MythBuster Kari Byron
I absolutely LOVE the Discovery Channel's MythBusters show. I get such vicarious pleasure out of watching Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman abuse each other (and their staff) in figuring out inventive ways to test both well-known and "lost" myths. Speaking of lost myths, Discovery Channel has released some clips of MythBuster's Lost Experiments.
Here's a summary of each experiment or clip, which should help you decide which clips are worth watching...
- NEW - See complete collection of Kari Byron Links
Cola Bits
Tests if cola cleans as well as conventional bathroom cleaner. The "lost experiment "reveals Jamie's lack of a sense of humor when Adam smears engine grease in Jamie's shop bathroom. Jamie was clearly pissed. Makes for an unusually awkward moment in MythBusters' history. I understand why they didn't show it on the show.
Water Torture
In the original show, we saw how Adam Savage's bladder gave out during the water torture device test, and, sadly, how an emotional Kari Byron breaks down. The previously unseen or "lost experiment" clip shows the water torture experiences of Scottie Chapman and Tory Belleci. Tory, as usual, had the worst torture to endure (they do seem to pick on this guy). His body is stretched, arms over head, ankles bound, and his head restrained as ice cold water drips on his forehead. He takes $10 bets from both Adam and Jamie that he can stay there for 3 hours. He lost.
Ping-Pong/Sea-Otter Rescue
During a test of whether gobs of ping-pong balls could raise a sunken boat, concern raised for the marine mammals should one or more ping-pong balls get release in the Monterey Bay. Fines are large for harming marine mammals, so they partitioned the wreck to be raised. However, a curious sea otter breached the barrier and got a hold of a ping-pong ball. Fortunately, after a successful intervention, the otter departs, sans ping-pong ball.
"Free" Energy
If you stick a large coil of steel near but not touching electrical transmission lines (big ones), can you get enough electricity through it to run your house?
No. Boring clip. I guess that's why it never aired.
Cement Build-Up
How do you clean out cement that has cured inside a cement truck? On the MythBusters show, we saw that you blow it up (the truck and cement) with dynamite. But it begs the question, Could a man with a jackhammer in the enclosed drum of the cement truck actually chip out the cement? Guess who they assign to test it? Tory Belleci looked miserable at the end -- imagine the sound in that enclosed cement truck drum. After an hour of jackhammering, he managed to chip away a few scoops of cement. Poor Tory.
Plywood Builder
A construction worker carrying a 4'x8' sheet of plywood falls off an upper floor of a construction site. Holding onto the board, he manages to use the sheet as a glider and glides to safety to a lower floor. On the show, we saw Adam test this one. The "lost experiment" clips show Jamie doing the same stunt, and Christine get geared up but ultimate refuse to jump.
MythBusters Lost Experiments - Source
Bonus - MythBuster Kari Byron Fan Clubs
On a side note, there appears to be quite a fan club for MythBuster Kari Byron. Being a woman on a show geared for geeks, she's developed quite a following. Here are a few links. At the time of this posting, the links were fairly SFW, but beware:
- Joe-Mammy Interview with Kari Byron
- NuclearBeaf blog w/ pics (both Kari and Scotti)
- Flickr photos tagged "karibyron"
- Fark thread (probably "not safe for work")
Main.BookmarksJune2007
 | MythBusters: Don't Try This at Home |
 | MythBusters : The Explosive Truth Behind 30 of the Most Perplexing Urban Legends of All Time |
 | Mythbusters: The 3 Pilot Episodes That Started It All! (DVD) |