As part of his effort to emphasize the value of science education for kids, President Obama announced that he'll be appearing on Mythbusters, the Discovery Channel show that debunks all sorts of urban legends and movie myths. (I guess this means my hope that he'll appear on River Monsters is dashed?) The exact details aren't out yet — the White House should be posting them online later today — but we do know what myth he'll be helping to bust. From the New York Times:
According to the Caucus Blog, the show’s producers say the segment revolves around the legend that the Greek mathematician Archimedes helped destroy a Roman fleet during during the Siege of Syracuse by using the heat of the sun concentrated by an array of mirrors.
Okay! I mean, they busted that one already (I think they might have even done it twice?), and it's one of the more implausible ones out there (seriously, ancient Greeks and Romans lied so much), but the show has repeated myths before. Maybe someone wrote in with a point of contention?
Here's a clip from the last time they tackled this one. No Obama, of course, but just switch out one of those girls for our Commander-In-Chief:
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