Mythbusters...

[Boerseun]

I don't watch TV. Honestly. I do have a set, though - but in the last six months, it's been on for exactly three hours. Honestly.

 

So, tonight I watched "Mythbusters" at my mate's house.

 

And there was two episodes they've shown.

 

The first was about whether a car is more fuel efficient with open windows or with aircon going. The second was about the myth of a rear-wheel driven car's prop shaft coming off being dangerous.

 

As far as the first show went - they took two different cars and drove both of them till they ran out of gas - the one with an open window, the other with aircon going full-blast, and then checked which one died first. Pretty scientific, huh? Regardless that the one car might actually be heavier on juice than the other one. But they reckoned the one that died first proves beyond any shadow of a doubt what the truth is in this specific scenario.

 

For the second show - they tried to get an old car to flip over having its prop shaft break off and peg into the tarmac. They tried to do it remotely, and they just could not get the prop shaft to come off. Eventually, they did manage to shear it, but it didn't peg into the road the way they planned it. So, obviously, they assumed its impossible.

 

Idiots.

 

I've personally been at a race where a guy's prop shaft came off, pegged into the road, flipped the car over and killed the driver in the process. They've closed the track since then, by the way, because of that one particular incident.

 

So - my point for this thread is... Mythbusters? BUSTED!!!!!!!

 

Which is sad, 'cause the premise for the show is very promising. Sad, sad, sad.

 

*Shakes head and hopes for something better to come on TV*

[CraigD]

...Which is sad, 'cause the premise for the show is very promising. Sad, sad, sad....

I’ve seen many episodes of Mythbusters. Some of them are actually good pretty good, with some surprising results. Must of them showcase some cool fabrication techniques.

 

The show’s basic problem is that its “science” is on a tight schedule and budget, so when things don’t work well – such as in the “drive shaft vault” episode you describe – they just have to go with whatever they get. They really need to add a “we messed up and can’t say busted or confirmed” result to the “busted” and “confirmed”.

 

My personal favorites include one (episode #12) where they manage to water ski behind an 8-man (rowing) shell, and one (episode #30) where first a professional singer, then Adam Savage is able to break a wine glass with their un-amplified voices (using a soda straw to detect when they’d hit the right pitch).

 

Even if the science is super-sloppy, I think making TV stars out of people with rational worldviews is good for the public appreciation of science. The show gets my thumbs-up.

[Dark Mind]

Even if the science is super-sloppy, I think making TV stars out of people with rational worldviews is good for the public appreciation of science. The show gets my thumbs-up.

I'm stuck between and a :eek2:. The show won't get either of my thumbs up or down I guess...

 

I prefer to just watch the Science channel or the Discovery channel :).

[C1ay]

I enjoy the show but use my common sense and take it with a grain of salt.

[GAHD]

Whatever you say, Buster is cool :eek2:

[Dark Mind]

I enjoy the show but use my common sense and take it with a grain of salt.

That's what I do with all television :).

 

Note: GAHD has 301 posts to go before he hits 1,000 :eek2:.

[Jay-qu]

I try not to be too cynical when watching it, its just a bit of fun really and much better than some of the other crap that is on... plus who doesnt enjoy a good explosion? they once filled a cement truck with explosives for no real reason - that was a big bang!

[C1ay]

they once filled a cement truck with explosives for no real reason - that was a big bang!

It wasn't really for no reason. They were trying to confirm or deny the myth that explosives could be used to loosen dried concrete in the mixer to make it easier to clean. They screwed up on the first truck and let it set up with half a drum of concrete. On the second truck they showed it to be an effective method.

[Dark Mind]

I missed that episode :eek2:...

[Jay-qu]

It wasn't really for no reason.

 

no it wasnt for no reason, just no real reason... yeah they got the cement off, but the only bit of the truck left was the front axel

[Eclogite]

This thread, especially the various :) :lol: prompted some thoughts:

 

 

1. Programs like mythbusters are one of the only contacts the average person has with science.
   
2. 'Superior' progams, such as those on the Discovery Channel still tend to emphasise the gee-whiz aspects of science, and tend to favour headline grabbing, controversial 'theories'
   
3. For school pupils the science may be taught by a less than enthusiastic (or knowledgeable) teacher.
   
4. The coverage that mainstream news gives to science matters if often grossly simplified and often flawed.
   

Put all of those together and it is not surprising that the average person would form a malformed view of science. The questions then arises is it better to have some view of science than none at all. For me the jury is still out, so I have to go with Dark Mind's indecision.

[Dark Mind]

And for mostly the same types of reasons :lol:.

[Buffy]

They really need to add a “we messed up and can’t say busted or confirmed” result to the “busted” and “confirmed”.

They actually have done this a number of times, but I think its only on the latest episodes.

 

We love the show around here, and I have a few friends who teach science and assign it for extra credit homework... Naw its not perfect science, but it sure echo's the poll we had around here a while back "Do you perform your own experiments?" and various discussions about critical thinking and questioning authority...

 

Cheers,

Buffy

[alxian]

best part about the show is that they will redo experiments when they get negative feedback from viewers.

 

i haven't had need to send any but i would like to tweak some of their attempts such as the magic bullet. how about a bone bullet?

[Boerseun]

Maybe I should start watching TV. I just find it so dreadfully soul-suckingly boring. I can't really criticize any TV show based on having watched only 2 episodes, but forcing myself to sit in front of that flickering wellspring of stupidity is just one too much...

 

And then I saw research the other day that states the average American spends something like 4 to 6 hours per day in front of the telly. There's so much more to do with that quarter of a day than watching that numbskulled series of excuses to have advertising stuffed down your throat.

 

You can rather spend that time on hobbies, or quality family time.

 

I am waaaaaaayyyyy off topic here. Lemme quit while I'm ahead.

[coldhead]

Check out, Professor Julius Sumner Miller who had 20+ years on Aust. ABC TV as a science educator.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/whyisitso/default.htm

 

Crikey! His "Why is it so?" is in the aussie vernacular mate.

[Turtle]

___I have watched a few episodes & I have a problem with at least one; the show on Brown Noise. They concluded it was a myth, but they never tried any frequencies below 5HZ & further, I don't think standard speakers will suffice for this experiment. I have read quite a bit on this over the years, from Tesla's vibrating platform experiment which sent Mark Twain running for the john, to French experiments with sound canon that cause internal organs to vibrate against one another causing hemhorage & death.

___The problem seems not that it doesn't work, but that it can't be aimed & so kills the operaters as well. I saw one form of a Brown Noise generator that was a giant concrete "whistle" & apparently effective. Any other Brown Noise enthusiasts out there? :rolleyes: