Mythbusters Busting A Myth

I’ve been watching Mythbusters for a while now; it’s even on as we speak. Or type. Or read. They are looking at the moon landing conspiracy theory. And busting it.

They are actually doing the first real-life demonstration of the landing vs conspiracy theories with real explainable science. And explaining it with words and demonstrations we can understand. It’s quite a show. Photo by photo, demonstration by demonstration, each argument is busted. We did go there; the trip was real.

That’s what I like about the show: no matter what the people take on, they end up showing if the myth (whatever it is) is real, busted, probable or unsure. The New York Times said it’s the best science program on television and I can see why. Concepts are made clear to the least understanding person – quite a feat!

Years ago, I read something like, “If you can’t explain a principle to a 6-year-old, then you don’t understand it yourself.” Or, to put it another way, “Well, I know it but I can’t quite explain it” means you don’t really know it. That’s the brilliance of Mythbusters. They can break down the most complicated matter and help us understand it.

So there we are: the shadows going in different directions: explained. The footprints in dry sand: explained. The flag that appears to be flapping: explained. The astronaut who should be in the shadows but isn’t: explained. And done so in great detail, as are all the myths and/or legends they present. Science and entertainment at their best.