Backstage at Cirque Ka on Nat Geo Tonight

I've written (and raved) a lot about Cirque's amazing show Ka (I have an extensive article detailing the technology on the show here), and Steve Sywak of McLaren Engineering tipped me off to the fact that National Geographic will be featuring Ka on World's Toughest Fixes tonight:

I always find the topics of this show to be fascinating, but I stopped watching some time ago because I couldn't take any more of the pompous host Sean Riley.  But because this is Ka, I've programmed my DVR already for this episode...

Comments

[Steve Sywak]

Thanks for the post, John!

My fear is that halfway into the show they're going to reach deep inside and pull out a piece with MY name on it and say, "See! This is the part we've got to fix!"

But seriously, we know that they're scheduled to update the control system (no easy task!) due to both political and technical reasons (and like I said in my tip-off to you, "It was working when it left the shop!"). When the system was first fired up over 5 years ago, the TD's chief complaint was "It moves too effortlessly." We should all have such problems!

--Sywak

[Steve Sywak]

Awww...that wasn't so tough! It was a bunged-up seal in the stage left tilt cylinder! For starters, the system can run on three of the four cylinders. And the darn thing was right there! All they had to do was lower it and refurbish it! Now, if it was one of the LIFTING cylinders...there would have been your story!

But still..it's neat to look at other people salivating over your equipment, and to think (while you're watching it), "Yeah, I remember the analysis for that part; I remember why we specified that piece over there..."

--Sywak

[courtley dennisc]

aarrggghh i missed it.. i was too tired from sims class anyways.. i knew about it from a week ago and i was telling my mother about it. i was going to tell murphy but i completely forgot