Slashdot Log In
Ask The Mythbusters
Posted by
Zonk
on Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:29 AM
from the she-blinded-me-with-science dept.
from the she-blinded-me-with-science dept.
Who are the Mythbusters? Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman are the hosts of a unique and popular television show on the Discovery cable channel. Working from a background in the special effects industry and shooting on location at effects warehouse M5 Industries, Jamie and Adam attempt to shed light on hearsay, rumour, and myth. Along the way they usually run across a little bit of science, too. Today, you have a chance to put questions to them. We'll take the 15 best questions and pass them on to the gentlemen to be answered sometime soon after the Thanksgiving holiday. One question per comment, please, and keep things topical. We'll post their responses as soon as we get them back, so ask away.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Favorites (Score:5, Interesting)
What is your favorite Busted Myth and your favorite Confirmed one?
I have a question for the Mythbusters. (Score:5, Funny)
Never mind then...oh, and great show!
Parent
Re:Favorites (Score:5, Interesting)
Are there any myths that the network won't let you have a crack at?
Parent
Re:Your memory is faulty (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Your show is great fun to watch and all, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
This happens all the time (Score:5, Interesting)
The same episode also had them surprised that a finger in the barrel of a gun, even though it couldn't stop the bullet, would actually cause enough pressure buildup to deform the gun barrel at the tip.
Neil
Parent
Blows Me Away (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, there was that one show where they had they FBI hook them up with several TONS of high powered explosives.
Then they used it to make a cement mixer truck dissappear.
Here's the video [nyud.net] (CoralCDN to the rescue)
That pretty much blew me away.
Parent
Houston, we have a busted/confirmed myth (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Houston, we have a busted/confirmed myth (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Myths that didn't make it. (Score:5, Interesting)
Most Challenging Myth (Score:5, Interesting)
Brings to mind my question... (Score:5, Interesting)
Given that you often refer to getting "lots of angry emails" based on the show, why would you agree to do an interview with one of the websites that's frequented by the type of people that generate most of that angry email? Are you hoping that they'll waste time posting comments and that you can let the moderators get rid of them as opposed to your staff?
Oh, and can you get Discovery to show the show at some time other than 9:00PM EST on Wednesdays? I have a commitment then and always have to miss it. (Silly family.)
Parent
Injuries (Score:5, Interesting)
ultimate myth? (Score:5, Interesting)
Cool (Score:5, Funny)
I understand completely why you guys warn us to "not try this at home". But who warns you guys?
Ok all joking aside. You guys do some really dangerous stuff on the show. What has been the scariest/ most hair raising moment on the show so far, a time when you might have thought "this is really going to hurt"?
upside down car (Score:5, Interesting)
I heard that an F1 racing car has enough downdraft to drive upside down at speed. True or false?
Fact vs Fun (Score:5, Interesting)
For those of us not of TV-land.. how long does it take for you guys to produce an average episode.. how much of it is fun vs time spent working on getting it right?
Would you consider a contest to have a guest helper? (Not that I am plugging this potential guest helper at all.. no!).
Is it true? (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh this is an easy one... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh this is an easy one... (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Idea behind MythBusters. (Score:5, Interesting)
Budget (Score:5, Interesting)
q: (Score:5, Interesting)
Impact on the World (Score:5, Interesting)
Gilligan's Island (Score:5, Interesting)
Computer myths? (Score:5, Interesting)
Critique (Score:5, Interesting)
In particular I refer to a show where you were examining fuel mileage on SUVs with windows open vs. air conditioning. As an engineer, I believe that you failed to conduct adequate experimentation to demonstrate anything other than results at a single data point and you didn't make that clear to your viewers.
Source Material (Score:5, Interesting)
To the Mythbusters whom it may concern- (Score:5, Informative)
It seems like it must be tempting to definitively call a myth "busted", even though the reality is that you just couldn't duplicate the results. Whether something is fact or fiction, scientifically a myth probably shouldn't be considered "busted" unless you have empirically show it to be implausable.
You guys generally do a good job of this, though on occasion I've seen an episode where you seemed a little premature. What can you say about where you draw the line, and do you feel like you generally do a good job of following the scientific method to get your results?
Also, can you get me that redhead's phone number?
Kari and Grant (Score:5, Funny)
Strictly speaking ... (Score:5, Interesting)
My question is this: are you taking yourselves too seriously as "myth busters"? (And a suggestion: why not let a physics prof supervise some of your stunts?)
I'll second this! (Score:5, Insightful)
To add to your jet engine example, my biggest gripe was always their "windows down vs. AC" gas-mileage test. All their test could possibly show was that at the one tested speed in the one tested vehicle, that's what happened. Even their retraction and correction later was oversimplified-- they explained that at some point, the speed of a vehicle becomes great enough that the AC wins over the windows-- but they acted like that number is the same for all cars regardless of all the other variables. (engine size, AC design, window size and position, and overall aerodynamic shape, to name a few)
Parent
Blasting Zone Myth (Score:5, Interesting)
Budget restrictions? (Score:5, Interesting)
What sort of budget limits do you guys have for your show these days? I remember seeing some earlier episodes where money really seemed to be an issue (spending an extra $700 on helium for the weather baloon lawn chair seemed to cause some concern). Whereas these days you guys seem to have no problem blowing up cement trucks or catapulting a boom lift.
As a corollary: Which experiment(s) ran rediculously over budget, and which one was surpirisingly cheap to pull off?
From the Front vs. From Behind (Score:5, Interesting)
Question (Score:5, Interesting)
Myths you cannot do? (Score:5, Interesting)
Are you Scientists or Special Effects Builders? (Score:5, Interesting)
Even with my harsh comments, I'm not disrespecting your show. I have it setup to record on my DVR every week. I mostly enjoy the shows but occasionally your lack of scientific method is maddening. I realize you are probably cutting a lot out for the sake of TV, but could you at least point out that there are some possibilities you aren't testing?
Repeatable Experiments (Score:5, Interesting)
You start every show with "Don't try this at home" but sometimes there are experiments that you do which you could try this at home. Have you ever considered having a show where you say, "DO Try this at home?" Its fun to see my child get such a love of science in such a fun way.
Scientist on staff? (Score:5, Interesting)
M5 Industries (Score:5, Interesting)
Who would you rather have on your team (Score:5, Funny)
Guests on the show (Score:5, Interesting)
Shown vs. Not Shown (Score:5, Interesting)
Has there ever been a segment that you wish had been shown, but didn't make the cut? Conversely, was there a segment that did make the final show that you wish had not been shown?
Forget Mythbusters... (Score:5, Interesting)
- Would you choose to be a Super Hero duo, or a pair of villains, which would you be?
- Would they be original characters, or someone/something that already exists?
- Would you wear tights?
- WHY?
Insurance issues (Score:5, Interesting)
Bloopers! (Score:5, Interesting)
So, barring, that, my question would be, what are your top 5 "oops" incidents that never made it on to the screen?
How does it make you feel... (Score:5, Insightful)
working at M5 (Score:5, Interesting)
Ballistics Gel (Score:5, Funny)