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Mythbusters Latest Trend?

BlackCat

Critical Thinker
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Mar 23, 2006
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I've pretty much been watching Mythbusters since the beginning, but lately, I've noticed a disturbing trend. Forgive me if they talked about this on the show, I only watch it sporatically since I never know when a new episode is going to be on. I'm talking about when they explain the underlying scientific principles behind something they're testing. They made this clip that they show beforehand with "Warning! Science content ahead!" written on it.

I don't know about you, but this says some startling things to me. Mainly it says, "Warning, if you don't like science, avert your eyes now!" My fiance disagrees and says that it's supposed to be like an eyecatch, like they want to draw your attention to it, and be funny at the same time. I replied that it's a strange way to do it. Why use the word "Warning!"? Why not use "Attention!" or "Important!"?

What does everyone else think?
 
It's both.

Warning - your preconceived notions of what you thought was true could be busted here.

They are very much tongue-in-cheek people. You'd know that if you had been at TAM4. ;)
 
I havent seen the disclaimer about science content ahead (we're only just getting season 2 out here though), but I'd say that it's definately meant as a humourous jab to get your attention.

I dont really see that it'd make people turn off just because science is happening, hell it might make people more interested in seeing it. Think about how many times people have seen a "Warning: Wet Paint sign" and just had to touch it to see if its true, same principle.
 
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BlackCat said:
I only watch it sporatically since I never know when a new episode is going to be on.
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Warning! According to my Tivo there will be a Mythbusters marathon saturday morning. Looked like most of the 2005 episodes will be shown. Otherwise it appears new episodes are on Sunday and Wed. Not for sure on that, Tivo makes it hard to remember actual show times.

I'm talking about when they explain the underlying scientific principles behind something they're testing. They made this clip that they show beforehand with "Warning! Science content ahead!" written on it.
I don't know about you, but this says some startling things to me. Mainly it says, "Warning, if you don't like science, avert your eyes now!"
Click to expand...

I don't think they meant it this way, but it's the way I interperted it too. Think I've had too much exposure to anti-science stance on the rest of the channels.
 
I took it as a humorous attention grabber, too. I watch that show as much as I can, now. I'm also a Nielsen "family", so my watching really counts :)
 
kevin said:
Warning! According to my Tivo there will be a Mythbusters marathon saturday morning. Looked like most of the 2005 episodes will be shown.
Click to expand...
Awesome, I know what I'm doing Saturday morning now.
 
Hagrok said:
I took it as a humorous attention grabber, too. I watch that show as much as I can, now. I'm also a Nielsen "family", so my watching really counts :)
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You realize now that we're going to bombard you with requests to watch our favorites, and blame you when they go off the air?

Why didn't you save Justice League Unlimited, you [rule 8]?

That is all ;)
 
BlackCat said:
Why use the word "Warning!"?
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To quote the old Smothers Brothers routine:

"Nobody would pay attention if I yelled "CHOCOLATE"."

This show is entertainment like all television. It's purpose is to keep you watching until the next commercial. They are selling soap and beer, not science.

While it is somewhat amusing, it's still mainly blowing things up and crashing things into other things. No real science going on here.
 
ranson said:
You realize now that we're going to bombard you with requests to watch our favorites, and blame you when they go off the air?

Why didn't you save Justice League Unlimited, you [rule 8]?

That is all ;)
Click to expand...
That only just occurred to me...

I pretty much only watch Mythbusters and Food Network. Oh, and HGTV since becoming a home owner...

Everything else can wait for the DVD release and Netflix :)
 
Well, as long as Good Eats gets renewed, I guess you're safe . . .
 
Speaking of Good Eats, you will note that every once in a while, there is a "Warning: Science ahead" like message that flashes there, too.
 
Well, at least I'm not the only one. And it only seems like the new episodes are on Wednesday. (Don't know about Sunday.) Half the time when I check, it's a repeat.

CFLarsen said:
They are very much tongue-in-cheek people. You'd know that if you had been at TAM4. ;)
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Of course. I'll just go back in time to two years ago, hand myself Demon Haunted World, and catch up on this skepticism stuff much earlier, so that I could actually make it to TAM4. ;)

pgwenthold said:
Speaking of Good Eats, you will note that every once in a while, there is a "Warning: Science ahead" like message that flashes there, too.
Click to expand...
I never noticed. I'll have to pay closer attention next time. Of course, I've seen even less of Good Eats than Mythbusters.

BlackCat
 
Hagrok said:
I love that show too!
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Thirded on "Good Eats." It gives me strange comfort to know that at least one Neilsen family watches it. It's such a great show; I've learned so much from it.

I haven't learned as much from "Mythbusters" -- as fishbait said, it's not meant to be solid science; it's meant to be entertainment. But watching Adam maim himself in the spirit of exploration is fun!

(Alton Brown and Jamie Hyneman are my two favorite TV personalities right now. Alton seems like he'd be a lot of fun to have a conversation with, and absolutely nothing phases Jamie.)
 
I don't think it is so much saying "If you don't like science, avert your eyes now" as it is poking light hearted fun at the fact that a lot of people think of science as dull or beyond their comprehension. IMO the warning, like the show itself, is a way of saying "Look, science isn't just boring people in lab coats talking about ideas that are way over your head. It can be fun too. Watch and give it a chance."
 
fishbait said:
While it is somewhat amusing, it's still mainly blowing things up and crashing things into other things. No real science going on here.
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Yes and no. While I wouldn't expect to see any of their results in a peer reviewd journal or take them as much more than an interesting bit of "info-tainment" I think the show DOES act as a good example of the scientific method for us laymen. that is to say it shows forming a hypothesis, devising an experiment to test it, the importance of good controls to measure your result against, etc. In short it IS science, but of the very basic sort that most people SHOULD have learned in junior high, but all too often didn't. Just packaged in a more entertaining manner than most of us had it presented back then.
 
Nyarlathotep said:
Yes and no. While I wouldn't expect to see any of their results in a peer reviewd journal or take them as much more than an interesting bit of "info-tainment" I think the show DOES act as a good example of the scientific method for us laymen. that is to say it shows forming a hypothesis, devising an experiment to test it, the importance of good controls to measure your result against, etc. In short it IS science, but of the very basic sort that most people SHOULD have learned in junior high, but all too often didn't. Just packaged in a more entertaining manner than most of us had it presented back then.
Click to expand...

The world lost a lot when "Watch Mr. Wizard" was cancelled in the late 50's.
Sigh...
 
Forty-Two said:
Thirded on "Good Eats." It gives me strange comfort to know that at least one Neilsen family watches it. It's such a great show; I've learned so much from it.
Click to expand...

I know for a fact that I am not the only professor in the US that shows Good Eats in chemistry class. I have it confirmed that there is at least one other who does it.
 
sounds to me like they're taking the mickey out of the many people out there who seem to actually be scared and distrustful of science. Definitely a "Warning, if you don't want your preconceived notions of the world challenged you might want to stick your head in a bucket of sand for a few minutes" type response.
 
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