Agreed, it won't be pretty. You always hear them on the show talking about how they always have to hassle with their insurance company. Its events like this that make you understand why...

Hey kiddies, this is why they open their show with:

"DON'T try anything you see here at home. We're what you call 'professionals!'"

And, for obvious reasons as stated in the article, even the "professionals" have things go awry...

Looks like they debunked a myth about cannon balls not bouncing.

Look, they just forgot the three most important safety rules for cannon:

1) Ensure that the tube is in working order, without cracks or undue wear.

2) Ensure that the powder is well and properly mixed, and,

3) Um, I don't have it. Sorry. Oops.

I know thats right or any other crackhead's bill for that matter ... cost bout the same

I'm sure if it was somebody else the authorities would have charged them with possession and use of weapons of mass destruction...

I'm amused at the people saying "you're not what 'I' would call professionals." The definition of "professional" is someone who does something for a living (and, by implication, is successful enough to continue doing so). The Mythbusters team does what they do for a living, Jamie and Adam (at the very least) did it for years before the long-running and highly successful show ever took off, and they have an extremely impressive safety record (which, when you consider that nobody was injured here, isn't particularly tarnished). What else is required for "professional," in your eyes? Perfect diction?

The test was conducted on a firing range. This would be where munitions of this sort are tested. I'm not familiar with the particular experiment in question, but--decades of special effects expertise on the parts of the hosts aside--there are police- or FBI-certified experts on hand for demonstrations of hand grenades and small arms in their past episodes. Tests involving cigarette lighters and a small quantity of gasoline frequently wind up entailing the presence of the fire department, and usually it's one of these people lighting the fire/pulling the trigger/doing whatever it takes to set the experiment off. After watching Mythbusters for years, I still find that the safety measures they take are impressive... to the point of making the show a little more boring than it might otherwise be, but I've never gotten the amateurish impression from them that I get from a lot of the so-called informative television that's presently being broadcast.

If you think watching special effects professionals light things on fire is unprofessional, try watching a show about historical military technology hosted by an MMA fighter who once wielded a prop sword in a B-movie (History Channel) or a show about dangerous nighttime predators in Africa hosted by an American animal trainer with some fancy night-vision gear and no evident knowledge about African wildlife (Animal Planet).

Right on target Nick Oefinger!

i think they used a little too much powder in that last shot.

Amen nick. The show has been on for years and i watch it with my kids all the time. They are awesome, as my son would say. Considering all the stuff they have done and tested over the time the show has been on and with such a increditable safety record, its just a sign of "Sh!t happens". What's funny is that they haven't found the "cannon ball" yet.

Couldn't have said it any better Nick.

But, we are dealing with the masses here in these comment sections so we're going to see all forms of intelligence. Those with, those without and all those in-between.

In all the years I've been watching Myth Busters, this is the first accident I've heard of outside their safety protocol.

A very good job guys and keep up the awesome Myth Busting :-)

Mythbusters is the coolest show around. Well ok, Dirty jobs too (Mike Rowe is my hero). Anyway, back to Mythbusters. They bring science to urban legends. That is what we're all about people, discovering how things work and why. Besides I think Kari is the cutest girl ever. They all make a very entertaining venue for learning some really interesting stuff. I am shocked that they haven't had more unforseen occurrences like this. It does not mean they should stop doing what they do!!!

It proves Murphy's Law. They take every precaution possible but sometimes fate makes the decision. I just glad no one was hurt.

I hope the media and courts don't blow this out of proportion. Apologize, fix the house, give the residents a little money for their inconvenience, and make sure it doesn't happen again. End of story.

"Is it possible for a cannon ball to bounce through one side of a house and out the other?"

Yes

OK boys that's enough work for today let's get out of here

I quit watching them as I have caught their mistakes in a couple where they called it debunked. They do not concider all the factors nor review all their data which makes me come to the conclusion that they (like other companies and government) already know what they want before they do the tests. Sort of like the BCS voting instead of playoffs.

Man comes home to find a connonball punched a hole through his house: "SON OF A B!TCH!"

Bystander: "Psst, the Mythbusters did it."

Man who now has dollar signs in his eyes: "YES! I'm getting my lawyer on the phone right now!"

@Nick

It's more like some of the posters here say what they do in an attempt to sound witty and important by insulting the show and/or the cast.

Look, they just forgot the three most important safety rules for cannon:

1) Ensure that the tube is in working order, without cracks or undue wear.

2) Ensure that the powder is well and properly mixed, and,

3) Um, I don't have it. Sorry. Oops.

theCavalier...I have your #3...make sure the cannon is pointed at the intended target, AND #4...Do not fire cannons in or around residential neighborhoods!

David

Your absolutely correct. They very often fail in their testing process. The very first time I watched the show the were testing gas mileage with windows up and airconditioning vs. windows down and no air. Would have been an interesting test,but they used different vehicles? Even though they were the exact same model no 2 vehicles get the same mileage. Not to bright or professional.

Remember they are professionals…

Comes under the heading of "Today, once again I searched for a "Perfect Day" and Today, once again it was nowhere to be found".

I'll try again tomorrow.

... I quit watching them as I have caught their mistakes in a couple where they called it debunked. They do not concider all the factors nor review all their data which makes me come to the conclusion that they (like other companies and government) already know what they want before they do the tests...

'Rollin' with my homies, drinkin' on Gin 'n juice. Got the top down...

Rollin' down the street smokin' endo sippin' on gin n juice
Laid back--with my mind on my money and my money on my mind

Rollin' down the street smokin' endo sippin' on gin n juice
Biyatch--with my mind on my money and my money on my mind

Rollin' down the street smokin' endo sippin' on gin n juice
Biyatch--with my mind on my money and my money on my mind

It ain't heaven - but It'll do for now. ~ Urban poetry by 'Snoop

Ryan, you are a fool. It is what is called an accident. They did not shoot the cannonball at the house. It made an unscheduled deviation from its intended course. They were not lining up some poor guys house and blasting away at it. They have been to the firing range many times without mishap. They have blown up hundreds of things without causing damage to private property. It was an accident. There was no one harmed. Your knee-jerk reaction is uncalled for. Do you support book burning too???

So breaking your statement down lets look at what you said:

1.) Drinking and driving is against the law, so prison time is an appropriate outcome. Drinking and driving in a "closed course" in the name of science or education is not against the law.

2.) They were not "reckless" enough to fire a cannonball through a house. The cannonball went awry and hit the house. Perhaps the builder and homeowner should be fined for building and living so close to a firing range. Boy, that makes a lot of sense.

3.) Maybe they should start issuing licenses to people so they can't make idiotic posts like yours.

4.) They weren't shooting at the house. It was an accident (again). If my neighbor shot a bullet through my house I would want to know why and if it was because he was being careless then I would be concerned. If it was an accident, while I would not be happy, as long as no one was harmed I would expect him to pay for the damages. If he was shooting a a burgler, I would buy him dinner. If he shot his gun through my house I would assume he was using a cannon.

5.) I am not fooled by celebrity. The put a disclaimer at the beginning that what they do is highly dangerous. OMG!!! Responsible celebrities! Who would have guessed that one???

6.) When they do outdoor experiments using explosives and powered projectiles they use specialists to assist with the experiments.

7.) If it HAD killed a kid then it would be a big deal, but it didn't. You are such a worrywort.

8.) You mean to tell us that in your entire life that nothing has ever happened to you that ended with an "oh, crap, I coulda been killed" moment? Most people have. If you haven't, then maybe you should get out of mom's basement a little more often, lighten up, have some fun and stop being such a stick-in-the-mud...

For anyone who says that they find multiple mistakes in the Mythbusters' experiments, please keep in mind that they do hundreds of hours of experiments and whittle it down into a 20 minute TV segment. Of course, there may be some inconsistencies shown on TV because a lot will have to be cut out.

TEST

Ryan, I completely agree with you.

As professionals, they have to adhere to a certain standard of care. Something went incredibly wrong with their experiment. They have a duty to not carry out an experiment if there's a possibility that an innocent bystander could be injured.

The MythBusters crew is agreeing to put themselves in harm's way by participating in the show's activities. Those who aren't involved shouldn't be exposed to harm because of the show, as they didn't consent to participate.

Steve H, I see what you're saying, I do. But I think that it's important for people who engage in risky activities to be held accountable for the consequences. They shot a cannonball through someone's home. They are professionals, and this is a huge mistake. If a doctor, dentist, trucker, teacher, etc. makes a huge mistake on the job , their career may suffer. Why should this be any different?

They do a good job on the show and are usualy overly cautious about saftey. Is grant the only true engineer on the visible team? I worry sometimes that even with all the money they make they don't have enough engineers around. As an engineer myself I occasionaly see something that looks much more dangerous than they give credence to.

As a fan of the show why were they at an artillary range with the cannon?? don't they usualy use the abanonded airport for large scale cannon firings??

Ryan:

There are people in prison for DWIs who never injured anyone.

Because driving while intoxicated is against the law. Firing a cannon on a firing range under the supervision of professionals is not.

This should be the end of the show and there should be a trial and possible prison time for anyone reckless enough to shoot a cannonball THROUGH a house.

They didn't fire it through a house. They fired it on a firing range, it missed the target, took a weird bounce and went through a house. Had they done in on purpose without proper supervision by professionals, I'm sure there would be a criminal case against them. This is just an accident.

If they had a license, it should be pulled.

Only if they proved to be negligent in their actions. That doesn't look like the case here.

If your neighbor shot his gun through your house for fun, would you want them to still have guns?

And had they just shot through this house for fun, I'm sure we'd all have a different opinion. But this was an accident, it's not like they brought the cannon right to that house and shot through it. These people live close to a firing range. Freak accidents like this can happen when living close to a firing range.

Don't be blinded by celebrity - what they did was highly dangerous.

Of course it was highly dangerous, that is why they were doing it on a firing range with professionals in attendance. That's why they have the disclaimer during their show. No one's blinded by celebrity, it's a matter of knowing when something is an accident and when someone is being negligent.

At minimum, they should be barred from using explosives or powered projectiles.

Why? Because of a freak accident? Should anyone that gets into a car accident, no matter how minor, not be allowed to drive anymore?

Had that cannonball killed a kid in that house, would you still think it was no big deal?

Of course that would change the situation. But it didn't kill anyone. It didn't even injure anyone. You're worrying over nothing.

I cannot understand the cavalier attitude toward this incident.

And I can't understand your paranoia. No matter what people do, no matter how professional they are, sometimes things go beyond our control and accidents happen. If you want to avoid accidents, you should never leave your house. In fact, most accidents occur in the home. You probably should just lock yourself in a room and never come out.

Accidents happen. Sometimes they're tragic, but in this case, it turned out okay. The house will be repaired, no one was injured, it's fine. Accidents happen in every profession. Some jobs are more dangerous than others, so when things go wrong, it can be a more drastic problem. Something went wrong here. It happens. Thankfully no one got hurt.

But they were on a firing range that had authorization to fire the cannon, and they had professionals with them that monitored what they were doing.

David:

don't they usualy use the abanonded airport for large scale cannon firings??

Probably because this one involved gun powder. Anytime they're doing cannon firings with gun powder, they haven't used the airport. That was for cannons like the soda launcher or the steam machine gun... nothing there involves gun powder.

No one ever said science was pretty - or perfectly safe, but it works people.

Also reminds me of a favorite t-shirt - Engineering, it's like math but with explosions! (www.wondermark.com - I am not affiliated with this site, just thought it fair to include the info)

Let me get this straight.

If I shot a cannon in my back yard and it went through my neighbor's house, NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED?

Uh, have you ever heard of "RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT"?

So I can shoot a cannon, with the shots going awry into schools, churches, houses, etc. and as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I can keep shooting it until it does?

Have you lost your minds?

Ryan in Texas @ #1.21:

Not wanting to belabor the point, I would refer you to Nick Oefinger's post, above at #1.9.

All conceivable precautions are taken to try to avoid such incidents as this. The Alameda range where such tests as this are conducted is massive and the tests are controlled by The police or FBI experts depending upon the tests being conducted. Given the many years they have been on the air, Mythbusters has an exceptional safety record. Yes, what they did was, indeed, highly dangerous. They conduct dangerous experiments every week. They were certainly fortunate no one was injured or killed in the incident. But to compare this event to your neighbor shooting a gun through your house "just for fun" is absurd and disingenuous and I think you know that. It ranks right up there with, "A soldier was killed in Afghanistan yesterday and, had there not been a U.S. military presence there, it would not have happened, so let's shut down all military actions worldwide and get rid of all branches of service … period." Or, "A man was killed this morning when the brakes on his vehicle failed and his car skidded into an intersection and into the path of another vehicle so let's get rid of all cars." Your logic makes about as much sense as these arguments. It is illogical.

And "… barred from using explosives or powered projectiles …"? As previously stated both by myself and others, anything involving the aforementioned explosives and projectiles has the oversight of the necessary governing authority. So, I guess, by your rationale, we should also get rid of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department.

Again … you are not making sense.

Yes, had someone been injured or killed it would have been horrific and I am sure everyone involved in the show is sick to think of what might have been. And this just goes to show that, regardless how much planning goes into a project and how many safety precautions are taken, there is always the unexpected event which cannot be added to the equation. That unexpected is a part of everything we do. That is what causes people to be struck by cars while crossing the street, or what causes planes to lose power and fall from the sky, or a child to fall from a bike and strike his head and be paralyzed for the rest of his life. Horrible things happen all the time. The crew of Mythbusters, fully aware of the dangers involved in what they do, takes more than exceptional care in an effort to avoid such events as cannonballs flying through someone's house. While this occurrence may have been foreseeable, I am confident the company took whatever necessary actions to avoid such an event.

As I mentioned before, the Alameda range where these tests are conducted is massive. I doubt seriously they would have conducted the experiment had their precautions not been approved by the Sheriff's office experts.

Oh, yeh. People don't generally go to prison for DWIs. Those grossly overcrowded facilities are reserved for long-term 'visitors'. DWIs are usually 'short-timers' and relegated to county jails, not state prisons.

Ryan, there's a difference between shooting a cannon off in your backyard and shooting one in the presence of emergency personnel, qualified explosives personnel, and range safety personnel. Look up the legal term "negligence" and you'll see the difference. Their conduct--using safety personnel on a dedicated range--falls within the standards for protecting others against the unreasonable risk of harm.

An accident occurred. You shooting a cannon in your backyard with no training or safety/emergency personnel is negligence because you would not exhibit conduct that is reasonably expected of a situation (firing explosives).

Check out the footage @TMZ

http://www.tmz.com/

@Ryan in Texas

You know you're a redneck when you have a firing range, a canon on your gunrack, and police in your backyard and you, yourself, are a professional at firing canons.

Grats Ryan, you qualify very, very, hard for the job. Here's your blue jacket and silly hat. I'll make sure the RNA (Redneck Alliance) tosses in a republican paintjob for your house.

Ryan in Texas @ 1.34:

Let me get this straight.

If I shot a cannon in my back yard and it went through my neighbor's house, NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED?

No, Ryan. Again, you are deliberately extrapolating faulty logic from the comments. If you fired a cannon in your backyard, unless you live in a rural area outside city limits, you would be guilty of wanton endangerment by virtue of discharging a firearm within city limits. Mythbusters uses the property of the Alameda firing range, a controlled environment intended for the very use to which they put it.

I think I understand your angst but it is ill placed. Perhaps a few sessions with a therapist would help?

RYAN in Texas...you just made your comment even more pointless. They were not shooting a cannon off in the backyard. They were at a FIRING RANGE!!!!! So if you did shoot one off in your backyard, yes you would be charged and probably fined and put in jail or something. But now if you did the same thing at a firing range with supervision around, then no, you wouldn't be charged. You would pay for the accident and any damage done, but no charges, unless the authorities thought you were being reckless there as well.

You need to get a clue and realize that you are trying to argue two different points. Learn what happened and see it for what it is, not for what it POSSIBLY could have been.

@Ryan - are you being deliberately dense or do you really not see the difference between trained professionals using a firing range and firing a cannon in your backyard?

It actually went through two houses in a really nice neighborhood and rested inside a mini-van. No excuse, it is called strict liability.
http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/07/mythbusters-cannonball-experiment-goes-wrong/

Ryan,

If your back yard happens to be the Alameda County firing range, with the Sherrif's staff there, and you were not aiming at your neighbors house, then I would say yes it is Okay and I would say no crime was commited. They fired one shot, It went stray, they stopped. They did not reload and check the map for schools, churches or any other structures that would evoke emoptional responses.

The article states that it is still under investigation. I am sure that there will be some reccomendations made on how to do things differently in the future.

Ryan-

If I shot a cannon in my back yard and it went through my neighbor's house, NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED?

They didn't shoot it in their or anyone elses back yard! They were at the very place that this type of thing should be done at.

And to answer your question, "Yes if YOU did that in YOUR back yard YOU would have committed a Crime."

Do you think these are just a bunch of people who go around blowing things up where ever they chose? This is all done under the direction of a major TV Network with all kinds of safety requirements and always with proper safety people supervising.

Get over it.

You guys are in lala land. I like the show but I'm not an idiot. The sheriff department is going to have a lot explaining to do. The first mistake was allowing the cannon to discharge. This is a local issue and no one in the community can be happy about this.

Either Ryan is being deliberately confrontational or has a very narrow line to walk in the world.

In any case, I do wonder about the idea of firing a 'cannon' at the range... they HAVE used the airport for a cannon before (the tree trunk cannon?). Apperantly none of those involved expected the range that it got. It sounds like perhaps they had a pretty good idea of the ballistic range they should have got, but didn't expect the bouncing.

Again though, if an accident occurred with fireworks even though every precaution had been taken, you would take the insurance money and call the end of it. We still have sparklers for cripes, and how many kids have THOSE maimed?

From reading some of the entries here, it is obvious who has watched the show and who has not (it is probably too cerebral for them to understand). The Mythbusters try to take every precaution possible, including getting proper permits and having safety people on hand. If, in the opinion of the professionals from the Alameda site and the Sheriff's office, it was deemed to dangerous to fire the cannon there, they would have gone to a different location.

If, in the opinion of the professionals from the Alameda...

Herein lies the argument, reality has proven that it was too dangerous. They obviously didn't want the added expense but common sense dictates a location making such miscalculation impossible. This is why society has to analysis things like this so it will not happen again, very easy to solve.

Ryan:

Let me get this straight.

If I shot a cannon in my back yard and it went through my neighbor's house, NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED?

If your backyard was an artillary range, and you had the proper permits, and you had professionals, like police and fire department in attendance, then no, it wouldn't be a crime. If you just did it in your backyard without any of that, then yes, it would be.

Uh, have you ever heard of "RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT"?

Yes. Do you know the meaning fo reckless? The Mythbusters take precautions in all of their experiments. This one had unforseen problems.

So I can shoot a cannon, with the shots going awry into schools, churches, houses, etc. and as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I can keep shooting it until it does?

No, you can't. And they can't either. That's not what happened here at all.

Have you lost your minds?

No, we're just realistic. Accidents happen. When something like this is deliberate, it's a crime. When it's accidental, it's not a crime.

give it up ryan, we all know your absolute hatred of everything hollywood. your DWI buddies are lawbreakers, the mythbuster team didn't break any laws, they just had a rare accident.

if you think that good ol boys in the backyard are somehow equal to these guys that have been doing such thing professionally for decades, you are truly deluded

They were firing ARTILLERY at a GUN range!

It's not miles from the nearest occupied building. You know, like an artillery range.

As for "professionals" endangering the public vs. "regular citizens" doing the same thing: how would you be able to tell the difference if the "professionals" shoot cannon balls through homes with people inside?

It amazes me how people get lost in the fact that it was a TV show doing this. As if that would make it OK if the cannon ball had been a few feet over and killed the people sleeping in the house.

It's not science, all the science we need to know about cannonballs was researched hundreds of years ago. There are thousands of books on the subject.

We have to face the basic fact that they obviously didn't have the ability to control their cannon shot. Are we simply going to wait until they kill someone? We put people with DWI's/DUI's in jail for the POTENTIAL to cause harm. We already have laws concerning crimes of actual harm done - so we wouldn't need DWI/DUI laws if we were not punishing the potential to cause harm.

Clearly, they should not be allowed to do this again.

I'm sorry you won't get to see them shooting artillery. I guess people's lives are not as important as ratings to some.

It's a TV show! Get over it. They proved they cannot handle artillery. There is no constitutional right to artillery!

Although I'm unfamiliar with the Alameda firing range, I suspect Ryan has a valid point and this dispute is one of scale.

My Uncle was a Forward Observer in Vietnam, my Great Uncle in WWII and G-G-Uncle in WWI were "Gun Bunnies", and for eleven years I was a Fire Direction Center Computer (13E30) for the Army. Understand that I did not operate a computer, I was the computer: 13 slide rulers, 17 volumes of algorithms, and drop a 94.6 lbs. bullet in a garbage can from 20km away.

I understand cannons.

Every range has a buffer zone which provides space for mistakes. Obviously the buffer for cannons is much larger than the ones for rifles/grenade launchers/etc. The computer/gunner calculates the safety zone behind the gun and the safe angles on each side and safe range beyond the target (past the gun's maximum possible distance).

I suspect the Myth Busters were either using a rifle range/explosive range and not an artillery range, or their "professional" understands arithmetic and not mathematics. Unless said professional doesn't understand the physics of a smooth bore vs. rifled cannon.

Regardless, if this had happened in the military during a training situation (not active warfare) the person in charge, the safety officer, and the computer would all face court-martial and be kicked out of the Army.

I've seen people demoted just for firing into the buffer zone.

besides ryan , this happened at a sheriff gun and bomb range, NOT in your drunken buddies backyard.

Ah HA! There ARE terrorists in this country. But wait... they don't even work for the gubbermint... odd..

HOMEGROWN TERRORISTS PEOPLE... *smirk*

"Hey that guy almost ran that pedestrian over with his car!"

"Oh, chill out. That was a limousine. It has a PROFESSIONAL driver."

"My bad. I guess it's no harm, no foul. Good thing it wasn't a non-professional driver. Then they would have nearly killed that guy."

I understand that a lot of people are fans of the show. It's a fun show--I've seen it a few times and think it's good. However, they made a gigantic mistake. They obviously did not know enough about the artillary.

It seems like many, many people on this message board are all for special treatment in this situation. Maybe this is an unfair assumption, but I really think that if the article was about a crew other than MythBusters who shot a cannonball through a person's house the collective reaction would be more, "what the hell???"

Just because the show is popular doesn't mean that there shouldn't be consequences--serious consequences--for this incident.

If a person is going to use dangerous equipment that has the potential the cause massive distruction or death, they should know EVERYTHING there is to know about the equipment. If they didn't know everything there was to know about this equipment, then they should have been in a remote location so that this kind of thing couldn't happen. The fact that these people are considered professional makes this even more disappointing. Ryan, I think you mentioned "reckless endangerment." I completely agree. The did not have to have malicious intent....

Well... I guess this physics spearmint was not a SMASHING success this time around.

I say, just blame the damage on Adam ... so we can watch him once again turn into a pouting, simpering, wimpering weenie when things do not go his way...

Ryan:

It's not miles from the nearest occupied building. You know, like an artillery range.

As long as they had the proper permission and permits, they had the right to do it. They've fired many, many cannons at that range without any problems, with the proper authorities there, etc. No problems. This one was a fluke. Most likely, they will take further precautions to make sure it doesn't happen again, or they will move to another location. That doesn't make what they did here criminal. It makes it an accident.

As for "professionals" endangering the public vs. "regular citizens" doing the same thing: how would you be able to tell the difference if the "professionals" shoot cannon balls through homes with people inside?

A professional would have the proper training, permits, etc. If a person with the proper training and permission does this type of experiment while taking the proper precautions, and something out of the ordinary goes wrong, and as long as they weren't negligent in what they were doing, it wouldn't be criminal. They would still be liable for any damage or injury, but it's not criminal. Accidents happen.

It amazes me how people get lost in the fact that it was a TV show doing this. As if that would make it OK if the cannon ball had been a few feet over and killed the people sleeping in the house.

And it amazes me that you think people would be okay with that. You're completely misinterpreting this. No one is saying what happened is okay. It shouldn't have happened. And I certainly wouldn't be okay with it if someone had died. I'm just not out to villify them like they're out there endangering the whole world because of what they did. It was a fluke accident. No one was hurt. They'll pay the damages and we'll all move on.

It's not science, all the science we need to know about cannonballs was researched hundreds of years ago. There are thousands of books on the subject.

You're kidding, right? So we should just stop all experimentation since it's all been done before?

We have to face the basic fact that they obviously didn't have the ability to control their cannon shot.

It wasn't obvious at the time they did the experiment. They've done tons of cannon shots on that site. I've seen them on TV. They haven't had any issues with any of those shots. This one was a fluke. It took a bad bounce, and it went out of the range. Sometimes you can't anticipate this sort of thing. That means you take more precautions the next time around.

Are we simply going to wait until they kill someone?

So you're willing to completely shut down all experimentation that might hurt someone? Or is that just the experimentation that you see on TV?

We put people with DWI's/DUI's in jail for the POTENTIAL to cause harm.

Because that is negligent.

We already have laws concerning crimes of actual harm done - so we wouldn't need DWI/DUI laws if we were not punishing the potential to cause harm.

Yes, we do. Because that is negligent. Just like we have laws that prevent people that don't have proper permits/training from owning guns, and people without proper permits from having explosives. The Mythbusters get the proper permits and permissions, and they have people with experience work with them.

Clearly, they should not be allowed to do this again.

Obviously. And I'm sure they will take future precautions. They'll chose another site, or they'll make barriers around their locations to make sure it doesn't happen again.

I'm sorry you won't get to see them shooting artillery. I guess people's lives are not as important as ratings to some.

We'll still see it. Maybe not at that location, but I doubt this will stop experimentation. It's not only about the ratings, there is actual science behind what they do. You may not see it as important, but some people don't agree with you. There are lots of experiments that endanger people's lives. Should we stop those as well? Or is it just experimentation you see on TV that you have a problem with? Do you just not want them doing it anymore? Or does that go for all people?

Waste:

I understand that a lot of people are fans of the show. It's a fun show--I've seen it a few times and think it's good. However, they made a gigantic mistake. They obviously did not know enough about the artillary.

They did make a mistake. And they are liable for the damages. Someone can know all there is to know about a subject (like cannons), prepare for every foreseen problems that you think can arise, and something can STILL go wrong, like this. It happens with experimentation.

It seems like many, many people on this message board are all for special treatment in this situation. Maybe this is an unfair assumption, but I really think that if the article was about a crew other than MythBusters who shot a cannonball through a person's house the collective reaction would be more, "what the hell???"

I'm not for special treatment. They should be held liable for the damages, and they should take more precautions the next time they try to use a cannon. My initial reaction was "what the hell?" but I've seen the Mythbusters, and I know they take every precaution they can for this sort of thing, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was an accident. I still think they are responsible, but I don't think they should be villified.

Just because the show is popular doesn't mean that there shouldn't be consequences--serious consequences--for this incident.

No one is saying there shouldn't be consequences. They should have to pay damages. They should have to make sure to take further precautions the next time they use a cannon, especially at that location, now that they know something like this can happen. I'm not saying there shouldn't be consequences.

If a person is going to use dangerous equipment that has the potential the cause massive distruction or death, they should know EVERYTHING there is to know about the equipment.

Do you know EVERYTHING about your car? That's considered dangerous equipment. You can kill people with it. Do you know every possible scenario that can happen whenever you get behind the wheel? In this type of case, they do have extensive knowledge. Maybe not personally, but that's why they always call in experts, like former FBI agents, police, fire department, bomb squad, etc. But it is absolutely impossible to know every possible thing that can happen ahead of time.

Ryan, a bunch of years ago a commercial airliner fell out of the sky and hit some houses in Buffalo, NY. Not sure what the final outcome was but last I heard they were having no luck at outlawing planes.

Ryan, no one was hurt. Bad analogy. By your rationale all professionals who make one mistake during their career should lose their jobs.

Question: Are you perfect? Have you ever made a mistake at work?

Think man. Think.

last I heard they were having no luck at outlawing planes

Now I know you get on a plane to go from point a to b, not sure why you fire a cannonball into a residential neighborhood. But nothing to see here, nobody hurt, move along people. If you live in this community do not even question it, it was professionals and your idiot sheriffs were watching.

Somewhere around here I have some old VHS tapes of shows the Discovery channel did that actually taught you stuff - like the fact Columbus was a crook and killer....last I checked we still honor old Chris.

Ryan...you are an idiot, I'm glad I don't know you personally.

@Nick Oefinger

If you think they're professionals, then professionals at what? Exactly. No, they are not professionals. One definition says "undertake a specialised set of tasks"; you can't "specialze" in randomness. They don't know what myth they will be testing next. Another definition says "often engaged in by amateurs", which is indeed what they are. In fact, they used to say "we're what you call 'experts'", but they switched it realising they're far from it. The REAL professionals/experts are the people they hire to overlook what they're doing. If you think what they do looks like it's on a professional level, then you have no idea what the real research/scientific community is about.

I watch the show for entertainment value, not so much for informational purposes. Often times I'm left thinking I could have designed a better test than they've concocted.

Man all you people railing against myth busters, who said that man wasn't looking to have a nice port hole window installed soon anyway?

Vengeance:

If you think they're professionals, then professionals at what?

They're special effects professionals. They did movie special effects for years before doing Mythbusters. They have experience using explosives and things like that for movie special effects.

I watch the show for entertainment value, not so much for informational purposes.

I watch it for both. Before Mythbusters, I didn't know that powder creamer is high flammable, that the larger a Newton's cradle gets, the less efficient it is at transferring energy. I didn't know the tensile strength of duct tape, and that it could actually be used for many repairs and hold up pretty well.

Sure, it's about entertainment, but it also does great in getting people excited about science. My nephew, who is 11, loves this show, and now wants to go into physics. My niece, his sister, who is also a huge fan of this show, wants to study biology.

Their interest in science may not solely be because of Mythbusters, but it sure has helped.

@Nick Oefinger

Oh, yeah. They haven't been doing THIS for years before the show, they've been doing special effects. You're delusional if you think it's the same thing.

On a side note, they need to redo this comment system to let you know when someone has replied to you.

Before Mythbusters, I didn't know that powder creamer is high flammable,

You should've learned that in 8th grade physics class with corn starch...

that the larger a Newton's cradle gets, the less efficient it is at transferring energy.

That was a bunk test(another one I knew I could've designed better). They should've at minimum done a small scale test with small balls of concrete with only a steel center to see if it was a design flaw(which I'm sure it was). I believe energy absorption is happening in the concrete regardless of if it's a contact point.

I didn't know the tensile strength of duct tape, and that it could actually be used for many repairs and hold up pretty well.

I wasn't aware that anyone existed that didn't know "duck" tape was a fix-all. I call it by it's original name. Named for it's water resistance and the fact it was green akin to a mallard's head. So all the women out there calling it "duck" tape are actually right, and the guys correcting them are wrong.

They get paid for it. Doesn't that make them a professional? Besides when they do stuff like this, I've always seen them with an expert who oversees everything.

Frankly I more blame the people who built the house so close to the range. (IIRC that range has been there a lot longer than the houses.) Of course we never blame the home owners, we always blame the stuff that was there first. You have people build right up next to an airport then have the gall to complain about the noise. I used to be on the BOD of a shooting range that had existed for 50 years before houses came within miles of it. Now it's surrounded and we would get complaints about the noise and the odd ricochet from time to time. A few home owners tried to get us closed down, but fortunately for us state law protected the range from suits like this. It ticks me off to no end to see someone move in and then try to dictate to everyone else around them, who were there first, how things are going to be. Well screw them.

@vengeance - really? You knew you could make a bridge out of duck tape? Or a boat? Or fix a plane with duck tape? Yes, I have seen people fixing odd things (cars being the most common) with duck tape all my life, but I never would have guessed it could actually be used to put a completely dismantled car back together, or that you could remove the skin of an airplane and replace it with duck tape and have it still fly.

As for the Newton's cradle, when they made the larger scale models out of steel, they lost a lot of the effect also. Granted, I agree that the cement was absorbing a lot of the energy, but likely, a full scale solid stell ball would have also lost a lot of that energy.

You should've learned that in 8th grade physics class with corn starch...

My school didn't offer physics in 8th grade. I took Earth science.

That was a bunk test(another one I knew I could've designed better). They should've at minimum done a small scale test with small balls of concrete with only a steel center to see if it was a design flaw(which I'm sure it was). I believe energy absorption is happening in the concrete regardless of if it's a contact point.

Yes, it wasn't a perfect test at the largest scale because it was impossible to get steel balls that big. I was talking about the smaller scale tests they did with the larger ball bearings. The largest scale test wasn't perfect, and probably could have been done better if ball bearings that large were available. But I think their results are sound. The video they were trying to replicate wasn't true.

I wasn't aware that anyone existed that didn't know "duck" tape was a fix-all.

I know it's a fix all. I was talking about the extremes to which they've tested it. Like completely rebuilding a car, building a bridge, supporting the weight of a car, rebuilding the skin of an airplane, etc.

I call it by it's original name. Named for it's water resistance and the fact it was green akin to a mallard's head. So all the women out there calling it "duck" tape are actually right, and the guys correcting them are wrong.

Congratulations, you call it "duck" tape instead of "duct" tape. Duct tape is also an acceptable name for it.

Patrick, it's blasting that has strict liability. Not sure that cannons are included under that law.

Oh, yeah. They haven't been doing THIS for years before the show, they've been doing special effects. You're delusional if you think it's the same thing.

No one said they are the same thing. But the all have various areas of specialization. Yes, Adam and Jamie are special effects professionals. Grant's background is in robotics and electrical engineering. They have numerous science consultants and interns behind the scenes. They work with the local sheriff's office and FBI when they use explosives. No one is claiming that they are experts in explosives. They are experts in process methodology--how to get a definitive outcome from a series of inputs through experimentation. Just because they don't have a degree in physics doesn't mean that they can't be professionals or experts. Bill Gates doesn't have a degree in business. Neither did Steve Jobs. Does that mean they weren't business professionals?

Ryan, Patrick,

If you had been long time watchers of the show you would know that Mythbusters have fired cannons at least 35 times at the Alameda Firing Range and other locations. Anytime they do something like this they always have safety personnel and professional law enforcement offices on hand who are experts, not just professionals, with explosives or high velocity projectiles.

This is the first time in 9 years of the show that a significant event like this has occurred, 9 years. Their safety record is better then a nuclear facility's. Like many others of said sometimes @!$%# just happens and there is no amount of prep work that can stop those things from happening. I seriously question your deductive skills if you think all accidents can be prevented.

Not that I think that MB should be give special treatment either. Have them pay for the damages + compensation and be done with it. Maybe require that all of their future experiments with cannons or high velocity projectiles require a double layer of safety measures and checks or that they are conducted either at the naval facility (this is where a lot of the earlier cannon experiments, like Tree Cannon, were completed at) or out in the desert that they frequent for tests that require a massive open area, like Confederate Rocket.

There is such a thing as carrying out the law based on records of conduct where the event that takes place has no cost of life. This is one such case. No one was home, no one got injured. The house can be repaired.

Yup, CaerRaven, so did I. As soon as the story broke on the local news and they said "a TV show was involved" I started giggling because I knew who it was. (And I also knew no one was hurt!)

Can you imagine sitting in your house and a cannonball comes flying through the wall? They'll certainly have something to talk about!

Having a Mythbusters cannon ball come blowing through my house- as long as it didn't take my head off or bust anything irreplaceable- would be about the coolest thing ever!

Well the house must be fairly close to the gun range. Cannonball or no cannonball I wouldn't want to live there anyway. It's bad enough where I live during hunting season which is, unfortunately, most of the year. I would much rather have the Mythbusters near my home with a cannon than all these drunk hunters that don't know one end of a gun from the other.

I'm going to need to watch this episode. No doubt about it. This is one to tell the grandkids about!

At least they're located in San Francisco where two holes in your walls in December won't cause a $300 increase in your heating bill.

The owners of the house may not have found it funny, but I bet dollar signs were spinning around in their eyes once they realized who was behind the damage to their house. Rest assured, they WILL be taken care of and I wager will have a VERY merry Christmas with whatever settlement they get out of this.

I don't feel sorry for the home owner at all. This is as close to winning the lottery they may get.

I love MythBusters! This show takes all of those unbealievable stories to the test! Stories from childhood all the way into adult barstool nonsense talk.For example, Since the movie "Jaws"I thought a scubatank would explode like in the movie,Not! And Duct tape is very strong! And yes,I agree that some things should be left to the experts and not tried at home.

If it were my house, as long as 1) no one was injured 2) they apologized and 3) they paid for every penny of damage I'd be completely understanding. If there were injuries I'm sure Mom Mode would kick in and I'd be slightly less than understanding...

Well the house must be fairly close to the gun range. Cannonball or no cannonball I wouldn't want to live there anyway. It's bad enough where I live during hunting season which is, unfortunately, most of the year. I would much rather have the Mythbusters near my home with a cannon than all these drunk hunters that don't know one end of a gun from the other.

Something tells me that a handgun firing range might not be rated for "Cannon firing"... these facilites are regulated (approved) based on their charter.

Any exemptions Myth Buster got will be reviewed... in detail ... based on the fall-out of this incedent.

It happens...? Nothing and no one is Perfect.

Hartvig Lein

Having a Mythbusters cannon ball come blowing through my house- as long as it didn't take my head off or bust anything irreplaceable- would be about the coolest thing ever!

That's what I was thinking when I saw the headline!

The producers of Mythbusters should call in some favors and pull some strings and see if they can partner up with one of the many home improvement shows to fix the guy's (gal's) house. And not just the hole in the wall(s) but do a total makeover for the inconvenience.

I would nominate Mike Holmes to do the work, although he is Canadian and the show is American he has done work with the Ellen Show before.

The article said the cannonball BOUNCED into the house.

The Sheriff's Office said it was a cannonball fired by a "MythBusters" crew that "took a few unfortunate bounces."

Which means they didn't shoot the cannonball into the house. It hit something first then richocheted into the house. Firing ranges are incredibly safe, something went wrong, deeming this an ACCIDENT.

Why are people having a hard time with the difference between bomb disposal and artillery. They even tweeted a cavalier statement of working with "heavy artillery" today. It wasn't an accident because they did it on purpose. Review the film footage and put your physics to work. They pulled the wool over the sheriff department with their fame. The show is cool but do this out in the desert.

According to the video, the housing neighborhood is within 700 yards of the firing range. I admit that I am no ballistic expert, but I would not want to live that close. The Barrett .416 rifle fires a bullet that at 2,500 yards the bullet is still supersonic. Most sniper rifles can easily shoot beyond 1,000 yards. I am surprized there are no more incidents than this from the range unless it is a private one.

Yeah, uh, Nicky-baby, they were on a firing range designed to blow up suspicious packages and explosives seized by authorities, not for firing off home made cannons.

A cannon ball can't even sink a California stucco house - Jack Sparrow; you been Myth Busted.

wow...somebody doesn't like Mythbusters...it was an accident, something went totally haywire and I am glad that no one was hurt. If there was, this would be a totally different conversation. But since no one was hurt....I wonder what the actual episode will look like...could be pretty interesting...was the myth busted or not????

I would like to see the o'@!$%# look on their faces when it sailed way over the target. With all kidding aside, they must have been awfully worried. Not knowing if you killed someone must be an anguishing feeling. I doubt they will air the footage on a show, too bad.

Patrick, you are as big an idiot as Ryan....I'm glad I don't know you as well.

Dude, get over yourself. They are never going to fire the cannon there again which is the right decision, no harm no foul. If you had a scientific back ground you would understand that there are some variables that can be factored out completely. Learning from experience is called growth.

The show is informative and fun. Whats wrong with trying to teach a little science while you blow stuff up. It is certainly better and more educational then Survivor or any of the Housewifes of ... crap.

My kids and I have learned an enormous amount from Mythbusters. It's consistently entertaining, intelligent television that teaches physics, history, chemistry, sociology, filmmaking and a bunch of other cool stuff. If all you saw was "initial cuteness," you couldn't have been paying very close attention.

The appeal of MythBusters has always been the pretty redhead, Kari Byron.

Agreed, it is amusing, educational and informative... and like DancingSpiderman, I feel Kari (or as my wife calls her "the myth-hussy") is icing on the cake... I dig the hell out of it.

As far as the cannonball through the house is concerned.. No one was hurt and I have a strong feeling that the house-owners will be well compensated for whatever damages/trauma was incurred by this accident.

Agreed dancingspiderman.

As for OverPaid - maybe you could tell us what shows YOU find worthy of your esteem?

I enjoy the show. I don't watch it all the time but I usually enjoy what I see when I do. I like to ponder their experiments and think of things I didn't see them account for in their verdict.

Every single show, they either blow something up or cause destruction on a smaller scale, enough said.

These folks on the show are having fun and answering our questions that we've always wondered about. AND they blow stuff up. My brothers spent their entire childhoods finding new ways to destroy whatever, and they were very good at it. Now they build stuff that last forever--go figure. I guess they found out what doesn't work and fixed it! Maybe that's why Mythbusters is relevant to so many. I love the show.

Calling it cute and comparing it to Pickers, Pawns Stars and Operation Repo tells me that you weren't watching what we are discussing. I watch Mythbusters regularly with my 10 year old son and he and I both have learned a lot from it. What a great job to have with an unfortunate end result to one of their projects.

One thing they do on this show is explain how they do what they do safely. They take every precautionary measure that most wouldn't even consider. They also do a lot of what we would never think of doing nor want to do like determining how much airborne fecal matter winds up on your toothbrush.

This isn't a group of drama queens talking about insignificant BS and trying to one up each other. They are regular people doing experiments which explain why things happen, how they happen and most important, things that don't work---old wives tales, Hollywood stunts, rumors and the like.

Unfortunately things can go wrong from time to time but because of the effort they put in to making sure things are safe the worst we have seen are burned off eyebrows, concrete face plant from a bicycle and other nicks cuts and bruises. Thanks to these guys I now know that cockroaches will not survive a nuclear attack. I can put my car back together with duct tape and still be able to drive it. Coffee creamer is highly flammable. A bull could successfully navigate through a china shop. Getting smacked in the face heightens a person senses. Etc. etc etc.

It's educational entertainment, not mindless babble. I would rather my son watch this than Nick, Disney or any of the other marketing machine networks spewing out mindless cartoons between a slew of unrealistic ads.

OverPaid,

is anybody forcing you to watch it? It's everybodies own choice and seeing these replies, most are in favor of the show. I myself find the show to be funny and educational.

If you indeed are an "Over Paid Civil Servant" it goes without saying, no one really cares what you think.

I love this show. So does my 11 year old nephew. He asked his parents for a Newton's cradle for Christmas because of this show. His father didn't even know what a Newton's cradle was. It's a fun way for kids to learn about science and physics, and they blow stuff up. It's more than just a cute show.

My teenage daughter loves this show, as well as How It's Made, Catch it Keep it, the annual Pumpkin Chunkin, and other shows that are science based - whether they're totally serious like How It's Made, physics as game show (Catch it Keep it), or something in between like MythBusters. She intends to study chemistry and wants to go to graduate school. If these shows help keep kids interested in science by making it cool and fun (and by blowing lots of things up) - more power to them! I'm so happy that my kids love watching this and don't care to watch crap like Jersey Shore....

Shuklack

Agreed dancingspiderman.

As for OverPaid - maybe you could tell us what shows YOU find worthy of your esteem?

And others..well, scuuuuuuuuuuuse me..lol.

Didn't say I detested the show. Just that it's not .... oh never mind. Yes at times it is lots better than what may be on other shows. And yes it CAN be educational, at times. Yes it's just a show, like many others, to "catch" our attention.

Totally agree this and these shows, hands down much funners to watch than any *survivor* show. Yes, I'd watch this before the other ones I mentioned. (my bad).

I just don't like them calling, say an experiment, 'busted' when they only try it ONCE. No science really to speak of.

Entertaining, certainly, at times.

I appoligize for comparing this show, to the others. Not really fair I'll agree..lol.

Pawn Stars for instance, do you realize how much of it is staged?? (remember the Houdini jacket?). Totally staged for 'our' entertainment. Any idea what % of a pawn shops business is buying precious metals ? (quite a bit).

jmlaser1-3392415

If you indeed are an "Over Paid Civil Servant" it goes without saying, no one really cares what you think.

That's a WONDERFUL attitude. You speak for everyone ? Bully much ?

Umm, what TV shows were Jolie and Lohan in?

Apparently you are overpaid.

OverPaidCivilServant, I'm glad you're here. I'm not sure how I'd be able to live my life without someone telling me what is or is not good television. Thank you. Just out of curiosity, when you choose to retire from your post as television gatekeeper, how can I get the job? I'd be interested. Is there an election of some sort?

I just don't like them calling, say an experiment, 'busted' when they only try it ONCE. No science really to speak of.

If you've watched the show, they've explained this many, many times. They don't try it once. Some experiments can be run hundreds of times over weeks. They have to cut it down to an hour show (which usually has multiple segments). They can't exactly show the weeks of experiments in an hour.

No ... they ain't perfect. Even if some of the science they use is not up to NASA specifications... Its a few magnitudes higher than what is concocted by the atrophied brain spasms of Billy Bob 'n Jethro under the effects of a keg of beer and abetted by a long weekend.

Even more important - its heads above the "trash Sports" phenomena that fill up the ever increasing number of Cable channels looking for cheap entertainment to capture eyes and put butts in the seat for shyster businesses.

Don't tell me that you were not suitably impressed by the STO rocket bolted to the roof of an early Chevy experiment? That was classic. It pushed all the right "guy" buttons. Cars, rockets, danger and most important - stupid, useless and no redeeming social significance.

You just gotta' love it.

If I was rich, had a mental abnormality and death wish ... I'd have to be there every time they blow something up - participation would be even better!

If there is a "count down" involvled, I'd be there! ...10, 9, 8 ...

Overpaid, it is obvious that you do not watch the show. They do not do an experiment just once. Aside from trying it different ways to see if there was someway to make the "myth" occur, they have revisited a number of their experiments when people point out discreprencies in the method they have used. Also, as a few people here have stated, it creates interest in various studies for their children. One of the problems in education is that children cannot see how what they are learning pertains to the real world. A show like this shows them how physics, chemistry and math are used to plan out an experiment. Doing something like this cannonball stunt, even though it went awry, or testing a story from the Civil War or either of the World Wars makes history more relevant to children today.

I couldn't understand Oprah, Ellen, Maury, Jerry, and the countless entertainment ragtv and 'watch-me-fall-down-drunk-shores' shows. I like something I have to think about.

C'mon guys.... lay off OverPaidCivilServant. He's just one of us. Don't be so quick to hump on someone's case...

He enjoys Kari Byron. How bad can he be?

I do believe you people are getting a little bit too defensive over a show. There is really no reason to act crazy over it.

Since Grant twitted about it, it was probably the Build Team doing the experiment. So I think Tory is to blame.

I'm pretty sure a visit from Kari would go a long way to smoothing things over...in my book at least! ;)

It was buster! it was busteeerrrrr!!!! lol lol

I'm still waiting for the episode: MythBusters - Busted!

hmmmm.... NAW... wasn't Buster..... Buster is waayy too busted up to have managed an effective sabotage of the physics spearmint...

I so have to try that now! lol

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain
For promis'd joy."

Of Mice and Men, a John Steinbeck novel.

Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of migrant ranch workers and their dreams.

.

These lines were in turn taken from Robert Burns's poem, "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough."

They were actually at a sheriffs firearms range and bomb range. The cannonball was supposed to pass through a bunch of obstacles to slow it down, but it misfired and shot up into the air and over the hill. It actually went through the home's front door and out the back wall, onto another home's roof, across the street and through a minivan window. Amazing.

A "misfire" happens with a muzzle loading cannon because someone did something wrong. This was a negligent discharge.

I checked on a few of the map/directions sites, the house that was hit was about a mile straight line from the range. I can't even guess how they discharged the piece, but it is obvious that they had no clue about the range of black powder artillery. A 12 lb. Mt. howitzer, using a half pound of cannon powder has a range of just over 1000 yards at 5 degrees elevation. Skip off a rock can give it considerably more range. An Ordnance Rifle, using a pound of powder, at an elevation of 15 degrees will put a 9 pound projectile about 4300 yards.

Joe, if you've watched the show you'd know they work with black powder a few times a season, plus they have demolitions experts (bomb squad folks) on hand for every experiment. I'm betting this was like the exploding water heater experiment where no one thought it would be as crazy as it was (they didn't even set up the cameras to look as high as the dang thing went)

Joe, it missed the water barrels it was aimed at.

Arrested? I'd like to shove my bayonet through your skull (kidding).

In all seriousness, I think arresting them goes a bit too far. Do you even know what the show is about? ...

@wolfe: It's called an 'accident.' Look it up.

How about we wait and find out what - you know - actually happened, before imposing the conviction and sentence?

@Dave - Gasp! Waiting to find out what actually happened? Clearly a violation of the law of the internets - you'll be banned for sure.

...Wolfe, do you even ever -watch- Mythbusters? I mean, aside from maybe leaving it on in the background as filter noise when you're busy snorting glue through both nostrils in an attempt to kill the few remaining brain cells you have left.

The Mythbusters team, crew and staff are all trained professionals with many years of experience between them. But no matter how well trained you are, no matter how much experience you may have, Old Man Murphy, that crafty old bastard, will eventually show up to rain on your parade.

What this means is that no matter how much training, preparation, and experience you have, sometimes something is going to go wrong that you simply cannot control. This is why we call them "accidents". Please, for everyone's sake, put down your torch and pitchfork, take a few really deep, calming breaths, and just be thankful that no one -was- hurt, because in an accident like this anything could have happened.

You can't arrest someone unless they violated some law. They were obviously conducting the experiment in an area designated for such activities. They had no intent to harm anyone. There was however accidental damage to private property, at best grounds for a civil suit though I imagine there will be a very lucrative settlement offered very quickly.

wolfe , you are a bobo

And if someone was driving exactly where a tractor trailer overturned on the highway near my house at 3:00 this morning, they might have been killed too! Obviously, the truck driver in question was driving recklessly and should be arrested. Because someone might have been there to get hurt.

I worked for them - for a couple of hours! LOL

They visited the university I worked for a couple of years ago, and I got to "stage manage".

They were a lot of fun - even when their equipment stopped working and other horrors.

Is this a "guy thing?" My husband says the same thing about Sons of Guns.

I'm female, and I enjoy Mythbusters.

My thoughts exactly Keith! Ive been a science nut ever since I was a young boy, and did some pretty crazy "experiments" back then without any major mishaps (though I did burn my hand pretty badly on my 12th birthday when some home-made flash powder went off unexpectedly).

I'm female and love Mythbusters too. I also love the Rocket City Rednecks who might just be slightly more dangerous. lol

Kronkite, I couldn't agree with you more. I have always loved Mythbusters ever since the first episode rolled out in 2003. Of all the things they do, I have to say I have always loved the explosions the most. And apparently, they agree with my line of thinking, because they really do love to blow things up on that show.

But aside from that, the show really -is- educational and a wonderful teaching tool. Kids can learn about a variety of different subjects, often just from watching a single episode. Not only that, but they make each episode entertaining to watch as well.

It's so much better by far than the mass of tripe and stupidity that has overrun "prime time" television. Things like Big Brother, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, etc. do nothing to teach kids anything meaningful and make Americans look like a bunch of stuck up, orange-skinned, big-lipped Oompa Loompas who can't find anything more meaningful to do with their lives than go "clubbin", have sex, get into fights and make themselves look like the biggest a--h-les on the planet.

Shows like Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch are pretty much the only shows I bother watching anymore. (I used to watch American Chopper, but the show went downhill very fast with Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. turning every episode into a shouting match.)

Considering the show's dual emphasis on education and safety, I wouldn't be surprised if they did air it as a cautionary tale. Then again, I'm sure a lawsuit is already in the works, and there's no way they air it with a suit pending.

If it is not part of the show this was being done for, it may show up on an outtake show. (I believe they had one of those a while back that covered several seasons.) Of course, it would have to be after everything is settled.

mindragon

I am not going to worry about those homeowners at all. If anything, they should take pictures collect the shrapnel and sell it to fans of the show. Heck...they should even arrange private tours and sell tickets for $10 or something. I don't know why everyone has to see the bad in everything. No one was hurt and science was made! I, for one, am going to look forward to watching that episode

Seriously! I was thinking exactly the same.

Because someone could have been killed.

Why do people get bent out of shape because someone might have been killed by one cannon ball but was not? Probably today alone dozens of people were almost killed by drivers talking on cellphones and indeed some people may have been killed that way but nobody screams about that. Try taking their cellphones away and then they scream.

Lets panic about something that is putting people at risk and leave the Mythbusters alone.

It's not their range. It is a public facility used primarily by fire departments and law enforcement.

Right after they sign the check which will pay for the damage.

That cannon must have packed an immense amount of punch for it to have shot the cannonball as far as reported. I suppose it a good thing that noone was hit by it, otherwise I doubt there would have been anything left of them to identify.

............where a man, woman and child slept through it all - only awakening because of plaster dust. At 4:15 in the afternoon? Just wondering.

If it was an infant it was probably napping and if you've ever had an infant you know you nap when baby sleeps.

@ justhefax - I had the same wonder.

@Justhefax- maybe they were sick, or maybe they had laid the child down for a nap and dozed off themselves, or maybe they had just returned from vacation in another time zone and were dealing with jet lag, or maybe one of the parents works at night and they decided to take a nap. It isn't like people don't take naps at anytime during the day for any of many reasons.

tigntink, natedom,

yes, I did have an infant at one time, but I never napped during the day. (Still don't) I am aware of certain cenarios, as said, was just wondering because to me it is odd for 2 grownups at the same time napping with a kid. (emphasis on ME) And them being awakened by plasterdust, not the noise?

So I assume the shooting a cannon with your eyes closed myth was busted.

I was rather perplexed by this...

ripped through the front door, raced up the stairs and blasted through a bedroom,

How exactly does a cannon ball race up stairs? I mean, if it's hitting mountains, busting through doors, going through walls and cars, wouldn't it just go through the stairs? The mental image I get when I read that is of the cannon ball making contact with the stairs and bouncing up them...

@ Nate - I wondered that myself. I assumed it struck the corner of a step and bounced up. You would think it would have busted through. I suspect that after a few bounces it's energy is pretty well spent. I think the reason it traveled so far is because it didn't hit any studs in the house dead on. At least the pictures I saw looked like it missed the studs. It may have grazed one on the way out.

I would think if it had hit the back of a step it would have passed through and maybe ended up in the basement of the house. Maybe we should consider a bounce up the stairs and out the back wall missing everyone inside a lucky bounce for the homeowner. Bouncing around in the basement could have destroyed their Furnace/AC or water heater or caused a flood or who knows what. Or it could have hit someone inside.

There is (or was, havent been to that neck of the wood lately) this place in Las Vegas that sells canons that fire things from the size of small rubber bouncy balls, to billiard balls, to bowling balls.

They are freaking EXPENSIVE! I wanted one of the billiard ball canons, but it was like $600.00! The bowling ball canons started out at about 3 grand!

Al this is the mythbusters. They built thier own cannon.

cgtrav, as they say on Mythbusters "Don't try this at home." I've seen what happens when someone with no clue builds a pipe cannon and fires it off. The ball didn't go far because the cannon exploded.

Many commenters are missing the statement that the cannon ball "took a few unfortunate bounces." Knowing the Mythbusters, they were probably not using a standard cannon, cannonball or target, and something went wrong and unexpected. That's why they call it an experiment. Let's wait for more information before we overreact to something no more than unexpected property damage. Internet news is worse than TV. There's obviously on space or time limitation; look at the length of just the comments (that dwarf the actual story).

This was one magic loogie

But the ball somehow missed its mark, took an unforeseen bounce off a safety berm and barreled into the quiet Tassajara Creek neighborhood of Dublin about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

That's where the projectile turned into a suburban pinball, bouncing off a sidewalk, blasting through a front door, barreling up some stairs and careening through a bedroom where a man, woman and child were reportedly sleeping.

The cannonball then punched through the home's exterior stucco wall, sailed across a six-lane thoroughfare, ricocheted off the roof of another home and finally crashed through the window of a parked, empty Toyota Sienna minivan, where it came to rest.

"I had just got out of the van five minutes earlier," owner Jasbir Gill, 42, told local media, according to KTVU. "I'm glad my kids weren't inside the van. So lucky."

Sgt. Nelson said dust from the shattered sheetrock woke the sleeping family, not the sound of the ball.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/cannonball-mythbusters-show-crashes-calif-home-amp-lands-minivan-article-1.988169#ixzz1ftgIehRm

I'll volunteer to spank her.

The could sell tickets for that and raise enough to pay for the damage and the probable lawsuit to boot.