The 'Master Michio Kaku' Lightsaber

[Darth Abominor]

Theoretical physicist Doctor Michio Kaku being presented a custom saber, by me *grin*, in NYC during an episode shoot of his newest TV show.

Crafted and build by Tim of TCSS, for the May 14th, 2010 presentation during shooting on the set of the #1 rated show on the Science Channel, Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible.

Custom cut LED Blade Holder (#13), Lux3 Cyan LED, Custom fluted Body Section (#?), Choke (#3), Illuminated Latching Green AV Switch (color ring) and Activation Box (#4), Pommel (#4), Custom engraved MPS Pommel Insert (#4) with Doctor Kaku's logo 'M<' engraved on outer face. The blade is a bullet tipped Transparent White Polyc, show blade, no diff or wrap.

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/Kaku_top.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/Kaku_side.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/Kaku_pommel.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/IMG_0475_001.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/IMG_0471_001.jpg

And.. the Video:
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/th_KakuLightsaberFanFlick.jpg (http://s886.photobucket.com/albums/ac63/avatar6699/2010_Sci_Fi_Science_TV_Shoots/May_14_2010_Shoot/?action=view&current=KakuLightsaberFanFlick.flv)

THANK YOU TIM!!! All of us from the NYC area, as well as Doctor Kaku, appreciate the hard work.

Watch for the: Alien Contact and How To Repel Alien Invasion episodes on Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible. (they should air in the Fall or early Winter of 2010).

And, finally, the portrait of Doctor kaku as a Jedi Master, holding his new lightsaber in the darkness of Cloud City.
http://lasersportsusa.com/images/artwork/kaku_portrait_wm_small.jpg

[LastODJedi]

Gorgeous lightsaber Tim!! But then, we'd expect nothing less from the master himself!

[kyncaid]

Michio Kaku and Lightsaber's and the same clip, Truly Awesome

\m/_ (0_o) _\m/

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Very cool saber for a very cool scientist.

[E-relivent]

That is just too awesome! Kaku is one of my favorite scientists, right up there with Neil Degrasse Tyson.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Very cool.

Though I was a bit disappointed in his "How to Build a Lightsaber" show.

[jedimastergarcia87]

I really like this saber. I also like the pommel insert, different.

[Jedi-Loreen]

I also like the pommel insert, different.
It's his initials. ;)

[DJMoonbass]

so was tim himself there?

[Jedi-Loreen]

It doesn't say anywhere that Tim was there, DJ. I'm sure he just sent the saber. :rolleyes:

[Darth Abominor]

Tim was not, in the flesh anyway, at this shoot as I am aware of. I was lucky enough to work out the creation of the saber for the doctor and then asks to present it on film by the production crew. *win/win*

Yes, the pom insert has a custom engraving, done by Tim, of Doctor Kaku's logo from his own website. The MK, looking like 'M<' on the site.

[FenderBender]

No sound? Tsk, tsk. A once in a lifetime opportunity and he gets a stunt?

Just kidding:D Good job, nice saber and great vid.

Did you get to talk with him long?

[Darth Abominor]

It was short norice, so sound was not really an option as I understand it.

I have been on shoots with Dr. Kaku a number of times in the last few months, so this is the 4th good chat he and I have had on set.

He's getting an even better, in it's own way, item on June 4th from one of my local NYC artist friends.

[Darth Abominor]

Updated with the Master Kaku portrait.. saber in hand.

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Cool portrait!

[Matt Thorn]

What fun! The perfect gift for the preeminent science evangelist of our day. :D

I didn't see the lightsaber episode. What's great about his show is that it takes cutting-edge science and technology and applies it to impossible problems, educating while also showing the limits and potential of our current knowledge. Whether or not the solutions he comes up with are practical, or even elegant, is almost beside the point.

I know celebrity scholars and scientists face scorn from their less celebrated colleagues, but we really need people like Dr. Kaku (and that ***y evolutionary biologist, Olivia Judson :p) to get people interested in science, particularly when so much of the media (including a lot of the so-called Science Channel's programming) seems bent on encouraging brain-deadness. :-? When you have a situation in which only 40% of Americans believe in evolution, 25% don't, and the rest are too stupid to even answer the question (http://www.gallup.com/poll/114544/darwin-birthday-believe-evolution.aspx), you need all the help you can get. :rolleyes:
http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/pp05ytoxcuijd73t-qrr3w.gif
http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/lvtmmfl19eqfl0cpgxojzw.gif

[Darth Abominor]

Here's a fun Update***

During the recent shooting of this season's Science Channel top-rated show, Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible, I was given the chance to present Dr. Michio Kaku (Strings and more) his very own Tim-made custom TCSS Lightsaber and a digital portrait showing the Dr. as a Jedi Master at Cloud City (robes, saber and all). These shots are from yesterday's show in which they gave us, as well as TCSS, a listing in the 'Special Thanks To' section of the show credits. Star Wars is alive and well here in NYC! (will air again on Wed 10.6.10 @ 10:30pm EST)

http://lasersportsusa.com/images/sci_fi_science_2010/33552_500541989151_806849151_7351411_738050_n.jpg
http://lasersportsusa.com/images/sci_fi_science_2010/61600_500542234151_806849151_7351435_580616_n.jpg
http://lasersportsusa.com/images/sci_fi_science_2010/63801_10150089106624152_806849151_7380761_6455240_ n.jpg

[RevengeoftheSeth]

He is probably one of the coolest geeks I have ever seen, and I loved his lightsaber episode, personally.

I also saw a mention of TCSS on a SYSTM episode. It had a lot about TCSS on there (including xl97's saber builder).

[xl97]

WOOT!..

I saw that too..

to be honest I was stoked!..

Ive had other high profile stuff.. but nothing 'cool'.. and most was/is under NDA anyways!

(aaaah!..the power of Flash.. if you can think it..you can make it happen!.. Saber builder had no guidelines...and I just did what "I" thought would be best.. based it of another platform/engine I had developed for a similar app... got some feedback from our CEO Tim.. and there you have it!)

[RevengeoftheSeth]

I wish I had 1337 pr0grammer skillz. I just do html and php >.< No fun stuff like flash or java.

[Ronan]

Nice!

[xl97]

plenty of fun with PHP.. especially Flash & PHP.. :)

if you know PHP.. learning AS 2.0 would be simple.