Obama "Mythbusted" by Reason

Ragnar

<--- Pic is not me
Jan 23, 2010
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Cincinnati, OH
Remember when the POTUS had more class than to show up one every other channel and TV show for some dumb reason or another? Mythbusters is the next adventure for President Obama. Why? I love this show, lol. And it's not entirely unlike a rerun to boot...

Obama Challenges 'MythBusters' Adam And Jamie : NPR

President Obama has a personal request — to once again test the myth of Archimedes' solar death ray. As legend has it, using only mirrors and the power of the sun, Greek scientist Archimedes is said to have set fire to Roman ships during the siege of Syracuse.
President Obama

The Mythbusters have busted the myth before, but could hardly refuse Obama's challenge. This time, instead of using stationary mirror tiles focused at wood, they took a different tack. "The big question was: could you have shields from soldiers polished to a mirror finish, and get them to set something on fire," Hyneman explains to NPR's Neal Conan. "That's a whole different thing."

On the plus side, Reason uses the occasion to do some myth busting themselves.

Reason.tv: Obama Gets Busted on Mythbusters - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44QB4nTr2DY[/ame]
 
Sources for Reason.tv's Obama/Mythbusters video

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz7pfJrhcdg&annotation_id=annotation_716045&feature=iv[/ame]
 
I have to say I agree with Obama on this one.

I want it to be true so badly..... There has to be some way to make it work. The concept is just so cool.
 
"The Mythbusters have busted the myth before,"

Why is this in bold? The mythbusters have revisited plenty of myths before, it's part of the format of their show.

Heck they have even revised the status of myths they declared busted.

Sniper scopes and knock your socks off come to mind.

That said I thought they did a very thorough job busting it the second time (yes they've all ready revisited it after declaring it busted).

But like Baruch said the idea is really cool and I'd want it to work. Even if there was no way it could've worked in Ancient Greece.
 
I know about the show, re-busting myths in new ways is fine and good. (not my favorite episodes but that's neither here nor there) It'd be cool if they found a way to make it work. However folks...

missed_the_point.jpg


This thread is in the politics section because it's about Reason using the occasion of Obama on Mythbusters (which, as an aside, just happens to be a great show) to do some mythbusting of their own on the POTUS himself.

Hence the video's. I included the NPR link in case that factoid was not widely known.
 

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