MacArthur in the House September 28, 2010 8:07 AM   Subscribe

The Metafilter community now includes a MacArthur fellow.

(Who just made the sidebar a few days ago. What a week!)
posted by gwint to MetaFilter-Related at 8:07 AM (64 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite

Cool
posted by Dumsnill at 8:09 AM on September 28, 2010


That is wonderful news. Congrats Drew.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:10 AM on September 28, 2010 [3 favorites]


Well done and well deserved Drew. I have been a fan of your work since before I knew it was your work.
posted by Mister_A at 8:11 AM on September 28, 2010


I am congratulating him on the sidebar, of course.
posted by Mister_A at 8:12 AM on September 28, 2010 [8 favorites]


That's a lot of sockpuppets he can buy. Well played Drew.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:19 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Congrats!
posted by stagewhisper at 8:21 AM on September 28, 2010


They gave one to David Simon. That seems a bit silly, isn't $500k is a pittance in TV?
posted by smackfu at 8:22 AM on September 28, 2010


Yeah but I have a lower user number.

way to go Drew
posted by Rumple at 8:23 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


smackfu: "That seems a bit silly, isn't $500k is a pittance in TV?"

It's still $500k more than he had the day before.
posted by mkultra at 8:29 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


smackfu: They gave one to David Simon. That seems a bit silly, isn't $500k is a pittance in TV?

Maybe, but as a TV lover who went from "quit telling me to the watch The Wire even though I'm sure it's just as great as everyone says but jeez enough already" to devoted David Simon evangelist in maybe record time, I must fully support anyone who calls him a genius. In this case, I think the label is more important than the cash.

Congratulation to Drew as well.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:31 AM on September 28, 2010


Woo! That's fantastic!
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:40 AM on September 28, 2010


Hey maybe we should put this other thing—this Macarthur business—on the sidebar as well?
posted by Mister_A at 8:53 AM on September 28, 2010


The Metafilter community now includes a MacArthur fellow.

Technically, yes. (Congratulations, drewb.) He's made nine comments about his stuff in two posts that link to his stuff. The Metafilter community also includes an Apple founder, if you count him dropping in to defend himself in a negative askme about him.

You generally don't get big stuff done spending time messing about in a place like this, do you?
posted by pracowity at 8:57 AM on September 28, 2010 [4 favorites]


That seems a bit silly, isn't $500k is a pittance in TV?
posted by smackfu


I really have no idea how much money he makes, but I doubt $500k is a pittance to him. His shows are critically acclaimed, but not big on the ratings, HBO puts them on the air for the prestige mostly. I'm sure he's living comfortably, but I doubt he's rolling in the millions.
posted by haveanicesummer at 9:02 AM on September 28, 2010


Drew's Whale vs. Squid is pretty cool.

I suggest that he now do "Alligator vs. Orca". Or "Unicorn vs Liger".

Or maybe "One Man vs. innumerable 5 year olds"
posted by Rumple at 9:02 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


You generally don't get big stuff done spending time messing about in a place like this, do you?

Go ahead... Mock my revolutionary Bean Ray.

But I'll show them. I'll show them all!
posted by Joe Beese at 9:06 AM on September 28, 2010


Man, no wonder sperm whales are arrogant bastards! I would be too if I could do stuff like that.
posted by Mister_A at 9:11 AM on September 28, 2010


You generally don't get big stuff done spending time messing about in a place like this, do you?

Some people seem to.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:12 AM on September 28, 2010 [5 favorites]


I was just reading the list of fellows and admiring them all. This is wonderful news!
posted by Kimberly at 9:17 AM on September 28, 2010


So awesome.

Of course, I think scarabic should have been given priority.
posted by felix betachat at 9:29 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


felix, you want drew to do an animation of the scarabic method?

I could get behind that. Narration by ColdChef, music by ... a MefiMusic Competition!
posted by Rumple at 9:36 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


I think they should give Drew Barry More.
posted by GuyZero at 9:39 AM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Congrats, Drew!

Can you loan me 10 bucks?
posted by FelliniBlank at 9:39 AM on September 28, 2010


Question on the sperm whale vs. squid thing: Would a squids ink defence work as a countermeasure against sonar? 'Cause it's pretty dark down there.
posted by Trochanter at 9:46 AM on September 28, 2010


"Shit, I think I left the gas on."

"Oh, way to go, Genius."

"Stop calling me that!"
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:53 AM on September 28, 2010 [3 favorites]


'So, MacArthur Fellowship, huh?'

'That's nothing, last week I made the sidebar!'
posted by shakespeherian at 10:00 AM on September 28, 2010 [8 favorites]


We're such a fortunate community to have so many great minds available and active amongst us. Honestly, it's one of the very best features of MetaFilter. A hallmark, even.

Congratulations, drewb!
posted by batmonkey at 10:11 AM on September 28, 2010


Congratulations!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:24 AM on September 28, 2010


"Fellow"? Man, I thought this place couldn't get more boyzone...



Also, congrats!
posted by inigo2 at 10:27 AM on September 28, 2010


Someone left the cake out in the rain!

(Whoops, wrong MacArthur)
posted by not_on_display at 10:49 AM on September 28, 2010 [2 favorites]


Whoa! Awesome!
posted by OmieWise at 11:00 AM on September 28, 2010


I just hope after all the hoopla dies down, he returns.
posted by timsteil at 11:02 AM on September 28, 2010


pracowity: "Technically, yes. (Congratulations, drewb.) He's made nine comments about his stuff in two posts that link to his stuff. The Metafilter community also includes an Apple founder, if you count him dropping in to defend himself in a negative askme about him."

What's important to understand is that his comments here are what pushed his candidacy over the egde.
posted by mkultra at 11:27 AM on September 28, 2010 [2 favorites]


Such an honor!! Congrats Drew!!!
posted by pearlybob at 11:27 AM on September 28, 2010


You generally don't get big stuff done spending time messing about in a place like this, do you?

I'm not saying that the stuff I'm doing is useful or even 'good' in a moral sense, but you'll choke on those words when the moon starts flashing "quin wuz here" right before exploding.

I'm just saying, askme is a real resource for the evil overlord on a budget.
posted by quin at 12:01 PM on September 28, 2010 [3 favorites]


Also; congrats Drew!
posted by quin at 12:02 PM on September 28, 2010




Drew's Whale vs. Squid is pretty cool.
I suggest that he now do "Alligator vs. Orca". Or "Unicorn vs Liger".


Well he can also address my AskMe question: Manatee v. Alligator.

But hey, I know your busy Drew, with the MacArthur stuff and all. I can wait a few weeks.
posted by Danf at 1:08 PM on September 28, 2010


Congratulations, Drew! You're the second person who I can claim some kind of tenuous connection to who has won a MacArthur grant!

(The other one was James Randi. You're in most excellent company!)
posted by pjern at 1:12 PM on September 28, 2010


whoa, pb just said his next door neighbor won one (seriously).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:14 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Congrats!
posted by angrycat at 2:01 PM on September 28, 2010


You generally don't get big stuff done spending time messing about in a place like this, do you?

Tell that to the Journal of Viking Dream Metaphor Research.
posted by Rhomboid at 2:05 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Thanks everyone! Much appreciated!

And for the record, I almost never post comments online -- Metafilter is a rare exception. I'm usually far too introspective to feel the desire to express my opinions to a bunch of strangers on the web. However, because I have long been a regular reader of the stuff you guys choose to post here, and I admire the calibre of thought that goes into the commentary, here I am.

Thanks again for the comments and feedback on my work.

Drew

PS squid ink contains chemical irritants that are known to deter predators, and the giant squid has the organs to deploy ink even though it lives well below the depth light can penetrate. So I decided to let the squid squirt some ink even though we are not sure that it would do this. ...and also because I was playing with Maya's fluid dynamics tools and thought it would be fun to put some swirls in there...
posted by drewb at 3:13 PM on September 28, 2010 [12 favorites]


Or maybe "One Man vs. innumerable 5 year olds"

Don't forget Grizzly Bear vs. Average Teenager Armed with a Knife.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:14 PM on September 28, 2010


Hi Drew - I notice you're in Melbourne, and your work involves "enhancing our under-standing of a wide range of biological processes and systems by synthesizing data from a variety of fields into scientifically accurate, aesthetically rich visualizations."

Any chance modelling ten minutes of extra time in the drawn Aussie Rules football grand final?
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:19 PM on September 28, 2010


Big Deal. I was once third runner up for Employee Of The Month.
posted by jonmc at 5:27 PM on September 28, 2010 [3 favorites]


Yeah, that's about the same as playing in a drawn Grand Final.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:46 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


So, does this mean that we have to transfer the honorific "MeFi's Own" from Adam Savage to Drew Berry, at least until the grant money runs out?
posted by briank at 6:13 PM on September 28, 2010


No, we get to keep them all! MeFi's own briank!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:31 PM on September 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Not to mention Steve Wozniak & Amanda Palmer!
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:02 PM on September 28, 2010


Wonderful news, congratulations Drew.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:58 PM on September 28, 2010


Wow, badass. Congrats Drew, that's a tremendous fucking accomplishment! (now I sorta know two MacArthur winners! I'm putting that shit on my resume posthaste)
posted by Joseph Gurl at 8:09 PM on September 28, 2010


Congratulations!
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 9:31 PM on September 28, 2010


Awesome. Congratulations!
posted by bardophile at 10:44 PM on September 28, 2010


Wow - congratulations!
posted by spinifex23 at 11:13 PM on September 28, 2010


One problem I had with the squid is conveying the size of that monster. It is 12 meters long, weighs a ton, and it's eye is the size of a dinner plate, but I had nothing in the deep ocean to compare it with to give it a sense of scale.

Next time you have dinner, stare down at your plate and imagine a giant eye staring back - this animal is huge, and yet it is always watching out for a sperm whale on the hunt.

Evolutionarily, Sperm Whales are your warm blooded cousins, yet they are awesome enough to swim into the dark and take out a giant squid.


drew


The Giant Squid is one thing...then there is the Colossal Squid...
posted by drewb at 3:23 AM on September 29, 2010 [2 favorites]


Congratulations!
posted by TedW at 4:28 AM on September 29, 2010


I had a professor in undergrad who described a few times how they just call you up and tell you, even though you didn't know you were nominated. The wistful look on his face when he explained this revealed that he really wanted one. Once when we were drunk we came very close to making the most ill-conceived prank call ever. I'm so glad we changed our minds.
posted by umbú at 9:23 AM on September 29, 2010 [3 favorites]


Yeah, Rumple, there would be no competition. Idiopath would win it hands down (and I mean that as a compliment).
posted by umbú at 9:27 AM on September 29, 2010


Think how many sockpuppets you can buy with that money!
posted by davejay at 11:47 AM on September 29, 2010


That's awesome. Good job!
posted by chairface at 12:19 PM on September 29, 2010


Drew featured on breakfast radio in Melbourne this morning (listen here).

Also, congratulations.
posted by bdave at 3:54 PM on September 29, 2010


Congrats!!
posted by SkylitDrawl at 11:23 PM on September 29, 2010


You generally don't get big stuff done spending time messing about in a place like this, do you?

For some of us, messing about in this place IS our big thing. I mean, my overarching goal in life is to be Metafilter's Own Devil's Rancher, someday. That would be almost like my version of a MacArthur Fellowship.

But seriously! Congrats, Drew -- that's really awesome, and you needn't think of us a strangers.
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:50 AM on September 30, 2010


not_on_display wrote: "Someone left the cake out in the rain!"

No no. Someone let T-Rex out of his pen.
posted by wierdo at 5:41 PM on September 30, 2010


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