Smashlab - Waste of time

[mitsuguy]

Alright, so, for the last few months, Discovery Channel has this show called Smashlab... the previews look great - they make it look like mythbusters, but more explosions...

not so much...

I have watched it on and off since its inception and have been disappointed every time, however, I just watched an episode from this week (DVR), and I have to say it just blew me out of the water how BAD it was...

the premise: a ship capsizes, and you are stuck in the air pocket the top of the hull makes, how to self rescue?

the two plans: 1) build a diving bell that is motorized 2) build a portable "escape hatch"

plan 1) alright, motorized diving bell - not a horrid idea, but it was not stable, and kinda big thus making it hard to fit through openings - then, when their original idea of a self compensating buoyancy device failed, they decided to use a manual one - not too hard, I think, as we regulate buoyancy every second we are under water... so, they get out of the capsized boat, don't have enough air in the bell, and are at the bottom limits of the safety ropes (35 feet) - then they add air and pop to the surface like a cork... they keep screaming "the bends, the bends" while I'm thinking AGE, and they never ever mention it...

plan 2) they try to build a battery powered plasma cutter and almost shock themselves to death twice (who thought that was a good idea in highly conductive saltwater?), then they try a (I think) acetylene torch, back to the brilliant ideas - this is in an enclosed, pressurized space... all of this to somehow attach an escape pod without sinking the rest of the ship...

What's sad is that these guys (and girl) are supposed to be engineers and such, but every time they overlook the obvious solution...

Why not just have a couple of the Zeagle Rapiddiver kits (or similar) in the hull of the ship along with a couple pairs of fins... or be a minimalist, and a 6 cu ft pony bottle and a shoulder sling...

This is not the only thing they tried to find a solution for which a solution already exists...

Discovery Channel got it wrong here...

[ScubaJ]

Agreed

I haven't been able to sit through a whole episode and gave up trying after 2.

[Barberman]

Agree. When I seen the original previews for the show I thought it would be very interesting. So far I have watched probably 3 episodes and it isn't anything like I expected. I doubt I will watch anymore. I probably won't be on much longer anyway.

[mike_s]

yeah... this show looks like it might have been inspired as Mythbusters Rejects....

[Warren]

Smashlab bites...
And what's up with that one dude's hair!

[Bigg_Budd]

This show is butt. I grit my teeth when I see the commercials, I hate it so much. They build you up for some grand finale, and fail to deliver.

Kinda like my first girlfriend...

[CompuDude]

I watched the first season. I don't think I'll be back for the second. I agree the show under-delivers. And they keep utterly failing (IMO) and then putting spin on the situation during the wrap up to call it a success?

Kudos for the cute geeky girl, but she needs a lot less clothes. And frankly, she's just no competition to Kari (from Mythbusters), who I would like to be the mother of my children. (although I doubt my wife will be willing to go along with this plan...)

[Black-Gorrilla]

Originally Posted by ScubaJ

Agreed

I haven't been able to sit through a whole episode and gave up trying after 2.

i also tried to sit trough a few... i quit after 3. that show sucks..... it really looks like these people dont know what they are doing... and as stated by the OP... they are supposed to be engeneeres and what not.
Ill stick with Jaime, Adam, Tory, Grant and last but not least Keri.
they are fun to watch, and know what they are doing (95% of the time) and you almost always learn something from watching.

[FishFood]

SmashLab... Finding difficult, confusing, and expensive solutions no (mostly) non-problems...

[mitsuguy]

Originally Posted by FishFood

SmashLab... Finding difficult, confusing, and expensive solutions to (mostly) non-problems...

you got that right...