What I’ve learned from MythBusters: poppy seeds can make you test positive for heroin, you can make a cannon out of anything and duct tape is the universal adhesive.
On October 21, the producers of MythBusters announced that its 14th season, premiering January 9, will be the show’s last.
The first episode of MythBusters aired on Discovery Channel in 2003. By the end of the final season, hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage will have produced 248 episodes.
Mythbusters debuted in a time of uncertainty in the field of science. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, when MythBusters aired in 2003, only 20 percent of students enrolling in associate’s degrees chose to enroll in STEM majors.
Mythbusters did something other science programs of the time could not. With guns, explosions and duct tape, the show reached out and inspired a generation of viewers to take interest in the field of science.
“The kind of appreciation that’s been expressed by people all over the place for what we’ve done, for encouraging them or their family or kids to be interested in science, is absolutely wonderful,” said Hyneman in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I can’t think of anything that would be more important than that.”
In recognition of the final season, the MythBusters crew has announced a live farewell tour. Starting in New Orleans on November 13, Savage and Hyneman will visit cities across the US and Canada to perform live shows. The tour visits Baltimore November 21.
Throughout MythBusters’ 14 season run, the show has put over 1000 myths to the test. Below are a few highlights from the show’s history:
Duct Tape Island:
In the season ten premiere episode, Savage and Hyneman tested multiple myths associated with surviving on a deserted island using only duct tape. The pair used duct tape to complete multiple tasks on the island including hunting for food, collecting water, building a shelter and building a canoe.
Flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher:
In season ten, the Mythbusters tested whether a fire extinguisher could fend off flames from a flamethrower. Although a regular fire extinguisher couldn’t put out the fire from 60 feet away, a modified fire extinguisher could. The myth was declared ‘busted.’
Escape from Alcatraz:
In the first season’s finale, the MythBusters tested whether or not Clarence Anglin, John Anglin and Frank Morris could have actually successfully escaped from Alcatraz in their infamous 1962 escape attempt. Savage and Hyneman built a raft out of raincoats which they successfully used to to cross about 2.5 miles of the San Francisco Bay to reach the Marin Headlands. The myth was ruled plausible.
