1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Guess what will? What's that mango? So you know, I'm 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: a fan of the show MythBusters, right, definite, And I 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: was reading Carrie Byron's new book where she talks about 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: one of the crazier explosions she's ever done, and it 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,239 Speaker 1: involves a creamer cannon creamer light What do you mean 6 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: like coffee creamer? Yeah, it's like super explosive. She and 7 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: the team watched this YouTube video where this guy put 8 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: creamer over a lighter and it made a flame. So 9 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: they decided to supersize it by building a giant air 10 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: cannon and shooting it up into the air. And honestly, 11 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: this thing is so terrifying. The stuff goes up, doesn't 12 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: look like it's going to ignite, and then it just 13 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: creates a giant puff of smoke and then all of 14 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: a sudden, it just rips up into the sky and 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: makes this enormous fire bomb. It's insane. That sounds crazy. 16 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: But the funniest part, and the thing I would never 17 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: have realized from watching the show, was that the wind 18 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: changed mid explosion and all this hot, milky fire bombs 19 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: started raining down from the sky. And she and the 20 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: Bill team were responsible for the cleanup. So apparently coffee 21 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: creamer bomb residue is discuss Anyway, Carrie is one of 22 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: the most fun craziest jobs in the world, and we're 23 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: lucky to have her on the program today, So let's 24 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: dive in. All right, Well, today we've got the wonderful 25 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: Carrie Byron on the show, who most of you will 26 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 1: remember from the Bill team on MythBusters, but also the 27 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: host of head Rush, The White Rabbit Project, and so 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: much more. And now she's the author of a new 29 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: book that we're excited to talk about. It's called crash 30 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 1: Test Girl. So Carrie, welcome to Part time Genius there. 31 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 1: So Carrie, before we start, I'm gonna say I'm actually 32 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: from Delaware. I grew up with the punkin chunk and 33 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: just being a thing only we knew about. Thank you 34 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: for bringing it to a wider audience. And uh, I 35 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: know you've posted that and the large Dangerous Rocketship Festival. 36 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: Have you been surprised by the rise of the maker 37 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: movement over the last decade or so and how much 38 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: do you think MythBusters has contributed to it? You know, 39 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: the maker movement was coming about at the same time 40 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: as MythBusters. I think that was just the feeling that 41 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: was in the air at the time that people were 42 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: getting really d I y and we were all right 43 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: in that same wave. Um, you know, I don't make 44 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: magazine out here. I just wrote an article for him 45 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: because I'm totally a fan of all maker. Yeah. It 46 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: was such a fun movement to see, right, I mean 47 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: we were huge fans of Boeing Boeing and Wired and 48 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: then like, I feel like all of that stuff, the 49 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 1: d I Y stuff, exploded in such a big way 50 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: and and uh and I love that you sort of 51 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: come to it naturally, right, Like as an artist, I've 52 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: been doing it my whole life. I've always been somebody 53 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: who like to tinker and work with her hand. I 54 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: love the smell of you know, sawdust in the garage. 55 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: I like making things. But you know, I think maybe 56 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: it might even be my little rebellion to technology in 57 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: a bit, because everything you can do with the computer 58 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: factor and better. But I don't really like a racing 59 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: and you take a pencil and I you know, I 60 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: like building things with my hands and redimensions. Yeah. Well, 61 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,679 Speaker 1: you know, the new book is super fun and I 62 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: actually love how you use the scientific method as a 63 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: means for examining, you know, your entire life, everything from 64 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: the fun parts of your life to the difficult things 65 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: you've had to face. But it speaks to so many 66 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: audiences that I'm curious who you actually were thinking about 67 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: when you were writing the book. Who is the book for? Well, 68 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: I'm not a writer, so for me, I only maken 69 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: write for the audience I know, which is myself. So 70 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: I kind of feel like I wrote the audience for 71 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 1: the person I was when I was twenty years old 72 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: and starting out in life, the person who just trying 73 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: to figure out how to take to how to create opportunities, 74 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: and how to make big moves. Um I, I, you know, 75 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: wanted to lay out all of my journey so that 76 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: maybe if I've made mistakes, that you don't have to 77 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: make any great I mean, I used the scientific method 78 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: as a critical thinking tool, but really it's just an 79 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: easy way to organize your thought process. So I think 80 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: in making any decision in your life, using the scientific 81 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: method is just all about being able to analyze the 82 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: results of the choices that you make. Well. I mean 83 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: that the structure of the books really fun, the contents excellent, 84 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: but I also just really love the sidebars that you 85 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: throw in there so weird and funny. Things I hadn't 86 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: even thought about, like the bad smells that are on 87 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: TV sets and uh, and also how you used things 88 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: like um blacknail polish to cover up grease on your 89 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: hands and stuff. I I thought those elements were really fun. 90 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: But would you actually walk us through some of the 91 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:39,799 Speaker 1: smells that maybe people don't know about at home? I'm 92 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: a list maker. I've always just just for fun and 93 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: make a list of things. And bad smells was a 94 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: list that I had made and I was looking through 95 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: on my journals and like, I feel like this is 96 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: something other people might explaind amusing. Well, we had a 97 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: lot of bad melbum set because we worked with like 98 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: a lot of animals. We worked with a lot of 99 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: um toxins and you know every being from wolf hearing 100 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: from a female dog and heat to um brotting meat 101 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: that got left in the fridge over the weekend. I mean, 102 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: we had a lot of really disgusting smells. I remember 103 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: when You're doing Shark Week one time and we had 104 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: to figure out how to cure sharks skin for stand paper, 105 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: and when I was reading, like how they do that 106 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: Sailey is a p on the shark skin and let 107 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: it just brought in the peat. I had to pee 108 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: in a cup and put shark skin with kino sounds 109 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: like fish into that current and just let it um 110 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: fit and for mint in my own urine in the shop. 111 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: And I think that that is a that is a 112 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: vile smell that nobody should ever have knowledge of. I mean, 113 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 1: we had to capture parts and you know, examine the 114 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: constituents at the part, you know, to get to a 115 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: mass gestometer so we could find out what makes them 116 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: to smell. I mean, capturing marks from everybody you worked with. Still, 117 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: that's it's a kind of fun to get that behind 118 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: the scenes. You know, something else you talked about in 119 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: your book that that I found just very interesting was 120 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: you know, you talked about your family struggling economically, and 121 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: one of the scenes that really sticks out to me 122 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: is how you lived in your car at night and 123 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: all this sounds terrifying, but you know, you also built 124 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: this dummy to sit in the front seat to make 125 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: it look like there was a man sitting in the car. 126 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: And I'm curious, you know, how did you come up 127 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: with this idea and how do you know, as a team, 128 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: how to build a believable dummy. I just, you know, 129 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: sometimes it's just an essentity of the moment. And to 130 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: build a believable dummy, I've just always been somebody who 131 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: I think was meant to be in sort of a 132 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: special effects world. Maybe somebody I'll actually get there. They 133 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:45,239 Speaker 1: got the way, But I just I always made things, 134 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: you know, I made I made cultures of people I'm 135 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: as a little kids and how aween, how every year 136 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: was in same So already knew that to make zombies, 137 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: it's really not that far off from me zombie. So 138 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: I just stuff like one of my dad's attle news 139 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: and put a hat on it and use the skeleton 140 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: mask for face. Nobody's gonna come up with that's really funny. 141 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: It's probably true. So for for me, MythBusters with so 142 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: much about settling bar bets, and I know you talk 143 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: about it, if I know, my friends and I at 144 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: at a bar and Della were actually we're discussing like 145 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: could the car from Night Rider really drive up a 146 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: ramp like that on the truck and not crash? And 147 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: then obviously the first thing you google, you see you 148 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: guys have covered it. But I'm curious what was the 149 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: writer's room like on the show and how did you 150 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: guys come up with ideas and more importantly, how do 151 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: you decide what not to do? Um? Well, we never 152 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: said no to things. We generally are like how could 153 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: we do these things? And you know we did have 154 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: done forammeters like it had to be buildable and had 155 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: to be visual. We couldn't have bog boogie. We can't 156 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: go find out a vampires don't like darlic. It has 157 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: to be something scientifics that we can actually come up 158 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: with the conclusion. So, um, you know, with all of 159 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: the diversity in the room, we have different people coming 160 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: from different backgrounds, and um, we could come up with 161 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: being most of wild and wacky contraption because I don't 162 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: think any of us knew that you couldn't do things. 163 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: You know, you could come up with like I remember 164 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: sitting there the first time it came up. The weirdest, 165 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: biggest thing that we could is when we had this, 166 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: Uh there was a smith about somebody who catapulted themselves 167 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: with a boom lift and they franked down the boom 168 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: look really hard, um with a chain or something, and 169 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: then when they cut it, it catapulted the guy in 170 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: the basket. Well, we tried it several times in you know, 171 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: its truest form, and it didn't catapult anybody. It just 172 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: bounced a little stuffing. Everybody's like, well, how are we 173 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: gonna actually catapult to die? And I was like, what 174 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: if we made an actual catapult? Because I'm not an engineer, 175 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's possibility or not. And then 176 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: we came up with packing containers on top of each other, 177 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: welding a pivot where the wheels are of the catapult, 178 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: and actually franking it back for real and making a 179 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: battle sized catapult like lump and jumping and launching it 180 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: dunny as far as we possibly could, and it uh 181 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: didn't work well, but it was a fantastic thing to see. 182 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: I think engineering skills made it that. We just didn't 183 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: know whether things were actually impossible, so we went for it. Wow, 184 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: that's that's pretty great. Well, we've got plenty more questions 185 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: for Carrie. But before that a quick break. Welcome back 186 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: to Part Time Genius, where we're talking to Carry Byron, 187 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 1: author of Crash Test Girl. You know, one of one 188 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: of my favorite parts of the White House in somewhat 189 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: recent years has been the White House Science Fair, which 190 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: of course you hosted. I was curious, what was it 191 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: like getting that call and and then of course being 192 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: at the White House being able to promote science. Who 193 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: is so cool that I couldn't believe it. When I 194 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: feel my parents I was going to the White House, 195 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: They're like, what Just walking into that place, it's the 196 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: White House is just something you see in the movies 197 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: from far away. And actually getting clearance to walk inside 198 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: and being all of the the people do you see on 199 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: the news every day just walking around looking at their phone. 200 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: It was incredible. I got to, you know, go meet 201 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: all of these incredible kids that we're doing things, you know, 202 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: by age fifteen, that I could couldn't imagine doing. Now. 203 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: I met a kid who learned how to make a 204 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,079 Speaker 1: better standbag by using the polymers from inside of a diaper, 205 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: and he actually created a sandbag that would absorb water 206 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: when there were floods and then go back to being 207 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: flat so it could be easily moved and reused. Like, 208 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: how did you think of that? You're leavin I mean 209 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: aspiring and humbling, And at the time, it was persident 210 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: Obama and just having him come and give me a 211 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: hug and say my name in a speech. Felt it 212 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: felt like I've made it, you know what I mean, 213 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: It's pretty cool. I'd say that actually does qualify as 214 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: having made it. So congratulations on that one as well. Yeah, 215 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: I mean, it's so fun to see your president just 216 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: so excited about science and in all of these kids. 217 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: Just that really was such a highlight. But um, I'm curious. 218 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: You know, your tasks in that buildroom seemed to be 219 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: so different. You know, you're you're like making ballistics with creamers, 220 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: You're building a vomit chair for making people nauseous, uh, 221 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: you know, and and also making these china shops for 222 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: bulls to run through. Like how do you research these projects? 223 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: And do you have go to reference books or reference 224 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: sites that you used to turn to? I mean we 225 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: used to We started out with books on the show. 226 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: That's how long ago that we had started. As we 227 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: progressed through you know, the internet is just a wealth 228 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: of knowledge and it's easy to find experts to help 229 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: you out in anything. So you know, we would just 230 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: get on the phone and you call somebody in Arizona 231 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: and be like, hey, so if I were going to 232 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: blow something up, underwater, how would you do that? More 233 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: and more famous. It was a lot easier to make 234 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: those at a point of reference, and we didn't sound 235 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: like crazy people. But you know, we we we start 236 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: where everybody will start. We start on Google or you know, 237 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: smokes with a good way to find a couple of myths, 238 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: or you know, just kind of follow the leaves down 239 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: the internet rabbit hole. Yeah, and and and most of 240 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: them turned out. I mean, of course we have no 241 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: idea how most of them turned out, because I'm sure 242 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: we we we get to see the best of the best. 243 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: But it did sound like only a few of the 244 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: myths on MythBusters ever went really wrong. You know, you 245 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,479 Speaker 1: talk about the cannon incident in particular, that was near disastrous, 246 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: But I'm curious about some of the smaller, like funnier 247 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: things that just ended up not working on set, and 248 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: how you came up with some fixes for those. Yeah, 249 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: I was trying to like some of the stuff. I'm 250 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: not sure you'd need it. But I didn't always watch 251 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: all the episodes because I was so busy making the 252 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 1: show that more and think that so when people have 253 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: questions sometimes I'm like, did that happen on TV? Here 254 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: did that happen in real life? A lock of fuel 255 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: myths has to make us still um And it turned 256 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: up that was illegal, but it didn't make the show. 257 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: But I said the day trying to put together a 258 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: giant still to still rocket fudle from alcohol, and it 259 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: went wacky and totally exploded, and I was on my 260 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 1: own in the shop, just like feeding it with a broom, 261 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: trying to break things so that I could not catch 262 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: things on fire. And I just wish some of time 263 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: with stuff like that that went slightly wrong and actually 264 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: made air. It was us being crazy. So you haven't 265 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: asside in the book that Jamie was more diligent about 266 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: the safety of magnets than he was table saws. Can 267 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: you talk a little bit about that? Oh well, no, 268 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 1: I just mean that he took it very He was 269 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 1: tilaging about safety on everything. Jamie had these um safety protocols, 270 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: and he'd walk around and give you the tour of 271 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: how to do things safety. He also accompanied it with 272 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: the most forwarding story he designed for teaching cool. You 273 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: can just hear about the table saw. You would hear 274 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: about a time the table stock kicked it back. A 275 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: board that wlintered off and entailed the man and hear 276 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: all the glory details of it, so that you would 277 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: now look at every tool as if it were trying 278 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: to attack you and had peace. It was terrified. And 279 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: I think that he emphasized magnets because they seem so innocuous. 280 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: When you think magnets, you know, it doesn't have teeth 281 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: like table stoic come bad. They just like magnets. But 282 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: magnets really strong, said the ones he had told tape 283 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: off a finger, it could, you know, pull something from 284 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: the other side of the room. They were so strong, 285 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: and you know, until you along the way, I think 286 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: you Gus had a really dark way of explaining safety. 287 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: I think one of the things people don't think about 288 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: when they're watching a show like this is what it 289 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: might be like being a woman on the set of MythBusters. 290 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: And you talk about this, and you know, many times 291 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: you make light of it understandably and kind of embrace it, 292 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: but you know, dealing with pregnancy on set and then 293 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: postpartum depression, as as well as things like being forced 294 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: to wear prosthetic breast to see if people tip better. 295 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: And I'm I'm curious with with all of this in mind, 296 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: how many women were actually on set, and you know, 297 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: in these situations, how do you speak up in these 298 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: kinds of environments. Well, like to me, I mean, it's 299 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: the only woman that you saw on camera. But we 300 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: did have some women behind the scenes. You know, we 301 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: had producers, directors, researchers, um are, we had a female 302 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: sound downy as well, So it wasn't just me, and 303 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: so it was it was definitely helpful through the years 304 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: as the production went on, we had more and more 305 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: women working behind the scenes. At times could have it 306 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: was difficult. It was definitely difficult pregnant because nobody intelligence 307 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: to have children. Even just getting a sort of body 308 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: on the set, it was always a little bit of 309 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: a struggle because all the guys on set were like 310 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: wanting to spy in the bushes like us, right right. Um. 311 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: The hardest thing I think it was probably finding out 312 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: that the other two guys I was working with UM 313 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: for grant, when I thought that there was a paid 314 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: disparity that they were making UM specifically more than me. 315 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: I sort of thought I had a moment that I 316 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: had a little normal ray moment where it's like sweet 317 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: a minute, that's not okay, And it was quite a 318 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: fight to get to be paid to stain guide. So 319 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: from that point on, I actually put it in my 320 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: contract that if I had the same title and I 321 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: had the stink job, I had not painting that I 322 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: know I was reading about. That just makes you so sad. 323 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: You look at places like toy companies or NPR or 324 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: like Discovery just assume they're like happy places and totally 325 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: equal in things. And and the fact that you had 326 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: the same title and even some seniority and you weren't 327 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: getting paid that is it's just so disturbing. How did 328 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: you discover that? Like, how how did you figure out 329 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: that you weren't getting paid the same amount? You know, 330 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: it was through casual conversation because we were you know, 331 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: we we had a season coming up and we had 332 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: contract negotiations coming up, and um, they're talking about how 333 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: much we should ask for to get and I was like, wait, 334 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: you're getting white. It was it was one of you know, 335 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: it was just you know, since we all did have 336 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: the same title and think we all expected we're being 337 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: paid the same we started talking about, you know, what 338 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: we should negotiate for the next season, and I it 339 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: was just sort of a shocking moment. For me, that's 340 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: when I decided to do what you should do when 341 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: you you're you're kind of out of your your league, 342 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: you find expert help. So I went and I got 343 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: an agent, and from then on we negotiate all our 344 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: contracts as a leagueable nation. All right, well, we have 345 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: a few more questions on a kind of a different note, 346 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: but before we get to those, let's take a quick break. 347 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Part Time Genius. We're talking to the 348 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: author of a brand new book called Crash Test Girl, 349 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,719 Speaker 1: Carrie byron Um. You know, I, I don't know if 350 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: I've just been living in a cave and hadn't heard 351 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: about the White Rabbit Project, And after reading about your descriptions, 352 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: I definitely want to binge watch this, but I was 353 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 1: hoping could you tell us a little bit about the 354 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: project and what some of the more fun experiments you've 355 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: done on it are. So White Rabbit Project was, It's 356 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: based on that moment where you're on the internet, you 357 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 1: guys know this, and considering where you came from, where 358 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: you kind of falling down a rabbit hole because you 359 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,959 Speaker 1: looked up Belcro and all of a sudden, you're you're 360 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: you're looking at the space program like it's just this 361 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:30,719 Speaker 1: one thing reads, the next thing reads the next thing. 362 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: So we had um themes for each episode like Superhero 363 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: Powers that you can create with technology now, or Key 364 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 1: Forces or Great American Heights. Um. So, one of my favorites, 365 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: which I believe is the first episode in the series, 366 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,199 Speaker 1: is called Superhero Powers, where we each pick one that 367 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: we could try to create with technology, and I picked 368 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,719 Speaker 1: mind control, and um, it is hilarious. I looked up 369 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: toward you a bunch of electrodes, find amuts of dinner 370 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 1: and made sure that uh I, I could control him 371 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 1: with electrodes. They were attatched to me, so sort of 372 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: like my brain powering my arm and my arms powering 373 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 1: his arm. And then we sat down for a big, 374 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: messy spaghetti and wine game. I mean it was. It 375 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: was delight. It was a delayable, fun, weird show to do. 376 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: It's on Netflix. You can still catch it. Um we 377 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: had a full season airing. I don't think it got 378 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: promoted like it should because we only did get the 379 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: one thing. Well, we'll definitely be I'll definitely be checking 380 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: it out. So. Um one of the things you hit 381 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,239 Speaker 1: it at was this wonderful relationship with the fans of 382 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: MythBusters and how some of their ideas uh lad to 383 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: um things on the show. I'm curious, what are the 384 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: best fan ideas that came through that that you might remember, 385 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,680 Speaker 1: or what are the best interactions you've had with fans? Oh, 386 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: you know, with the message boards and with our relationship 387 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: with them. You know, we could constantly talking with the fans, 388 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: and you know, even if we did an episode that 389 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 1: they didn't like our methodology or how did it, we 390 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: would go back and revisit it and do it again 391 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: because you know, we would actually be talking with them 392 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: on the message sports. But I remember my favorite was 393 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 1: a fourth grade class found this ancient myths about paper 394 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 1: being used as armor in ancient China. I was obsessed 395 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: with it. So I pitched it and pitched it and 396 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: pitched it until they did it. And you know, we 397 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,439 Speaker 1: made a whole student armor out of paper, and we 398 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 1: tested it with arrows and with swords, and we did 399 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: it with a medal as well, and found out the 400 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: paper actually was a viable option up until you know, 401 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: guns were invented. But that was from a fourth grade class, 402 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: and who was just you know, they're like, let's been 403 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: this Midbusters. I love that. That's pretty awesome, you know, 404 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: and and hearing about, you know, working with kids, and 405 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: and hearing questions from kids. I'm curious about the projects. 406 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: I know you do projects with your daughter. Can you 407 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: tell us a little bit about some of those. Um, well, 408 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,959 Speaker 1: my daughter and I do a lot of projects right now. 409 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: We're even just slime. Like we're with you on that. 410 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 1: My counter is covered with shaving cream and glue and glitter. 411 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: That's I would say, our current passion. Yeah, I hear 412 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: you on that. We've got a room, a craft room 413 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 1: full of slime of giant. I'm curious now whether Elmer's 414 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:23,959 Speaker 1: sells more glue for school use or more glue for slime. 415 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: I remember even looking it up online to order another 416 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: bottle of it, and even in the description of what 417 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: Elmer's glue is, it says great for making slimees. I 418 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 1: think you can see how much the business has has changed. 419 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: Oh my god, we should and slime about a year ago. 420 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: Higher that are just people wishing slime. I'm like, what, Carrie, 421 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: tell us, what's next? But what's the next big project 422 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 1: that you're excited about? All right, Well, I am still 423 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: doing TV I've got a bunch of diffinent works I 424 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: can't talk about. But what I can talk about is 425 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: the next checkmark on my bucket list. Um, now that 426 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: there's book things over with, I want to make toys. 427 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: So I have just recently joined a startup called Smart Girls. Um. 428 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: It is a scrappy startup. It's it's ethosis that it's 429 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: trying to teach computer science two girls who might otherwise 430 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: not be engaged. You're interested in it. So I we 431 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: make coding robot dolls for girls. Um, it's it's called 432 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: Smart Girls. So I go check this out. There is 433 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: a really cool self balancing segway Barbie. That's our first project, 434 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: and we have a million toys coming up in line 435 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: that are really really wild. Um, I'm gonna be a toymaker. 436 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 1: That is so much fun. It seems like you have 437 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: enough projects going right now, Carrie. I I don't think 438 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 1: you need to handle that much more. This is all 439 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: really fun and really exciting, and I hope our listeners 440 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: will check out your new book, Crash Test Girl. But Carrie, 441 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you guys. 442 00:22:52,280 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: It fun talking to you. Thanks again for listening. Part 443 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of how stuff works, and 444 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do the 445 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,959 Speaker 1: important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil 446 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song 447 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: and does the MIXI MIXI sound thing. Jerry Rowland does 448 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 1: the exact producer thing. Gabe Louesier is our lead researcher, 449 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan 450 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the 451 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 452 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 453 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 454 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: a good review for us. Did we? Did we forget Jason? 455 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:39,120 Speaker 1: Jason who