The "Mythbusters" crew was on hand Saturday night at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego to entertain the eager crowd at a panel that has become something of a yearly tradition at the convention. I was lucky enough to get a seat at this event, for which fans started lining up early in the afternoon.
According to some in-the-know folks who were waiting in line, Comic-Con is one of the only promotional events that chief Mythbuster Jamie Hyneman attends from year to year, so his presence was a real treat for fans. Several even showed their loyalty by donning black berets, glasses, and erzats facial hair in homage to their idol, who for 10 seasons has partnered with co-host Adam Savage to test the viability of a range of myths, stories, and urban legends from a scientific perspective. Airing on the Discovery channel, the Mythbusters series seeks to show the playful side of science, and this approach has garnered the show legions of fans since its 2003 debut.
Those fans were treated to a fun hour with the whole Mythbusters cast at Comic-Con, in a panel moderated by film director John Landis, who is clearly an admirer of the show. Mr. Landis kicked off the questions for the panel - which along with Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage included Kari Byron, Grant Imahara, and Tory Bellechi - by asking about Adam's penchant for dressing up in costumes that allow him to "walk the floor" at Comic-Con anonymously. The display screen flashed a number of slides showing Adam in his 2012 disguises, including a Ringwraith and The Rocketeer.
Questions for the panel from Mr. Landis and from audience members showed that the crowd knew the show and its cast well. Several questions or responses mentioned the so-called "Archimedes Death Ray" episode, which has become well known for featuring President Obama and the White House Science Fair during the segment. That episode tested the myth that during a Greek battle in approximately 212 BC, enemy ships were repelled from the coastline by the sun's rays being concentrated via a line of mirrors on shore. As regular viewers know, the result of this experiment was "busted" - in other words, the cast proved that it was unlikely to be true.
Other topics covered by the panel included favorite experiments, and the responses teased some upcoming features, including "rocket surfboard" and "motorcycle over water." They also revisited previous popular episodes that explored the viability of James Bond's ejector seat, and the bus turn from "Speed." A popular topic that fans asked about more than once was what kinds of experiments the cast would like to tackle but thus far hasn't. It sounds like the Niagra Falls barrel ride and stunts involving nuclear weapons won't be on the show's docket anytime soon.
"Mythbusters" is currently airing its 10th season on Discovery. Previous seasons are available on DVD, and fans are apparently campaigning to have the show released on Blu-ray as well.
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