If all the grains of sand in the desert at Liwa were placed side by side, they would stretch from here to Pluto and back.
I have no actual evidence to support this assertion, so it's just as well that Adam Savage, one half of the presenting team behind the Discovery Channel's popular show Mythbusters, will be in the capital this week to reveal – during the live, stage version of the TV hit – the truth about these sorts of science urban legends, rumours and nonsense, as he has done on TV for 12 years.
The biggest difference fans will notice in the live show – which is at du Forum from Thursday to Saturday as part of Abu Dhabi Summer Season – compared with the TV version is the absence of Savage’s sidekick, Jamie Hyneman, who gave up touring this year after a farewell US tour in the spring.
Although no official explanation was given for his departure from the stage shows, it has been noted previously on the semi-official website, Tested, that he despises touring as he can’t sleep on buses.
Having met the pair in California this year, it certainly seems reasonable to suggest that Hyneman seems the sort that would prefer his own bed to a succession of nights in hotels and on a tour bus.
What Abu Dhabi fans will get in his absence is Savage’s solo live take on the show, which has already been a hit across Europe and North America.
He will talk to the audience about the show itself, as well as conduct the sort of pop-science experiments that have made Mythbusters such a global hit – and we're promised an entertaining, interactive, educational experience of the highest calibre.
The live show has something for the whole family, which is fitting given that perhaps the greatest achievement of the TV version is to have ripped science out of the pages of textbooks and brought it into living rooms, alongside a healthy side dish of humour.
"The great thing about the live shows is that they really show that science is for everyone, not just men in lab coats," Savage told The National this year. "I love the fact that at our live shows we get little girls coming up on the stage to join in with experiments – it's not just an environment for traditional 'scientists'."
Savage’s own career was likewise far from traditional. After a childhood in Sleepy Hollow, in upstate New York, he built a career in movie and theatre special effects, and designed his own construction toy, Zoob.
"All I ever wanted to do when I grew up was to either build Lego or work on Star Wars," he says.
He seems to have come pretty close to achieving his ambitions. Zoob may not have quite the same international popularity of the Scandinavian building blocks, but he hosted a Star Wars special on Mythbusters, in which he and Hyneman tested the scientific plausibility of some of the scenes – could Luke Skywalker really survive a night in the belly of a tauntaun in the sub-zero temperatures of the ice world of Hoth, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back? He probably could, our scientifically minded hosts concluded after an extensive experiment. He also worked on the special effects for the first two Star Wars prequels.
Savage is also aware of Abu Dhabi's starring role in the upcoming Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
“I’ve seen the trailer with the scenes shot in Abu Dhabi, and it looks awesome,” he says. “It’s too early to say, until the film actually comes out, but everything I’ve seen looks really promising. The trailer is great. I just can’t wait for the movie to release.”
Like the rest of us, Savage will have to wait until December for that. In the meantime, he’ll have the opportunity to check out the desert location for himself between this week’s live shows.
• Mythbusters – Adam Savage Live is at du Forum on Yas Island from Thursday to Saturday at 7pm each night, with an additional show at 4pm on Friday. Ticket prices start at Dh95 from www.tixbox.com
cnewbould@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
AL%20BOOM
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The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
More coverage from the Future Forum
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
