I am Adam Savage, dad, husband, maker, editor-in-chief of Tested.com and former host of MythBusters. AMA!

Do you think you'll ever return to television? Maybe not Mythbusters 2.0 but the same ballpark?

I will return to television.

Hey, Adam. Do you think Jamie secretly misses seeing you regularly and just won't admit it publicly?

Who the hell knows? Jamie Hyman is a mystery not to be pierced by mere mortals.

I like to imagine Jamie sitting by a fireplace of his own construction, drinking a fine scotch out of a cup made from a repurposed diesel engine piston and puffing on a self-lighting pipe he made out of leftover fighting robot parts. Suddenly, but slowly, he pulls out his wallet where he has a small photo of Adam. He removes the photo, stares at it for about four and a half seconds, sighs quietly, and places it back inside, continuing his contemplation.

That is the closest thing to Mythbusters slashfic I'll ever read.

What's something someone can buy for under $50 that will change their life (for the better)?

Fantastic question!!! A great kitchen knife can be grabbed for that much. Too many options. I don't have a definitive answer but I love the thought experiment.

What was your favorite thing you did while working with Michael from Vsauce?

Dude just hanging out with Michael and shooting the shit is a treasure. Seriously conversing with him is EXACTLY what you imagine it is. He's inquisitive, attentive, curious and has a great sense of humor.

just hanging with Michael and shooting the shit is a treasure.

😊

seems like a cool dude, nice to have confirmation

The coolest.

Do you or HAVE you ever played DnD or the like? If so what is your most favorite character?

Bonus internet points for a scan of your character sheet.

Also, thanks a helluva bunch for Mythbusters and Tested.

Yes! I played in high school and was the DM at my local library in Tarrytown when I was a junior in high school. Actually my first kiss came about DIRECTLY as a result of playing D&D.

OMG OMG OMG Adam Savage is talking about DnD on reddit! [geeks out]

---

Lord Savage, The Builder

Medium humanoid (human), neutral good

---

Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armor)
Hit Points 72 (16d8)
Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

---

Saving Throws Int +8, Wis +6
Skills Arcana +8, History +8, Perception +6, Performance +7
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

---

Arcane Recovery (1/Day). When Lord Savage finishes a short rest, he can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than 8, and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.

Durable Summons. Any creature that Lord Savage summons or creates with a conjuration spell has 30 temporary hit points.

Focused Conjuration. While he is concentrating on a conjuration spell, Lord Savage's concentration can't be broken as a result of taking damage.

Spellcasting. Lord Savage is a 16th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence, and he uses a +2 arcane focus (spell save DC 16, +10 to hit with spell attacks). Lord Savage has the following wizard spells prepared:

• Cantrips (at will): create bonfire, mage hand, mending, prestidigitation, shocking grasp
• 1st level (4 slots): catapult, grease, mage armor, magic missile, shield
• 2nd level (3 slots): cloud of daggers, flaming sphere, pyrotechnics
• 3rd level (3 slots): fireball, fly, haste
• 4th level (3 slots): fabricate, leomund's secret chest, stone shape
• 5th level (2 slots): animate objects, conjure elemental
• 6th level (1 slot): circle of death, contingency
• 7th level (1 slot): Mordenkainen’s Sword
• 8th level (1 slot): incendiary cloud

Actions

---

+2 Tinker's Staff. Melee Weapon Attack +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, or 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands. If the target is a construct, it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by Lord Savage for 1 minute, ignoring any charm immunity the target possesses. While charmed, a construct must obey Lord Savage's exact commands. A charmed creature can repeat its save each time it is forced to deal damage to a friendly creature, as well as each time Lord Savage deals damage to it.

Minor Conjuration. Lord Savage conjures up an inanimate object in his hand or on the ground in an unoccupied space that he can see within 10 feet of him. This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds, and its form must be that of a nonmagical object that he has seen. The object is visibly magical, radiating dim light out to 5 feet. The object disappears after 1 hour, when Lord Savage uses this feature again, or if it takes any damage.

Benign Transposition (Recharges After a Short or Long Rest). Lord Savage teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that he can see. Alternatively, he can choose a space within range that is occupied by a Small or Medium creature. If that creature is willing, both he and it teleport, swapping places.

 

---

Edit: Fixed proficiency bonus miscalculation. Added charm immunity circumvention on Tinker's Staff.

This is the BEST

Discovery has promoted the hell out of your show, and it has a huge fan and fanart base.

What's the strangest place you've seen your likeness?

On a bar coaster. On a date! (seriously the early aughts were a weird time for me)

What is the proudest myth you busted?

P.S: how is brain candy live?

You're going to ask me how is spring candy live? I'm going to tell you which the finest two hours of stage performance you can find in America today! (that's me overselling it again)

Whoops, dictation error. Not spring candy BRAIN candy.

Hey Adam, I've always loved following everything you do, from Mythbusters to watching your builds on Tested. What recommendations do you have for someone who likes to build things, but has minimal tools?

start with paper and cardboard. Move to other more advance materials as your comfort level increases. You can do amazing things with minimal tools. Google "Cardboard Armor".

Hey Adam!
Best road trip you've ever done?

Drove cross country with my boys Thing1 and Thing2 last summer. 14 days of awesome. Devil's tower. Rushmore. We had a blast. I love road trips.

What is your favortie Ghibli film, and why? I'm guessing by the No Face behind you it's Spirited Away.

yep

What the hell are we going to do about San Francisco?

Good grief I don't know. I've been a Mission boy for much of my 27 years in SF and so much change. How many eyeglass stores does Valencia street need?

These questions are great folks! Keep em coming!

How do we know it's really you, and not someone in the Mythbusters' Adam Savage mask?!

Noone else would want to wear that sweaty thing...

Hey Adam ..  How excite are you for the new HellBoy movie ? I saw the picture of David Harbour yesterday and I instantly thought of you and your love for Hellboy.

Also .. bigfan on tested .. I watch your oneday built as a form of meditation.

I'm super excited, but it is a provisional excitement. I love Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy movies with such a deep abiding passion, that I can't imagine anything else living up to that. But I'm open to something new and different, and David Harbour is a fantastic choice to play HP.

What's your best and worst dad joke?

See, this is the worst thing about turning 50, is that all the jokes that appear in my head in the standard joke feet I have running all the time have become data jokes! It's awful! I haven't quite sYesuccumbed to quote that's what she said", but I can't help feeling it's not far off.

edit. Joke FEED. I'm Experimenting with dictation software's for some of these answers yes go ahead and just put that right there, and that's why some of my misspellings maybe

Adam ....

Are you day drinking?

I'm not. I'm trying to type really fast and not being assiduous about my spelling and grammar.

Also: I don't drink. Gave it up a few years ago as part of stress management (along with meditation and getting 7 hours of sleep every night) and when I realized that in your 40's hangovers last for 3 days.

Do you have any particular regrets from your days on TV? Any kind of nagging thing you never managed to find a way to get to?

I always wanted test vinyl record albums versus versus CD vs. MP3 at different compression ratios.Specifically I would be testing these in multiple environments: a car, a bedroom, and an auditorium. Discovery always thought that was too boring.

Hey Adam - I'm a long time Tested premium member and a Trekkie who's seen every episode/movie ever made.

I think I remember the left arm front instrument panel on your TOS Captain's chair being mounted upside down in the original video's final unveil. The three sphere lights should be towards the front. Did you ever notice this?

https://imgur.com/rxr52UM

Sorry for being a stickler for detail.

I didn't! Turning that panel around NOW. (shit, the wire is just 1/2" not long enough. Ah well, now I know what I'm doing tomorrow)

Where and when did you met Jamie Hyneman?

On a Russian tramp steamer in the Panama canal.

Hello Adam, long time fan. What do think about the furure of exosuits or exo-frames to help people with disabilities move around or help replace heavy machinery?

I love this idea so much.

How is the pressure of working on YouTube now vs how it was working for Discovery on Mythbusters?

Pressure? What pressure? It's been a dreamy couple of years working solely on tested.com

Tested.com is great at presenting the world of Matter, but presenting stories about the world of Bits and Code is still a tough sell. I've really enjoyed the Thermal Detonator builds but the electronics and software parts were essentially removed. How can Tested.com bring the excitement of Code to makers?

That is great feedback! The answer is that we're always trying, and we will continue to. I really appreciate the question.

Hey Adam, I've loved Mythbusters ever since I was a kid, thank you for so many great shows. We all know you're a massive film fan, but how do you feel about video games? What're your favourites?

I think video games are absolutely beautiful, but I do not play them. That's actually a lie, I play one video game:Millipede. I have an arcade Millipede in my shop and I played everyday

What's that high scoreboard look like?

me!
me!
me!
me!
me!
...

ASS

ASS

ASS

ASS

ASS

It's actually DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD

Adam! Hi!! So sad that OG Mythbusters is off the air, but loving all the things you've done since then! Thanks for continuing to explore your curiosity in the name of science!

My question-- what experiment from Mythbusters (no matter how big or small) shocked you the most? One you were almost 100% certain would go one way and when it went the opposite you almost couldn't believe it.

Thanks for doing this!!

Golf Ball Car. Insane.

If you could steal a smooch from any guy in Hollywood who would it be?

Chris Hemsworth or the Rock.

Mrs. Donttrythis must be the most understanding partner in the world. I would love to have the life you have, but if I spent as much time in the shop or travelling as you do, my wife would cut my nuts off. She already complains if I spend an afternoon on a project in my shop. Kudos to you, and how do you get away with it? ;)

I spend a large amount of time with my wife and family. Balance between that and work makes all the difference. Many weekends we do NOTHING and barely leave the house save to walk Maggie and Huxley (our rescue dogs)

Is Jonathan Frakes as laid back as Riker?

Are you working on any cool replicas at the moment?

He's the coolest dude ever. And you just want to hear him keep telling stories in that beautiful voice of his.

I'm ALWAYS working on replicas. Just finished one last week!

With a last name of Savage, what were some of your childhood nicknames?

Adam Sandwich.

What has been your favorite interaction with a comic-con attendee while disguised in costume?

Too many to count. Loved heading to Crunchy Roll last month here in the bay area. So much awesome cosplay diversity!

Hi Adam! I've watched myth busters since I can't remember when, love seeing you on YouTube and kickin' it with Micheal.

Now that Elon has gotten SpaceX up out of the gravity well, will we ever see you up in space doing new crazy stunts on the ISS, The Moon or Mars at some point in the future?

If Elon asks, I'll go.

I am making edits as I go, as I am in high school heading to CAD class now. Anyway, hey Adam, been a fan of your works since early Mythbusters when I was a wee lad. What are your thoughts on augmented reality? Have any interest and/or are you going to be getting a headset? https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/536-bbbr

I'm sooper excited about AR. I've seen Hololens and Magic Leap (don't ask me anything!) and I can't wait for that future to come!

Can you get an updated “Google Street view” done on your shop? I would love to see all the new things you have added since it was done originally.

It's funny should say that, I was just thinking that it's time to upgrade the street view of my Cave. I'll get on that

Adam, what has been your favorite cosplay to do at a con? And, was it your favorite because it was the most fun to build or wear?

Totoro and NoFace from Spirited away. The response people have to those characters is an anti-depressant.

Hi, Adam!

I'd like to ask a more taboo question if that's alright - how do you derive your income? Royalties from reruns, speaking commissions, ad revenue, etc.? I'm so fascinated by the work you do, and I've always wondered how it is financially sustainable.

That's a myth to bust: I make nothing in residuals from MB. That's standard on Cable.

Is working with Michael Stevens really as promising as the memes about him suggest?

Totes magotes

Is your surname really Savage?

Did you ever think of becoming a punk rocker?

It is! It's a good Irish name.

Hey Adam, a couple of years ago my husband and I caught the Mythbusters tour in Buffalo NY and loved it. Any plans for more live shows?

Yes!!! I'm touring in Nov/Dec with Michael Stevens from Vsauce. Check out braincandylive.com. Come and see us! I'm very proud of the show we've made.

Hi Adam, been a fan for years.

Do you miss working with the mythbusters family?

Yes. You have no idea. We had the best crew in the world.

If you were secret wars'd off to a battle planet where you had to fight off against large ambulatory sandwiches, what kind of sandwich would you most and least want to engage with in battle?

Put down that bong.

It's been a while since you did the video on dovetail joints, I was wondering if you'd had any more success with them since then?

Ugh, no? I've been doing more finer woodworking lately. We'll have a lathe wood turning video on Tested soon!

How's your day Adam?

My day is going great! How's yours?

What was the best interview you have ever done while doing your podcasts?

The stuff I just did with Syfy (Rick Baker, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Frakes) was so amazing for me, and so fun to do. I hope I get to do more of those. I've been doing a lot of interviews lately, and I really enjoy it.

Hi Adam, thank you for taking the time to do an AMA. I just have one question: running zombies or slow? I need to know.

I like fast zombies.

Hey Adam, love what you have been up to and sharing with people since Mythbusters ended.

I am curious, out of any of the tasks, builds, or things you have set out to do, what was one thing has made you have to take a big step back and really think outside of the box or the normal way you might do something to figure out how to accomplish it? And how did that work out?

This is a lovely question. The answer is that this happens all the time. I can't call specific examples because I'm always trying to push my skills and boundaries further. farther. You know what I mean. The buddhists call it "watching the watcher" from what I understand of the dharma (which isn't much). i try and take that meta-view of things all the time.

Hello Mr. Savage! I've loved Mythbusters since I was a small kid and so I ask you: Was there ever a time on Mythbusters where you thought "What we're doing is absolutely batshit insane" or "This show isn't worth it" (for when you were a "test subject")? Thank you for your time and your seemingly endless talent and humour. :)

ALL THE TIME.

You're a Dad!?

Had no idea. This is news to me. TIL!

I have twin 18 year old sons.

Adam, do you still keep in touch with Buster?

Sort of. One of the mementos I kept from the show was Buster's butt. https://twitter.com/donttrythis/status/819691966124261376

Sorry for dipping in and out so much, Just completed a huge LEGO build for Tested AND I'm interviewing Andy Cruz from House Industries WITH JJ Abrams tonight onstage here in SF and I'm furiously finalizing my questions for the night. Hi!

I caught the full eclipse this year. It was a very moving experience. Did you see it and what did you think?

Yes! I watched the eclipse with my boys from our roof, which made it a really special experience. https://twitter.com/donttrythis/status/899674629299552256

Hey Adam, thoughts on the new blade runner movie? Are you a fan of the more action packed approach or the old slower style?

I'm not sure how you can surmise any of that from the trailer. I'm SUPER EXCITED About BR2049.

Hey Adam, big fan. I'm a father of 2 girls and I would love for them to at least have some knowledge or interest in Engineering (or Soft Engineering) even if they don't go for the engineering field. How could I make engineering fun for them?

Don't force it upon them. Just let it be around them. They'll get passionate about the stuff that matters to them. That's what i've done with my kids.