MythBusters

MythBusters
The opening credits to Mythbusters
Created by	Peter Rees
Starring	Jamie Hyneman Adam Savage Tory Belleci Kari Byron Grant Imahara Buster (The Dummy) Additional cast
Narrated by	Robert Lee (USA) Robin Banks (Discovery UK) Rufus Hound (BBC Two, Eduardo Robiera (Latin American)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	104 (as of September 12, 2007)
Production
Running time	43 minutes (Discovery Channel) 30 minutes (BBC Two) (Both times are not including comercials)
Original release
Network	Discovery Channel Discovery HD
Release	January 23, 2003 – present

MythBusters is an American popular science television program on the Discovery Channel starring special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who use basic elements of the scientific method to test the validity of various rumors and urban legends in popular culture. The show, narrated by Robert Lee, is filmed primarily at M5 Industries — Hyneman's special effects workshop — and in the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area.

History

The show was pitched to Discovery Channel under the title Tall Tales or True by producer Peter Rees from Beyond Television Productions in 2002. Discovery then commissioned three pilot specials. Hyneman came to the show through Rees, who had previously interviewed him for his appearance on BattleBots. Savage, who had worked with Hyneman in commercials and on BattleBots, was approached by Hyneman to help co-host the show because (according to Savage) Hyneman felt himself too uninteresting to host the show on his own.

In July 2006, an edited thirty-minute version (as opposed to the usual 60 minutes including advertising) of MythBusters began airing on BBC Two in the UK. The episodes shown in the European Discovery Channel sometimes include extra scenes not shown in the US version (some of these scenes eventually make their way into "specials", such as "MythBusters Outtakes").

Episodes

Main article: List of MythBusters episodes

Format

Each sixty minute MythBusters episode focuses on two or three urban legends, popular beliefs, Internet rumors or other myths. The featured myth often requires extensive preparation and set building, although the one or two simpler myths usually included in the show require less planning and execution (and are executed by the co-stars other than Jamie and Adam). To date, however, three experiments (35, 40, and 46) were so complex they consumed the entire hour. Three MythBusters specials (Special Episodes 8, 9, and 11) were all two hours long.

The show employs various degrees of censorship for the safety and courtesy of viewers. However, in keeping with the humorous overtones of the show, censorship usually takes on a humorous form. For example, instead of the standard bleeping, foul language or the names of ingredients used in the production of hazardous materials are covered over with funny sound effects. Other potentially offensive subject matter is either evaded, glossed over with euphemisms, or addressed in a strictly scientific sense so as not to offend. Visual censorship also occurs for two reasons. First, for safety reasons, chemical labels are blurred out. Second, so as not to endorse products, most products used in the show are addressed generically with their labels either stripped or covered over with the MythBusters logo. The only exception is when specific products are being tested (such as when deciphering the "Diet Coke and Mentos" phenomenon—although the labels of the Coke bottles were taken off, the products were still referred to by name for the entire episode). Still, even visual censorship gets the occasional humorous quip from the cast such as in the Hindenburg Disaster episode when Savage referred to a pair of chemicals with blurred-out labels literally as "blur." Other potentially dangerous chemicals have been bleeped out with humorous sounds such as car horns, moos and meows.

Some urban legends that have been tested include:

• Can the unaided human voice shatter glass? ("Breaking Glass") (Confirmed)
• Can a penny dropped from a tall building kill a person at ground level? ("Penny Drop") (Busted)
• Could Ben Franklin's kite experiment have really happened? ("Franklin's Kite") (Plausible)
• Does a duck's quack not echo? ("Duck Quack") (Busted)
• Can diving underwater protect a person from gunfire? ("Bulletproof Water") (Confirmed after such a distance underwater)
• Is it possible to break off a lock by shooting it with a gun? ("Mega Movie Myths") (Busted with handguns, Confirmed with heavier artillery)

Methods for testing myths and urban legends are usually planned and executed in a manner to produce the most visually dramatic results possible, which generally involves explosions, fires, and/or vehicle crashes. Because the emphasis is on visual spectacle, mishaps and injuries have occurred, leading Savage to describe the show as "Jackass meets Mr. Wizard." In addition, the MythBusters usually select a myth that lends itself to such a spectacle, such as "will using a cell phone at a gas station ignite gas fumes?" ("Cell Phone Destruction") or "can a shark penetrate a boat or compromise a shark proof cage by ramming it?" ("JAWS Special").

When a myth is potentially dangerous to an individual, the MythBusters use resident crash test dummy, "Buster", or ballistics gel, which replicates human tissue and is used by ballistics engineers to test firearms and other projectiles. If the myth is not too hazardous, the cast may perform the experiment on themselves, although even this involves risks, since injuries and mishaps are quite frequent. For example, to test whether or not getting into the airplane crash position helps save lives, Savage, and co-hosts Kari Byron and Tory Belleci, strapped themselves into the crash rig after testing it on dummies and dropped it from a height of five feet. Although they were able to walk away, all sustained minor injuries.

There are some myths and urban legends the MythBusters refuse to test. Paranormal concepts, such as aliens or ghosts, are not addressed because they cannot be tested by scientific methods, although one exception, pyramid power, prompted Savage to comment, "No more 'oogie-boogie' myths, please." The program avoids experiments harmful to animals and people that cannot be tested safely, such as whether a wet poodle could be dried in a microwave oven. The book MythBusters: The Explosive Truth Behind 30 of the Most Perplexing Urban Legends of All Time (ISBN 1-4169-0929-X) also gives a list of a dozen urban legends that are unlikely to be explored (although three were eventually tested).

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage use their extensive engineering and construction expertise to construct complex mechanical devices with which to perform experiments, such as an automated toast assembly line to test whether toasted bread slices land butter-side-down more often. They design, build, and operate these machines at Hyneman’s M5 Industries special effects workshop, although they often test them at other locations in and around San Francisco, including such places as the decommissioned Naval Air Station Alameda, Novato's decommissioned Hamilton Air Force Base, Mojave Spaceport, or the Mojave Desert, where the MythBusters performed tests involving rockets and high explosives. In some season 4 and 5 episodes, the Mythbusters have performed some of the tests involving firearms and explosives at the Alameda County Sheriff's Bomb Squad and Firearm ranges. Other locations included New Jersey (where they investigated if Jimmy Hoffa is buried under Giants Stadium), Albuquerque, New Mexico (where they tested if standing on the yellow line instead of behind it at a train station when a train goes by at speed will blow you over on New Mexico's Rail Runner), and the Bahamas (where they examined shark myths).

The tests are usually a two-step process. Repeatedly dubbed "Replicate the myth, then Duplicate the results" by Adam Savage, the MythBusters first attempt to recreate the myth to determine if the circumstances, as described, achieve the alleged outcome ("Replicate"). If that fails, they attempt to expand the parameters as much as necessary — often to absurd lengths — until the desired results are duplicated ("Duplicate"). In "Raccoon Rocket", the MythBusters recreated the myth of a person who was supposedly launched 200 feet out of a drainage culvert. After pouring gasoline into it, he supposedly then climbed in and lit the fuel in an attempt to kill a raccoon, accidentally launching himself. A mockup culvert was built, Buster was stuffed inside, and the gasoline remotely ignited. When Buster failed to launch, however, he was then packed inside a sabot, the end of the culvert was closed with explosives, and Buster was successfully propelled about 100 feet.

When the exact details of a myth are unclear, the MythBusters will often vie with one another to find and implement the best solution. For one myth, they competed to see if a person falling off a building could safely fly or glide to the ground by holding onto a sheet of plywood. Savage built a wood parachute-device, while Hyneman opted for a glider-shape construct. Both were tested, along with an unmodified standard plywood sheet design. Neither of those methods worked, however; in both cases, Buster and the plywood plummeted unimpeded to earth.

Due to the fact that MythBusters is a television show, and can only bring viewers approximately 50 minutes of footage, many viewers are led to believe that the team is not thorough enough in proving or disproving myths. Adam and Jamie have alluded to this many times on the show, and during the Outtakes Special, they specifically stated that while they in fact are very thorough in testing myths and repeat experiments many times in many different configurations, it is simply impossible to display all of it on the show due to time constraints. Beginning in Season 5 they have prompted viewers to visit the show's website to see full clips of certain events that were heavily edited for the show. Also, in response to criticism over testing myths in the wrong way, the team has produced several "Myths Revisited" episodes.

Busted, Plausible, or Confirmed?

Logo

By the end of each episode, each myth is rated "Busted", "Plausible", or "Confirmed".

Busted

The myth's results cannot be replicated via either the described parameters nor reasonably exaggerated ones.

Plausible

The myth's results can only be produced by expanding the parameters within a reasonable margin (that is, if the circumstances needed to make the myth work are impractical, but still possible), or by the practical necessity of setting additional parameters that may or may not have been part of the myth described. This judgment is used if a myth is possible but unlikely, or if documented accounts of the myth exist that the MythBusters were unable to duplicate (for safety or cost reasons). A further case for the plausible rating is if there is no documentation of the myth occurring, yet the MythBusters were still able to duplicate it (such as the myth that states that pirates wore eyepatches for enhanced night vision). The "Plausible" rating was first used in the second season, but seems to have fallen out of favor in later seasons in cases where the team could replicate the results within the parameters even if there are no documented incidents replicating the myth, giving rise to a "Confirmed" (Such as Exploding Tire of Death, Season 5). Will sometimes be extended to the point where it's highly unlikely to happen.

Confirmed

The MythBusters are able to recreate or closely recreate the myth’s purported outcome with the described circumstances. A "Confirmed" myth is usually corroborated with documented evidence of actual occurrences. The term "True" was used in the first season.

File:Mythbusters explode.jpg

Dramatic explosions have become a MythBusters tradition.

Occasionally, the MythBusters give more than one designation to separate aspects of a single myth. In "Bullets Fired Up", they tested whether a bullet fired straight up can fall and kill the shooter or innocent bystanders. They gave the myth all three designations: "Busted", "Plausible", and "Confirmed." It was "Busted", because bullets fired straight up will tumble to the ground at a non-lethal velocity; "Plausible", because a shooter is much more likely to fire at a slight angle, wherein the bullet will maintain its ballistic trajectory and potentially be lethal when it comes back down; and "Confirmed", because there are eyewitness accounts and medical records of falling bullets killing people. In fact, many municipalities have laws (such as Shannon's law) explicitly prohibiting firing weapons into the air for that reason.

In "Jet Taxi", which examined the myth that a car passing behind a jet airliner could be overturned by the jet's engine thrust as it goes to full throttle, the investigation was deemed inconclusive (and the myth "Plausible"), because it could not be duplicated due to logistical difficulties. It was documented, however, by television news and later recreated on a much larger scale with the CF6 engine from a Boeing 747 by the UK BBC2 television show, Top Gear, using both a Ford Mondeo and a Citroën 2CV. The Brazilian edition of the show also presented the happening of such event on a Rio de Janeiro airport.

If the MythBusters receive feedback from their fan site discussion forum and other sources asserting that the experiments were improperly conducted or incomplete, the show may revisit past myths and re-test them. As of March 21, 2007 there have been six episodes (14, 38, 46, 51, 64, and 75) dedicated solely to reevaluation. These revisions are conducted with new testing methods or historical information. To date, three previously "Busted" myths have actually been overturned. The "Chicken Gun" myth, which asserted that frozen chickens were better for penetration tests than thawed ones, became "Plausible"; the "Who Gets Wetter?" myth, which asserted that running in the rain gets one less wet than walking in it, became "Confirmed"; and the "Sniper Scope" myth, which asserted that one sniper can kill another sniper by shooting straight through the scope (see Carlos Hathcock), became "Plausible" after their revisits. All other previously "Busted" myths were simply reaffirmed as such.

In The Anti-Gravity Device, Tory mentioned that they couldn't bust Anti-gravity as a whole, just specific "Anti-Gravity" devices, resulting in Kari saying they can revise, and give it a Busted (For Now). "For Now" was also seen under the "Busted" sign, making it the only myth to get, quite literally, "Busted (for now)".

Materials and equipment

While a wide range of myths are tested, the MythBusters regularly use certain items as part of their experiments due to their versatility, property simulation ability, or usefulness in evaluations. These items include:

• Ballistics gel is used by various agencies to test performance of firearms ammunition, as it approximates some of the physical properties of human muscle tissue. The MythBusters also use special mixtures of it to simulate certain properties of flesh, such as conductivity or blunt impact resistance.
• Cars and other vehicles are often obtained from a scrapheap but are sometimes donated by a fan or purchased in running condition.
• Firearms and explosives are used to test myths involving these devices. These myths typically end with "explosive results."
• High speed cameras are often used to record moving objects during a test and (with the help of a scale ruler) measure the objects' speeds.
• Pig carcasses are used as test dummies in place of Buster the dummy and ballistics gel to more accurately simulate responses of human flesh and bone to certain types of trauma, for example, decomposition, shrapnel, and potential dismemberment. Savage euphemistically calls them "human analogues", while Kari, who is a vegetarian, is generally uncomfortable with using them.
• Pneumatic actuators and servos are used to help remotely control vehicles and other potentially dangerous machines during testing.
• Polycarbonate sheets are used extensively as barriers for potentially explosive or dangerous experiments. The integrity of the sheets themselves was the subject of one experiment.
• Shackles or quick-releases are used frequently in experiments involving falls or mechanisms under tension. Theatre shackles designed for quick release are often used.
• Shock sensors and digital accelerometers are used to measure sudden impacts.

Safety

MythBusters places a strong emphasis on viewer safety due to the nature of the myths tested, often dealing with purported household scenarios. All episodes begin with Adam and Jamie giving a disclaimer against attempting the experiments seen on the show; most episodes also feature a second warning halfway through the running time. This disclaimer is not aired with the broadcast on Australian channel SBS, however all other censorship remains.

Additionally, ingredients used in chemistry-related experiments are often visually blurred to avoid identification. In scenes where potentially hazardous chemicals are actually named, the dialogue is cut short or edited, often in a humorous manner.

Cast

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are assisted by others , most notably Hyneman's M5 Industries staff, collectively known as "The Build Team". This staff has appeared on screen since the second season and were billed in the opening credits after Hyneman and Savage from the third season onward. Staff members have included M5 alumnus Salvatore "Tory" Belleci, artist Kari Byron, electrical engineer Grant Imahara, metal worker and welder Scottie Chapman, Discovery Channel contest winner Christine Chamberlain (referred to as the "mythtern") and recent Mythtern Jess Nelson. The program originally featured interviews with folklorist Heather Joseph-Witham, who explained the origins of certain urban legends, and people with first-hand experience of claims being tested. This was phased out by the third season to focus more on the experimentation process (the only experts shown now are consultants who interact directly with the cast during testing). A segment called "Warning: Science Content!" is interspersed with some myths to explain technical details or scientific theory. This is usually explained by one of the cast members. Much of the show's appeal comes from the interaction between Savage and Hyneman, which is similar to a double act, wherein Hyneman plays the straight man and Savage is the comic foil/relief.

Comedic Motifs

As the show has developed, a number of recurring themes have developed, adding levity to the show. Among them are the juxtaposition of Adam Savage's campy style as both the narrator, and his overeager approach to experiments with the thoughtful competence of Jamie Hyneman. Savage is usually portrayed as accident-prone, while Hyneman is shown to be somewhat humorless and unexciteable (and consequently the butt of jokes by the rest of the cast). As for the Build Team, clips with Belleci often focus on his overconfidence and propensity to hurt himself while performing for the camera. Byron usually displays a bubbly personality, while Imahara is the subject of light ridicule for his fascination with robots. The hosts also frequently express frustration at fans who dispute their conclusions or know the Mythbusters team only as "those guys who blow things up."

A common joke in the show used often by the cast. When addressing the results of an experiment, and if the results are rather destructive, either Jamie or Adam will make the comment "Well there's your problem!"

Buster

Buster is a crash test dummy used in the more dangerous myth tests. As a testament to the danger involved, Buster has been extensively repaired and rebuilt numerous times over the course of the series — to the point that an entire episode was devoted to his being rebuilt and upgraded to "Buster 2.0." The current Buster boasts improved joints with a more realistic range of movement, and he was given easily replaceable wooden "bones", designed to break under the same stress as human ones. In addition, his new flesh is made of "Dragon Skin," a special fire-resistant silicone. Buster has even been fitted with specialized equipment to give him new functionality; for testing the "Hammer Bridge Drop" myth, he was fitted with an accelerometer, and in the "Shark Week" special, he received temporary modifications allowing him to punch sharks. According to the fan site, an episode that has not been aired yet (as of April 25, 2007) involves Buster saying a phrase chosen by fans. Quoted from the website: "Here's the setup: In a future episode involving an exciting car myth, Buster will be the driver of a car speeding down the tarmac at 60 miles an hour towards impending doom. Before impact, however, Buster will have a fleeting moment to express himself. So what should he say?"

In October 2007, the fan site also uploaded a video spoof of Buster's life, "Behind the Story", narrated by Jim Forbes of Behind the Music and starring Tory, Grant, Kari and Adam.

Buster has since been supplemented with additional dummies (manufactured by the company Simulaids), nicknamed "Jane", "Simulaide Suzy", and "Rescue Randy". They were introduced in the "Killer Brace Position" myth.

Even more recently "Ted" ("as in bus'ted', exploi'ted', detona'ted' and annihila'ted'", according to the Narrator), a ballistics gel dummy was made by the Build Team for the "22,000-Foot Fall" myth. The problem with Ted was that he was melting in the sun while they were setting up for the myth.

Name Lawsuit

In January 2005, children's author and adventurer Andrew Knight (aka "Bowvayne") commenced legal proceedings in Australia against Beyond Productions (the producer of Mythbusters), alleging passing off in relation to the use of the name “Mythbusters”. Mr. Knight asserted that he had previously put together a team of "Mythbusters" and had used the name continuously since 1988 in relation to pursuing myths, ghosts, monsters, goblins and other such mysteries in an offbeat manner all around the world. Knight authored a series of self-published children's books under the banner “Mythbusters” in 1991, 1993, and 1996. In February 2007, the Federal Court of Australia dismissed Knight's claims against Beyond (Knight v Beyond Properties Pty Ltd [2007] FCA 70).

Popularity and influence

Hyneman and Savage have appeared on numerous entertainment programs, such as Good Morning America The Late Show with David Letterman , NPR's news program All Things Considered and in the movie The Darwin Awards. Kari Byron was interviewed on The Late Show, on January 16, 2006. Skeptic Magazine interviewed the duo in an article entitled "Mythbusters Exposed." In 2007, Kari did a photo-shoot for FHM magazine, in which she demonstrated simple home chemistry experiments (such as the Mentos and Diet-Coke reaction) while wearing a red bikini and lab-coat.

Hyneman and Savage spoke at the annual convention of the National Science Teachers Association in March 2006, and the California Science Teachers Association named them honorary lifetime members in October 2006. In Australia, they appeared in a segment at the 2006 TV Week Logie Awards, where they attempted to solve the myth of whether or not the atmospheric pressure at the Logies caused guests' breasts to increase in size. This segment used footage from the "Exploding Implants" myth, with a new voice-over, intro, and ending.

Hyneman and Savage occasionally appear at colleges around the country to talk about what it's like to be a MythBuster; the show consists of an interview and discussion to give the audience the opportunity to ask the MythBusters questions. To date they've done about 30 appearances, both collegiate and corporate, and are always well received, though the technical colleges tend to be the most enthusiastic. They've spoken at WPI, RPI, Georgia Tech, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan University, MIT, The University of Akron, IBM, Almaden Research center and many others.

Twenty-three year old Theresa Booth of St. Martin, Minnesota credits a MythBusters episode for her and her infant child's survival. On April 3, 2007 she skidded off the road into a drainage ditch which had filled with flood water from the Sauk River. In a local newscast, she is described as opening the car door as soon as it entered the water, and credits her watching of the show (specifically, the episode of the Underwater Car myth) for her knowledge of how to survive the accident. A passing motorist took them to the hospital, where they were examined and released.

International Broadcasts

MythBusters is broadcast in several countries, primarily on each country's edition of the Discovery Channel. In some countries, the English speech is either subtitled in the relevant language and the United States customary units, still used throughout, are converted to metric, or the narrator is dubbed, or the whole show is voice-overed. In the UK, Rufus Hound narrates the BBC Two version of MythBusters, while Robin Banks or Daisy Beaumont narrates the Discovery Channel's version. Excerpts of the show are also shown as part of the Beyond Television-produced Beyond Tomorrow. In Australia MythBusters is shown on SBS, and in New Zealand is shown on Prime TV.

See also

• Brainiac: Science Abuse, a British program which also tests popular myths, but with more emphasis on entertainment rather than science.
• Hollywood Science, a show predating MythBusters with a similar aim that was produced by the Open University for the BBC and was presented by actor Robert Llewellyn and scientist Jonathan Hare.
• Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, another program based on scientific skepticism, but with a larger focus on popular controversy.
• Snopes, the Urban Legends Reference Pages

External links

• Official Site
• Mythbusters wiki
• Behind the Story: Buster
• MythBusters at IMDb
• Interview on Slashdot
• An interview on PoopReport
• Adam Savage interviewed on the Penn Jillette Radio Show
• Interview on NPR
• Adam and Jamie explaining Moore's Law, energy efficiency, and the impact of shrinking transistors on computers