Penn and Teller's Lab Scam
catvorgCited 3× on HN, 2017–2024
comedy · general · evergreen · 2017–2024 on HN
Penn and Teller help Rob Pike and Dennis Ritchie of Bell Labs play a prank on Nobel-winning physicist Arno Penzias. The clip shows the gag and its setup.
It is passed around as a favorite bit of computing folklore, and resurfaces in threads about Penzias, Ritchie and Pike.
Up next
8 mo on HNThe man with 1,000 Klein Bottles UNDER his house - Numberphile
Numberphile
8 HN recommender · 2015–2024
5 mo on HNDani DaOrtiz at Fool US 2022 (the act that Penn and Teller didn’t even try to figure out.)
dani daortiz
5 HN recommender · 2023–2025
5 mo on HNOK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine - Official Video
OK Go
5 HN recommender · 2010–2026
4 mo on HNLars Andersen: A new level of archery
larsandersen23
4 HN recommender · 2015–2022
3 mo on HN[1299] Unpickable Locks From Stuff Made Here
LockPickingLawyer
5 HN recommender · 2021–2022
4 mo on HNVirtual Barber Shop (Audio...use headphones, close ur eyes)
LovelyVirus
4 HN recommender · 2013–2024
3 mo on HNDerren Brown - The System (Full)
ScepticaTV
3 HN recommender · 2013–2017
3 mo on HNMath Encounters -- Five Balls, Two Hands: The Patterns of Juggling -- Colin Wright (Presentation)
National Museum of Mathematics
3 HN recommender · 2017–2026
3 mo on HNKostya Kimlat Fools Penn & Teller // Fool Us: Penn's Favorite Card Trick
Kostya Kimlat
3 HN recommender · 2017–2025
3 mo on HNselective attention test
Daniel Simons
3 HN recommender · 2011–2025
2 mo on HNRicky Jay - Amazing Card Trick/Manipulation
theeloved1
2 HN recommender · 2015–2023
3 mo on HNSpeaking Piano - Now with (somewhat decent) captions!
TheMcphearson
3 HN recommender · 2010–2023
3 comments from Hacker News
RIP Arno. Here's the video and write up of the gag Dennis Ritchie and Rob Pike pulled on him: ▶ this video link Edit: just wanted to say the hum of the universe dulled a little bit with his passing
I was around 3 y/o when Abscam went down. Now, however, I have a pretty good idea why Penn and Teller called their Bell Labs prank "lab scam". Thanks for that. link ▶ this video
Perhaps not known by the younger audience, but Penn & Teller helped Dennis Ritchie and Rob Pike perform a practical joke at Bell Labs: link ▶ this video