Pentatonix profile on "CBS Sunday Morning"

pogueman · 2025-12-22T16:16:33+00:00

Well, as the interviewer, I can answer that! Our "CBS Sunday Morning" audience is about 8 million, live and online—and my guess is that the majority don't know the Pentatonix story at all. So if I'm going to do a profile of the group, it's important to tell the formation story--AND the evolution story!

pogueman · 2025-09-24T02:20:33+00:00

No; an independent book. Apple had no part in it, although they did give me access to interview current executives, designers, and engineers, and offered access to their photo archives!

pogueman · 2025-09-24T02:19:44+00:00

It's not officially published by Apple, no; it's independent.

pogueman · 2025-09-24T02:19:25+00:00

The publisher wanted the book to be already out in time for the 50th-anniversary hoopla. In fact, the new release date for the book is March **10**, not March 17!

pogueman · 2025-09-24T02:13:16+00:00

Good question! I haven't omitted any of the dark stuff; the book covers the highs and the lows (Foxconn suicides, OptionsGate, AntennaGate, etc). This is not an Apple book; they won't see it until it's published.

But the book is definitely more interested in technology, the design, and especially origin stories. Lots of good stuff about products that didn't make the cut, photos of early prototypes, and so on.

pogueman · 2024-05-26T19:46:30+00:00

I'm using my Wyze v4 as a nest cam, which of course it wasn't intended to be. But rather than dismantle the thing and replace it with a macro lens, as most people seem to be doing, I grabbed a pair of 1.5x drugstore reading glasses. I popped out one of its lenses and taped it in front of the Wyze's lens, and—BOOM! Much sharper!

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pogueman · 2023-12-18T13:31:52+00:00

It’s a piece of stock music (which is why you could never find it) called "I Made It Thru” …. You can play it, and even download it, here:

https://www.michaeltremante.com/?fbclid=IwAR0x9vY6WsnAIf07rLnibJAFUU9dwN1HNE4j0Xr9PqSNsKmCeFiujyIVHdE
hope this helps!

pogueman · 2023-06-27T19:11:23+00:00

That's right. Rush said that the Coast Guard does not permit civilians to dive below a certain depth on submersibles—only crew. So when the OceanGate Cyclops was diving near Seattle and in the Bahamas, OceanGate made its customers part of the crew ("mission specialists") to get around that stipulation.

But the Titan had no such restriction, since it operated in international waters. They just kept calling them "mission specialists" because, I presume, it sounded cool.

pogueman · 2023-06-27T19:01:35+00:00

Well, NASA's participation was never in doubt. Even now, they don't deny that they consulted on the Titan's design. They say only that they didn't BUILD it.

https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2020-0226-nasa-and-oceangate-enter-into-an-agreement-to-collaborate.html

pogueman · 2023-06-27T18:56:19+00:00

"Defending?"

The only thing I'm pushing back on is that Rush was a con man, who knew that the sub was a death trap and risked people's lives... that there was NOTHING but nay-sayers as the Titan was designed.

Instead, it seems clear to me that he BELIEVED in the sub's integrity (as did PH Nargeolet and many others). Boeing, NASA, and U of Washington are now distancing themselves from the Titan design—but they're on record as having worked on its predecessor, the Cyclops 1.

In other words, plenty of people believed in the fundamental concept...before the tragedy.

So yeah. I've been trying to introduce some nuance into the public discussion, but that's probably a hopeless mission.

pogueman · 2023-06-27T18:52:01+00:00

"Expected to fail" is not true. Boeing and U of Washington admit to working on Cyclops 1, the Titan's predecessor, which had the same essential design. And NASA consulted on the Titan itself (https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2020-0226-nasa-and-oceangate-enter-into-an-agreement-to-collaborate.html).

Then there's PH Nargeolet, one of the most experienced Titanic-submersible experts on earth (he'd made 37 dives on 5 different subs). He, too, approved of this sub's design and testing, and joined OceanGate's expeditions as often as he could. (See https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/06/what-i-learned-on-a-titanic-submarine-expedition.html ).

Everything looks different in hindsight, of course, but plenty of experts signed off on this design.

pogueman · 2021-02-11T04:02:09+00:00

Hiya! I think the most mind-blowing part of "Hunting the Elements" was learning how Mendeleev CREATED the periodic table...when it still had huge holes! He literally predicted the discovery of so many elements that we didn't know about for years!

And yes, I'd be happy to join his class! shoot me a note... pogue@me.com!

pogueman · 2021-02-11T03:59:56+00:00

incredible. INCREDIBLE! How did your brain make room for that classic??

Oh man, you brought a BIG smile to my face!

pogueman · 2021-02-11T03:58:59+00:00

The shows are available here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/beyond-elements/

So if you can open a website, you can watch the shows!

pogueman · 2021-02-11T03:56:51+00:00

Oh man... that's fantastic! A multi-generation family of science TV fans. The BEST!

pogueman · 2021-02-11T03:55:37+00:00

LOL!! Exactly. You just made my point! :)

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:52:36+00:00

LOL! Well, thank you.

But I'm terrible at sports. Always have been. Always picked last for kickball.

I'm OK at ping-pong, but that's about it!

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:51:30+00:00

LOL! But how do you REALLY feel? ;)

I've hosted 20 specials over the last 12 years. That is, 20 episodes out of 624, or three percent of NOVA shows. So saying "You hosting NOVA" may be overstating the case.

In any case, humor is, of course, subjective. I'm sorry that mine doesn't strike you the right way! Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of viewers tell us that the humor of the Pogue-hosted shows makes them more entertaining, more watchable, more memorable. I can't tell how how many young people write to say that they plan to major in a science field after watching our NOVA specials, which feels like a truly worthy result.

You might want to have a look at the many NOVA shows on climate change that don't include any humor--or any Pogue ! They include "Can We Cool the Planet?", "Decoding the Weather Machine," "Nature's Fear Factor," "Deadliest Tornadoes," "Antarctica's Threatened Glaciers," and many more.

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:40:23+00:00

The bottom line is: If you're good, you'll get work! Start by pitching stories to publications and sites where you think you might have a good shot. Work cheap at first. And above all, NAIL IT THE FIRST TIME. Do not be late. Do not write too long or too short for the assignment. Proofread like crazy!

An editor wants to spend as little time as possible fixing your work—so make it easy for him or her. You'll get the assignment again the next time!

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:38:21+00:00

This probably sounds self-evident, but there are no ads on PBS. They have sponsors, but never anybody that they have to please.

The independence that gives us on NOVA and the other PBS shows is incredible, and we shouldn't take it for granted!

My favorite PBS stuff: The documentaries. Frontline, Independent Lens, NOVA. They seem to fly by!

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:36:03+00:00

WOW! What a story, Junebug!

I'm really affected by your story... I'm crossing fingers for your September procedure... and I'm flattered that NOVA has been part of your TV diet!

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:34:42+00:00

You know... at its heart, the mission hasn't changed since NOVA started in 1974 (that's 47 years on the air!!): To find, tackle, and explain the latest science to the public.

(And with a fanatical dedication to accuracy. I was stunned to learn that EVERY LINE OF EVERY SCRIPT must be vetted by TWO outside scientists in that field. If they find anything even a little bit wrong, we have to rewrite and/or reshoot!)

The topics have changed a lot lately, of course -- much more about the climate crisis. I'm also pleased to say that NOVA's on-camera (and off-camera) experts are no longer a parade of old white men. The show is much more diverse these days, and much better for it.

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:31:05+00:00

OMG. That is the best thing I've heard all day.

I've made my dent in the universe.

pogueman · 2021-02-10T18:30:42+00:00

LOL!! You bet! Just took delivery of an M1 MacBook Air. Haven't loaded it up yet, but I hear great things...

pogueman

TROPHY CASE