Mythbusters

I am not one-dimensional. Economics is not the only thing that gets me fired up. I'm also a science enthusiast. Yes, I'm a big fan of Mr. Wizard, Bill Nye, etc. Are Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage in their league? The NY Times recently ran a piece on one of my guilty pleasures, Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel

Mr. Hyneman, however, insists that he and the “Mythbusters” team “don’t have any pretense of teaching science.” His wife, he noted, is a science teacher, and he knows how difficult that profession is. “If we tried to teach science,” he said, “the shows probably wouldn’t be successful.”

“If people take away science from it,” Mr. Hyneman said, “it’s not our fault.” But if the antics inspire people to dig deeper into learning, he said, “that’s great.”

Science teachers know a good thing when they see one, however: Mr. Hyneman and Mr. Savage were invited to speak at the annual convention of the National Science Teachers Association in March, and the California Science Teachers Association named Mr. Savage and Mr. Hyneman honorary lifetime members in October.

I really enjoy the show, but it is not a science lesson. Over the years there have been a number of times where I was howling at the TV convinced that they had made a fundamental scientific error. But most of the time they prove themselves to be very, very clever. If you like seeing people get creative with everyday items and use the scientific method, then there's a good chance that you will find it to be entertaining television.

I will also note that there was one episode where they could have discussed statistical inference but didn't (the helium football episode). Ultimately their reasoning was essentially correct, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they could have done it but decided (correctly, I think) that it wouldn't be good for television.

My guess is that they have a pretty diverse audience and it is next to impossible for them to fine tune the show to please everyone. I'd like more science, but too much science would cause them to lose some viewers. After all, if I get inspired to think about the science behind the show, there are plenty of ways to dig deeper. I enjoy the show for what it is, and I wonder if any other economist-types do as well?