Jump to content

Kearny High School grad interviews Nobel prize-winning scientist


Guest Guest

Recommended Posts

Matthew LaClair has scored an interview with 2006 Nobel Prize winner John Mather. Mather, an astrophysicist, won the prize for his work in cosmic microwave background radiation. The interview will air this Saturday afternoon, January 11, at 3:00 p.m. on WBAI, 99.5 FM.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh some self promoting D-Bag interviewing a man who spends his time studying the realm of theoretical, and observational physics! Wouldn't accepting much of what he proposes require a bit of faith?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Kearny Senior

Matthew LaClair has scored an interview with 2006 Nobel Prize winner John Mather. Mather, an astrophysicist, won the prize for his work in cosmic microwave background radiation. The interview will air this Saturday afternoon, January 11, at 3:00 p.m. on WBAI, 99.5 FM.

Matthew LaClair ? Is he the one that broke the law by secretly taping a teacher's conversation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matthew LaClair ? Is he the one that broke the law by secretly taping a teacher's conversation?

What law do you claim he violated? He recorded classroom sessions. There was no law against that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Theoretical and observational physics" - in other words, physics. Mather works for NASA and is project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, which is about to replace the Hubble telescope. This is practical research that tells us more and more about the universe every day. Mather won a Nobel prize in science for his work, which (it's safe to say) is more than can be said for the anonymous poster who tried to trash him. You have to wonder what is wrong with some people, trying to trash a respected scientist like this. I'm going to try to listen to the interview.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Theoretical and observational physics" - in other words, physics. Mather works for NASA and is project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, which is about to replace the Hubble telescope. This is practical research that tells us more and more about the universe every day. Mather won a Nobel prize in science for his work, which (it's safe to say) is more than can be said for the anonymous poster who tried to trash him. You have to wonder what is wrong with some people, trying to trash a respected scientist like this. I'm going to try to listen to the interview.

It wasn't trashing Mather! Read it again it was a shot at LeClair!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt why must you come back here and troll for comments you hope will extend your fifteen minutes of fame! You took great pleasure in trying to portray the town in which you were raised in a negative light!so why would you come back to this forum to promote yourself when clearly most people in town and on this board don't support or appreciate you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matthew LaClair has scored an interview with 2006 Nobel Prize winner John Mather. Mather, an astrophysicist, won the prize for his work in cosmic microwave background radiation. The interview will air this Saturday afternoon, January 11, at 3:00 p.m. on WBAI, 99.5 FM.

Aren't I just wonderful

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard the interview tonight in advance of airing. Mather obviously enjoys what he does. He discusses his work in astronomy and cosmology in a way that is understandable and fun. He also discusses what led him to become a scientist. It's an enjoyable interview from a great scientist who sounds like a regular guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stop posting to yourself Matt!!!

Matt didn't post to himself, I did. I taught Matt in elementary school and it's refreshing to read about one of my former students doing something positive for a change. Too often, unfortunately, the only news I hear about one of my former students is that they've died from a drug OD, were arrested for B&E, arrested for dealing drugs....I know so many of my former students are leading positive, productive lives and that makes me very proud. Can't I cheer on one who is going above and beyond. So he did something you (and many) don't approve of in HS and you're not willing to give him an opportunity to mature and grow up; or do you just "hate" the kid because he (or his parents or both) are atheists? Hating him for something he did in HS or hating him for being an atheist is just as wrong as hating because he' Catholic or Muslim, gay or straight, Chinese or German - just wrong. Let's cheer on Kearny's success stories and try to work to have fewer of the sad ones that we hear about too often.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I opened the thread and I'm not Matthew either. The people who come onto this topic to trash him should be ashamed. They didn't even wait until the program had aired. Here's a local kid who has done well. Whether you like him or not, that's something to applaud. The program is on now, as I'm posting this, and it's excellent. Mather is carrying the program, as he should, and Matthew is doing his job and letting his supremely well-qualified guest carry the show. It's an education both in science and in the value of getting an education. Anyone who wants to hear it will be able to listen to the podcast at www.wbai.org or www.equaltimeforfreethougt.org.

KOTW Note: Direct link to audio can be found at http://www.equaltimeforfreethought.org/2014/01/11/show-487-physics-nobel-prize-recipient-dr-john-mather/ for those who want an easy link.

Edited by KOTW
Added Content.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt didn't post to himself, I did. I taught Matt in elementary school and it's refreshing to read about one of my former students doing something positive for a change. Too often, unfortunately, the only news I hear about one of my former students is that they've died from a drug OD, were arrested for B&E, arrested for dealing drugs....I know so many of my former students are leading positive, productive lives and that makes me very proud. Can't I cheer on one who is going above and beyond. So he did something you (and many) don't approve of in HS and you're not willing to give him an opportunity to mature and grow up; or do you just "hate" the kid because he (or his parents or both) are atheists? Hating him for something he did in HS or hating him for being an atheist is just as wrong as hating because he' Catholic or Muslim, gay or straight, Chinese or German - just wrong. Let's cheer on Kearny's success stories and try to work to have fewer of the sad ones that we hear about too often.

Come on Matt your doing it again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And we care because why exactly?? Good for him, he had his 15 minutes...now he can fade off into obscurity with the rest of the aholes out there

Only he's not fading off, is he. Look, just because someone once used the phrase "fifteen minutes of fame" doesn't mean that's all anyone ever gets - though it would be fifteen minutes more than you ever got, apparently.

Quite a few years have passed since Matt graduated from Kearny High, and he's still making news. Getting a one-hour interview with a Nobel prize-winner is no small accomplishment. It may be time for you to admit that the kid has talent and a future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt who ??

Kearny High employs a far-right-wing knuckle-dragger named Paszkiewicz. He masquerades as a history teacher but mainly uses the classroom as a soap box to preach his religion. He says things like dinosaurs were on Noah's ark and if you don't believe in Jesus, you belong in hell. I believe "you belong in hell" were his exact words. A few years ago, a student named Matt LaClair recorded him doing it. Then there was a meeting of some kind at the school where Paszkiewicz denied saying those things, only the kid recorded that too. That part was a hoot.

The story made The New York Times (partly because of KOTW) and Matt was interviewed on Anderson Cooper and a few other places, and for a while the whole town was talking about it. The ACLU got involved, and there was almost a lawsuit, but then there was a settlement of some kind, only the school district ended up paying all kinds of money in legal fees to fight LaClair, and then ended up doing exactly what he had asked them to do in the first place. It was pretty damn funny, partly because the low-class knuckle-draggers in town supported this buffoon of a "teacher." I always wondered why property values never went up in Kearny, considering that it's only ten miles west of midtown Manhattan. When this story broke and the entire town made itself look like something out of Duck Dynasty, it came into focus why people with money and a little intelligence don't want to move here. The knuckle-dragging religious zealots really did this town a lot of damage. We were all over the news as the most backward community in the state. You can still read about the story on the internet. Just Google Matthew LaClair.

As for Matt, it looks like he did OK. Apparently he's getting a masters degree and doing radio interviews of some very well-known people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only he's not fading off, is he. Look, just because someone once used the phrase "fifteen minutes of fame" doesn't mean that's all anyone ever gets - though it would be fifteen minutes more than you ever got, apparently.

Quite a few years have passed since Matt graduated from Kearny High, and he's still making news. Getting a one-hour interview with a Nobel prize-winner is no small accomplishment. It may be time for you to admit that the kid has talent and a future.

Thanks Dad!!!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...