Doctor Steel versus The Hammer of God

October 8, 2007 8:25 AM

Not only does Dr. Duncan Steel have a manly name, he's also one of the guys responsible for keeping those pesky asteroids away from Earth.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (15 comments total)

Curiously, there are in fact two research scientists by the name of Duncan Steel. The Cracked article gives the fact list from the astrobiologist's page, but the picture shown is actually of the condensed matter experimentalist. I wouldn't know this, except the latter is a professor in my department, and thus I was surprised to see you talk about asteroids instead of quantum computers. The only other pair of disparate scientists with the same name are Sean Carroll the evolutionary biologist and Sean Carroll the cosmologist, and they are yet more confusing as they have both written noteworthy books.
posted by Schismatic at 9:05 AM on October 8, 2007

That self same Duncan Steel is also a porn actor. It's so weird how he has every job you'd think he'd have.
posted by basicchannel at 10:09 AM on October 8, 2007

schismatic, i read that second one as Sean Carroll the cosmetologist, which confused me for a minute. heh. i guess i'm just not much of an astrophysicist. or, apparently, someone with good comprehension skills.
posted by msconduct at 10:13 AM on October 8, 2007

i guess i'm just not much of an astrophysicist

but there's still hope for you as an astrologer.
posted by lodurr at 10:29 AM on October 8, 2007

I just had a flashback to one schoolbus ride long time ago when when M. Kerns, the elder and over-sized head bully of what was generally a crowd of bullies anyway - the picture you should have in mind is essentially a steroidal Imogene Herdman - confided to me, for some reason, that she aspired to go to Vo-Tech and learn to be a cosmetologist.

The options were either bite my tongue and agree what what a noble aspiration that was, or laugh and get turned into so much wolfpulp.

It was just too goddamned funny.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:38 AM on October 8, 2007 [1 favorite]

Oh, *@#! brilliant. What she said, of course, was "cosmologist."
posted by Wolfdog at 10:47 AM on October 8, 2007

Actually, what she said was "cosmonaut." She was going to VoTech to be a cosmonaut. There. The hell with this anecdote.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:55 AM on October 8, 2007

Also, it was actually a 48-year-old man, ITT Tech, and a hemorrhoidal Imogen Heap.
posted by cortex at 11:39 AM on October 8, 2007 [1 favorite]

Duncan Steel.

Dunk-in Steel.

Nope, nothing to be done here.
posted by Curry at 12:39 PM on October 8, 2007

I feel the need to mention that the "Ver" in "Magnús Ver Magnússon" is an archaic Icelandic word meaning "man."
posted by Kattullus at 1:24 PM on October 8, 2007

I thought Commander Flex Plexico should have been number one. Can you imagine being under his command? It would be like reporting to Captain Zap Brannigan.
posted by good in a vacuum at 1:28 PM on October 8, 2007

Except, you know, without the uncomfortably short kilt.
posted by lodurr at 2:35 PM on October 8, 2007

I kind of wonder where the hell Wolf Blitzer is on that list.
posted by dersins at 4:53 PM on October 8, 2007

And what of John Force?
posted by Tube at 5:07 PM on October 8, 2007

Dr. Steel?
posted by neckro23 at 6:02 PM on October 8, 2007