Feeling Destructive

[darkroxas45]

Lately I've been watching episodes of a popular British science show with a well known skull and cross bones logo that no longer runs. That show is Brainiac where "we lob chemicals the run like " and i have to say its just as good as I remember from watching it on G4.

[lordlundar]

Ehhh, I'm not a fan of them. Largely because of the bathtub incident.

[darkroxas45]

Ehhh, I'm not a fan of them. Largely because of the bathtub incident.

still an entertaining show but as the host said in one experiment "opinions are like bums everyone has one"

[wolfie]

Ehhh, I'm not a fan of them. Largely because of the bathtub incident.

What was the bathtub incident?

[lordlundar]

What was the bathtub incident?

They did a demonstration of what would happen with a small amount of reactive metal (sodium iirc) in a bathtub. The result was a single explosion that was powerful enough to crack the tub. The video went viral and links were sent to the mythbusters who did their own test.

The results were the energy released was negligible. Barely enough to be noticed in the camera let alone being nowhere near strong enough to crack the tub.

This produced some pretty nasty arguments between mythbusters fans and braniacs fans, mainly because the hosts of braniacs declared that their test was accurate. It wasn't until they were getting inundated with both opponents and supporters demanding better proof (the mythbusters test had 3 angles, the braniacs only from the side) that they finally admitted they faked it and used an electrically activated explosive charge to produce the effects.

Entertaining they may be, but when even with the basic pretenses of scientific study do you not fake the results and call them true.

[wolfie]

TEntertaining they may be, but when even with the basic pretenses of scientific study do you not fake the results and call them true.

Unless you're a news show pointing out the dangers of the "outside the frame" fuel tanks on Chevy pickups by using model rocket motors to ignite them.

[lordlundar]

Unless you're a news show pointing out the dangers of the "outside the frame" fuel tanks on Chevy pickups by using model rocket motors to ignite them.

That's a different rant and it still doesn't excuse a "science" show faking an experiment and lying about it.

[sms001]

Thanks darkrox, I'm going to watch a few of them. I was only familiar w/ the alkali metals one that lundar brought up, but it seems like it'd be fun to watch none-the-less.

[fireheart]

It IS fun to watch. Even if you do like to watch stuff being blown up.

The difference between Mythbusters and Brainiac.

Mythbusters test the myth and attempt to replicate the results. When they can't replicate the results, they expand on the parameters. When all else fails, they blow up a cement truck

Brainiac tests the myths, may or may not replicate the results but just ends up blowing up stuff anyway.

[wolfie]

That's a different rant and it still doesn't excuse a "science" show faking an experiment and lying about it.

If it works for actual scientists (see "Piltdown Man"), why shouldn't they?

[fireheart]

It's also very cool to see just how much damage a black box can actually take, as well as the uncrackable safe. Those were awesome

[Racket_Man]

. When they can't replicate the results, they expand on the parameters. When all else fails, they blow up a cement truck

.

WHAT ONLY A CEMENT TRUCK????? I lost count of the things both Mythbuster teams have blown up over the years. I thnk they listed a number on the compilation/info show last season.

[KhirasHY]

The best thing about Brainiac is it led to the Slow Motion stuff...then the Slo-Mo Guys, and Gavin Free. But I'm an Achievement Hunter fanboy...

[fireheart]

WHAT ONLY A CEMENT TRUCK????? I lost count of the things both Mythbuster teams have blown up over the years. I thnk they listed a number on the compilation/info show last season.

I was using it as the second-biggest explosion. The biggest one was the diamonds

Alternately, "they test the myths, replicate them, then expand them. Then when all else fails, a cannoball goes flying."

[lordlundar]

I was using it as the second-biggest explosion. The biggest one was the diamonds

Alternately, "they test the myths, replicate them, then expand them. Then when all else fails, a cannoball goes flying."

Actually it's not even the second largest. I think number 2 was the 22,000 foot fall test. (2000 lbs of high explosive as opposed to 800 for the truck)

The cement truck one is a favorite mainly because it was one moment the truck was there, the next is was gone and they couldn't get slo-mo on that one.