No matter what certain skeptical friends say about Mythbusters' devil may care attitude when it comes to repeatability and the scientific method, I love this show... in spite of the fact they had a Green Hornet episode (ugh, Seth Rogen).
This particular entry follows the now standard rubric of Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman working on one project (the eponymous "Fireball Stun Gun") while Kari, Tori, and Grant do another (a fireworks propelled Rocketman!).Of particular note with this edition of Mythbusters is that the leads, Adam and Jamie, both cameoed on CSI during an episode where the myth got it's big television break. While I fell out of love with CSI many, many moons ago, it's still pretty cool to see them both on a primetime show, essentially playing themselves.
Overall, the pepper spray-to-tazer fire hazard bit is pretty entertaining. I like the way they go about their experiments and account both for minimum and maximum effects. Sure, they go way overboard at the end of the episode, but that's kind of why you're there... to see them take out a dummy with a gas-fueled flamethrower!
Kari, Grant, and Tori have the lesser of the two experiments, sure, but I don't think it's all that less entertaining. Perhaps their final launch at the flooded quarry isn't quite as viscerally pleasing as Jamie letting loose with a flamethrower, but their systematic leadup, if a bit kludgerific, is still fun and taps the "blow crap up" portion of my lizard brain.I also love how this show always gets my mad science juices going. Just looking at all the model rocket engines that Kari, et al, had taped together got me itching to run out and buy a rocketry kit and try and recreate my teenage years both in Atlanta with kits and New Mexico with our six-footers learning physics with Mrs.Prell (RIP).
Man, that takes me back.
Okay, sure, the science isn't perfect and, yes, they don't repeat or account for everything like you'd want to for thoroughness, but you can't argue with the fact that Adam, Jamie, and company really know how to entertain and teach basic science/engineering lessons.
Kudos to them and may they keep on rocking!
Until tomorrow, Potatoes~
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