011
Geeky bits on She-Hulk influences and on She-Hulk's legal skills.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:04 PM on March 22, 2011
posted by filthy light thief at 12:04 PM on March 22, 2011
That the show would feature She-Hulk, of course.
Oh, right. Well, we'd love to consult on a show featuring the various established superhero attorneys (e.g. She-Hulk, Manhunter, Daredevil), but that all depends on licensing issues that are complicated by the fact that Disney now owns Marvel and a television network (ABC) and DC is owned by Warner Bros, which is part owner of CBS. So character licensing is now intimately bound up with which network it would end up on. However, that's for Sony to figure out, not us.
Yay! Love the blog, one of my favorites for reading on the bus & at lunchtime. I feel like I'm learning a ton about how the law works, which feels both dorky & awesome.
We try for a blend of interesting, educational, and funny, so that's great to hear.
posted by jedicus at 1:17 PM on March 22, 2011
Oh, right. Well, we'd love to consult on a show featuring the various established superhero attorneys (e.g. She-Hulk, Manhunter, Daredevil), but that all depends on licensing issues that are complicated by the fact that Disney now owns Marvel and a television network (ABC) and DC is owned by Warner Bros, which is part owner of CBS. So character licensing is now intimately bound up with which network it would end up on. However, that's for Sony to figure out, not us.
Yay! Love the blog, one of my favorites for reading on the bus & at lunchtime. I feel like I'm learning a ton about how the law works, which feels both dorky & awesome.
We try for a blend of interesting, educational, and funny, so that's great to hear.
posted by jedicus at 1:17 PM on March 22, 2011
Yay that's what I meant.
It's funny, when it came out in the NYT, my agent sent me an email asking if I could pass along contact information and felt like a real deal adult person for a second there.
Then I played a bunch of video games and then chased a cat with a homemade magic wand.
posted by The Whelk at 3:04 PM on March 22, 2011
It's funny, when it came out in the NYT, my agent sent me an email asking if I could pass along contact information and felt like a real deal adult person for a second there.
Then I played a bunch of video games and then chased a cat with a homemade magic wand.
posted by The Whelk at 3:04 PM on March 22, 2011
We are in the process of signing a TV & film rights deal with Sony.
That's.....that's great! You can just see the execs kicking themselves at the obviousness of the high concept: "Law & Order: Metropolis? Doh!"
posted by mediareport at 3:10 PM on March 22, 2011
That's.....that's great! You can just see the execs kicking themselves at the obviousness of the high concept: "Law & Order: Metropolis? Doh!"
posted by mediareport at 3:10 PM on March 22, 2011
CSI Ankh Morpork is coming, as in Ron Moore's new series which sounds like Law and Order but with magic.
posted by The Whelk at 3:15 PM on March 22, 2011
posted by The Whelk at 3:15 PM on March 22, 2011
Wasn't there a medical drama set on a space station on CBS for like three seconds back in the 90s? Genre-ing the traditional show forms seems like a no brainer.
posted by The Whelk at 3:16 PM on March 22, 2011
posted by The Whelk at 3:16 PM on March 22, 2011
I imagine it would be either a procedural or a law firm-centered show...
OMG my dream of a proceduralist legal drama on television is about to be realized SQUEEEEEEE! Please tell me the catchphrase/heroic battlecry of at least one superhero will be "Implead THIS!" and/or "Subject Matter Jurisdiction DENIED."
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:55 PM on March 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
OMG my dream of a proceduralist legal drama on television is about to be realized SQUEEEEEEE! Please tell me the catchphrase/heroic battlecry of at least one superhero will be "Implead THIS!" and/or "Subject Matter Jurisdiction DENIED."
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:55 PM on March 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
I took a look and have to say even my wildest dreams are fulfilled. For folks like me who aren't attorneys but who have read enough to be dangerous, this blog is just hours and hours of delicious bar-rail argument waiting to happen!
Also, I have some really geeky, arguey kids in my reading classes who would probably dig something like this - an appeal to their hairsplitting little minds, in a context they'll love, along with enough hard words that their reading will improve.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:41 PM on March 22, 2011
Also, I have some really geeky, arguey kids in my reading classes who would probably dig something like this - an appeal to their hairsplitting little minds, in a context they'll love, along with enough hard words that their reading will improve.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:41 PM on March 22, 2011
Whoa. This explains the weird, lingering feeling at the back of my mind last month, as I edited an article about this blog (hits newsstands soon!), that I'd seen this guy's name somewhere before.
Well done, guys!
posted by limeonaire at 6:54 PM on March 22, 2011
Well done, guys!
posted by limeonaire at 6:54 PM on March 22, 2011
And I know, we've met and everything, jedicus—but I always think of everyone on here by username, not by their real names, if I even know their real names at all. But this is one small editing mystery solved, at least.
posted by limeonaire at 6:57 PM on March 22, 2011
posted by limeonaire at 6:57 PM on March 22, 2011
Is that the St. Louis Magazine article, limeonaire? I tried to buy a copy yesterday, but I guess it indeed hasn't hit the newsstands yet.
posted by jedicus at 7:50 AM on March 23, 2011
posted by jedicus at 7:50 AM on March 23, 2011
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posted by cjorgensen at 4:19 PM on March 21, 2011