Mythbusters To Test Star Trek’s Gorn Cannon July 9, 2009
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Science/Technology, TOS , trackback
Finally someone is going to test the Star Trek cannon (that is ‘cannon’ with two n’s). Mythbusters, the Discover Channel show that puts urban legends (and TV & movie magic) to the test, is finally going to take on Star Trek. Specifically they are going to test the feasibility of the cannon that Captain James T. Kirk built to defeat the Gorn in the original series Star Trek episode "Arena"
Gorn Cannon!
In "Arena" Captain Kirk and a Gorn Captain are pulled off their ships by superbeings (the Metrons) and put onto a planet to fight it out old school. Eventually Kirk finds the ingredients for gunpowder (potassium nitrate, sulfur and coal) and uses them to create a makeshift cannon from some kind of bamboo-like plant with diamonds as his projectile. Here is the final scene:
The plausibility of this scene is certainly up for debate and had been submitted to Mythbusters for a test by a fan. Yesterday Grant Imahara, one of the Mythbusters, reported (on his Twitter page), that he was going to discuss the gorn cannon idea at a story meeting and he was watching “Arena” to get ready. He later posted an image from the meeting (see below). Then, after the meeting he reported the good news:
YesssssKirk!!! It’s official. #Gorncannon is a go for next season’s Viewer’s Special. Thanks to all fans 4 your help! :)
Today Imahara tweeted that he ordered a Starfleet uniform (appropriately in science blue), and that the show’s crash test dummy “Buster” will be getting a red shirt.
Grant Imahara pitches Gorn Cannon for Mythbusters
(photo: Grant Imahara)
The Mythbusters are actually experts in make-shift cannons, having created them from a variety of materials over the years. Here are just a couple of examples: the first a cannon made out of a log, and the second is one using non-dairy creamer:
Fore more about Mythbusters, visit Discovery.com. You can watch the entire episode of "Arena" online at YouTube.
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Comments»
Can’t wait to see that!
MYTHBUSTERS DOESN’T RESPECT CANNON
THIS IS A DISASTER
I always wondered if that canon Kirk made was actually possible, can’t wait to see the Mythbuster’s take on it!
That is cool! I will watch that but will not be surprised if it is “Busted”.
That’s awesome..for all you cannon freaks..ha ha….
love that show!!!!
Nice! This ought to be fun :)
Sounds like fun!
Cannon=like a big gun
Canon=the real Star Trek or ‘fill in the blank’
I hope Anthony will tell us when that episode airs (I’ve seen it once or twice, but I’m not a regular viewer).
That is definite TiVo-worthy material.
“Yes… good…good… He knows, Doctor. He has reasoned it out!”
I CAN NOT WAIT to see this! Poor Buster!
Am I the only one who is wondering if Kari will be in an Uhura miniskirt and go-go boots?
Also: I would LOVE to see them make a rubber Gorn to shoot the thing at… you know… for realism.
I bet they say lie and say it aint possible just to prevent Jackass-like amateur attempts to recreate the #Gorncannon in real-life
Didn’t he put huge diamonds in the cannon? I am curious how they want to copy that. ;-)
Hopefully we will see the Gorns in the next Star Trek movie. Usually we didn’t see aliens, which are really different looking than humans, in Star Trek movies. Most have just different face features. Gorns in the next movie would be cool. Especially if they look more like the ones in ENT and not like the one in TOS.
@11 – um, no … now that you’ve brought it up …
Good deal! I’ve always wondered whether that cannon scenario was plausible. Looking forward to it!
There is no way to weigh or ascertain the exact quantity or quality of elements inserted into the cannon. This would be an educated guess at best. Just don’t look into the barrel when it goes off!
Damnit! And I will probably have to wait months until I can see it here >_<
ITS NONCANNON
My guess is that bamboo is not nearly strong enough to withstand any type of explosion. Then again, who says it was bamboo?
Could have been some incredible alien fiber that just looks like bamboo but is actually stronger than steel!
Can we see Kari in the starfleet mini-skirt please? thats my only request! Thanks!
Kewl, we have to see this!
fangasm!
Hey. This will be great. Anthony. You havt to give us the Update for the Show. I like that the Buster the Gorn will be wearing a red shirt and Grant will be in a Blue shirt. Now thats Cannon. or Canon. Lol. Ha Ha!!!.
Man, I have been waiting for them to do this on MB for ever!
awesome, I like to think I helped with this, I requested it many times
The gorn didnt respect cannon!!!!
Maybe they should test the rock Cpt Kirk pushes off the cliff to crush the Gorn….if they can find a foam rubber rock. I have to admit, ever since I was a kid and saw that on TV in the 60’s. I had that in the back of my mind to try this in some survival test but never had the need as I never had any Gorns around when you need them.
13
Don’t think it necessarily requires REAL diamonds. They were only used as the projectiles, if I remember right.
And if the bamboo doesn’t hold up, you can always argue that it was super-strong ALIEN bamboo. LOL
From my own experiences/experiments, back as a kid with a chemistry set, there is one major setback for why this wouldn’t work as depicted in “Arena.”
The ingredients that Kirk found to make the black powder (sulfur, potassium nitrate & coal) were all dry. In order to create a fast-burning mixture, the ingredients need to be fully moistened, then dried, followed by grinding the product into fine powder. Without the water acting as bonding agent, all you have is some non-explosive, coarse dust.
I second the request for Kari in a TOS miniskirt. :D
This is going to be awesome with a capital AWE.
You just know if the first cannon doesn’t work, they’ll make another, bigger one. And then another. And another. No matter what, Buster’s definately going down. HARD. *rubs hands evilly*
…In any case, this is bound to make an interesting Mythbusters episode.
Who needs those MB clowns to test this?
Any REAL fan made a Gorn cannon by the spring of 1967.
And we found that beer cans work better than bamboo. Later we found that PVC pipe worked a lot better and potatoes were even better than diamonds for ammo.
On alien planets, beer cans, potatoes, lighter fluid and PVC pipe may be laying around barren areas of rock in piles just like bamboo, potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal and giant diamonds. ;-)
This is great, I LOVE Mythbusters! I will be watching, for sure. Glad to see them do something Trek!
#32
You bring back memories. I am suprised we didn’t kill ourselves in the late sixties!
Ponti
In light of this announcement, I thought it was time to dust off this old chestnut: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWNkBD0BIA4
The cannonistas will be outraged!
Next, I’d love to see Mythbusters make a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins.
#34 “I am suprised we didn’t kill ourselves in the late sixties!”
‘That which does not kill us, makes us stronger’ – Friedrich Nietzsche
There’s an funny unhealthy obsession with the Gorn on this website. I mean, one ep in TOS, and one in ENT, and I think the Gorn almost rivals Khan as a candidate for the next film’s antagonist.
Whatever happened to the Mugatu?
Despite the list on the white board, no way are these guys going to touch off their makeshift cannon with a flint-struck spark and a piece of cloth. They are *very* safety conscious. LOL
I don’t know about US television / movies but here in germany stations have a gents agreement not to show CORRECTLY how you make weapons or harm yourself – for example if someone on screen cuts his/her wrist its ALWAYS shown the wrong way.
If thats true for 60s TS TV also this cannon should not work as shown in Arena – but maybe will work with some slight modifications.
[...] Honk Mahfah on Jul.09, 2009, under Star Trek, Television Check out this report over at [...]
Guys, I couldn’t care less if the “canon Gorn cannon” is busted or proven.
I just think its incredibly cool that Star Trek is THIS HOT again!!!
Can’t wait for the episode!!!
Holy crap yes!!!! XD
Way to go Imahara!
- 24thCRS!
“I know! You construct a weapon. Look around, can you form some sort of rudimentary lathe? ” -Guy, GQ
Now, where are they going to get the diamonds for the canon?
this is totally gonna get busted
I agree, it’ll probably get busted, but I’m sure we’ll all enjoy the process.
Any idea when this episode will air?
I could argue about bamboo or diamonds, and other things. Just remember what was said by the Metrons, they are the creators/providers of all that is to be on the asteroid that Kirk and the Gorn battle on, so the Metrons who are Demi Gods can make matter and let the elements have any property values they desire.
The whole point of the story humanity can think and create, they may be more mobile and quicker than repiles. But it is the thinking brain that gives us the advantage in many things. But it is our emotional choices that let us become benign and not kill that grants us to one day become GOD like. As where we still have a reptilian brain in our heads, it is though our Frontal Lobes that can control the Reptile still in us.
But their is one part of the Reptilian brain that still can over power the Human Brain, and that part is labeled our Sex Drive. Until we can over rule that Humanity may never become extinct. Weapons and stupidity may override that survival factor before our minds learn to control things.
Or until Lesbians learn that we can now convert human stem cells into valid sperm cells, which can now possible make the male an benign factor in human life.
Were any Gorn harmed in the making of this film?
This is cool! I can’t wait to see it. I love Mythbusters.
Yeah, Kari is HOT. Please have her in the Starfleet mini!!
Hilarious! Mythbusters is a great show, and it’s quite in stride with their sense of humor to have a red-shirt involved in the moxy cannon experiment! Can’t wait to see it!
Oh, the canon of the cannon…
Or is that the cannon of the canon…
and yes, Kari in uniform would be super…
Why does the ‘gorn’ looks like Barney?
That would be good cannon fodder!
“Mythbusters” meets “Star Trek?”
I am sooooo there…!
#49 Spockish “…the Metrons who are Demi Gods can make matter and let the elements have any property values they desire.”
The only problem with that as an explanation is that it fails to account for SPOCK’S commentary as Kirk is assembling the bits and pieces of his mortar/canon. It’s obvious that Spock believes there to be at least be a reasonable expectation of success.
This is reallt untestable since no earthly bamboo is that large and tough. But it will be fun to watch!
But what’s really hard to believe is that Kirk knew the elements to make it happen, but also could identify the minerals by sight, AND on an alien planet where there was no telling what the powders were. Oh, well, I guess he’d tasted them before.
#39—-”Whatever happened to the Mugatu?”
He’s drinking beer on Ben Stiller’s couch.
#41: “I don’t know about US television / movies but here in germany stations have a gents agreement not to show CORRECTLY how you make weapons or harm yourself – for example if someone on screen cuts his/her wrist its ALWAYS shown the wrong way.”
Interesting. No, no such practice or agreement exists in the U.S. – although companies probably would not broadcast detailed instructions about how to *make* many kinds of weapons.
Good luck to the Mythbusters guys getting hold of any diamonds big enough to use as Kirk did. LOL
Making gunpowder from natural components should be Starfleet Survival Training 101. And the Metrons saw to it that the necessary materials were “just lying around”. (Like scientists placing a stick, a ladder etc. in the cage, if they want to test if the ape is intelligent enough to get the banana.)
But the real mystery is: Why are 23rd century uniforms made of inflammable fabric?? Seems like a safety hazard to me.
Anyway, it’s great to see that Star Trek (even TOS) is again popular enough to cross over into non-SF shows!
57. Storytelling. Poetic license. Plus, Kirk had a previous life as a Weatherman. . . or isn’t that canon?
I’d like to see Kari’s cannon (that’s the plural form, btw.)
Ok, if they’re doing this trick, then how about making the rockslide with the communicators?
#2 Syd
LOL! Best nerd pun of recent weeks.
PERFECT. I’ve been hoping they’d do something Star Trek related.
Kari Byron in Uhura’s miniskirt…
Or better yet, Kari Byron painted green in Gaila’s underwear…
Most TiVo-ed episode EVER.
http://ziz.250free.com/Trekbusters.jpg
[...] Mythbusters will attempt to test Star Trek’s gorn cannon. [trekmovie] [...]
Uhhh… last I saw, Kari was extremely preganant and not looking too hot. Best to leave the minisjirt in our imaginations.
But even at her best, she belongs in Maxim and not Mythbusters. These are really clever builders and she’s useless eye candy.
They need to use a ‘Barney the (stupid purple) Dinosaur’ costume as the target/
Uhhh… last I saw, Kari was extremely preganant and not looking too hot. Best to leave the minisjirt in our imaginations.
She’s not pregnant anymore. And yeah, she’s probably not looking too hot right now, but neither would you if you had endured 42 hours of labor.
Give her a few months, she’ll be looking as hot as ever for you to ogle from your mom’s basement.
Useless? Eye candy is never useless. ;)
11: Two words: Cubic Zirconium.
Mythbusters meet Star Trek, it had to happen sooner or later….
Remember the steering wheel air bag episode ?
There were a few other Myths where the gang showed their Trek-ness too.
Granted this will be the first time they take on a Trek centric myth.
Buster in a red-shirt, well, duh, he’ll die before the next ad break ;-) very spectacularly at that too. As to how the Mythbusters will dress….
Jamie – Spock ( The logical one of the group )
Adam – Kirk ( The leap before you look of the group )
Grant – Scotty ( The Engineer of the group )
Tori – Washburn ( The head of Security of the group )
Kari – Uhura ( She’s pretty smart folks, she has more then looks going )
Buster – Ensign Ricky ( Aaaawwww man, not again )
Try industrial diamonds
This is so cool. Star Trek and Mythbusters together, what can you ask for.
Buster being a red shirt makes sense in so many ways, it’s almost not funny.
Remember that, unlike the original Fredric Brown story, the entirety of “Arena” was done in their minds. So long as Kirk had the major details right, the petty details of grinding the diamonds for carbon and using water/moisture to mix the materials, it worked in his mind, and worked as a cannon/mortar.
What I want to see is them handle the “shamboo” used as the cannon/mortar tube, which I recall as being ‘heavily infused’ with iron and being stronger than bamboo, if not more brittle.
OMG! two of my favorite things, Star Trek and Mythbusters ALL IN ONE!!!
Anyone remember this:
http://web.archive.org/web/20000311225337/washington.xtn.net/~philipb/awards2.htm
More frightening than any Gorn!
I always feel like buying a Jetta after MB.
I freaking cannot wait for this!!!!
Any chance they could get a Hommer Simpson version of the Gorn cannon built that fired Diamond sized Donuts?
It’ll get busted. Black powder is made with charcoal not coal.
The cannon would work in principle- I’ve made my own gunpowder and those are the ingredients (for loose powder, you would need water and spirits to make a cake version). However, for it to be used as a cannon he’d need to use some packing to shoot the projectiles, otherwise it would be a very weak shot- certainly not enough to kill a Gorn :)
Also, the amount of power he made in the show would have blown Kirk and the Gorn up. A cup or two would have done the job heheh.
Curions Kirk proclaiming he won’t kill the Gorn with the obsidian knife, but that is what he was trying to do with his cannon. Kill the Gorn. If the cannon would have killed the Gorn outright, what line would Kirk say then?
Hopefully, for Buster, this new cannon will be…”merciful and quick!”
83 Fritzo:
Not disputing your own experience with making gunpowder, but from my own experiments way back when, without first using water to mix the dry ingredients, (then allowing for natural drying/curing time) it would never achieve the fast burning quality necessary to generate an explosive force. I’m amazed if you had different results, but then again, I’m no chemist -or James T. Kirk, for that matter. ;-)
On a side note, not trying to give anyone dangerous ideas here, but I quickly learned that barbecue grade charcoal was useless, due to it containing additives to make it burn slow. A few pieces of plain ol’ scrap wood, burned and ground into a fine powder, made for a highly effective ingredient.
Finally, Buster gets to don the shirt he was born to wear!
Now when soon will we be getting a PLASMA WEAPON and a CLOAKING DEVICE?
Crewman Darnell wrote: “From my own experiences/experiments, back as a kid with a chemistry set, there is one major setback for why this wouldn’t work as depicted in “Arena.”
The ingredients that Kirk found to make the black powder (sulfur, potassium nitrate & coal) were all dry. In order to create a fast-burning mixture, the ingredients need to be fully moistened, then dried, followed by grinding the product into fine powder. Without the water acting as bonding agent, all you have is some non-explosive, coarse dust.”
I would like to add that the ingredients would also have to be mixed in the correct ratio. Kirk didn’t have a balance to weigh them out.
Does anyone know when this episode will aire?
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_cannon
Why does everyone assume it is bamboo? It could be some other form of tree or plant. Was there ever a time which Kirk states bamboo?
It may look like bamboo, but we will never really know the make of the supposed “cannon”.
If they make an assumption that it is bamboo, then I assume the gun will fail.
Anyone have word on when this Mythbuster episode will air??