A part of me died when I learned that MythBusters was ending.
Given how generally dispirited and unmotivated I've been these last few weeks, I think the grief is still affecting me. It's more than the end of one of the greatest shows in television history; it's the death of one of the brightest stars in a sky befogged with science illiteracy. Since the axing of Dirty Jobs, MythBusters has been my last reason to pay any attention to the Discovery Channel (excepting the rare Shark Week documentary that purveys something other than fearmongering, sensationalism, and outright propaganda [see Megalodon]). If it was Discovery's choice to end one of their flagship showsóone of their most popular and classic series everóthen I will not be surprised in the slightest if business for them takes a disastrous downward slide. (I've long worried that MythBusters' audience might be decreasing because many of its viewers are the same people who once flocked to Discovery for the science and education programming on which it originally built its reputation, and now that the channel and most of its branch networks are backed up with televisual sludge, they are no longer watching as much.)
I've been watching MythBusters for twelve years, and it has influenced me immensely. I first watched it mainly for its animal myths (indeed, my family first subscribed to cable so that my siblings and I could watch more animal shows), but quickly grew to appreciate the quirky and creative hosts; their unorthodox approach to the scientific method, and their journeys of trial, error, and discovery in search of answers. I soon learned to appreciate the wide variety of subjects they tackled. Over the years, I grew to love the blooming-flower-like beauty of explosions, absorbed more knowledge about physics than I had from my entire grade school education, learned how dozens of familiar devices functioned when I'd never even stopped to think about how they worked, developed a new appreciation for the art of building everything from muppet sharks to paper crossbows, was inspired and empowered to try my hand at constructing unique creations like
my azhdarchid costume, became fascinated with animal color perception, was introduced to the hobo dinner, was indirectly tutored in how to speak in the most hilarious pirate voice ever,
and had myriads of my long-held impressions and assumptions about reality utterly upended. I saw things on this show that I never imagined were possible, from a lead balloon rising into the air to an elephant recoiling at the sight of a mouse. In short, MythBusters broadened my horizons by an incalculable degree. I weep for future generations if episodes of this amazing show are not regularly rerun, and hope that Discovery at least cares enough to provide MythBusters fans like me with complete, readily accessible copies of episodes, aftershows, and cut material, whether via DVD, YouTube channel, or iTunes downloads.
I have purchased tickets for Jamie and Adam's live stage show "MythBusters Unleashed: Jamie's Farewell Tour" in Minneapolis on November 18. If, by chance, any of my fellow GOFers will be attending the same show, I would love to meet up. In any event, I look forward to seeing the MythBusters in person, and just maybe getting the chance to thank them face-to-face for all the ways they have enriched my life, the lives of what must be hundreds of thousands of other people, and the field of science education.
