Mike Rowe and MythBusters' Educational Impact

Why did Mike Rowe never appear on MythBusters? What does Adam think is MythBusters' most significant educational impact? Adam answers these questions from Tested members Ben Campbell and D Friendly, whom we thank for their support! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam questions:

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#AdamSavage #MythBusters #MikeRowe

[tested]

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[bierhoff]

I'm sad Mythbusters is gone but I'm more sad that NOTHING has filled its void. There are no science based shows that everyone in the family can watch as you mentioned. It's really terrible with all the content being made that only Youtubers have continued to push this format.

[Zoreta]

I'm one of those female engineers who bonded with her dad through watching Mythbusters together! He was an engineer himself (electrical), and Mythbusters provided this wonderful middle ground of talking about the scientific and experimental processes in a way I could understand. As I grew up watching the show, our conversations got more and more nuanced- he'd make predictions about what the outcome would be, and we'd discuss why he made that prediction. Sometimes he'd be wrong, and then we'd talk through that too.

Now I'm pursuing a PHD in mechanical engineering, but Mythbusters provided fertile ground for me to get really curious about what it means to do science when you honestly don't know what the result will be.

[kylehill]

I am a result of MythBusters' educational impact

[elitegeneral]

to be honest one of the biggest reasons i’m in college right now to be a mechanical engineer is because i grew up watching mythbusters and it was my favorite show

[mathewhumvee]

What I loved about watching Mythbusters was that they showed failure. They showed things didn't go to plan and to keep trying again. Or picking up in literal terms the pieces and figuring out why they failed.

And that failing didn't mean you failed. Just that attempt didn't work; try again.

[Ivanovitch]

Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, and How It's Made are just part of me now and I miss them all so much. It's sad we have not seen any true replacements with any fidelity from Discovery. I say the same thing about the History Channel. Maybe we shouldn't worry about the reality TV viewers in many cases and have some intelligent content for the few who just need some actual stimulation.

[JavierGonzalez-xgtq]

With ALL due RESPECT you really should STOP saying you're "NOT AN EDUCTAOR". As a degreed, trained and licensed educator I can tell you that I am ALWAYS learning from your power to inspire . You, sir, can give master classes in education. So please, come aboard and take your place among the very best of teachers. Thanks for putting yourself out there for us to learn from.

[ronsimpson]

Two lessons I learned from MythBusters. 1) Failure is always an option. More often failure is often the first option and you go from there. 2) Always ask questions and search for answers. Oh, and knowledge is sometimes painful. Ask Tory.

[snittykitty]

I'm a speech language pathologist and when I was completing my CF year I worked with middle schoolers that needed help understanding idioms. I used the clip from Mythbusters- "Knock your socks off" to teach the literal meaning and what it actually means. The kids loved it so much they wanted to watch other episodes. Pretty powerful, really miss the show but so glad there is a legacy and I hope more people of all ages revisit episodes.

[KomradeKD]

So, I'm no scientist, or professor, Just some average guy, but Mythbusters was a cornerstone of my formative years. I hold You, Jamie, Tory, Grant, and Kari along side the likes of Carl Sagan, Steve Irwin, David Attenborough, et al for cultivating my love of curiosity more than anything else. You all taught me that the world is full of creativity and wonder, and I honestly could not ever thank you enough just for being there and being you.

[erikstegemann]

As a Science teacher in Texas, I agree 100% with you that we are not allowing students to experience true science but are only teaching them how to memorize. I grew up learning about the world through science by collecting insects and fossils with my father, and also learning about mechanics and engineering. Loved watching Myth Busters as an adult and still enjoy anything to do with building and experiments.

[SnekoftheOzarks]

Man, both the Mythbusters crew and Mike Rowe had completely changed my attitude towards learning, creating, and working. Went from being allergic to working with my hands to now working as a machinist and pursuing a degree in materials science and metallurgy. Glad both of you are still pursuing what you believe in and love, even if major networks no longer will.

[shanebusch]

I am about to graduate later this week with a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering degree and I greatly attribute that fact to watching mythbusters and inspiring me and showing how cool science, math, and engineering can be. Thank you for that so much.

[mlmmt]

Fun note: just today I was left with trying to dispose of a large sheet of tempered glass, and as anybody who has *intentionally* had to try to break tempered glass knows, it can actually be quite hard to do, and then I remembered something from of all episodes the "Underwater Car" episode about using a spring-loaded punch to do it, and it worked perfectly!

[herrunsinn]

Rest in peace, Grant. He was such a big part of the show. (All the cast were great.)

[grayphox]

The adult, respectful, working relationship between Adam and Jamie has been an inspiration to me.

[hquest]

Hearing why Mike Rowe was never on Mythbusters explains a lot. Yet, any time someone was on their show, they managed to have a great chemistry with their guests. Case in point: the Stormchaser Reed Timmer and the filmmaker Sean Casey. That was an amazing collab in between the two different crews and teams I cherish a lot.

[nanorider]

I remember when Mythbusters came on the old Discovery Channel. I was glued to the screen every time the show was on (I'm seven years younger than you Adam). You and Jamie were an odd couple in an odd setting but perfect to relate science in a very weird and fantastic way. Jamie's earth bound nature and your enthusiastic energy were perfect for the show. I miss it so much.

[aBitSaltyRN]

My 9 year old daughter is a 2nd gen Mythbuster! She's watched Duct Tape Island so many times, she I get frequent updates on what you could have done better lol. As a parent, I absolutely LOVE it. Mythbusters is a much appreciated bridge between generations.