I am Adam Savage, co-host of Mythbusters, back again. AMA!

How much could you scale up a frisbee and still have it fly before its own weight became too much?

Edit: I am rather surprised by how popular my silly little question is.

That is a great question. My guess is pretty big. But I'd love to test this.

Have you ever thrown a garbage can lid? Those suckers fly like a dream. We once played ultimate with one in GG park, back in the 90's. Back when I did stuff like that.

Frisbees fly using the same principle as aircraft wings. The frisbee would need to collapse under its own weight or break apart from centrifugal forces before it would be unable to fly (presuming it was scaled correctly and you had something powerful to throw it). If you built the frisbee out of aluminum or titanium, it could be as large as a 747 before having any structural problems--if it was designed correctly. There's really no limit to how large something can be before it can't fly, it's just a matter of how much thrust and how strong the object is.

very cool. This is now on our official myths list.

Why after 10 years does Jamie still look uncomfortable on camera?

He's not uncomfortable actually, he just considers it a nuisance. But honestly, that's kind of part of his brand at this point. Isn't it? I see no reason to fix that.

In your last IAmA, you mentioned that in 1987, you were almost shot by an entire NYC SWAT team. You also mentioned that you'd tell that story some day....mind making today that day?

Still too long to write here. I can't make today that day. Hmmm. I'll have to figure out a perfect venue. Maybe the MOTH in NYC next year. You WILL hear that story one day.

Hi Adam!! My son (9) and I are huge fans. Him probably more than I, as he's watched every episode on Netfilx 1,038,673,237.23 times. We're going to your show in Milwaukee and he can't wait. He cried when we gave him the tickets (maybe you saw the YouTube video http://youtu.be/jPVGED6iSMM).

I asked him if be could ask you anything what would it be, and all he wants to know the most is how to become a Mythbuster, as that is his aspiration in life.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: added video link because it's damn cute. EDIT2: Sorry for the vertical filming. It was a heat-of-the-moment thing!

I'll keep saying this until I'm blue in the face. STay interested in everything that you're curious about. Satisfy your curiosity. Keep asking questions. Stay curious.

Have you ever felt truly in danger while testing one of your myths?

Many times. There's a difference between being in danger and feeling in danger. Underwater car, the revisit; THAT'S the most sphincter clenching moment.

What are your favorite educational tv shows?

Breaking Bad. How it's made. I love America's test Kitchen. Anything Alton Brown does.

I love how you consider breaking bad as educational.

best. show. ever.

America's other test "kitchen"

With the legalization of pot in WA and CO, I look forward to nationwide legalization. And when that happens, you just know that there'll a niche for marijuana cooking shows.

"Hello and welcome to the Chronic Kitchen! Today, we'll learn how to make sticky-icky-raspberry-banana-sorbet lightly sprinkled with Cheerios dust and whatever else we can find that looks good."

It'll more like,

"Welcome to the... wait. What?"

You and Alton Brown NEED to do something together!!!!

Totes magotes.

What's it like working with a Jamie android?

THe new model is very reliable.

Uncanny Valley aside...

Jamie has a very nice house by the lake in the Uncanny Valley.

Have you guys ever considered doing the Home Alone traps on Mythbusters? I'm thinking, testing 'lethality level', would some actually work, etc. etc.

Yeah, that was on our list and then it wasn't. It's a good story. I think we should test it.

What is your least favourite episode of Mythbusters and why?

Pyramid power. So sorry I did that.

I'm aware that I didn't test that myth. But that we let it into our production schedule.

Doubling up on your karma. Smart move.

A pyramid of karma, if you will.

My comments get sharper under my Karma Pyramid.

We forgive you.

THank you.

What is the funniest thing you ever did as a child?

Made an alien burst from a Thanksgiving turkey. Seriously.

I have a picture actually. I'll try and get it up to tested.com this next week. It's freaking hilarious.

your parents must have had their hands full with you

I was a great kid. I didn't cause too much trouble. 'cept when I broke my neck at 18.

Hey, I also want you guys and gals to know that we're touring the US and Canada starting in a couple of weeks. 30 cities in 35 or so days. Tix available at mythbusterstour.com. VIP tix are also available and they come with a meet and greet. Come on out and see us!

We've heard a lot about the fun stuff working on the show, but what's the worst part about your job? What aspects of working on mythbusters really (or, even, kind of) sucks?

Well, anything that you do at a high level of excellence, or where excellence is your real goal, is hard work. Hard work is hard. Tiring, we fail a lot. We have to work extra days to make things go. We argue. Most of the stuff at a normal job really.

Have you ever done anything as dumb on the show or behind she scenes as Tory with the bike? By the way my mom told me to tell you that your awesome

edit: i was in a rush to type it i know i messed up you're

Tell your mom she is awesome.

It was very tempting to write: "tell your mom that she was awesome too"

Adam - what is a costume you'd love to do for ComicCon but you know would be against the rules (due to crazy theatrics maybe?)

Turns out flash mobs aren't allowed.

Adam, what has been your all-time favorite, best, funniest moment with Jamie ever?

When we were testing blind driving. Jamie in the backseat, drunk, giving driving directions to a blind man who's driving (on a closed course). Jamie's directions made him drive like a drunk person. Yes I'm sure the blind guy was sober.

Hey guys. I have a doctor's appointment now, so I gotta go. As usual the questions were great and I'll come back to my 'puter later today and try and answer some more.

Bye!!

This is a bit selfish, but every time I watch MythBusters, I can't help but think "MAN, I wish one of these dudes was my uncle or my dad or something, I bet they give the craziest gifts at holidays." So my burning question is this: what kind of insane homemade birthday or christmas presents have your kids/nephews/nieces received from you?

That's funny. In this case the reality is boring. I love purchasing gifts for those I love, but they're about the person, not about my crazy personality. With my kids I look always to foment their interests and to put whatever creativity tools they want in front of them. I've bought a lot of musical instruments over the years. ONe of my kids plays bass and drums, the other plays guitar and sings.

If you could blow up anything, what would you blow up?

Are you trying to get the Secret Service to come to my house?

What do you think is the most awesome thing that happened while filming Mythbusters? I feel the show has so many awesome moments.

P.S. Huge fan of the show, keep up the awesome work!

Impossible to choose one. So many. Talking with Chris Hadfield on the ISS is up there.

Hi Adam. Thanks for doing this again. Kind of a combo question:

1. What does your desk look like right now?
   
2. What are a few things on that desk that you couldn't live without?
   
3. How do those things help you get your work done?

Thanks!

Desk is a mess. Iphone charger. Nerf Gun. Police hat. The mess is inspirational to me. I need a certain amount of visual cacophony to get inspired. The nerf gun is fun. I'm working into our touring show, so I've been shooting EVERYTHING with it.

How was it shooting an episode of Curiosity?

Shooting that "I can live forever" episode of Curiosity was amazing. I'm a huge fan of John Hendricks, the creator of the series and the founder of Discovery. The production crew was fantastic. We filmed it in record time AND the special effects were done by a lot of my colleagues from ILM. It was like going home. I still have my old man makeup from that. Danny Wagner who sculpted it put it on a head and it's in my shop.

I love you

Love you back.

What does Jamie's moustache feel like?

Like a yak's tail

Hey Adam, big fan of the show! I've watched you guys use a lot of heavy weapons on the show like mini guns, .50 cal rifles, assault rifles, a flamethrower, etc. My question is, was there ever a moment during any of those myths where you said to yourself, "Good God, these things were made to be used against people!" Scary! In any case, keep up the good work!

I think that every single time I pick up a gun.

Big fan of the series, I love the fact that you're educating so many while keeping it amazing!

What is the single most memorable experience within your Mythbusters career? Could you even imagine yourself doing anything different?

I'm always imagining other things to do. I can see myself doing lots of other things: teaching, interviewing, directing. There are many more. I'm a life long freelancer, I'm always wondering what's next.

Adam, thank you so much for coming back for another AMA.

I am extremely jealous of your Star Wars experiences and collection. What is the ONE collectible you haven't been able to get your hands on that you absolutely must have? Thanks again!

I'd love to have a Threepio suit that fit me. I'd love to be thin enough to fit in one.

Next season you can test weight loss myths.

Running. Does it actually cause weight loss!?

Conclusion: Yes, but not as effectively as an alternating diet of heroin/meth.

Not something we're gonna test I think .

Could you tell us about some of the "That's not funny" moments on the show?

When I got shocked. 10 years ago and Tory STILL feels guilty.

Your discovery that the five second rule and double dipping are not unhealthy have changed my life forever.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Hello Adam. Is it fun working with Jamie?

Thanks for the question! Video answer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEopyF186UQ

Video answer to this coming soon.

What is the strangest thing you have ever put into your mouth in the name of Sciene aka for a myth?

Food coloring for the sneezing story? Each color tastes awful in a unique way. Very tangy.

Any more TED talks planned. The one about where discoveries came from was great!

Yes. In short. Yes.

You've done a lot of crazy stuff on Mythbusters, and you probably get used to it all - but are there still moments when you think "I can't believe we're actually allowed to be doing this"?

Thanks for doing another AMA!

Almost every week I have that thought. We have a term of art for it on the show. We call it a "Mythbuster Moment".

Of course! I love Reddit.

Hey Adam, i was at the rally to restore sanity/fear in DC several years ago and was part of your "biggest sample ever" In that experiment, did you actually expect to get any seismic result? or were you surprised that we actually registered a significant vibration? also, did you guys feel it on stage?

We did.

Hey Adam,

Since the start of Mythbusters, what is the most scariest experience you've ever had?

scariest

Here's my video answer to this question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-eK_cpTsOw

Will you be participating in No shave/Mustache Movember?

Nah. I love what happens in San Francisco during that time, but I get too itchy.

What is your favorite type of soup, Adam?

French onion. A nice cold cucumber soup can make a hot summer afternoon just perfect. Tomato bisque. Clam chowder.

I love soup in general.

I love PHO.

What is one piece of advise you would give someone who wants to pursue a career in Engineering/Physics? (Or any other science)

Read everything you can. Stay curious. Ask questions and don't pretend to know shit you don't know. The smartest people I know ask the most questions.

Adam, are there any myths out there that you guys haven't tested, maybe because of budget concerns or whatnot, that you really want to test?

There are still some moon-landing-deniers out there. I'd go to the moon and come back with a piece of apollo hardware. THAT would show them. (probably not- there's no convincing those who insist that they need "evidence" yet who reject all "evidence" as not the evidence that they need. sigh)

Hi Adam.

If you get to read this than please allow me to apologise for the wall of text, but I would just like to preface my question by saying a couple of things.

Your work, in all its myriad forms, covers a wide variety of topics and subjects; however they all seem to share a common theme in that they are the result of great passion and a desire to learn. As a result of this your work is able to do something which is difficult to achieve in modern media.

It seems as if modern media on the whole is moving away from engaging or knowledgeable content and is instead focusing purely on entertainment value. Whilst being entertained is, in of itself, an excellent and worthwhile endeavour, media which focuses purely on entertainment often struggles to inspire people and help them develop or pursue new interests. However, by exhibiting such an involved interest and passion for what you do, you have been able to create entertaining media which also acts as a source of inspiration and motivation for both the topics that are discussed in your work and the pursuit of knowledge as a whole.

This is personally evident in how your work has served as both a spark for new interests and the fuel that continues to inspire and motivate these new interests. What’s more, in some cases these new areas of interest are entirely unconnected to those with which I am already concerned and as such whole new worlds, whose knowledge I was previously ignorant of, have been opened up to me.

Given this I would like to convey my appreciation for what you do and thank you for using your skills, abilities and passions in a way that inspires and motivates not just myself, but countless others to become engaged in previously unknown subjects.

As such, I now present to you my question:

Just as your work has caused me to form interests which are completely unrelated to those I already hold dear, are there any topics you have found yourself interested in that are entirely different or unconnected to what you are usually passionate about? If so, what sparked your interest in these subjects?

With the utmost respect and gratitude Mr. Savage, Thank you.

Amazing intro and question. I'm very interested in copyright and trademark and patent law, and where they all overlap with personal liberty. I'm an advocate for privacy (i've done a bunch of work with the amazing Electronic Frontier Foundation) and I follow news stories like the Snowden story very closely. I'm a bit of a law geek. As those who follow me on twitter can attest (I'm @donttrythis)

How the hell did you type that all out within a minute after he posted?

I type 70 wpm or so.

I read fast. I type fast. So pretty please, with sugar on top, clean the fucking car.

Okay now I really must go. I have to prep for the commander (and that's not a euphemism). Thanks for the best AMA yet. Let's do this again sometime.

Bye!!

First off, I'm gonna fanboy for a sec: I love myth busters, and my dad and I think you're a total stud.

I've known you were going to do an AMA today for a while so I asked my friends if they had any questions. We produced these (these may have been previously asked, but I have't seen any of your previous AMAs): 1) Is there any myth you've always wanted to test, but haven't been asked or been able to test it? 2) In video games you can shoot an explosive barrel and it will explode. Is this true in real life? 3) How well do you get along with the other Mythbusters? What are your opinions on them?

Thanks for doing this AMA. You're a legend to all of us.

Seriously I love all the other team. They are all friends no lie. I've known Grant and Tory for 16 years and Kari for 10. Jamie for 20 (but how we get along is well known)

As for the barrel, depends on the kind of explosive. Modern plastic explosives are super stable, so no. But if it's full of black powder or TNT, get the hell away. Love to test this.

Adam, once I dropped a mechanical fan from my window at my third floor apartment (no one was hurt) and the fan made a very big and strange "oh my god this is the end" noise. Thank you for reading this, I love watching you laugh, have a nice day.

That'll teach you for buying a sentient fan.

Why are you doing an AMA today? I don't mean to sound rude. I'm really asking if you're promoting something (that I will buy as soon as it comes out) or if you just love Reddit.

Yes. Our stage tour, and the fact that we have new MB episodes coming in January. It also seemed like as good a day as any.

Real answer: someone from Reddit emailed me to say that I promised another AMA in a year, and that it'd been a year.

What is your opinion on this?

Hilarious. The film of the summer! I smell oscar! (With apologies to Walter Monheit)

/u/mistersavage sorry I'm late! I really wanted to remind you about this. During a convention (DragonCon IIRC) someone who worked as a boiler technician asked you about the possibility of detonating a commercial water heater! I just wanted to make sure you had the Mythterns tracking one down!

Now for a question. With everything you have to do for the show, I imagine that you're boundaries get pushed further and further back. What is something that you have held fast on, and refused to do? something that makes you NOPE out as soon as it's suggested?

Thanks for your question! Here's my video answer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFO_wMDBESo

Hey reddit! Sorry for the delay. I'm running all over the place today. Getting ready to head out on our tour. Dealing with kids etc. I'm in a car heading south to interview Chris Hadfield at NASA. I'll answer some questions now for a bit.

Does M5 Industries still do work unrelated to the show? Or did Mythbusters take over the company? Can you name any recent M5 projects that we might recognize?

Related to that, do you and the other Mythbusters presenters still work on M5 business, or have your television careers pushed all that aside?

That's a Jamie question. He's doing an AMA in December.

What was it that first got you started in model creating and roboteering?

What is the funniest thing you've ever gotten to create?

Star Wars. I was 11 when it came out.

What was the most fun myth to prove/bust?

Our season opener this next year was CRAZY FUN to test. That's all I can say. It also involved the amazing Sophia Bush from One Tree Hill.