"The Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism is presented at Harvard University each year by the Harvard Secular Society on behalf of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard and the American Humanist Association. Selected by a committee of 20-30 Harvard students each year, this award is given to a figure greatly admired by our students and community for both artistic and humanitarian reasons.
Now in its fourth year, the HSS Cultural Humanism committee has chosen the recipients for the award, the MythBusters, based on what they feel is an outstanding contribution to Humanism in culture. The MythBusters – special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman – take on the task of separating truth from urban legend on their television show with the same name. In true Humanist style, the pair takes on three myths per episode and uses modern-day science to demonstrate, through scientific trials, whether or not some things we take for granted really hold any ground."
It started with a 6 minute clip show of various explosions from the series. That alone was the worth $30 ticket. A few intro speeches and then Adam and Jamie gave their short speeches. Adam read his from his new iPad.
After that they took questions from the audience.
Forgive the poor photos. The venue was the Memorial Church in Harvard Yard and it's a terrible venue. There are enormous pillars that make sections on both sides obstructed view seats. If you go to something there, be sure to go early to be able to sit in the center section and remember there's a balcony with the same issue.
A few of their answers were fun. One of Jamie's favorite myths is coming up and is testing if a vehicle with square wheels would work if you go fast enough. It's an idea that's nonsensical at first but the more you think about it might be practical in some situations like uphill sandy terrain.
A myth they are unlikely to test is whether a truck of liquid oxygen spills will it combine with the asfault to make a bomb. They thought about it, but it's very volatile but not always consistent. So it will either kill everyone or be boring.
In an early episode Adam singed an eyebrow and was worried about his date later that night. Apparently it went "great".
They're most thrilled when their preconceptions are wrong. "At this point we've been around so many explosions they're like wine to us." Full bodied with a deep resonance on the back end.
Adam once tested if breast implants expand on a plane. He wore a bra with implants and held them to see if they changed size. Discovery deemed this sight too disturbing to air.
Adam described how they really love the creative process working through issues of testing a myth and making it understandable. Science isn't someone telling you the answer. It's this messy creative process that's like art or sculpture.
Update: Here's the text of Adam's speech.
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