Latest news with #MythBusters
Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
5 things that should be avoided during a thunderstorm
Thunderstorms can be exciting to watch as they offer a view of booming thunder, flashes of lightning, and the smell of rain in the air. But they're also one of nature's most dangerous weather events, especially when we don't take proper safety precautions. While most people know not to stand under a tree during a storm or to avoid open fields, there are a few lesser-known but equally risky behaviors that can put you in harm's way. Lightning doesn't have to strike you directly to hurt you. It can travel through water, wires, pipes, and even metal-made structures, reaching us in unexpected ways. But these dangers are easily avoidable once you know how to stay alert and avoid them. Here are some common things that one should avoid during and just after a thunderstorm. Don't touch anything wet Water doesn't attract lightning, but it's an excellent conductor. That means if lightning hits nearby, and you're in contact with something wet or in water you could be seriously injured. The National Weather Service warns against being in pools, lakes, or even touching wet surfaces during a storm. So, if there is a thunderstorm, it's best to dry off and head indoors. Being in water during a storm is never a safe place to be. Avoid using corded phones and plugged-in devices We should avoid using or touching a phone that is connected to a wire or is getting charged. According to the CDC, lightning can travel through phone and electrical lines, making that call potentially dangerous. The same goes for laptops, toasters, and any plugged-in device. Unplugging electronics during a storm is also risky, as it could lead to a shock. It is best to not use a smartphone that's charging and wait till the storm subsides. Don't go outside right after the storm Just because the rain stops doesn't mean the danger has passed. The CDC suggests following the '30-30' rule, which says, if you hear thunder within 30 seconds of seeing lightning, go indoors immediately. But one should not rush back out once it clears. It is always advisable to wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before going back outside. Lightning can strike from miles away even after a storm seems to have moved on. Stay away from concrete walls and floors Concrete might seem like a sturdy shelter, but it can actually be dangerous during a thunderstorm. That's because many concrete walls and floors have metal buildup, which conducts electricity. Leaning against a wall or sitting on a concrete floor during a storm could expose you to a lightning current. For maximum safety, one should stay away from all structural concrete until the storm fully passes. Don't take a shower or use running water Taking a shower during a thunderstorm may seem harmless, but it can actually be one of the riskiest things to do. If lightning strikes the home, it can travel through plumbing and give an electric shock to you. Even washing your hands or doing dishes increases your risk. As shown in an episode of MythBusters, a simulated lightning strike while showering ended in sparks and fire.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Mythbusters' Veterans Kari Byron and Tory Belleci to Launch ‘Mythfits' Podcast (Exclusive)
Two of the co-hosts of the popular Discovery Channel series Mythbusters are launching a podcast that will take listeners behind the scenes of the show, while also touching on topics relating to science, history, and culture. Kari Byron and Tory Belleci will host Mythfits, which will launch June 2, and is being produced by Pionaire Podcast Network. The show 'reunites the longtime collaborators as they revisit behind-the-scenes stories from their MythBusters days, explore bizarre theories, and dive into experiments and curiosities across science, history, and culture. Each episode invites listeners to off-the-record conversations fans always wanted to hear.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Golden Globes: Best Podcast Award Coming in 2026 The New York Times' 'The Daily' Hires Two New Co-Hosts to Join Michael Barbaro (Exclusive) Tribeca Festival Audio Storytelling Slate: 'This American Life' 30th Anniversary Celebration, Live Tapings With Sandra Oh, Allison Williams (Exclusive) Belleci and Byron also co-hosted the Netflix series White Rabbit Project. 'After decades of working together on wild and weird projects from blowing stuff up to scraping chicken guts off the ceiling, Tory is my favorite person to laugh and wax nostalgic with.' Byron said. 'I always thought the real show wasn't what y'all saw on tv but what happened when the cameras were off. I am so excited for the Mythfits Podcast!' 'It's everything fans loved about the MythBusters mayhem—plus behind-the-scenes stories, experiments that never aired, and all the chaos you didn't see. If you're a fan of the madness, you're going to love this,' Belleci added. 'Kari Byron and Tory Belleci went from blowing things up on MythBusters to blowing minds with their upcoming audio and video podcast, Mythfits,' said Mike Morse, president of Pionaire Podcast Network. 'We're thrilled to partner with Kari and Tory, who are armed with just enough knowledge to be dangerous—and deliver laughs while challenging everything you think you know about life.' Byron and Belleci are repped by Buchwald and crowdMGMT. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
7NEWS
20-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
AFL great Kane Cornes exposes Clayton Oliver myth: ‘He wasn't tagging'
The notion that out-of-sorts Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver has been reinvented as a tagger or run-with player is a complete 'myth', says Kane Cornes. After missing a game for wellbeing reasons, Oliver has returned to the team in the past fortnight and had roles on Hawthorn's Jai Newcombe and Brisbane's Lachie Neale in the past fortnight. (down on his season average of 24.9), while Neale touched it 30 times as the Demons pulled off one of the upsets of the season. Oliver was also solid in the Gabba boilover, helping himself to 23 possessions and a goal. The Agenda Setters host Craig Hutchison said on Monday there was a long way to go as the club reprogrammed the four time best-and-fairest winner, but it appeared to be working. 'Sometimes in life you have go backwards to go forwards,' Hutchison said. 'The reprogramming of him is on. I know he wasn't the best player on the ground on the weekend, and it was a good contest, but it has improved him.' Hutchison then turned to Cornes who, along with many others, has been a little critical of the move. 'I think you've gone too hard too early on this. This might be the thing that gets him back to where (he used to be),' Hutchison said to the Port Adelaide great. But Cornes was having none of it. 'There used to be a show called Myth Busters. It might still be a thing. There might be some reruns on this week,' Cornes said. 'But it is a myth that Clayton Oliver is tagging. It is merely a reference point.' Cornes then ran some vision of Oliver and Neale. 'So look at the room that Clayton Oliver gave Lachie Neale New York. So anyone who says that Clayton Oliver was tagging ... don't listen to them.' As AFL great Nick Riewoldt was about to join the conversation, a fired up Cornes quickly stopped him. 'Nick, don't challenge me on this,' Cornes said. Riewoldt responded: 'I'm not ... I was about to agree with you, Kane, if you took a breath.' Cornes continued: 'Let me describe what is going on. Do not let anyone tell you that Clayton Oliver is tagging Lachie Neale.' Riewoldt did say, however, he had spoken to coach Simon Goodwin ahead of the game and Goodwin said the Neale positioning was 'a starting point' for Oliver or a 'reference point'. 'I heard it,' said Cornes. 'But then I get after the game (from some people), 'Oh gee, (how good was Clayton Oliver)' .... and I read in the Herald Sun ... 'How good was Clayton Oliver tagging Lachie Neale'. 'He wasn't tagging and equally Lachie Neale showed him zero respect the other way, so it worked both ways.' Riewoldt said: 'It was a starting point and then a shootout.' Cornes: 'Maybe it was a strategy to allow Clayton Oliver some leg rope. But there was no tag. I had to mythbust that.' After the Cornes outburst, The Agenda Setters panel was in stitches. Veteran AFL journalist said to Cornes, 'You are exhausting.' And Hutchison said, Cornes was arguing with himself. 'Just when I thought there was no one left in football for you to argue with, you're now arguing with yourself,' Hutchison said. 'It's official, you've found you're last target ... yourself ... it's incredible .... it's Kane versus Kane.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Why are airline seats so small? It all started in 1978.
Earlier this year, while boarding a flight out of Houston, Texas, I noticed my slightly overfilled, bulging backpack wouldn't quite fit in the space between my feet. I bent down, trying to smoosh it into place—only to realize I couldn't actually reach the cabin floor without my face slamming into the seat in front of me. For a brief, heart-racing moment, I was stuck, looking like a MythBusters crash dummy bracing for impact. Were airline seats always this cramped? Or had I just gotten that much bigger? It turns out, I wasn't alone. Nearly everyone I've spoken to since has had a similar thought. Plane seats, they argue, have definitely gotten smaller. Experts interviewed by Popular Science confirm that hunch: some seats are indeed shrinking, even as passengers are, on average, getting larger. Meanwhile, airlines are capitalizing on minimal seat-size regulations to pack more people into each flight. The result? Higher revenues for top carriers and supposedly cheaper tickets. But experts warn that shrinking airplane seats may also come with potential health risks for some passengers. Worse still, smaller seats and fuller flights could make emergency evacuations more difficult—and potentially more dangerous. 'We've been extremely lucky,' American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow for Aviation and Travel William McGee told Popular Science. 'Americans are getting larger, the seats are getting tighter, the planes are getting fuller.' McGee has kept tabs on shifting seat sizes over the past two decades and says they are indeed getting more cramped. According to his analysis, American, Delta, Southwest, and United have each lost between 2 and 5 inches of legroom and around 2 inches of seat width since the 1980s. The average legroom on those carriers today is 31 inches, down from 35 inches in the late 20th century. There's even less room—just 28 inches—on budget airlines like Spirit and Europe's Wizz Air, McGee notes. This shrinking has occurred gradually over the years, a process he compares to the metaphor of a frog slowly boiling in water. 'They [airlines] just kept whittling it down until finally it got to the point where just about everybody noticed it.' Now, at full boil, travelers are increasingly complaining about an unreasonable lack of legroom and other basic comforts. As of 2022, according to the passenger rights organization FlyersRights, less than half of U.S. airline passengers can reasonably fit in economy seats—a figure that dips even lower for budget airlines. When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened a public comment period about seat sizes, it reportedly received more than 26,000 overwhelmingly negative responses describing seats as 'crammed,' 'miserable,' 'terrible,' and potentially hazardous to health. 'The average human can barely sit cross-armed and holding in all their parts as much as possible,' one commenter wrote, according to Forbes. Airplane seats are getting smaller just as Americans, on average, are getting larger. As of 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average U.S. adult weighs 15 pounds more than they did 30 years ago. Adult women now weigh roughly as much as men did in the late 1990s. Americans have also grown slightly taller during that time, though those increases have tapered off in recent years And yet, FlyersRights President Paul Hudson tells Popular Science that airline seats have remained shockingly similar (or smaller) in size since the 1960s. Hudson says the airline industry's lack of adjustment to changing body sizes is unique. 'Every other place where you look at the seating, the seats have gotten bigger to match the fact that people are getting bigger,' Hudson said. 'If you look at theaters, you look at automobile seats, [or] any other venue seats have gotten larger. Only on airlines have they gotten smaller. So they're going the opposite way from where the human body is going.' It might be hard to imagine now, but flying wasn't always so stress-inducing. Vanderbilt University law professor and researcher Ganesh Sitaraman attributes much of the airline industry's apparent dysfunction to one pivotal piece of legislation: the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. Until then, Sitaraman writes in his 2023 book Why Flying Is Miserable: And How to Fix It, the industry was dominated by a handful of major carriers, and basic services—not just safety—were heavily regulated. Tickets generally cost more than today's cheapest options, but they included many 'optional services,' such as checked baggage, that are now charged à la carte. Overall standards for seat comfort and customer service were also arguably higher. Unlike today, Sitaraman notes, airlines were regulated as a public utility, meaning they were treated differently from other everyday goods or services in a free market. That changed in 1978. Critics of the old system argued it created a cartel-like environment, where large, inefficient companies were able to consolidate due to a lack of competition. By deregulating, the theory went, more upstart airlines would enter the market leading to lower ticket prices and better service for consumers. That seemed to hold true, at least initially. Deregulation, Sitaraman notes, led to an initial 'major burst' of competition followed quickly by a 'wave of consolidation.' Wages across the industry declined, and less profitable routes to smaller cities were reduced or axed altogether. The promise of copious amounts of profitable new airlines, meanwhile, evaporated like jet fuel on a hot tarmac. Today, the 'Big Four' airlines (United, Delta, American, and Southwest) control around 80 percent of the US market. 'Deregulation was a transformative, radical, sweeping policy,' Sitaraman writes. 'In just a few short years, the airline industry went from being structurally regulated—entry, routes, prices—to deregulated…Fees are higher, seats are smaller, and the experience of flying seems to be getting worse.' [Related: ] Experts speaking with Popular Science say changes in the regulatory environment—along with the FAA's refusal to set minimum seat size requirements—are central to why airline seats continue to shrink. Today, with seats so cramped, it's become routine for airlines to charge passengers extra for 'upgraded' tiers of economy, with names like Economy Plus, which offer slightly more legroom and space. This system allows airlines to advertise rock-bottom base fares on booking sites like Expedia, while still pulling in more revenue from travelers willing to pay for a bit more comfort. All of that, McGee says, has created a dual-tier system of 'haves and have-nots,' with a small group of well-treated business travelers at the top and a much larger pool of infrequent fliers being nickel-and-dimed for seating space that used to be standard. 'The strategy is to make it so that you have a choice of torture class versus somewhat humane class,' Hudson added. Airlines for America, a trade group representing the major airlines, did not immediately respond to Popular Science's requests for comment but previously told CNN it considers safety a 'top priority.' 'Airlines continue to invest in a wide range of innovative technologies to maximize personal space in the cabin while maintaining a level of comfort passengers expect,' the group said in a statement sent to CNN. Though small seats may be a bearable nuisance on short flights, both McGee and Hudson warn they could become potentially dangerous on longer hauls of five hours or more. Prolonged sitting in cramped conditions, they say, increases the risk of blood clots—particularly for people with obesity. In rare cases, those clots can lead to serious conditions like pulmonary embolism or venous thromboembolism. CDC guidelines recommend passengers move around every two to three hours to reduce this risk, but anyone who's flown through extended turbulence knows that's often easier said than done. But experts said smaller, cramped seats also risk making it harder to safely evacuate planes during emergencies. FAA regulations require airlines to demonstrate that a full plane can be evacuated in 90 seconds. That's challenging under ideal conditions, but today's crowded cabins make it even harder. Flights are more packed than ever—partly because of smaller seats—and with standard bag fees, there's now more carry-on luggage crammed into overhead bins and under seats. Add in service animals, loose phone chargers, and other cabin clutter, and you have what McGee describes as a potential recipe for disaster. 'If you look at all of these factors, the fact is that the challenge of safely evacuating a plane in a life and death emergency keeps increasing,' McGee said. The FAA, the airline industry's top regulator, has the authority to mandate a minimum seat size if it determines that cramped seating contributes to safety risks, like longer evacuation times. In 2019, the agency conducted a test simulation of an emergency evacuation to answer that question and concluded that 'seat size and spacing did not adversely affect the success of emergency evacuations.' 'Following extensive reviews, studies and input from public comments, the FAA determined that new seat-dimension regulations are not necessary for passenger safety,' an FAA spokesperson told Popular Science. 'The FAA will continue to study real-world evacuations to inform its future decisions and will convene an Aviation Rulemaking Committee to examine potential improvements to evacuation standards.' But Paul Hudson, who sat on a committee that observed the simulation in person, takes issue with the test's methodology. The simulation, he claims, was conducted in a mock-up structure set up in a parking lot—not in an actual aircraft—and did not include any volunteers over the age of 60, children under 18, or people with physical disabilities. The test was also conducted in groups of 60 individuals, far fewer than the average full commercial flight. According to Hudson, it also excluded individuals over 250 pounds—a significant segment of the U.S. population that often struggles with standard seat sizes. He's not alone in his concerns. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth reiterated Hudson's criticisms and even introduced legislation in 2022 urging the FAA to revise its emergency evacuation testing procedures to better reflect real-world conditions. 'Imagine being on a crowded flight when the worst-case scenario happens: the crew tells you that you have 90 seconds to evacuate—but how can more than 150 passengers on a crowded flight actually safely evacuate in less time than it takes to brush your teeth?' Duckworth said in a statement. McGee echoed that sentiment in blunter terms. 'It was a very half-ass study,' he said It's unclear whether individual airlines—or the FAA—have any intention of changing their approach to seat sizes anytime soon. In the meantime, experts say there are a few steps passengers can take to give themselves a bit more breathing room. For starters, McGee says travelers who can afford to upgrade to tiers like Economy Plus should consider doing so, especially for longer flights. Larger passengers have also, for years, opted to purchase multiple adjacent seats, and some airlines will even try to actively accommodate those requests. That approach, McGee says it's worth noting, is risky. Even if someone buys two seats assuming they'll be side by side, airlines often reserve the right to alter seat placement up until departure. Hudson, meanwhile, recommends that passengers take every opportunity they can to stand up and move around the cabin. He personally makes a habit of getting up whenever someone else in his row does, whether he originally planned to or not, noting that such opportunities can be unpredictable. Hudson also advises individuals who believe they may be at risk of clotting to consider taking over-the-counter blood thinners before flying to reduce that risk. At the end of the day, he says, travelers need to use their best judgment to counteract the potential health effects of being confined in cramped conditions for extended periods. 'Our bodies were not built to be sitting for a long, for hours on end in confined spaces,' Hudson said. This story is part of Popular Science's Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something you've always wanted to know? Ask us.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'MythBusters' star Adam Savage explores longevity and life hacks: 'There's no magic secret'
Former "MythBusters" star Adam Savage is exploring the science of longevity, asking how lifestyle choices, stress and even sleep affect how long we live. Savage, now a YouTube creator and head of the channel Tested, has partnered with health technology company Medtronic to engage in discussions about longevity. While not a researcher himself, he has taken a deep dive into scientific insights from experts and reflected on his own experiences. "Longevity has always been a fascination for me," Savage told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "I mean, who doesn't want to know how to live better and maybe even longer? But the real question is what actually works?" Humanoid Robot Stuns With Perfect Side-flip Acrobatics He credits his "MythBusters" experience with fueling his passion for scientific exploration. "Making that show legitimized the practice of science and engineering to me," Savage said. "It made me realize how much of our world can be tested, questioned and improved through experimentation." Read On The Fox News App Through his discussions with people on the street for Medtronic, Savage has uncovered key lifestyle factors affecting longevity. He noted a cultural shift in what we consider to be old age, highlighting that people today consider themselves "young-ish" for longer. Savage also pointed to Blue Zones, regions known for long life expectancy, but questioned whether longevity there stems simply from location or cultural practices. "We assume people in these areas live longer because of where they are, but what if it's really just the way they live? That's the part that fascinates me," he said. Ai Enables Paralyzed Man To Control Robotic Arm With Brain Signals "There's no magic secret. It's a mix of daily habits — what you eat, how you move, how you interact with your community, how you handle stress. All those things matter." Savage has taken a personal interest in testing different longevity strategies in his own life. He spoke candidly with Fox News Digital about his journey with intermittent fasting, which helped him lose 25 pounds and eliminate sleep apnea. "It's crazy how much of a difference it made," he said. "I didn't just lose weight. I felt sharper, I slept better and I stopped snoring. It was like flipping a switch on my health." He also reflected on his past smoking habits and what it took to quit. "I had to admit I wasn't smoking for enjoyment," Savage said. "I was just doing it out of habit. Once I realized that, it was easy to quit." On alcohol, Savage dismissed the idea of a universal approach, arguing that studies conflict. While he personally cut back, he emphasized that people shouldn't feel guilty about their lifestyle choices. "I'm a big believer in not feeling guilty about the things that you do to the core, whether it's smoking, whether it's watching something dumb or puzzling for 100 hours at a time," he said. "I don't care about any of those. We all do these things to sort of bring relaxation and down regulate. I just think that alcohol is an especially poor down regulator in the final analysis." Beyond lifestyle choices, medical advancements are playing an increasingly critical role in extending both lifespan and "healthspan," the years we live without serious disease. Medtronic, which focuses on healthcare technology globally, has developed medical devices designed to manage chronic conditions, improve heart health and advance minimally invasive surgeries. According to Medtronic, as people live longer, the focus is shifting toward enhancing not just lifespan but quality of life. The company's latest innovations include artificial intelligence-driven healthcare monitoring, robotic-assisted surgeries and advanced pacemakers, all aimed at improving long-term health outcomes. Savage also spoke about the psychological aspects of aging, emphasizing that mindset and community play a significant role in longevity. "That's really what science foreshadowing is," added Savage. "It's about asking these questions and seeing, 'OK, what numbers are unrealistic.' I think 40 years ago, 150 would have seemed radically unrealistic. Today it seems more realistic, and I think it's entirely reasonable that, let's say, by 2040, we may all have a different cultural answer to that question."Original article source: 'MythBusters' star Adam Savage explores longevity and life hacks: 'There's no magic secret'
