美国国家公共电台 NPR Changes

Changes

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0005:43repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser 1 to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST: 

Our next two contestants 2 will turn and face a strange music parody 3 game, so let's meet them. First up, Kaiya Lyons. You're a law fellow at the American Constitution Society in D.C.

KAIYA LYONS: That's right, yeah.

EISENBERG: Kaiya, what inspired you to defend civil rights?

LYONS: I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was four. I was one of those really weird 4 kids who woke up one day and decided 5 what I wanted to be. But, yeah, I'm really passionate 6 about women's rights. I heard a Martina McBride song once when I was 8 and I was like, yes, that needs to be done (laughter).

EISENBERG: Which one?

LYONS: I don't know. It's like that one with the music video where there's, like, a burning house - "Independence Day" is that the one?

EISENBERG: Yeah, sure, that's it.

LYONS: And I was like, that's not cool.

EISENBERG: Very good. Your opponent is JJ Maxwell. You work in communications for a design firm. Welcome.

J J MAXWELL: Thank you.

EISENBERG: JJ, your tech firm developed an Ada Lovelace robot. Now, I know Ada Lovelace is known as the first computer programmer. What's an Ada Lovelace robot?

MAXWELL: Oh, yeah, she's amazing. We just had her in New York, and now she's going to Beijing, but she - we programmed her to look at your face and then go around and silently judge you and then draw your portrait for a take home and look at it like a real artist. We're basically "Westworld" in, like, 20 years.

(LAUGHTER)

MAXWELL: So get ready, yeah.

EISENBERG: The silently judged thing, how do you program that?

MAXWELL: You know, again, I'm the communications media. I'm more street smarts for the company so...

EISENBERG: OK, got it.

MAXWELL: ...I guess if she gets really testy 7 I just say - go tell everybody, it's fine. Just, you know, let her be.

EISENBERG: Do you like interacting - have you interacted with Ada?

MAXWELL: Oh, yeah, we have had a really special bond in the last couple months, and it's deep and it's real.

EISENBERG: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Remember, Kaiya and JJ, the first of you who wins two of our games will move on to our final round at the end of the show. Let's go to your first game. So your first challenge is a parody music game about changes - Jonathan Coulton.

JONATHAN COULTON: Yes. So we rewrote David Bowie's song "Changes" to be about things that change or get changed.

(LAUGHTER)

MAXWELL: OK.

COULTON: Buzz in when you know what I'm singing about and the winner will be one step closer to moving on to the final round at the end of the show. Are you ready?

LYONS: Oh, yeah.

MAXWELL: Ready.

COULTON: OK. Here we go. (Singing) Still don't know what I was waiting for as it makes the night last long but it just slipped my mind. And every time I thought I'd sprung ahead, it seems instead I fell behind.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Kaiya.

LYONS: Daylight savings 8 time.

COULTON: Yes, correct.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: (Singing) So I turned on my ignition and the engine got too hot from the lack of lubrication. I meant to change this but I forgot.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Kaiya.

LYONS: Alternator - is that a thing in a car?

COULTON: That is definitely a thing in a car. That is not what we're looking for. JJ, do you know the answer?

MAXWELL: Changing the oil.

COULTON: Changing the oil, that's right.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: (Singing) Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes - turn your laptop on - ch-ch-changes - your login should be pickier. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes - turn your laptop on - ch-ch-changes. Hey, Mom, you have to make it trickier 9. It's way too easy, just one, two, three, four.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Kaiya.

LYONS: Changing your password.

COULTON: You got it, changing your password.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Do you know what your mom's password is?

LYONS: I know what it is for most things because I use her DirecTV password to watch anything so (laughter)...

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah. Does she know that you use her DirectTV password?

LYONS: If she doesn't she does now 'cause she's over there, so...

EISENBERG: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: JJ, are you familiar with your parents' passwords?

MAXWELL: My mom uses mine and the Netflix queue gets pretty weird.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: Tell me more, JJ.

MAXWELL: Yeah, it's a lot of, like, rom-coms and also, like, any HDTV that can be there. But then she'll go get, like, dark on the good stuff. I'm like, mom, you're binge watching "Daredevil?" You're retired 10 now, it's cool. Yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: (Singing) And these archetypes that you spit it on when you tell the jokes you do. They're just trying to fix the darkness. Who cares how many it takes to unscrew?

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: JJ.

MAXWELL: Lightbulb.

COULTON: Yeah, that's right.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: We've never heard from the point of view of the filament 11.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: I'm just saying technically 12, first, to change your light bulb, you have to unscrew the lightbulb. Nobody talks about it. I'm just trying to raise awareness 13.

EISENBERG: That's true. That's true.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: This is your last clue.

(Singing) Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face your face, ch-ch-changes. Don't tell me that gray is getting noticed now. Ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face your face, ch-ch-changes. A shame that I can hide it, and I know how. Time may change me, but not on my head.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: JJ.

MAXWELL: Hair, gray hair.

COULTON: Yeah, hair color. Yes, that's what we're looking for,

MAXWELL: OK.

(APPLAUSE)

ART CHUNG: Art Chung, how did our contestants do?

CHUNG: Well done, JJ, you're one step closer to moving on to the final round.

(APPLAUSE, SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)