Mythbusters finish Nvision in style

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 1st September 2008
Comments (19) Stumble
Adam and Jamie took to the Nvision stage in the final keynote to do what they do best.

Adam and Jamie took to the Nvision stage in the final keynote to do what they do best.

Nvidia ended the first Nvision visual computing festival with a bang, in a quite literal sense, after inviting Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters fame on stage to bring an end to official proceedings.

The two were tasked with using their scientific and engineering skill to demonstrate the difference between a CPU and a GPU... in a visual sense.

Now, the conclusion was obvious almost as soon as the two started talking about CPUs and GPUs moments after arriving on stage and I have to say I had one of those eye-rolling moments. Jamie was then handed a remote control and wheeled out a robot that then proceeded to fire paintballs at a screen, drawing a smiley face in blue paint on a white background.

There was a certain amount of coincidence in what was shown here - I mean, who's logo is blue on a white background? Yeah, and that led me to another eye-rolling moment. Knowing this was the Mythbusters though, things were only likely to get better - and, boy, they sure did!

The curtain was then pulled up as the stage was emptied, revealing a huge monstrosity covered by a white sheet. Savage said "underneath this sheet, there are thousands of pounds of aluminium and steel, a mile of high-pressure air hose, hundreds of pounds of compressed air and 1,100 specifically compressed paintballs in 1,100 barrels," as he pulled the sheet back.

Mythbusters finish Nvision in style Mythbusters finish Nvision in style
Mythbusters finish Nvision in style Mythbusters finish Nvision in style
Click to enlarge

I wasn't expecting what came next, as Savage started handing out tarpaulins to cover up those of us in the front row, right where I was sat, as he warned the crowd to "cover up, you might get splattered."

Following a huge rush of air, the screen opposite had a pixellated but easily recognisable picture of the Mona Lisa painted on it. The atmosphere inside the keynote was one of sheer amazement and awe - if only I had thought up something quite as cool and epic as this, I too could be as awesome as Adam and Jamie.

Mythbusters finish Nvision in style Mythbusters finish Nvision in style
Click to enlarge

I'll leave you with a video because, without one, there's no justice for how cool the Mythbusters' GPU paintball gun was. Discuss in the forums.

Quote Jipa 1st September 2008, 10:54
Oh god I love these guys! Mythbusters is the only TV-series I really watch... Just crazy.
Quote docodine 1st September 2008, 11:04
Saw this on Hackaday, these guys are amazing. I love the slowed-down part of the video..
Quote bahgger 1st September 2008, 11:35
Woooooooow - this is why I love watching Mythbusters. The creativity in the content and experiments and awesome character of both presenters is extremely entertaining!
Quote xion 1st September 2008, 11:35
DO WANT THAT GUN!
Quote samkiller42 1st September 2008, 12:07
Haha, awesome

Sam
Quote [USRF]Obiwan 1st September 2008, 12:14
Well the demonstration was clear enough. the "CPU" did all the things by itself but slow. the huge "GPU" did a specific thing but incredible fast!
Quote r4tch3t 1st September 2008, 13:30
That is truly an amazing way to show the difference good on them.
Quote OleJ 1st September 2008, 13:47
I think what is best illustrated here is that the CPU equivalent is mobile while the GPU equivalent needs its own hangar ship to be transported.
And the CPU equiv is dynamic while the GPU is sheer brute force.

He he. But yes a very nice demo of pipelines :)
Quote Major 1st September 2008, 13:51
Quote:
Originally Posted by OleJ
I think what is best illustrated here is that the CPU equivalent is mobile while the GPU equivalent needs its own hangar ship to be transported.
And the CPU equiv is dynamic while the GPU is sheer brute force.

He he. But yes a very nice demo of pipelines :)

Yeah good way of putting it. :)
Quote Joeymac 1st September 2008, 14:31
In HD http://vimeo.com/1616167?pg=embed&sec=1616167&hd=1
Quote Bluephoenix 1st September 2008, 15:22
saved as standard material for the programming course I teach when we do pipelines (yay for public performances!!!!)
Quote pumpman 1st September 2008, 17:54
they still chickened out of doing a programme on RFID though :p
Quote Joeymac 1st September 2008, 18:14
... Discovery Channel chickened out. ;)

Shame they can't do some BBC specials with all the myths Discovery Channel/US TV is too lame to be able to do.
Quote D B 1st September 2008, 18:18
Awe Freak'n Awesome!
Quote Amon 1st September 2008, 19:37
The ultimate defensive sentry gun in a paintball fight. Imagine one person being hit by this.
Quote docodine 1st September 2008, 21:46
Death would occur instantly, and you would be plastered with the Mona Lisa. Ouch.
Quote leviathan18 2nd September 2008, 06:14
you just shoot it in parabolic and pain the whole damn yard no one alive
Quote Bluephoenix 2nd September 2008, 13:34
so paintball version of metal storm now exists.

how long do you think before someone creates a smaller, more usable version?
Quote sotu1 2nd September 2008, 16:53
dude! awesome! got to get me one of those next time i go paintballin!
Log in

You are not logged in, please login with your forum account below. If you don't already have an account please register to start contributing.