Who wouldnt be? Adam had a forrest gump life..poking around in all sorts of todays pop culture, met celebrities and the president..only thing missing is a medal of honor 😂
It's always great when you have someone you look up to as someone cool and you see them get excited about the people they think are cool. It shows we're all just a bunch of nerds for each other.
I met Ricky when I was working at a newspaper that he was being interviewed by. He sat down with me and made a card that I had independently chosen appear in the wallet that never left my pocket. That kind of close up magic absolutely floors me.
Adam has to be up there as one of the most humble people you'll ever meet. He never seems to miss an opportunity to sing other people's praises or marvel in what they have accomplished.
When he got to the Humble individual portion of the video, I had no idea who it would be......Yet I knew for sure who it would NOT be ---->>> Neil Degras Tyson, Christopher Hitchens, Matt Dilahaughty and Richard Dawkins.
“I need to replumb my compressor lines” love how you have the same sort of problems the rest of us regular people have. Problems that we know won’t go away on their own. Oh well… one day I’ll get around to it
Tip: use both teflon tape AND pipe dope on top of that, then don't be shy to tighten those tapered threads down...especially in 1/2" and bigger, they take way more torque and will seal better if you get em' good and tight. Also, ball valves for shutoffs everywhere!
@@SomeGuysGarage I just got a brand new compressor and need to plumb my home shop and I agree with the thing about ball valves, pipe dope and Teflon tape. When I've had to plumb a compressor for work a few times I also made sure that I put quick couplers every 10 ft or so cuz I hate having to drag a long hose around the shop and let it get all filthy. I will surely be doing that here.
NGL, I first had a mental image of Adam holding a plumb bob to make sure it was properly plumb, questioned myself what difference THAT would make, then getting the Aha! moment of the OTHER definition of 'plumbing'.
I build satellites for a living and have been a programmer for 45 years. I use that 'writing it down' phrase ALL THE TIME. Really glad to know the actual source (I thought Adam had come up with it!).
@@AngelusNielson Neither he claims to have. The sentence is from The Dungeonmaster (originally Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate and Digital Knights). He acknowledged that.
I love it as well, and bust it out anytime someone doesn't consider them a scientist... Because honestly, doing science and being a scientist, doesn't REQUIRE you to have a fancy and expensive degree, or to work at a prestigious or high paying job. You can be a scientist and do meaningful work as long as you do it methodically and write everything down! In this day and age, I still use it for anyone recording videos, attributing "writing it down" to any means of documenting entering, to which recording video if definitely a valid method in my eyes! _(usually people are talking, to offset not seeing what's being used, etc, which would ordinarily be noted on paper)_
I love Adam‘s enthusiasm for everything. He’s still the same goofy joyful person that he was when the show started. It was one of a few shows (plus Bill Nye the science guy show years earlier) that I could get my kids to consistently watch TV with me together.
I wasn't expecting Ricky Jay to be discussed. The documentary about him, "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" has had an outsized effect on the trajectory of my life. I'm not actually interested in pursuing magic or trickery, but he really was a fascinating character, and the way he spoke of his grandfather and other mentors really got me thinking about what it takes to become excellent at something. As always, I love hearing your thoughts on life and your personal experiences.
Thank you for the story on how the "writing it down" phrase came about, that is such a great phrase this clip needs to be saved for posterity so the origin is never forgotten. :)
I read something similar in a magazine article, where the writer talked about his son who wanted to do an experiement involving fire. He told the boy that he could go ahead, but he had to write down the result. Otherwise it's not science, it's arson. I don't remember if it was before Mythbusters, but ever since reading that I've made sure my office has a good supply of notebooks.
I'm a Highschool Research teacher and I have been inspired by your work with the rest of the ILM and Mythbusters crew. Just last week, I am incorporating shorts and clips of the show into my lessons and teaching my students all about the "creative process of science." Now though, I think I need to amend the quote to add Alexander Jason. Once again, Thank you for continuing to tell amazing stories.
10:00 I don't remember the episode about richoceting a bullet off the ground, but mythbusters did end up being a source of inspiration for me to be an engineer, which ultimately led to being a flight test engineer where I got to watch tracer bullets at night richoeting off the ground, so in a way I did see it!
The New Yorker did several very long articles (as is their wont) about and/or with Ricky Jay over the decades. Every one is filled with fascinating details and discussions, and I always wondered how much got cut for length. He is one of the most interesting people to have ever lived, not because of anything world-changing, but because of his perspectives and his unbounded curiosity, his willingness to both teach and to learn, and his humility in all things.
My dad is a magician and even just growing up adjacent to that world makes me think about everything differently. And the magic castle is truly amazing
"Cards As Weapons" by Ricky Jay is on the Internet Archive. I took a look. Not "all" the pictures are topless women, but a few are. There is also a picture with the hilarious caption "Emmylou Harris defends herself against the too-tenacious members of the Fourth Estate by firing a card from her guitar". This is apparently a photo of Ms. Harris strumming her guitar with a playing card, and a cameraman is in the picture. I'll have to read the entire book; it seems to walk the fine lines between parody, nonsense and instruction.
There's a 50-hour trivia contest run by a college radio station in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The team I've been a part of for 30+ years is called "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women." We always had a copy of Ricky Jay's book at our team house.
Ricky Jay was one of the most amazing card technicians and an expert card thrower. Very nice and humble guy and so open to showing a young magician the mechanics. Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing the Ricky Jay story, Adam! I found Cards as Weapons with a friend in my high school years. We dedicated ourselves to learning the technique :) . We always wondered about the naked women, so thanks for answering a decades old mystery for me :)
When Adam said he had met some famous people, I instantly thought jadedly I bet he’ll say president Obama, chuckled when he did and then sat in stunned disbelief when he followed it up with sitting next to Mr. Wizard at a dinner. I mean, meeting a president, neat, but Mr. Wizard was a person who had great effect on my childhood and adolescence. As a child I was fascinated with his tv show. We didn’t have cable growing up, but my grandmother did. So she would record every episode for me on the vcr and it was something I could watch on tv when I visited my grandparents. At the time I appreciated having something I could watch, when I got older I appreciated the act of recording it. It showed how she thought of me when I wasn’t there and I appreciate the regular interruption of their schedule to accommodate me. From buying multiple tapes, keeping up with the schedule and ensuring she was at home to record and allotting time to have the tv on the channel for that period of time for recording. Mr. Wizard not only taught me science and kept my curiosity engaged, but helped me understand the love of my family.
Don Herbert, AKA Mr. Wizard, made my childhood. I saw the original shows in the 1960s on PBS in the days before Sesame Street appeared (1969) and bought his book. Did everything in it. He's part, a large part, of why I became a science educator once my IT career ended.
You can clearly see how much Rick J is admired by Adam, even now. Growing up, Adam was an iconic person for a lot of us, and we would be even more so blown away that we got to see Adam than how excited he is about seeing Ricky J. Somehow, he still is in awe that some magician that probably not many outside of the magician circles knows Ricky J's name. No disrespect meant at all, and I could be wrong. Yet almost the entire country knows who Adam is. Adam Savage is solid name that we all know and smile when we hear it. Like seriously, if somene goes into their office tomorrow and says that name "Adam Savage", you know there will be people that smile when they think about what Adam got to do for all those years. Especially a lot of us guys that loved watching the stuff with explosives!!! Adam, you're truly an inspiration for those of us to be ourselves and be the biggest fan of our own avenues, like magic is for you! Thank you, for being you!
Thank you Adam. Its amazing watching someone that gets genuinely excited giving praise and credit to things that could so easily be taken. This video made my day so I say again thank you to you and your team for doing what you do its apricated.
_Cards As Weapons_ came out in 1977, and _Learned Pigs_ in 1986. Adam is misremembering, and since I have not seen either book in decades, I do not recall which of them (or both) had the topless women. But it might relieve your whiplash if you remember that stage magicians tend to be heavily employed in Las Vegas.
Nah, he's Kurt from Boogie Nights. -"No, hey, gotcha. You've gotta go somewhere...so hey, wtf? It's only the photography of the movie we're talking about.." -"Are you giving me shit, Kurt?"
I remember when the MB episode aired, I was like "wait, wasn't he one of the baddies in Tomorrow Never Dies?" (the 2nd Bond film with Pierce Brosnan) and looking it up to find that, yes, yes he was.
I somehow didn't make the connection until reading another comment here quoting a line in "mystery men" and something about the tone immediately made me think of that character, and lo and behold it was him lmao
Hi Adam I have just recently been introducing my daughter who has adhd/autism and its so good she lives it just as much as I do. It's great to see all the trial and error and the work that goes into each myth
I first discovered Ricky Jay from his HBO Special "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" and it was one of the most entertaining and mesmerizing experiences I've enjoyed to this day.
I had already seen a BBC documentary about him (it's on TH-cam, though the recording is pretty rough) so in 1999, when I heard he was performing in London, I grabbed a ticket. He was doing that particular show. I remember it was a great performance - so good to find that now there are recordings online.
I loved seeing him in it, but you know who I would've liked to see even more? The founding member of the team... Ut! Oh well, the world wasn't and still isn't ready for Flaming Carrot.
The sad thing about Popoff is despite being exposed as a fraud and a con artists, he continued to defraud people doing the same thing and is making millions. If you can latch onto a person's faith and refusal to think critically you can take them for everything they have. :(
I caught a quick glimpse of Ricky Jay in profile on this video. It made me wonder if I had seen him before. It turns out that I had, on the movie Mystery Men. He was Captain Amazing's publicist.
Man, Ricky Jay was the best. I've watched "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" more times than I count! How awesome that you had such wonderful experiences with him!
Ricky Jay has a great display at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. That museum is something I always suggest to visitors of Los Angeles; few ever go. If you go, you are someone special.
Crazy enough, my own father almost made it on an episode of Mythbusters once. He is a specialist in dust explosions and was going to consult on an episode about coffee creamer explosions/fireballs or something of the like, but something in scheduling went wrong last minute (not certain exactly what happened) and he never did end up getting to be on it, but he still talks about it whenever Mythbusters comes up in conversation. So close to greatness.
I remember seeing Ricky Jay throwing cards on some TV show in the early 80's and sticking them into the watermelons and various other tricks and immediately began doing the same. I never really got to that level but I still do it on occasion just to screw around.
I love hearing these stories. You tell them so well, it is the mark of a true entertainer. I just watched the bullet episode last week, that you were talking about here. I was shocked to see how much energy the bullet had after impacting the black top. It went through a sheet of metal! Impressive.
Wow! I had no idea that Adam knows Michael Webber! I've gotten to know literally thousands of magicians over the years, and Michael Webber is by far the smartest, most creative/original and knowledgeable magician I know. I'd love to see more episodes about Adam's interaction with magicians.
What a great story. As someone who has been juggling for 20+ years, and competed at the International level, I love this feeling of connecting across time to before I was even born with Adam visiting the still ongoing convention. Awesome stuff!
I only know about him from seeing him in the James Bond movie. Had to think about it for a bit trying to remember where I remembered him from. "Is the missile ready to fire?" "Press the magic button Benji disappears" "Then it seems you've outlived your contract". lol
The Ricky Jay/Dai Vernon connection was magical indeed. If you've not read it, "The Magician and the Card Shark" is an absolutely fascinating history of Vernon's search for a card cheat who mastered the center deal, which was thought to be impossible by every magician who ever worked with cards. Turns out, with only a few years of practicing it every day for 10 hours, it is indeed possible! And he taught it to Ricky Jay.
Juggling conventions are awesome! I don't do much juggling anymore, as I was just learning a new skill and didn't keep at it. But to see a huge room or gym full of people juggling was awe-inspiring.
1. I knew Ricky Jay as a James Bond Villian henceman. But his real life seems crazier than fiction! 2. I also had no idea of his background at all until re-watching Mythbusters later on and spotting him. 4. Part of me would love tp know more about the history of Magic. But part of me doesn't want to peek behind the curtain.
Great show Adam! I very much enjoy the experiences. I admit that with my own issues I struggle to watch the work you do sometimes, but I love the results. This is the second time I've heard him say that thing about "show me the money." I don't know which story is accurate, but I read an interview with Cameron Crowe when Jerry Maguire came out and he said that he thought "The Quan" was going to be a thing and not "Show me the money."
The science and writing it down was a great quote. There were a lot over the years. I made a couple of T-shirts with Mythbusters quotes. One of the best-sellers was, "Failure is ALWAYS an option". Another was, "We always use the blue rope!". I forget which myth, but Grant and Tory were arguing over which color rope to use (one was stronger than the other). The one they used, which wasn't blue, snapped. Hence the quote.
I got to meet him when he was doing a special in the Local DC Theater where I was working. I was on stage with him for the staff run watching his 3 card work. Since I knew what to look for, I was. And I barely caught it. Because of what it was I went with the 'trick'. Was a wonderful gentleman. He also demonstrated one of his mechanicals(?) which was wonderous and wonderful.
And now I know the origin of my favorite line Adam said in the first half of the time the show ran 😂 Glad I got to see Mythbusters from season one to the end… defined a large chunk of my childhood.
OK dammit. You know how to tell I'm a fan? You said that quote, and I almost teared up. What an awesome story to end up at a signature moment. Beautiful!!
Ricky Jay played a character called Henry Gupta in the 1997 James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" I never knew that he could throw playing cards. Until I saw a deleted scene where he was actually throwing playing cards into something. I can't remember what he was throwing them into though. But the scene ultimately didn't make it into the film
Adam made the hair on my legs and arms and back stand up when he talked about his experience when he entered the juggling convention. I knew how to juggle three balls in a regular and reverse cascade and then I was at a local weekly juggling meeting. And now I'm hooked.
When you stood up to turn off your compressor, just after mentioning Ricky Jay, I absolutely expected it to be a setup into a magic trick. I thought just as you went off frame you were going to appear on the other side of your desk 😅
As a professional magician I'm loving this episode. And Dai Vernon was amazing. Derren Brown (uk based mentalist) wrote a book for magicians just as he made it big. He talks about a similar change in philosophy. Magicians used to display themselves as petty gods, omnipotent but trivial. Dai was the start fo the change that Derren then continued, Magicians stopped being gods and became heroes, all be it heroes in thier own mind.
I love that phrase about the difference between science and a rewin around. I work in production and have to break test as lot of parts! Sometimes they break chaotically and makes me think of that line all the time.
The second I heard RJ's name I lit up. I am certain that, in many ways, my fascination with the way that humans can be tricked by their own brains really took form when I saw "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants." I'd grown up watching illusionists aplenty, but that's when I began to really recognize that I was more drawn to the Vernon-side of stage magic than grandiose stunts with elaborate stage drama. On a side note, since I've never seen "Tenet," so Adam's whole clipboard thing took me aback. Made me wonder if the Tenet writer saw "The Paper" in 1994 or if this "Clipboard Theory" is a lot older than I realized. McDougal (Randy Quaid): Here's your damn clipboard. The next time you want office supplies... Henry (Michael Keaton): Keep the clipboard. The clipboard's for you. A clipboard and a confident wave will get you into any building in the world. The clipboard in question then gets them into a NYC police precinct, while the entire force is on high-alert. :) If you haven't seen "The Paper" I cannot recommend it highly enough. I've easily seen it 1000 times.
I saw the title of this video and knew the answer right away. In fact I've been waiting since he died to hear you talk about him. Ricky told a lot of stories and it's hard to believe all of them could be true. His whole life was a magic trick and even if you couldn't be sure what was real you were still left amazed by having experienced a bit of it.
For the record, the book Cards as Weapons Ricky Jay (1977) is on Internet Archive in its entirety. There's really only 4 pages with the naked (not just topless, but her legs are crossed) woman, but they're mostly the ones showing throwing technique, so they're important.
Oh, yeah. That took me back to my first juggling convention, which was at Hampshire college in Amherst MA. The convention floor was a basketball court, but the entrance was one floor up, and there was a balcony overlooking the convention floor... so you get about six feet away, and *then* look down at more jugglers in one place than you've ever seen in your life. If you're a juggler and you've never been to a convention, find one and make the pilgrimage. It is fracking magical.
I was a tech theater student in college and one of the actors wanted to become a stage magician. He said that acting was the second most important part right behind the magic it’s self.
Please tell me that the bomb squads and fire departments, and all of the special "supervisory" guests had fun helping on the show. It looked like that to me. Frank Doyle used to frequent the electronics store my ex worked at, he was the sweetest guy.
Wow, I knew a surprising amount of those references that i'm "too young" for, without needing his explanation... Because this video ran across so many of my interests and (sometimes former) hobbies...
No need to apologise for bouncing all over the place. You're one of the few human beings, other than me, that commands my attention for any longer than 2 minutes.
Why is Adam so enjoyable? Because he so full of gratitude for his life, his friends, and what he was able to do. Its wonderful to watch ❤
Who wouldnt be? Adam had a forrest gump life..poking around in all sorts of todays pop culture, met celebrities and the president..only thing missing is a medal of honor 😂
Had or has?
plus his enthusiasm is infectious. the day adam is bummed out visibly to the public the world will shed a tear.
It's always great when you have someone you look up to as someone cool and you see them get excited about the people they think are cool. It shows we're all just a bunch of nerds for each other.
😂he’s a savage!!!!
I have "the only difference between science and screwing around is writing it down" taped to the front of the lab notebook I used for my PhD
Ricky Jay said the trick to embedding playing cards in a watermelon is convincing the audience that the watermelon is tougher than it is
I met Ricky when I was working at a newspaper that he was being interviewed by. He sat down with me and made a card that I had independently chosen appear in the wallet that never left my pocket. That kind of close up magic absolutely floors me.
I wonder at what point he lifted your wallet off you😂 probably the handshake
Ricky leaves his house with a trick on his mind to do to a random someone he might meet lol
@ChriaM-uk7wn I haven't a clue. Whenever he did it, he was really subtle. And how he got it back in my pocket, I may never know.
That is a great trick. Many years ago, I used to do that in a lady's purse. A wallet would be much harder.
Lucky
Adam has to be up there as one of the most humble people you'll ever meet. He never seems to miss an opportunity to sing other people's praises or marvel in what they have accomplished.
When he got to the Humble individual portion of the video, I had no idea who it would be......Yet I knew for sure who it would NOT be ---->>> Neil Degras Tyson, Christopher Hitchens, Matt Dilahaughty and Richard Dawkins.
“I need to replumb my compressor lines” love how you have the same sort of problems the rest of us regular people have. Problems that we know won’t go away on their own. Oh well… one day I’ll get around to it
Tip: use both teflon tape AND pipe dope on top of that, then don't be shy to tighten those tapered threads down...especially in 1/2" and bigger, they take way more torque and will seal better if you get em' good and tight. Also, ball valves for shutoffs everywhere!
This is so relatable. The number of times I've been in the house and heard the air compressor kick on in the shop and groaned. 😂
@@SomeGuysGarage I just got a brand new compressor and need to plumb my home shop and I agree with the thing about ball valves, pipe dope and Teflon tape. When I've had to plumb a compressor for work a few times I also made sure that I put quick couplers every 10 ft or so cuz I hate having to drag a long hose around the shop and let it get all filthy. I will surely be doing that here.
NGL, I first had a mental image of Adam holding a plumb bob to make sure it was properly plumb, questioned myself what difference THAT would make, then getting the Aha! moment of the OTHER definition of 'plumbing'.
I'll do it tomorrow
Adam's bright-eyed young at heart admiration of the people who have impacted his life is so refreshing.
I build satellites for a living and have been a programmer for 45 years. I use that 'writing it down' phrase ALL THE TIME. Really glad to know the actual source (I thought Adam had come up with it!).
Adam also didn't come up with "I reject your reality and substitute my own."
@@AngelusNielson Neither he claims to have.
The sentence is from The Dungeonmaster (originally Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate and Digital Knights).
He acknowledged that.
@@avelord6135 I never claimed Adam claimed the origin of the phrase, just that it's not originally his.
I love it as well, and bust it out anytime someone doesn't consider them a scientist... Because honestly, doing science and being a scientist, doesn't REQUIRE you to have a fancy and expensive degree, or to work at a prestigious or high paying job.
You can be a scientist and do meaningful work as long as you do it methodically and write everything down! In this day and age, I still use it for anyone recording videos, attributing "writing it down" to any means of documenting entering, to which recording video if definitely a valid method in my eyes! _(usually people are talking, to offset not seeing what's being used, etc, which would ordinarily be noted on paper)_
@@AngelusNielsondon't crush my illusions... I just came up with that
I love Adam‘s enthusiasm for everything. He’s still the same goofy joyful person that he was when the show started. It was one of a few shows (plus Bill Nye the science guy show years earlier) that I could get my kids to consistently watch TV with me together.
I wasn't expecting Ricky Jay to be discussed. The documentary about him, "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" has had an outsized effect on the trajectory of my life. I'm not actually interested in pursuing magic or trickery, but he really was a fascinating character, and the way he spoke of his grandfather and other mentors really got me thinking about what it takes to become excellent at something. As always, I love hearing your thoughts on life and your personal experiences.
Thank you for the story on how the "writing it down" phrase came about, that is such a great phrase this clip needs to be saved for posterity so the origin is never forgotten. :)
I read something similar in a magazine article, where the writer talked about his son who wanted to do an experiement involving fire. He told the boy that he could go ahead, but he had to write down the result. Otherwise it's not science, it's arson.
I don't remember if it was before Mythbusters, but ever since reading that I've made sure my office has a good supply of notebooks.
You said Randi and Popoff and I thought, That was him?!
I'm a Highschool Research teacher and I have been inspired by your work with the rest of the ILM and Mythbusters crew. Just last week, I am incorporating shorts and clips of the show into my lessons and teaching my students all about the "creative process of science." Now though, I think I need to amend the quote to add Alexander Jason.
Once again, Thank you for continuing to tell amazing stories.
10:00 I don't remember the episode about richoceting a bullet off the ground, but mythbusters did end up being a source of inspiration for me to be an engineer, which ultimately led to being a flight test engineer where I got to watch tracer bullets at night richoeting off the ground, so in a way I did see it!
Ricky Jay, what a legend! One of the most talented and, by all accounts, nicest guys.
The New Yorker did several very long articles (as is their wont) about and/or with Ricky Jay over the decades. Every one is filled with fascinating details and discussions, and I always wondered how much got cut for length. He is one of the most interesting people to have ever lived, not because of anything world-changing, but because of his perspectives and his unbounded curiosity, his willingness to both teach and to learn, and his humility in all things.
My dad is a magician and even just growing up adjacent to that world makes me think about everything differently. And the magic castle is truly amazing
If you don't mind the question, like how do you think differently? How so because of being close to that world?
"Cards As Weapons" by Ricky Jay is on the Internet Archive. I took a look. Not "all" the pictures are topless women, but a few are. There is also a picture with the hilarious caption "Emmylou Harris defends herself against the too-tenacious members of the Fourth Estate by firing a card from her guitar". This is apparently a photo of Ms. Harris strumming her guitar with a playing card, and a cameraman is in the picture. I'll have to read the entire book; it seems to walk the fine lines between parody, nonsense and instruction.
Thanks for pointing out that it’s available too see in the Archive.
@@davidwilliams1060 it'll be gone shortly thanks to Chuck Wendig
There's a 50-hour trivia contest run by a college radio station in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The team I've been a part of for 30+ years is called "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women." We always had a copy of Ricky Jay's book at our team house.
You were absolutely right about the "writing it down" quote becoming a thing. I loved it so much I added it to my lecture slides when I became a prof!
I just heard the phrase bounced around in French between two engineers i work with. The thing has gotten wings so large, they transcend language.
Ricky Jay was one of the most amazing card technicians and an expert card thrower. Very nice and humble guy and so open to showing a young magician the mechanics. Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing.
I also enjoyed Ricky Jay from a young age. I still miss him and miss what now feels like better times. Thanks Adam for this episode.
You did not butcher anything about the history of the professor. Spot on.
Thank you for sharing the Ricky Jay story, Adam! I found Cards as Weapons with a friend in my high school years. We dedicated ourselves to learning the technique :) . We always wondered about the naked women, so thanks for answering a decades old mystery for me :)
When Adam said he had met some famous people, I instantly thought jadedly I bet he’ll say president Obama, chuckled when he did and then sat in stunned disbelief when he followed it up with sitting next to Mr. Wizard at a dinner. I mean, meeting a president, neat, but Mr. Wizard was a person who had great effect on my childhood and adolescence. As a child I was fascinated with his tv show. We didn’t have cable growing up, but my grandmother did. So she would record every episode for me on the vcr and it was something I could watch on tv when I visited my grandparents. At the time I appreciated having something I could watch, when I got older I appreciated the act of recording it. It showed how she thought of me when I wasn’t there and I appreciate the regular interruption of their schedule to accommodate me. From buying multiple tapes, keeping up with the schedule and ensuring she was at home to record and allotting time to have the tv on the channel for that period of time for recording. Mr. Wizard not only taught me science and kept my curiosity engaged, but helped me understand the love of my family.
that's so fucking beautiful ;')
Don Herbert, AKA Mr. Wizard, made my childhood. I saw the original shows in the 1960s on PBS in the days before Sesame Street appeared (1969) and bought his book. Did everything in it. He's part, a large part, of why I became a science educator once my IT career ended.
great story telling! I love finding out about the vast, and fascinating, back story of a person I am only mildly familiar with. Thanks!
Could not agree more about Ricky Jay. He is in the Mamet movie, "The Spanish Prisoner." An absolute joy the whole 110 minutes.
Yep! I was coming here to make the same recommendation.
Also has a huge part in Mamet's House of Games.
3:37 seeing that screenshot of season 1 mythbusters brought me back to when i first started watching the show as a kid!!
You can clearly see how much Rick J is admired by Adam, even now. Growing up, Adam was an iconic person for a lot of us, and we would be even more so blown away that we got to see Adam than how excited he is about seeing Ricky J. Somehow, he still is in awe that some magician that probably not many outside of the magician circles knows Ricky J's name. No disrespect meant at all, and I could be wrong. Yet almost the entire country knows who Adam is. Adam Savage is solid name that we all know and smile when we hear it. Like seriously, if somene goes into their office tomorrow and says that name "Adam Savage", you know there will be people that smile when they think about what Adam got to do for all those years. Especially a lot of us guys that loved watching the stuff with explosives!!!
Adam, you're truly an inspiration for those of us to be ourselves and be the biggest fan of our own avenues, like magic is for you! Thank you, for being you!
Thank you Adam. Its amazing watching someone that gets genuinely excited giving praise and credit to things that could so easily be taken. This video made my day so I say again thank you to you and your team for doing what you do its apricated.
When he said the pictures were of topless woman, that was like an ultimate whiplash for a second
As a straight-out marketing move, I think it was brilliant. GUARANTEED, people would buy the book, for one reason or another.
_Cards As Weapons_ came out in 1977, and _Learned Pigs_ in 1986. Adam is misremembering, and since I have not seen either book in decades, I do not recall which of them (or both) had the topless women. But it might relieve your whiplash if you remember that stage magicians tend to be heavily employed in Las Vegas.
@@somercet1 that did remedy it by bit ngl
I found cards as weapons online and there’s less than 7 images haha. it wasn’t like a porno
We have went full circle back into puritans.
I love the comparison of science and screwing around! So much that I wrote it down. Tested should sell t-shirts of that.
Only recently found out full episodes are being uploaded to YT by the official MB channel. Love love love watching them again.
As soon as I saw the photo of Ricky-Jay I knew who he was, but I remember him most as The Amazing Maleeni from The X Files.
Nah, he's Kurt from Boogie Nights.
-"No, hey, gotcha. You've gotta go somewhere...so hey, wtf? It's only the photography of the movie we're talking about.."
-"Are you giving me shit, Kurt?"
I remember when the MB episode aired, I was like "wait, wasn't he one of the baddies in Tomorrow Never Dies?" (the 2nd Bond film with Pierce Brosnan) and looking it up to find that, yes, yes he was.
I somehow didn't make the connection until reading another comment here quoting a line in "mystery men" and something about the tone immediately made me think of that character, and lo and behold it was him lmao
Thanks!
Hi Adam I have just recently been introducing my daughter who has adhd/autism and its so good she lives it just as much as I do. It's great to see all the trial and error and the work that goes into each myth
I so enjoy these tales that you weave. Gives great insight and context to what MythBusters was all about.
It is wonderful that you got to meet so many amazing people through the show.
Acting is one of those things that when you are really good at it, everyone thinks it’s easy.
It's also one of those things that when people are not good at it but still make gobs of money, everyone thinks it must be easy
@@TheGreatAtario Then for many, tragic heartbreaking consequences happen... or worse... :(
I love how Adam goes the extra mile to avoid offending others.
That quote of the difference between science and screwing around was an INSTANT classic!
I first discovered Ricky Jay from his HBO Special "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" and it was one of the most entertaining and mesmerizing experiences I've enjoyed to this day.
I had already seen a BBC documentary about him (it's on TH-cam, though the recording is pretty rough) so in 1999, when I heard he was performing in London, I grabbed a ticket. He was doing that particular show. I remember it was a great performance - so good to find that now there are recordings online.
Thanks for telling us. I'm downloading the show now.
"What do I look like, a magician?"
-Ricky Jay, Mystery Men
"I'm a limey fork flinger, mother!" (not Ricky, but it involved throwing things)
I love that movie.
I loved seeing him in it, but you know who I would've liked to see even more? The founding member of the team... Ut! Oh well, the world wasn't and still isn't ready for Flaming Carrot.
The sad thing about Popoff is despite being exposed as a fraud and a con artists, he continued to defraud people doing the same thing and is making millions. If you can latch onto a person's faith and refusal to think critically you can take them for everything they have. :(
It's pretty common for cult members to stay in the cult even after it's been proven to be a scam.
Difficult to disabuse someone of a concept when they *want* to believe.
Seems popoff needs to popoff to some place far far away 😂
@@andylindsaytunesShun the nonbeliever. Shun shun shunn....
Trump learned a lot from him
I caught a quick glimpse of Ricky Jay in profile on this video. It made me wonder if I had seen him before. It turns out that I had, on the movie Mystery Men. He was Captain Amazing's publicist.
Man, Ricky Jay was the best. I've watched "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" more times than I count! How awesome that you had such wonderful experiences with him!
You had me at Mr Wizard..... that man was like a god to me when I was a kid!
Thank you for these two stories today. I love how normal you are (air compressor) and the look on your face when you're sharing something you love.
Ricky Jay has a great display at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. That museum is something I always suggest to visitors of Los Angeles; few ever go. If you go, you are someone special.
Crazy enough, my own father almost made it on an episode of Mythbusters once. He is a specialist in dust explosions and was going to consult on an episode about coffee creamer explosions/fireballs or something of the like, but something in scheduling went wrong last minute (not certain exactly what happened) and he never did end up getting to be on it, but he still talks about it whenever Mythbusters comes up in conversation. So close to greatness.
I remember seeing Ricky Jay throwing cards on some TV show in the early 80's and sticking them into the watermelons and various other tricks and immediately began doing the same. I never really got to that level but I still do it on occasion just to screw around.
I love hearing these stories. You tell them so well, it is the mark of a true entertainer. I just watched the bullet episode last week, that you were talking about here. I was shocked to see how much energy the bullet had after impacting the black top. It went through a sheet of metal! Impressive.
Ricky Jay was so brilliant. I've been a big fan for many years
Wow! I had no idea that Adam knows Michael Webber! I've gotten to know literally thousands of magicians over the years, and Michael Webber is by far the smartest, most creative/original and knowledgeable magician I know. I'd love to see more episodes about Adam's interaction with magicians.
What a great story. As someone who has been juggling for 20+ years, and competed at the International level, I love this feeling of connecting across time to before I was even born with Adam visiting the still ongoing convention. Awesome stuff!
I always enjoy your energy in story telling and simple explanations of amazing things. I definitely miss you and Jaime creating.
YEAH Juggling Conventions!!! The juggling community is so open & loving. Glad Adam has gone to some festivals. They're lots of fun!
I only know about him from seeing him in the James Bond movie. Had to think about it for a bit trying to remember where I remembered him from. "Is the missile ready to fire?" "Press the magic button Benji disappears" "Then it seems you've outlived your contract". lol
The Ricky Jay/Dai Vernon connection was magical indeed. If you've not read it, "The Magician and the Card Shark" is an absolutely fascinating history of Vernon's search for a card cheat who mastered the center deal, which was thought to be impossible by every magician who ever worked with cards. Turns out, with only a few years of practicing it every day for 10 hours, it is indeed possible! And he taught it to Ricky Jay.
mr wizard. now theres a name i havent heard in a long time
Loved that show as a kid.
So you know him?
Of course I know him. He's me.
Mr. Wizard IS a top scientist.
Juggling conventions are awesome! I don't do much juggling anymore, as I was just learning a new skill and didn't keep at it. But to see a huge room or gym full of people juggling was awe-inspiring.
Thank you for sharing your stories! 😊
1. I knew Ricky Jay as a James Bond Villian henceman. But his real life seems crazier than fiction! 2. I also had no idea of his background at all until re-watching Mythbusters later on and spotting him. 4. Part of me would love tp know more about the history of Magic. But part of me doesn't want to peek behind the curtain.
Great show Adam! I very much enjoy the experiences. I admit that with my own issues I struggle to watch the work you do sometimes, but I love the results. This is the second time I've heard him say that thing about "show me the money." I don't know which story is accurate, but I read an interview with Cameron Crowe when Jerry Maguire came out and he said that he thought "The Quan" was going to be a thing and not "Show me the money."
I was friends with Ricky and I am so glad Adam brought him up. He truly was magical just to talk to. I miss our hours long lunches.
The science and writing it down was a great quote. There were a lot over the years. I made a couple of T-shirts with Mythbusters quotes. One of the best-sellers was, "Failure is ALWAYS an option". Another was, "We always use the blue rope!". I forget which myth, but Grant and Tory were arguing over which color rope to use (one was stronger than the other). The one they used, which wasn't blue, snapped. Hence the quote.
What a fun watch. I could just feel Adams enthusiasm through this whole episode.
Bravo Adam! Inspiring and uplifting..I may be critical when it’s due, but in the spirit of this segment, thank you😌
I got to meet him when he was doing a special in the Local DC Theater where I was working. I was on stage with him for the staff run watching his 3 card work. Since I knew what to look for, I was. And I barely caught it. Because of what it was I went with the 'trick'. Was a wonderful gentleman. He also demonstrated one of his mechanicals(?) which was wonderous and wonderful.
Ricky Jay and "Cards as Weapons"...amazing guy, he went to Cornell and used to hang around in Collegetown. He was also in the TV series Deadwood.
Many years ago I saw an HBO special on Ricky Jay and it was one of the most fascinating programs I've ever seen.
And now I know the origin of my favorite line Adam said in the first half of the time the show ran 😂
Glad I got to see Mythbusters from season one to the end… defined a large chunk of my childhood.
"If it worth doing, it worths overdoing." has been my motto for decade and decade to come.
Gotta recommend the Ricky Jay doc, Deceptive Practice. Fantastic watch.
OK dammit. You know how to tell I'm a fan? You said that quote, and I almost teared up. What an awesome story to end up at a signature moment. Beautiful!!
Ricky Jay played a character called Henry Gupta in the 1997 James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" I never knew that he could throw playing cards. Until I saw a deleted scene where he was actually throwing playing cards into something. I can't remember what he was throwing them into though. But the scene ultimately didn't make it into the film
Adam made the hair on my legs and arms and back stand up when he talked about his experience when he entered the juggling convention. I knew how to juggle three balls in a regular and reverse cascade and then I was at a local weekly juggling meeting. And now I'm hooked.
I didn't even hear the dang compressor. Still works, a bit of compressor noise every now and then isn't the end of things!
When you stood up to turn off your compressor, just after mentioning Ricky Jay, I absolutely expected it to be a setup into a magic trick. I thought just as you went off frame you were going to appear on the other side of your desk 😅
I thought he was about to bring in Ricky Jay. Considering he's deceased, it would have been a mind blowing trick
I was just telling someone today about James Randi. I love how you throw his name out as if everyone knows who he was. They should.
As a professional magician I'm loving this episode. And Dai Vernon was amazing. Derren Brown (uk based mentalist) wrote a book for magicians just as he made it big. He talks about a similar change in philosophy. Magicians used to display themselves as petty gods, omnipotent but trivial. Dai was the start fo the change that Derren then continued, Magicians stopped being gods and became heroes, all be it heroes in thier own mind.
I love that phrase about the difference between science and a rewin around. I work in production and have to break test as lot of parts! Sometimes they break chaotically and makes me think of that line all the time.
Great stories! Thanks so much for sharing them!
The second I heard RJ's name I lit up. I am certain that, in many ways, my fascination with the way that humans can be tricked by their own brains really took form when I saw "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants." I'd grown up watching illusionists aplenty, but that's when I began to really recognize that I was more drawn to the Vernon-side of stage magic than grandiose stunts with elaborate stage drama.
On a side note, since I've never seen "Tenet," so Adam's whole clipboard thing took me aback. Made me wonder if the Tenet writer saw "The Paper" in 1994 or if this "Clipboard Theory" is a lot older than I realized.
McDougal (Randy Quaid): Here's your damn clipboard. The next time you want office supplies...
Henry (Michael Keaton): Keep the clipboard. The clipboard's for you. A clipboard and a confident wave will get you into any building in the world.
The clipboard in question then gets them into a NYC police precinct, while the entire force is on high-alert. :) If you haven't seen "The Paper" I cannot recommend it highly enough. I've easily seen it 1000 times.
I saw the title of this video and knew the answer right away. In fact I've been waiting since he died to hear you talk about him. Ricky told a lot of stories and it's hard to believe all of them could be true. His whole life was a magic trick and even if you couldn't be sure what was real you were still left amazed by having experienced a bit of it.
For the record, the book Cards as Weapons Ricky Jay (1977) is on Internet Archive in its entirety. There's really only 4 pages with the naked (not just topless, but her legs are crossed) woman, but they're mostly the ones showing throwing technique, so they're important.
Oh, yeah. That took me back to my first juggling convention, which was at Hampshire college in Amherst MA. The convention floor was a basketball court, but the entrance was one floor up, and there was a balcony overlooking the convention floor... so you get about six feet away, and *then* look down at more jugglers in one place than you've ever seen in your life. If you're a juggler and you've never been to a convention, find one and make the pilgrimage. It is fracking magical.
I would loved to have seen Ricky Jay perform live, what an amazing talent.
Mr. Wizard helped form the basis of my curious nature. I'm so grateful for the exposure to science and technology he gave me as a kid.
The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything.
Ricky Jay was a fantastic magician and a damn fine actor, too. Love his work.
The scenes behind the scenes! That is why I tune in!
I was a tech theater student in college and one of the actors wanted to become a stage magician. He said that acting was the second most important part right behind the magic it’s self.
If only I could have 5 minutes with Adam to gush, say thanks, and tell him how he's impacted my life. :)
This Adam geeking out about someone who gave him ahah moment... Adam has done that for me through MythBuster, thank you Adam.
Please tell me that the bomb squads and fire departments, and all of the special "supervisory" guests had fun helping on the show. It looked like that to me. Frank Doyle used to frequent the electronics store my ex worked at, he was the sweetest guy.
Wow, I knew a surprising amount of those references that i'm "too young" for, without needing his explanation... Because this video ran across so many of my interests and (sometimes former) hobbies...
Adam … I bought your work apron and use it teaching HS Ceramics and it rocks ! Are you going to make another design? What about a tested multitool?👍
No need to apologise for bouncing all over the place. You're one of the few human beings, other than me, that commands my attention for any longer than 2 minutes.
Only now did I realise that Ricky Jay was in Deadwood.. wow
Answering with 13 minutes of jumping around is an perfectly appropriate testament to the bazillion ways in which Ricky Jay was fascinating.