By Paula Johanson
One of the great things about being a science writer is that it's part of my work to check out interesting articles on the Internet. No, I'm not just surfing randomly. I'm finding out the answers to interesting questions such as "What's it like to be a Mythbuster on the popular TV show Mythbusters? Or a female Mythbuster? And when Mythbuster Kari Byron was expecting her baby, how did she ensure there would be no bad effects from the various explosions that happen during the filming of the show?"
Yes, there have been more than one explosion filmed during Mythbusters episodes... over 750 explosions and counting since the show began airing on the Discovery Channel in 2003. For all those explosions, safety is a major concern. When doing home science, leave any explosions to the Mythbuster crew!
Mother Jones Magazine has published online an energetic interview with Kari Byron about her work on Mythbusters. "...it just happens to be that the best way to explore myth is the scientific method," says Byron at one point. The article goes on to say that "Byron's presence as a high-profile female role model promoting critical
thinking and making science accessible is vitally important." Click on this link to read the article, see three short videos from the show, and download the podcast of a 43-minute interview with Byron.
That's enough about science-related shows on television for me right now. I've got to finish taking notes about eighteenth-century naturalist Archibald Menzies so I can return to the public library this fascinating book: The Interwoven Lives of George Vancouver, Archibald Menzies, Joseph Whidbey and Peter Puget: The Vancouver Voyage of 1791-1795, by John M. Nash. I'm learning how to brew spruce beer to avoid scurvy on long sea voyages!
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