Who wouldnt be? Adam had a forrest gump life..poking around in all sorts of todays pop culture, met celebrities and the president..only thing missing is a medal of honor 😂
Adam has to be up there as one of the most humble people you'll ever meet. He never seems to miss an opportunity to sing other people's praises or marvel in what they have accomplished.
I met Ricky when I was working at a newspaper that he was being interviewed by. He sat down with me and made a card that I had independently chosen appear in the wallet that never left my pocket. That kind of close up magic absolutely floors me.
I build satellites for a living and have been a programmer for 45 years. I use that 'writing it down' phrase ALL THE TIME. Really glad to know the actual source (I thought Adam had come up with it!).
@@AngelusNielson Neither he claims to have. The sentence is from The Dungeonmaster (originally Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate and Digital Knights). He acknowledged that.
I love it as well, and bust it out anytime someone doesn't consider them a scientist... Because honestly, doing science and being a scientist, doesn't REQUIRE you to have a fancy and expensive degree, or to work at a prestigious or high paying job. You can be a scientist and do meaningful work as long as you do it methodically and write everything down! In this day and age, I still use it for anyone recording videos, attributing "writing it down" to any means of documenting entering, to which recording video if definitely a valid method in my eyes! _(usually people are talking, to offset not seeing what's being used, etc, which would ordinarily be noted on paper)_
“I need to replumb my compressor lines” love how you have the same sort of problems the rest of us regular people have. Problems that we know won’t go away on their own. Oh well… one day I’ll get around to it
Tip: use both teflon tape AND pipe dope on top of that, then don't be shy to tighten those tapered threads down...especially in 1/2" and bigger, they take way more torque and will seal better if you get em' good and tight. Also, ball valves for shutoffs everywhere!
@@SomeGuysGarage I just got a brand new compressor and need to plumb my home shop and I agree with the thing about ball valves, pipe dope and Teflon tape. When I've had to plumb a compressor for work a few times I also made sure that I put quick couplers every 10 ft or so cuz I hate having to drag a long hose around the shop and let it get all filthy. I will surely be doing that here.
NGL, I first had a mental image of Adam holding a plumb bob to make sure it was properly plumb, questioned myself what difference THAT would make, then getting the Aha! moment of the OTHER definition of 'plumbing'.
I love Adam‘s enthusiasm for everything. He’s still the same goofy joyful person that he was when the show started. It was one of a few shows (plus Bill Nye the science guy show years earlier) that I could get my kids to consistently watch TV with me together.
Thank you for the story on how the "writing it down" phrase came about, that is such a great phrase this clip needs to be saved for posterity so the origin is never forgotten. :)
I read something similar in a magazine article, where the writer talked about his son who wanted to do an experiement involving fire. He told the boy that he could go ahead, but he had to write down the result. Otherwise it's not science, it's arson. I don't remember if it was before Mythbusters, but ever since reading that I've made sure my office has a good supply of notebooks.
I'm a Highschool Research teacher and I have been inspired by your work with the rest of the ILM and Mythbusters crew. Just last week, I am incorporating shorts and clips of the show into my lessons and teaching my students all about the "creative process of science." Now though, I think I need to amend the quote to add Alexander Jason. Once again, Thank you for continuing to tell amazing stories.
_Cards As Weapons_ came out in 1977, and _Learned Pigs_ in 1986. Adam is misremembering, and since I have not seen either book in decades, I do not recall which of them (or both) had the topless women. But it might relieve your whiplash if you remember that stage magicians tend to be heavily employed in Las Vegas.
The New Yorker did several very long articles (as is their wont) about and/or with Ricky Jay over the decades. Every one is filled with fascinating details and discussions, and I always wondered how much got cut for length. He is one of the most interesting people to have ever lived, not because of anything world-changing, but because of his perspectives and his unbounded curiosity, his willingness to both teach and to learn, and his humility in all things.
When Adam said he had met some famous people, I instantly thought jadedly I bet he’ll say president Obama, chuckled when he did and then sat in stunned disbelief when he followed it up with sitting next to Mr. Wizard at a dinner. I mean, meeting a president, neat, but Mr. Wizard was a person who had great effect on my childhood and adolescence. As a child I was fascinated with his tv show. We didn’t have cable growing up, but my grandmother did. So she would record every episode for me on the vcr and it was something I could watch on tv when I visited my grandparents. At the time I appreciated having something I could watch, when I got older I appreciated the act of recording it. It showed how she thought of me when I wasn’t there and I appreciate the regular interruption of their schedule to accommodate me. From buying multiple tapes, keeping up with the schedule and ensuring she was at home to record and allotting time to have the tv on the channel for that period of time for recording. Mr. Wizard not only taught me science and kept my curiosity engaged, but helped me understand the love of my family.
Don Herbert, AKA Mr. Wizard, made my childhood. I saw the original shows in the 1960s on PBS in the days before Sesame Street appeared (1969) and bought his book. Did everything in it. He's part, a large part, of why I became a science educator once my IT career ended.
My dad is a magician and even just growing up adjacent to that world makes me think about everything differently. And the magic castle is truly amazing
"Cards As Weapons" by Ricky Jay is on the Internet Archive. I took a look. Not "all" the pictures are topless women, but a few are. There is also a picture with the hilarious caption "Emmylou Harris defends herself against the too-tenacious members of the Fourth Estate by firing a card from her guitar". This is apparently a photo of Ms. Harris strumming her guitar with a playing card, and a cameraman is in the picture. I'll have to read the entire book; it seems to walk the fine lines between parody, nonsense and instruction.
I wasn't expecting Ricky Jay to be discussed. The documentary about him, "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" has had an outsized effect on the trajectory of my life. I'm not actually interested in pursuing magic or trickery, but he really was a fascinating character, and the way he spoke of his grandfather and other mentors really got me thinking about what it takes to become excellent at something. As always, I love hearing your thoughts on life and your personal experiences.
There's a 50-hour trivia contest run by a college radio station in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The team I've been a part of for 30+ years is called "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women." We always had a copy of Ricky Jay's book at our team house.
The sad thing about Popoff is despite being exposed as a fraud and a con artists, he continued to defraud people doing the same thing and is making millions. If you can latch onto a person's faith and refusal to think critically you can take them for everything they have. :(
Ricky Jay was one of the most amazing card technicians and an expert card thrower. Very nice and humble guy and so open to showing a young magician the mechanics. Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing.
Nah, he's Kurt from Boogie Nights. -"No, hey, gotcha. You've gotta go somewhere...so hey, wtf? It's only the photography of the movie we're talking about.." -"Are you giving me shit, Kurt?"
I remember when the MB episode aired, I was like "wait, wasn't he one of the baddies in Tomorrow Never Dies?" (the 2nd Bond film with Pierce Brosnan) and looking it up to find that, yes, yes he was.
I somehow didn't make the connection until reading another comment here quoting a line in "mystery men" and something about the tone immediately made me think of that character, and lo and behold it was him lmao
If you were ever impressed by Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible when he vanished and reappeared a CD several times, you can thank Ricky Jay for that. It was a real trick done in front of the camera taught by Ricky Jay.
Ricky Jay has a great display at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. That museum is something I always suggest to visitors of Los Angeles; few ever go. If you go, you are someone special.
Thank you Adam. Its amazing watching someone that gets genuinely excited giving praise and credit to things that could so easily be taken. This video made my day so I say again thank you to you and your team for doing what you do its apricated.
I loved seeing him in it, but you know who I would've liked to see even more? The founding member of the team... Ut! Oh well, the world wasn't and still isn't ready for Flaming Carrot.
Hi Adam I have just recently been introducing my daughter who has adhd/autism and its so good she lives it just as much as I do. It's great to see all the trial and error and the work that goes into each myth
Thank you for sharing the Ricky Jay story, Adam! I found Cards as Weapons with a friend in my high school years. We dedicated ourselves to learning the technique :) . We always wondered about the naked women, so thanks for answering a decades old mystery for me :)
The Ricky Jay/Dai Vernon connection was magical indeed. If you've not read it, "The Magician and the Card Shark" is an absolutely fascinating history of Vernon's search for a card cheat who mastered the center deal, which was thought to be impossible by every magician who ever worked with cards. Turns out, with only a few years of practicing it every day for 10 hours, it is indeed possible! And he taught it to Ricky Jay.
I only know about him from seeing him in the James Bond movie. Had to think about it for a bit trying to remember where I remembered him from. "Is the missile ready to fire?" "Press the magic button Benji disappears" "Then it seems you've outlived your contract". lol
I first discovered Ricky Jay from his HBO Special "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" and it was one of the most entertaining and mesmerizing experiences I've enjoyed to this day.
I had already seen a BBC documentary about him (it's on UA-cam, though the recording is pretty rough) so in 1999, when I heard he was performing in London, I grabbed a ticket. He was doing that particular show. I remember it was a great performance - so good to find that now there are recordings online.
1. I knew Ricky Jay as a James Bond Villian henceman. But his real life seems crazier than fiction! 2. I also had no idea of his background at all until re-watching Mythbusters later on and spotting him. 4. Part of me would love tp know more about the history of Magic. But part of me doesn't want to peek behind the curtain.
I remember seeing Ricky Jay throwing cards on some TV show in the early 80's and sticking them into the watermelons and various other tricks and immediately began doing the same. I never really got to that level but I still do it on occasion just to screw around.
No need to apologise for bouncing all over the place. You're one of the few human beings, other than me, that commands my attention for any longer than 2 minutes.
And now I know the origin of my favorite line Adam said in the first half of the time the show ran 😂 Glad I got to see Mythbusters from season one to the end… defined a large chunk of my childhood.
Wow! I had no idea that Adam knows Michael Webber! I've gotten to know literally thousands of magicians over the years, and Michael Webber is by far the smartest, most creative/original and knowledgeable magician I know. I'd love to see more episodes about Adam's interaction with magicians.
What a great story. As someone who has been juggling for 20+ years, and competed at the International level, I love this feeling of connecting across time to before I was even born with Adam visiting the still ongoing convention. Awesome stuff!
You can clearly see how much Rick J is admired by Adam, even now. Growing up, Adam was an iconic person for a lot of us, and we would be even more so blown away that we got to see Adam than how excited he is about seeing Ricky J. Somehow, he still is in awe that some magician that probably not many outside of the magician circles knows Ricky J's name. No disrespect meant at all, and I could be wrong. Yet almost the entire country knows who Adam is. Adam Savage is solid name that we all know and smile when we hear it. Like seriously, if somene goes into their office tomorrow and says that name "Adam Savage", you know there will be people that smile when they think about what Adam got to do for all those years. Especially a lot of us guys that loved watching the stuff with explosives!!! Adam, you're truly an inspiration for those of us to be ourselves and be the biggest fan of our own avenues, like magic is for you! Thank you, for being you!
I love hearing these stories. You tell them so well, it is the mark of a true entertainer. I just watched the bullet episode last week, that you were talking about here. I was shocked to see how much energy the bullet had after impacting the black top. It went through a sheet of metal! Impressive.
I caught a quick glimpse of Ricky Jay in profile on this video. It made me wonder if I had seen him before. It turns out that I had, on the movie Mystery Men. He was Captain Amazing's publicist.
I got to meet him when he was doing a special in the Local DC Theater where I was working. I was on stage with him for the staff run watching his 3 card work. Since I knew what to look for, I was. And I barely caught it. Because of what it was I went with the 'trick'. Was a wonderful gentleman. He also demonstrated one of his mechanicals(?) which was wonderous and wonderful.
The science and writing it down was a great quote. There were a lot over the years. I made a couple of T-shirts with Mythbusters quotes. One of the best-sellers was, "Failure is ALWAYS an option". Another was, "We always use the blue rope!". I forget which myth, but Grant and Tory were arguing over which color rope to use (one was stronger than the other). The one they used, which wasn't blue, snapped. Hence the quote.
Oh, yeah. That took me back to my first juggling convention, which was at Hampshire college in Amherst MA. The convention floor was a basketball court, but the entrance was one floor up, and there was a balcony overlooking the convention floor... so you get about six feet away, and *then* look down at more jugglers in one place than you've ever seen in your life. If you're a juggler and you've never been to a convention, find one and make the pilgrimage. It is fracking magical.
Great show Adam! I very much enjoy the experiences. I admit that with my own issues I struggle to watch the work you do sometimes, but I love the results. This is the second time I've heard him say that thing about "show me the money." I don't know which story is accurate, but I read an interview with Cameron Crowe when Jerry Maguire came out and he said that he thought "The Quan" was going to be a thing and not "Show me the money."
Juggling conventions are awesome! I don't do much juggling anymore, as I was just learning a new skill and didn't keep at it. But to see a huge room or gym full of people juggling was awe-inspiring.
I remember seeing RIcky Jay on TV when I was about 13. So that would have been 1974ish. I loved his card throwing which I and many had never seen before. I tried throwing cards using what I thought was his technique. It probably wasn't. I pinched the cards between the ends of my pointer and middle finger and flicked them with an arm throw that started from my shoulder. Soon my buddies and I were having card fights (indoors of course). I'm very glad I watched this video.
Adam made the hair on my legs and arms and back stand up when he talked about his experience when he entered the juggling convention. I knew how to juggle three balls in a regular and reverse cascade and then I was at a local weekly juggling meeting. And now I'm hooked.
Please tell me that the bomb squads and fire departments, and all of the special "supervisory" guests had fun helping on the show. It looked like that to me. Frank Doyle used to frequent the electronics store my ex worked at, he was the sweetest guy.
I saw the title of this video and knew the answer right away. In fact I've been waiting since he died to hear you talk about him. Ricky told a lot of stories and it's hard to believe all of them could be true. His whole life was a magic trick and even if you couldn't be sure what was real you were still left amazed by having experienced a bit of it.
OK dammit. You know how to tell I'm a fan? You said that quote, and I almost teared up. What an awesome story to end up at a signature moment. Beautiful!!
As a professional magician I'm loving this episode. And Dai Vernon was amazing. Derren Brown (uk based mentalist) wrote a book for magicians just as he made it big. He talks about a similar change in philosophy. Magicians used to display themselves as petty gods, omnipotent but trivial. Dai was the start fo the change that Derren then continued, Magicians stopped being gods and became heroes, all be it heroes in thier own mind.
Ricky Jay played a character called Henry Gupta in the 1997 James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" I never knew that he could throw playing cards. Until I saw a deleted scene where he was actually throwing playing cards into something. I can't remember what he was throwing them into though. But the scene ultimately didn't make it into the film
I love that phrase about the difference between science and a rewin around. I work in production and have to break test as lot of parts! Sometimes they break chaotically and makes me think of that line all the time.
He was on The Unit tv show, and was such an awesome guy, i had the book and showed him how i threw the cards and he said you're 20 yrs away from doing it right and patted me on the back with a rough laugh and i'm Adam's age. Great guy, i was doing plain clothes armed security on a show with more guns in the armory than you would believe. BEST GUEST. Vince Gilligan who knew he was a soft spoken nice guy, he was one i would like to hang out with, Sofia bush too. I got my ticket to get my star wars card signed by the real C3P0 since Adam, isn't at FanX this year.
i never realized who he was in one of my favorite movies (A Ranger, A Cook, and a Hole in the Sky) and now I'm understanding having him play a card shark means all the card stuff was probably real.
13:04 THAT LIVES IN MY PHONE'S CLIPBOARD RENT FREE! _"The only difference between screwing around and science, is writing it down."_ - *Adam Savage* [Mythbusters] And someone within the last 6mo had informed me it was actuality said to Adam by someone else, and *_I thought_* I had updated my quote, but hadn't. Someone at tested must've seen me say exactly that last week... ☺️ If so, _THANK YOU!_ ♥️ If *not,* damn what a coincidence... 😅
And yes I DID update it this time 😁 _"The only difference between screwing around and science, is writing it down."_ - *Adam Savage* [Mythbusters] _[originally Alexander Jason]_
When you stood up to turn off your compressor, just after mentioning Ricky Jay, I absolutely expected it to be a setup into a magic trick. I thought just as you went off frame you were going to appear on the other side of your desk 😅
A similar phrase has existed in law enforcement for decades. "If it's not in the report, it didn't happen". Which is why it's so critically important to a) write good, accurate, detailed reports of incidents and, b) why, when you're having to testify about what happened a year or two (or more) ago, you re-familiarize yourself with that report and make sure you know it inside and out. Because mentioning some detail during cross-examination that isn't in the report is a ticket to being publicly dissected and humiliated by the opposing counsel...and that's just the beginning.
Why is Adam so enjoyable? Because he so full of gratitude for his life, his friends, and what he was able to do. Its wonderful to watch ❤
Who wouldnt be? Adam had a forrest gump life..poking around in all sorts of todays pop culture, met celebrities and the president..only thing missing is a medal of honor 😂
Had or has?
plus his enthusiasm is infectious. the day adam is bummed out visibly to the public the world will shed a tear.
I have "the only difference between science and screwing around is writing it down" taped to the front of the lab notebook I used for my PhD
Adam has to be up there as one of the most humble people you'll ever meet. He never seems to miss an opportunity to sing other people's praises or marvel in what they have accomplished.
I met Ricky when I was working at a newspaper that he was being interviewed by. He sat down with me and made a card that I had independently chosen appear in the wallet that never left my pocket. That kind of close up magic absolutely floors me.
I wonder at what point he lifted your wallet off you😂 probably the handshake
Ricky leaves his house with a trick on his mind to do to a random someone he might meet lol
@ChriaM-uk7wn I haven't a clue. Whenever he did it, he was really subtle. And how he got it back in my pocket, I may never know.
That is a great trick. Many years ago, I used to do that in a lady's purse. A wallet would be much harder.
Lucky
I build satellites for a living and have been a programmer for 45 years. I use that 'writing it down' phrase ALL THE TIME. Really glad to know the actual source (I thought Adam had come up with it!).
Adam also didn't come up with "I reject your reality and substitute my own."
@@AngelusNielson Neither he claims to have.
The sentence is from The Dungeonmaster (originally Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate and Digital Knights).
He acknowledged that.
@@avelord6135 I never claimed Adam claimed the origin of the phrase, just that it's not originally his.
I love it as well, and bust it out anytime someone doesn't consider them a scientist... Because honestly, doing science and being a scientist, doesn't REQUIRE you to have a fancy and expensive degree, or to work at a prestigious or high paying job.
You can be a scientist and do meaningful work as long as you do it methodically and write everything down! In this day and age, I still use it for anyone recording videos, attributing "writing it down" to any means of documenting entering, to which recording video if definitely a valid method in my eyes! _(usually people are talking, to offset not seeing what's being used, etc, which would ordinarily be noted on paper)_
@@AngelusNielsondon't crush my illusions... I just came up with that
“I need to replumb my compressor lines” love how you have the same sort of problems the rest of us regular people have. Problems that we know won’t go away on their own. Oh well… one day I’ll get around to it
Tip: use both teflon tape AND pipe dope on top of that, then don't be shy to tighten those tapered threads down...especially in 1/2" and bigger, they take way more torque and will seal better if you get em' good and tight. Also, ball valves for shutoffs everywhere!
This is so relatable. The number of times I've been in the house and heard the air compressor kick on in the shop and groaned. 😂
@@SomeGuysGarage I just got a brand new compressor and need to plumb my home shop and I agree with the thing about ball valves, pipe dope and Teflon tape. When I've had to plumb a compressor for work a few times I also made sure that I put quick couplers every 10 ft or so cuz I hate having to drag a long hose around the shop and let it get all filthy. I will surely be doing that here.
NGL, I first had a mental image of Adam holding a plumb bob to make sure it was properly plumb, questioned myself what difference THAT would make, then getting the Aha! moment of the OTHER definition of 'plumbing'.
I'll do it tomorrow
Ricky Jay said the trick to embedding playing cards in a watermelon is convincing the audience that the watermelon is tougher than it is
I love Adam‘s enthusiasm for everything. He’s still the same goofy joyful person that he was when the show started. It was one of a few shows (plus Bill Nye the science guy show years earlier) that I could get my kids to consistently watch TV with me together.
Thank you for the story on how the "writing it down" phrase came about, that is such a great phrase this clip needs to be saved for posterity so the origin is never forgotten. :)
I read something similar in a magazine article, where the writer talked about his son who wanted to do an experiement involving fire. He told the boy that he could go ahead, but he had to write down the result. Otherwise it's not science, it's arson.
I don't remember if it was before Mythbusters, but ever since reading that I've made sure my office has a good supply of notebooks.
You said Randi and Popoff and I thought, That was him?!
great story telling! I love finding out about the vast, and fascinating, back story of a person I am only mildly familiar with. Thanks!
I'm a Highschool Research teacher and I have been inspired by your work with the rest of the ILM and Mythbusters crew. Just last week, I am incorporating shorts and clips of the show into my lessons and teaching my students all about the "creative process of science." Now though, I think I need to amend the quote to add Alexander Jason.
Once again, Thank you for continuing to tell amazing stories.
When he said the pictures were of topless woman, that was like an ultimate whiplash for a second
As a straight-out marketing move, I think it was brilliant. GUARANTEED, people would buy the book, for one reason or another.
_Cards As Weapons_ came out in 1977, and _Learned Pigs_ in 1986. Adam is misremembering, and since I have not seen either book in decades, I do not recall which of them (or both) had the topless women. But it might relieve your whiplash if you remember that stage magicians tend to be heavily employed in Las Vegas.
@@somercet1 that did remedy it by bit ngl
I found cards as weapons online and there’s less than 7 images haha. it wasn’t like a porno
We have went full circle back into puritans.
I just heard the phrase bounced around in French between two engineers i work with. The thing has gotten wings so large, they transcend language.
3:37 seeing that screenshot of season 1 mythbusters brought me back to when i first started watching the show as a kid!!
Ricky Jay, what a legend! One of the most talented and, by all accounts, nicest guys.
The New Yorker did several very long articles (as is their wont) about and/or with Ricky Jay over the decades. Every one is filled with fascinating details and discussions, and I always wondered how much got cut for length. He is one of the most interesting people to have ever lived, not because of anything world-changing, but because of his perspectives and his unbounded curiosity, his willingness to both teach and to learn, and his humility in all things.
When Adam said he had met some famous people, I instantly thought jadedly I bet he’ll say president Obama, chuckled when he did and then sat in stunned disbelief when he followed it up with sitting next to Mr. Wizard at a dinner. I mean, meeting a president, neat, but Mr. Wizard was a person who had great effect on my childhood and adolescence. As a child I was fascinated with his tv show. We didn’t have cable growing up, but my grandmother did. So she would record every episode for me on the vcr and it was something I could watch on tv when I visited my grandparents. At the time I appreciated having something I could watch, when I got older I appreciated the act of recording it. It showed how she thought of me when I wasn’t there and I appreciate the regular interruption of their schedule to accommodate me. From buying multiple tapes, keeping up with the schedule and ensuring she was at home to record and allotting time to have the tv on the channel for that period of time for recording. Mr. Wizard not only taught me science and kept my curiosity engaged, but helped me understand the love of my family.
that's so fucking beautiful ;')
Don Herbert, AKA Mr. Wizard, made my childhood. I saw the original shows in the 1960s on PBS in the days before Sesame Street appeared (1969) and bought his book. Did everything in it. He's part, a large part, of why I became a science educator once my IT career ended.
My dad is a magician and even just growing up adjacent to that world makes me think about everything differently. And the magic castle is truly amazing
If you don't mind the question, like how do you think differently? How so because of being close to that world?
"Cards As Weapons" by Ricky Jay is on the Internet Archive. I took a look. Not "all" the pictures are topless women, but a few are. There is also a picture with the hilarious caption "Emmylou Harris defends herself against the too-tenacious members of the Fourth Estate by firing a card from her guitar". This is apparently a photo of Ms. Harris strumming her guitar with a playing card, and a cameraman is in the picture. I'll have to read the entire book; it seems to walk the fine lines between parody, nonsense and instruction.
Thanks for pointing out that it’s available too see in the Archive.
@@davidwilliams1060 it'll be gone shortly thanks to Chuck Wendig
I wasn't expecting Ricky Jay to be discussed. The documentary about him, "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" has had an outsized effect on the trajectory of my life. I'm not actually interested in pursuing magic or trickery, but he really was a fascinating character, and the way he spoke of his grandfather and other mentors really got me thinking about what it takes to become excellent at something. As always, I love hearing your thoughts on life and your personal experiences.
There's a 50-hour trivia contest run by a college radio station in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The team I've been a part of for 30+ years is called "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women." We always had a copy of Ricky Jay's book at our team house.
The sad thing about Popoff is despite being exposed as a fraud and a con artists, he continued to defraud people doing the same thing and is making millions. If you can latch onto a person's faith and refusal to think critically you can take them for everything they have. :(
It's pretty common for cult members to stay in the cult even after it's been proven to be a scam.
Difficult to disabuse someone of a concept when they *want* to believe.
Seems popoff needs to popoff to some place far far away 😂
@@andylindsaytunesShun the nonbeliever. Shun shun shunn....
Trump learned a lot from him
Ricky Jay was one of the most amazing card technicians and an expert card thrower. Very nice and humble guy and so open to showing a young magician the mechanics. Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing.
I also enjoyed Ricky Jay from a young age. I still miss him and miss what now feels like better times. Thanks Adam for this episode.
Could not agree more about Ricky Jay. He is in the Mamet movie, "The Spanish Prisoner." An absolute joy the whole 110 minutes.
Yep! I was coming here to make the same recommendation.
Also has a huge part in Mamet's House of Games.
Acting is one of those things that when you are really good at it, everyone thinks it’s easy.
It's also one of those things that when people are not good at it but still make gobs of money, everyone thinks it must be easy
@@TheGreatAtario Then for many, tragic heartbreaking consequences happen... or worse... :(
You were absolutely right about the "writing it down" quote becoming a thing. I loved it so much I added it to my lecture slides when I became a prof!
You did not butcher anything about the history of the professor. Spot on.
As soon as I saw the photo of Ricky-Jay I knew who he was, but I remember him most as The Amazing Maleeni from The X Files.
Nah, he's Kurt from Boogie Nights.
-"No, hey, gotcha. You've gotta go somewhere...so hey, wtf? It's only the photography of the movie we're talking about.."
-"Are you giving me shit, Kurt?"
I remember when the MB episode aired, I was like "wait, wasn't he one of the baddies in Tomorrow Never Dies?" (the 2nd Bond film with Pierce Brosnan) and looking it up to find that, yes, yes he was.
I somehow didn't make the connection until reading another comment here quoting a line in "mystery men" and something about the tone immediately made me think of that character, and lo and behold it was him lmao
That quote of the difference between science and screwing around was an INSTANT classic!
Only recently found out full episodes are being uploaded to YT by the official MB channel. Love love love watching them again.
If you were ever impressed by Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible when he vanished and reappeared a CD several times, you can thank Ricky Jay for that. It was a real trick done in front of the camera taught by Ricky Jay.
Ricky Jay has a great display at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. That museum is something I always suggest to visitors of Los Angeles; few ever go. If you go, you are someone special.
Thank you Adam. Its amazing watching someone that gets genuinely excited giving praise and credit to things that could so easily be taken. This video made my day so I say again thank you to you and your team for doing what you do its apricated.
I love the comparison of science and screwing around! So much that I wrote it down. Tested should sell t-shirts of that.
"What do I look like, a magician?"
-Ricky Jay, Mystery Men
"I'm a limey fork flinger, mother!" (not Ricky, but it involved throwing things)
I love that movie.
I loved seeing him in it, but you know who I would've liked to see even more? The founding member of the team... Ut! Oh well, the world wasn't and still isn't ready for Flaming Carrot.
Ricky Jay was so brilliant. I've been a big fan for many years
Hi Adam I have just recently been introducing my daughter who has adhd/autism and its so good she lives it just as much as I do. It's great to see all the trial and error and the work that goes into each myth
Thank you for sharing the Ricky Jay story, Adam! I found Cards as Weapons with a friend in my high school years. We dedicated ourselves to learning the technique :) . We always wondered about the naked women, so thanks for answering a decades old mystery for me :)
I so enjoy these tales that you weave. Gives great insight and context to what MythBusters was all about.
The Ricky Jay/Dai Vernon connection was magical indeed. If you've not read it, "The Magician and the Card Shark" is an absolutely fascinating history of Vernon's search for a card cheat who mastered the center deal, which was thought to be impossible by every magician who ever worked with cards. Turns out, with only a few years of practicing it every day for 10 hours, it is indeed possible! And he taught it to Ricky Jay.
I only know about him from seeing him in the James Bond movie. Had to think about it for a bit trying to remember where I remembered him from. "Is the missile ready to fire?" "Press the magic button Benji disappears" "Then it seems you've outlived your contract". lol
I first discovered Ricky Jay from his HBO Special "Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants" and it was one of the most entertaining and mesmerizing experiences I've enjoyed to this day.
I had already seen a BBC documentary about him (it's on UA-cam, though the recording is pretty rough) so in 1999, when I heard he was performing in London, I grabbed a ticket. He was doing that particular show. I remember it was a great performance - so good to find that now there are recordings online.
Thanks for telling us. I'm downloading the show now.
1. I knew Ricky Jay as a James Bond Villian henceman. But his real life seems crazier than fiction! 2. I also had no idea of his background at all until re-watching Mythbusters later on and spotting him. 4. Part of me would love tp know more about the history of Magic. But part of me doesn't want to peek behind the curtain.
I remember seeing Ricky Jay throwing cards on some TV show in the early 80's and sticking them into the watermelons and various other tricks and immediately began doing the same. I never really got to that level but I still do it on occasion just to screw around.
No need to apologise for bouncing all over the place. You're one of the few human beings, other than me, that commands my attention for any longer than 2 minutes.
And now I know the origin of my favorite line Adam said in the first half of the time the show ran 😂
Glad I got to see Mythbusters from season one to the end… defined a large chunk of my childhood.
Wow! I had no idea that Adam knows Michael Webber! I've gotten to know literally thousands of magicians over the years, and Michael Webber is by far the smartest, most creative/original and knowledgeable magician I know. I'd love to see more episodes about Adam's interaction with magicians.
"If it worth doing, it worths overdoing." has been my motto for decade and decade to come.
You had me at Mr Wizard..... that man was like a god to me when I was a kid!
If only I could have 5 minutes with Adam to gush, say thanks, and tell him how he's impacted my life. :)
Thank you for these two stories today. I love how normal you are (air compressor) and the look on your face when you're sharing something you love.
What a great story. As someone who has been juggling for 20+ years, and competed at the International level, I love this feeling of connecting across time to before I was even born with Adam visiting the still ongoing convention. Awesome stuff!
You can clearly see how much Rick J is admired by Adam, even now. Growing up, Adam was an iconic person for a lot of us, and we would be even more so blown away that we got to see Adam than how excited he is about seeing Ricky J. Somehow, he still is in awe that some magician that probably not many outside of the magician circles knows Ricky J's name. No disrespect meant at all, and I could be wrong. Yet almost the entire country knows who Adam is. Adam Savage is solid name that we all know and smile when we hear it. Like seriously, if somene goes into their office tomorrow and says that name "Adam Savage", you know there will be people that smile when they think about what Adam got to do for all those years. Especially a lot of us guys that loved watching the stuff with explosives!!!
Adam, you're truly an inspiration for those of us to be ourselves and be the biggest fan of our own avenues, like magic is for you! Thank you, for being you!
@1:11 - You were shooting the breeze - a lot like a leaking air compressor.
I'll see myself out.
mr wizard. now theres a name i havent heard in a long time
Loved that show as a kid.
So you know him?
Of course I know him. He's me.
Mr. Wizard IS a top scientist.
I love how Adam goes the extra mile to avoid offending others.
What a fun watch. I could just feel Adams enthusiasm through this whole episode.
I love hearing these stories. You tell them so well, it is the mark of a true entertainer. I just watched the bullet episode last week, that you were talking about here. I was shocked to see how much energy the bullet had after impacting the black top. It went through a sheet of metal! Impressive.
I didn't even hear the dang compressor. Still works, a bit of compressor noise every now and then isn't the end of things!
I caught a quick glimpse of Ricky Jay in profile on this video. It made me wonder if I had seen him before. It turns out that I had, on the movie Mystery Men. He was Captain Amazing's publicist.
Thank you for sharing your stories! 😊
Mr. Wizard helped form the basis of my curious nature. I'm so grateful for the exposure to science and technology he gave me as a kid.
I got to meet him when he was doing a special in the Local DC Theater where I was working. I was on stage with him for the staff run watching his 3 card work. Since I knew what to look for, I was. And I barely caught it. Because of what it was I went with the 'trick'. Was a wonderful gentleman. He also demonstrated one of his mechanicals(?) which was wonderous and wonderful.
The science and writing it down was a great quote. There were a lot over the years. I made a couple of T-shirts with Mythbusters quotes. One of the best-sellers was, "Failure is ALWAYS an option". Another was, "We always use the blue rope!". I forget which myth, but Grant and Tory were arguing over which color rope to use (one was stronger than the other). The one they used, which wasn't blue, snapped. Hence the quote.
ricky jay has always been my example when it comes to card magic although i will never be as good as he is.
My vote is Travis Tomasie. Also because he was a shooting coach of mine 😀
Gotta recommend the Ricky Jay doc, Deceptive Practice. Fantastic watch.
Many years ago I saw an HBO special on Ricky Jay and it was one of the most fascinating programs I've ever seen.
Destin from smartereveryday says it all the time xD I wonder if he knows who coined it.
Oh, yeah. That took me back to my first juggling convention, which was at Hampshire college in Amherst MA. The convention floor was a basketball court, but the entrance was one floor up, and there was a balcony overlooking the convention floor... so you get about six feet away, and *then* look down at more jugglers in one place than you've ever seen in your life. If you're a juggler and you've never been to a convention, find one and make the pilgrimage. It is fracking magical.
I would loved to have seen Ricky Jay perform live, what an amazing talent.
Great show Adam! I very much enjoy the experiences. I admit that with my own issues I struggle to watch the work you do sometimes, but I love the results. This is the second time I've heard him say that thing about "show me the money." I don't know which story is accurate, but I read an interview with Cameron Crowe when Jerry Maguire came out and he said that he thought "The Quan" was going to be a thing and not "Show me the money."
The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything.
Juggling conventions are awesome! I don't do much juggling anymore, as I was just learning a new skill and didn't keep at it. But to see a huge room or gym full of people juggling was awe-inspiring.
I remember seeing RIcky Jay on TV when I was about 13. So that would have been 1974ish. I loved his card throwing which I and many had never seen before. I tried throwing cards using what I thought was his technique. It probably wasn't. I pinched the cards between the ends of my pointer and middle finger and flicked them with an arm throw that started from my shoulder. Soon my buddies and I were having card fights (indoors of course). I'm very glad I watched this video.
Ricky Jay and "Cards as Weapons"...amazing guy, he went to Cornell and used to hang around in Collegetown. He was also in the TV series Deadwood.
Bravo Adam! Inspiring and uplifting..I may be critical when it’s due, but in the spirit of this segment, thank you😌
Adam made the hair on my legs and arms and back stand up when he talked about his experience when he entered the juggling convention. I knew how to juggle three balls in a regular and reverse cascade and then I was at a local weekly juggling meeting. And now I'm hooked.
Please tell me that the bomb squads and fire departments, and all of the special "supervisory" guests had fun helping on the show. It looked like that to me. Frank Doyle used to frequent the electronics store my ex worked at, he was the sweetest guy.
I saw the title of this video and knew the answer right away. In fact I've been waiting since he died to hear you talk about him. Ricky told a lot of stories and it's hard to believe all of them could be true. His whole life was a magic trick and even if you couldn't be sure what was real you were still left amazed by having experienced a bit of it.
OK dammit. You know how to tell I'm a fan? You said that quote, and I almost teared up. What an awesome story to end up at a signature moment. Beautiful!!
As a professional magician I'm loving this episode. And Dai Vernon was amazing. Derren Brown (uk based mentalist) wrote a book for magicians just as he made it big. He talks about a similar change in philosophy. Magicians used to display themselves as petty gods, omnipotent but trivial. Dai was the start fo the change that Derren then continued, Magicians stopped being gods and became heroes, all be it heroes in thier own mind.
This Adam geeking out about someone who gave him ahah moment... Adam has done that for me through MythBuster, thank you Adam.
The scenes behind the scenes! That is why I tune in!
Ricky Jay played a character called Henry Gupta in the 1997 James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" I never knew that he could throw playing cards. Until I saw a deleted scene where he was actually throwing playing cards into something. I can't remember what he was throwing them into though. But the scene ultimately didn't make it into the film
As a fellow unicyclist and juggler, I know how rare it can be to find a kindred spirit.
Ricky Jay was a fantastic magician and a damn fine actor, too. Love his work.
Great stories! Thanks so much for sharing them!
Burn Notice is actually my favorite fictional show of all time. Every Burn Notice Myth blew my mind every time!
Answering with 13 minutes of jumping around is an perfectly appropriate testament to the bazillion ways in which Ricky Jay was fascinating.
Success is determined by those whom prove the impossible, possible.
I love that phrase about the difference between science and a rewin around. I work in production and have to break test as lot of parts! Sometimes they break chaotically and makes me think of that line all the time.
He was on The Unit tv show, and was such an awesome guy, i had the book and showed him how i threw the cards and he said you're 20 yrs away from doing it right and patted me on the back with a rough laugh and i'm Adam's age. Great guy, i was doing plain clothes armed security on a show with more guns in the armory than you would believe. BEST GUEST. Vince Gilligan who knew he was a soft spoken nice guy, he was one i would like to hang out with, Sofia bush too. I got my ticket to get my star wars card signed by the real C3P0 since Adam, isn't at FanX this year.
Only now did I realise that Ricky Jay was in Deadwood.. wow
i never realized who he was in one of my favorite movies (A Ranger, A Cook, and a Hole in the Sky) and now I'm understanding having him play a card shark means all the card stuff was probably real.
Mythbusters is one of the shows that never gets old no matter how many times you have watched that episode. Similar to dirty jobs.
13:04 THAT LIVES IN MY PHONE'S CLIPBOARD RENT FREE!
_"The only difference between screwing around and science, is writing it down."_
- *Adam Savage* [Mythbusters]
And someone within the last 6mo had informed me it was actuality said to Adam by someone else, and *_I thought_* I had updated my quote, but hadn't. Someone at tested must've seen me say exactly that last week... ☺️
If so, _THANK YOU!_ ♥️
If *not,* damn what a coincidence... 😅
And yes I DID update it this time 😁
_"The only difference between screwing around and science, is writing it down."_
- *Adam Savage* [Mythbusters]
_[originally Alexander Jason]_
When you stood up to turn off your compressor, just after mentioning Ricky Jay, I absolutely expected it to be a setup into a magic trick. I thought just as you went off frame you were going to appear on the other side of your desk 😅
I thought he was about to bring in Ricky Jay. Considering he's deceased, it would have been a mind blowing trick
"If it's not written down it never happened." was a line that was used to good effect in the (IIRC) Tom Clancy book, 'Executive Orders'.
A similar phrase has existed in law enforcement for decades. "If it's not in the report, it didn't happen". Which is why it's so critically important to a) write good, accurate, detailed reports of incidents and, b) why, when you're having to testify about what happened a year or two (or more) ago, you re-familiarize yourself with that report and make sure you know it inside and out. Because mentioning some detail during cross-examination that isn't in the report is a ticket to being publicly dissected and humiliated by the opposing counsel...and that's just the beginning.
I was just telling someone today about James Randi. I love how you throw his name out as if everyone knows who he was. They should.