Making Stuff, with Adam Savage

About This Episode

You ever feel like just makin’ stuff? On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with the master of making stuff – Adam Savage. Neil and Adam are joined in studio by comic co-host Chuck Nice to answer fan-submitted questions about creativity, MythBusters, engineering, and a whole lot more.

You’ll learn some insider info about Adam’s time hosting the wildly popular show MythBusters: whether they ever invented anything by accident, why they had to destroy some test footage for public safety, and what surprised Adam the most about his work on the show. You’ll hear about the “Duct Tape” Island episode where he and his co-host Jamie Hyneman were dropped on an island with nothing to survive but duct tape. We investigate Adam’s work with 3D-printed titanium for his new show Savage Builds and break down the chirality of objects. 

Head to the theater as Neil and Adam bond over the movie Excalibur. You’ll learn what movies make Neil’s Top 5 favorite films list. Adam tells us about his obsession with armor and his build of a replica of King Arthur’s suit. He shares his experience working with legendary filmmaker Peter Jackson to make a short film called A Farewell to Arms. 

Explore the creative process. Adam and Neil share their methods for getting over builder’s block and writer’s block. We debate which will have more of an impact on the future: mechanical know how or advancements in material science? We ponder inventions from science fiction that may soon come to fruition, including room temperature superconduction and artificial intelligence. Lastly, you’ll hear why failures in the creative process should instead be called “iterations on the path to success.” All that, plus, Adam reveals how long it takes him to come up with a truly new idea. 

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: Making Stuff, with Adam Savage.