The always excellent Discovery Channel show, Mythbusters, is going to test the accuracy of one of the greatest episodes of Star Trek ever: “Arena”. This is the episode in which Captain Kirk is kidnapped by aliens and forced to face off against an implacable foe, the Gorn. He eventually defeats the creature by channeling his inner MacGyver and creating a makeshift cannon out of items in the local environment to blast the villainous lizard-creature. Mythbusters cast member Grant Imahara confirmed via his Twitter feed that crew will determine the plausibility of creating just such a cannon.
I can’t wait for this episode. While I’m not a huge Star Trek fan (I’m firmly of the opinion that there’s two distinct types of sci-fi fans, Star Trek people or Star Wars people, and never the twain shall meet), I must admit to having a soft spot in my heart for Kirk’s struggle against the seemingly unstoppable Gorn. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s a viable means of self-defense, just in case I’m ever placed in a similar situation. Plus, getting to see them play with explosives is a sure recipe a good time. Though I do wonder where they’ll find a Gorn to participate…
