Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'geek'

Best Graphic Novels Of 2008

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:02:00 EST

No longer only for kids, geeks, nerds and aging baby boomers longing for a second childhood, graphic novels are showing themselves a medium of startling breadth and grace. Don't call them a genre anymore; cutting-edge graphic novels exist for everyone.

James Franco, From 'Freaks' To 'Milk'

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:07:00 EST

Initially known for his role on the short-lived but critically acclaimed TV series Freaks and Geeks, the actor stars alongside Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant's newest film.

'Nick And Norah,' Setting A New York Night To Music

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A geek and a smart girl cruise a nighttime New York as romantically supercharged as in any Woody Allen movie — falling for each other, while audiences fall madly for them.

Geeks Unite for World Science Fest

Thu, 29 May 2008 07:00:00 EDT

NPR's science correspondent Robert Krulwich regales the Bryant Park Project multitudes with highlights from the World Science Festival held this week in New York.

On-Screen Teen Bubble Bursts

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:28:00 EDT

Teen movies are all about stereotypes -- the geek, the jock, the popular girl. But the new trend among filmmakers is to let teens tackle issues beyond detention and prom.

Celebrating March 14 as 'Pi Day'

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:17:00 EDT

In honor of 3-14, Dan Hellerich, who runs the website pi-day.org, will join other proud geeks who today are baking pies, writing pi-kus and other mathematical shenanigans.

'Beautiful Children,' a Dark Novel of Life in Vegas

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:57:00 EST

The book Beautiful Children starts as the story of a missing 12-year-old in Las Vegas, but it quickly unfolds into an interconnected tale of the boy's parents, street kids, comic book geeks and strip clubs. It took first-time author Charles Bock a decade to "unpack his head" and write the novel.

Luxury Tech Toys Wrapped in Gold and Gems

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:33:00 EST

If you need a gift for a special geek -- and you have a few thousand dollars to spare -- you might consider these "luxury technology" items: a Les Paul guitar that tunes itself, a remote control made out of pure gold, and an iPhone encrusted with diamonds for $41,227.

Netflix Contest Has Algorithm 'Geeks' Doing the Math

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:00:00 EST

A year ago, the online movie rental company Netflix offered $1 million to anyone who could come up with a way to improve its movie recommendations by 10 percent. Nobody has earned the money, but a team from AT&T Labs came close.

Novel Explores a 'Dominican-American Sci-Fi Geek'

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:17:00 EDT

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is Junot Diaz's first novel. It arrives 10 years after Drown, his critically acclaimed collection of short stories. Diaz calls the book a "mashup" of Dominican and American cultures.

LCD Soundsystem: A Music Geek Makes Good

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:28:00 EDT

With a sound that combines dance, electronic and punk music, New York-based DJ and multi-instrumentalist James Murphy (a.k.a. LCD Soundsystem) helped found the much-lauded DFA label and production team. Hear Murphy give an interview and in-studio performance.

Summer Reads for Former Recess Rebels

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EDT

We are film dorks, comic book geeks and indie-music nerds. We do not, as a general rule, jet-ski. This is what we'll be reading as we try to avoid the sun.

Apatow and Rogan: From 'Virgin' to 'Knocked Up'

Thu, 31 May 2007 12:04:00 EDT

Judd Apatow worked on the cult-favorite TV comedy Freaks and Geeks, but you'll know him as writer-director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Now he's back with Knocked Up; we talk to Apatow and to Knocked Up star Seth Rogan.

Jake Kasdan: When Art Imitates Life

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:52:00 EDT

The TV Set, starring David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver, satirizes the punishing process of producing a TV pilot. Writer and director Jake Kasdan knows his material: He directed and co-produced the pilot for the acclaimed but short-lived TV series Freaks and Geeks.

Judd Apatow: Favorite and Forgotten DVDs

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:11:00 EST

Judd Apatow, the man behind The Forty-Year-Old Virgin, shares five of his favorite DVDs and tells why it took so long to get the DVD released for his cult-hit TV show, Freaks and Geeks.

The Revenge of Japan's Nerds

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:16:00 EST

Once the targets of playground insults, obsessive fans of comic books, costume play and video games have become a powerful economic force in Japan. But the geek-chic wave has troubling social implications.

American Geeks Outperforming Jocks This Year

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EDT

It's not the ultimate grudge match between brain and brawn, NPR Science Editor David Malakoff and NPR Sports Correspondent Tom Goldman face off in smackdown discussions over America's Nobel Prize wins in science, and how poorly American athletes performed in recent international competitions.

Audra McDonald: A 'Theater Geek' Turns to Pop

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 18:16:00 EDT

Audra McDonald is a bona-fide Broadway star and a well-regarded recording artist whose albums have featured American popular standards and newer musical theater. But her new album takes her in a different direction.

Parents Head to Camp with Their Kids

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Along with summer camps for tech geeks and summer camps with all of the comforts of home, the American Camp Association says "family camps" have become one of the fastest-growing segments of its industry. At family camps, parents stay and play alongside their kids. Don Gonyea speaks with Don Cheley, of Cheley Colorado Camps, about the trend.

For Geeks Only: How Oscar Voting Works

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST

Now that the identity of Deep Throat has been revealed, the accounting of the Academy Awards may be the last set of true secrets in American life. Bill Wyman explains what is known.

Food Hackers Make High-Tech Geek Cuisine

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST

Food Hackers Make High-Tech Geek Cuisine February 9, 2006 · Computer geeks are joining the ranks of fans of a high-tech brand of haute cuisine called "molecular gastronomy," using exotic laboratory tools and exotic chemicals to create some very unexpected taste sensations.

Nerd Hip-Hop, Flowing Like Han Solo

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST

"Geek rap," with rhymes and references to Star Wars heroes and scientific theories, is gaining ground on the Internet. Jim Colgan reports on the trend, and talks with a few of the genre's superstars.

Slate's Summary Judgment: 'Red Eye,' 'Valiant,' 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin'

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EDT

What do a psycho murderer, a fighting pigeon and a geek who can't "get the job done" all have in common? They're all vying for your movie dollars this weekend -- Slate contributor Mark Jordan Legan examines what the critics are saying about the weekend's new movie premieres.

Simnuke: Having a Blast in the Nevada Desert

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Simnuke: Having a Blast in the Nevada Desert July 18, 2005 · Activists and techno-geeks gather to commemorate the world's first nuclear explosion -- and have a party. Organizers of Simnuke set off their own, much smaller blast, as a reminder of the destructive power of atomic bombs.

Carnival Talkers

Sat, 09 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Those guys at carnivals who try to lure you into the freak shows call themselves Carnival Talkers - never "barkers." Their pitches are carefully structured attempts to part you from your money. Independent producers Jay Allison and Rachel Day bring us into the world of the people who get you to pay good money to see The Lobster Boy and the Geeks.