(Remember this guy in the late 80s? He used to be and still is one of my role model and “super” hero. Picture source: www.davegeeonline.com)
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For those watched the TV series MacGyver in the late 80’s, you will appreciate this. MacGyver (acted convincingly by Richard Dean Anderson) never really used violence to solve problems; he always used his mind to solve one. He is the guy who hated the use of guns, played ice-hockey and help out in the charity homes (a parents’ dream for an ideal son in law).
What I like about MacGyver is that when faced with danger, his first reaction was always to stop for a moment and think. With a good imagination and resourcefulness, he always wins the day. That series started something called MacGyverism.
So, what is MacGyverism anyway? According to one site, it means something clever that MacGyver does which other action heroes wouldn’t normally think of doing. This may include such things as using household cleaners to make a smokescreen or building an ultra light plane from materials at a construction site
The very 1st episode was fully packed with MacGyverism and it found a die-hard fan in me. Did you notice this in the 1st episode?
1. Disarmed missile with a paperclip
2. Matches & rope got rifle to shoot itself
3. Smashed pistol barrel to use as rocket thruster
4. Kicked grate to test for hidden laser
5. Lit cigarette with hidden laser
6. Smoked cigarette to find hidden laser
7. Used binocular eyepiece to catch laser beam
8. Aimed laser beam at source to “kill” it
9. Knotted fire hose to build up water pressure
10. Used said hose to lift steel beam
11. Tested heat on door with a stick (it caught fire)
12. Milk Chocolate candy stops sulphuric acid leak
13. Used shirt to filter gases
14. Sodium metal & cold capsule explosive
15. Flipped lights in morse code
I think we should be more exposed to TV shows like MacGyver, not because we can learn to build bomb from ordinary things but rather using it to make a point that we can indeed work things out if we can stop and think about it. The value of education especially science and moral certainly comes in handy and is shown in practice.
Read more about other creative things done by MacGyver at here
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(Filed under Del.icio.us Tag: TV)