Guest Author - Marci Ann Peterson

My family loves to watch the TV show Mythbusters together! It is a fun filled show full of explosions, my husbands favorite part of the show.

I will also use the show sometimes for our home school when we are covering different subjects in science. The show helps my girls raise questions about different ideas and helps them not be afraid to find out an answer to their question.

Mythbusters uses science to debunk popular myths. They take myths found in popular pop culture, internet videos, urban legends, myths, movie scenes, and rumors and through scientific methods they figure out if what is being seen or heard can possibly happen in real life.

Once a myth is debunked they then go about trying to create the situation and see what it will need to actually make the myth happen. A lot of times they will even take the myth one step further, which often results in a huge explosion!

You can catch Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel. The show is taped mostly in San Francisco, CA though some production elements are done in Artarmon, Australia. Planning and some experimentation takes place in their workshops but there are times when bigger spaces or special accommodations are necessary and then the show is taped on location, usually around the Bay area.

The Mybusters team consists of the special effects duo, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. A second group was split off of the large groups and they now do testing and experiments on their own. The second crew consists of Kari Byron, Tory Bellici, and for a while a third member Scottie Chapman competed the group. Chapman soon left the show and was replaced by Grant Imahara.

The show typically skips between the two crews as they test different myths.

After all testing is done the myths are then declared busted, confirmed, or plausible. Busted-meaning that there is no way that this could happen. Confirmed-meaning that it is definitely possible. Plausible-meaning that with all the testing done it couldn't be busted or confirmed but that it worked only with certain facts, that it is too dangerous to fully try or that there was no specific documentation found but as far as they can tell they got it pretty close.

The teams will consult with experts in different fields when they do not have all the knowledge necessary to complete the project as well as for safety reasons. Each show also tells the audience not to try this at home.

It is a fun show that also teaches science while it entertains.