The Origin of “The Only Difference Between Screwing Around and Science Is Writing It Down”
I'm pleased to give credit for this popular phrase from MythBusters to ballistics expert Alex Jason.
For more Tested.com content become a premium member, subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our weekly podcast with Adam Savage!
Since I get asked this question a lot, I thought I’d talk about where the “remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down” expression came from.
Its origin derives from the 2012 MythBusters episode, Bouncing Bullet. The myth, from a scene in Burn Notice, was whether bullets could skip off the pavement and into a car. We had a devil of a time doing such a thing safely, but with the help of our frequent contributor, ballistics expert Alex Jason, we succeeded.

The shoot was a tough one, but once we had all of our data, the result was clear. Alex turned to me and said the quote in question. The SECOND he said it, I told him that I was going to say it on camera, and that it would be a big hit of a phrase. He said that was fine with him, so I used it later in the Titanic Survival episode.
Alex thinks it’s hilarious that it’s gone so viral. I’m pleased to give him credit.
12 thoughts on “The Origin of “The Only Difference Between Screwing Around and Science Is Writing It Down””
Leave a Reply

Making
Adam Savage Tries on Puppet Mouth Masks!
Adam's love of puppets and affinity of masks get mashed up i…
Enter the Infinite Office – This is Only a Test 59…
Will guests this week as we discuss the major new features of the Oculus Quest 2's impending V28 software release and review the latest episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Plus, what we hope to see out of Apple and HTC's upcoming virtual events, and our hopes for Disney's mysterious lightsaber design! Thanks to Will for guestin…

One Day Builds
Adam Savage’s One Day Builds: Painting Iron Man Ar…
Now that his Iron Man Mark I suit has been chrome painted an…

Making
Adam’s Vintage Automatic Testing Micrometer
Adam shows us this vintage automatic testing micrometer that…

Show And Tell
How Adam Stores His Vintage Aerospace Sunglasses
Last year, Adam showed us his vintage Ray-Ban aviator sungla…

Making
Ask Adam: Predicting Results on MythBusters
Tested member Steve B asked Adam, "In the early seasons of M…

One Day Builds
Adam Savage’s One Day Builds: Galloping Horse Anim…
Adam has a background in animation, so it's with great pleas…

Making
Ask Adam Savage: How MythBusters’ Crew Size Change…
How did the MythBusters camera and safety crew size change t…

One Day Builds
Adam Savage’s One Day Builds: Painting Iron Man Ar…
Wanting a beaten-up, shiny metal finish for his Iron Man Mar…

Making
Ask Adam Savage: On Sharing Your Workshop
After some initial distractions, Adam answers Tested member …
I was also always a fan of this effective precursor, from the Exploding Lighters myth (paraphrased a bit):
So many great one-liners from Mythbusters.
Absolutely !
I’m currently wearing my “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” t-shirt.
Funny, I’m wearing my “Failure is always an option!” t-shirt! Nice fashion choice!
So many… “Here comes chaos!” “Well theres your problem!” “When in doubt C4!”
Mythbusters is filled with quotes I use all the time, from “Well there’s your problem” to “I reject your reality and substitute my own.” But this quote is on my wall to serve as a reminder to document my calculations.
“If it’s not documented it didn’t happen” is our catch phrase at work
My favourite is (paraphrased):
“The difference between us and amateurs is that we call the fire department before the experiment!”