Aw! Being the Internet slowpoke, I've just learned that NASA has bucked the will of the people and named the International Space Station's next module "Tranquility" instead of the rightful winner of the online voting contest, "Colbert" (after the comedian Stephen Colbert).
But Colbert didn't go away empty handed: he's got a treadmill named after him and millions of adoring fans (and lots of money) to console him during these difficult times:
The space agency had asked people for help naming the node by voting on NASA-suggested names and writing in their own suggestions. After the poll ended on 20 March, "Colbert" came out the clear winner with more than 230,000 votes, while "Tranquility" garnered a mere 4493 votes. [...]
But Colbert didn't walk away empty handed.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who ran the first marathon in space two years ago, announced on his show on Tuesday that Colbert would get something in the new node named for him – and it's not the toilet, as had been rumoured. Williams said his name would grace the node's treadmill, due to launch in August. The exercise equipment will be called the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill.
Fuck you too, NASA.
Why even allow write ins if you won't accept them?