MythBusters tour mixes science and spectacle

World-renowned masters of mayhem Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, better known as the hosts of the TV show MythBusters, are watched and adored by millions from afar via television. However, Friday night in the UCF Arena, some fans got an up-close and personal experience with the scientific stars.

Hyneman and Savage’s touring show MythBusters: Behind the Myths Tour made a stop at UCF, attracting what appeared to be more than 2,000 people to the arena for the event. The two-hour show featured experiments, behind-the-scenes footage from the TV show and audience participation.

Following the event, attendees had very positive reviews.

“I thought it was really interesting, very entertaining,” said Stephen Feder, a junior majoring in sport and exercise science.

One UCF student was pleased not only about the show itself, but that the event was hosted in the UCF Arena.

“I think it was good, too, because [the show] is semi-educational, so it fits in with the vibe of having it at the school,” said Lauren Hall, a freshman majoring in advertising & public relations. “I think it’s cool that [the school has] a variety of things, so people that might not be interested in seeing music can see something else that they’re interested in.”

The demographic of attendees at the show was extremely varied. Children as young as 6, adults with graying hair and everyone in between came to see Hyneman and Savage. There were some people in attendance who considered themselves longtime fans of the show.

“Oh, yeah. [I’ve watched it] ever since the beginning,” Seminole State College freshman Lyle Griesemer said.

There were even people in the crowd who wore MythBusters shirts and related costumes. One man wore a shirt that said “Plausible,” a term often used to describe certain myths on the TV show. There was even a group of people wearing lab coats, and at one point the group cheered when the term “critical thinking” was used.

Aside from the youngest children, the college students and the adult fans of the show, there were also elementary and middle school children who saw themselves as more than just fans of the MythBusters — their life goals have been shaped because of the MythBusters, particularly Hyneman and Savage.

“I hope to study to become a marine biologist when I grow up,” 11-year-old Christian Flores said.

“Me, too,” said Flores’ friend Jared Ramirez, also 11.

The show’s tour manager said that the tour began in January 2012. Since it began, it has toured in cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Detroit.

When asked why Hyneman and Savage decided to create the tour, she said, “I think they wanted to do [a MythBusters-like experience] in front of a live audience.”

Following the stop at UCF, the tour traveled to the University of South Florida on Saturday night and to Jacksonville on Sunday. The tour’s next scheduled stops are at Hoffman Estates, Ill. on Nov. 10 and St. Louis on Nov. 11.

For more information on the tour, visit www.mythbusterstour.com.

For more information on the MythBusters TV show, visit dsc.discovery.com/tv/mythbusters.