A Very Presidential Mythbusters

After Adam Savage tweeted merrily that he was on his way to the White House, word finally comes as to why: President Obama will be appearing on an episode of Mythbusters this December!

According to reports, the move is part of a Presidential initiative to promote science and math. Speaking before a group of young science fair winners, Obama said that sports team winners traditionally got invitations to the White House, but winners of math and science prizes did not.

"I thought we ought to do the same thing for the winners of science fairs and robotic contests and math competitions," he told the group. "Often, we don't give these victories the attention that they deserve. When you win first place at a science fair, nobody's rushing the field or dumping Gatorade over your head."

According to the President, American 15-year-olds are ranked 21st in science and 25th in math when compared to students the same age in other countries around the world. He'd like to see American kids at number one in both fields by the end of the decade.

On Mythbusters, the President will challenge Adam, Jamie, and the rest of the gang to prove once and for all whether Archimedes' Death Ray was possible--a myth they've busted twice before. I wish they were doing something else, but perhaps the boys have a new take on it. According to a spokesperson for the show, a re-test of the myth is always high on the list of viewer requests.

Obama's biggest regret about the episode, which has already been taped: "I didn't get to blow anything up. I was a little frustrated by that."

CBS News: Obama to Appear on Mythbusters
Fox News: Obama, Mythbusters to Test 'Archimedes Death Ray' in Push to Promote Science