After 14 seasons, the show known for its explosions, and hat and mustache toting front men, is finally coming to an end. The team wrapped up filming this past week on its last season, which is set to air in January. Fans like myself are left looking back at how impactful the Mythbusters have been on pop culture, science education, and our lives personally.
I am currently a 21 year old mechanical engineering major. This means I was just 8 years old when the show premiered. I have quite literally grown up with the Mythbusters nurturing my curiosity and love of science. Adam and Jamie, along with the B Team of Grant, Tory, and Kari, have been with me through the journey of picking my life’s path and choosing to study engineering.
You may wonder how much a TV show can really impact someone’s life choices. Well for me, it reinforced my passions. Mythbusters is just as much about being a Maker as it is about being a Scientist. Makers bring DIY to the next level technologically. Makers are hands-on, down and dirty builders that passionately pursue creation. When I watched the Mythbusters I saw a group of people solving problems and creating things for a living. They used anything and everything to build rigs and test scenarios such as whether a rolling stone gathers moss or exactly how accurate scenes in Indiana Jones really were.
Having Adam and Jamie in my life showed me how much fun science and engineering could be, but even more so, it allowed me to dream about the possibilities that lay ahead of me. Seeing these people “make” for a living encouraged me as I built Rube Goldberg machines around my parent’s living room and diligently sewed Halloween costumes with my mom. I didn’t know it then, but all of that was leading me where I am today.
My connection to the Mythbusters grew after I entered the world of cosplay and found out about Adam’s passion for Making in the world of costume replication. Cosplayers recreate costumes from TV shows, films, comic books, video games, etc., and wear them to conventions. Adam makes some of the highest quality cosplays I have ever seen and shows them off on his website, Tested.com, and through social media.
Although I still have not met them, I got the chance to see the Mythbusters in person while in costume (as Margaery Tyrell from Game of Thrones) at San Diego Comic Con in 2014. For me, this was the pinnacle of a long journey. I got to see the Mythbusters in person wearing a costume I made myself. I was actually lucky enough to have a lady I met at the convention get me an autographed photo from the two of them to remember this awesome moment.
I am sad to see them go, but I am thankful for the difference the Mythbusters have made in my life. They have taught me persistence, problem solving, and the willingness to get down and dirty to make something happen. My signed picture will be on my office desk as inspiration for the rest of my career. I salute them in their final season and you can guarantee I will be there with them for every episode. I will #Mythyouguys.
~Erin Winick
Founder, Sci Chic
