I propose issuing a challenge to a specific task , as opposed to a specific item, ex: move a car across a river as fast as possible. this could be driven ,boated , launched ,catapulted , diassembled , towed.... ex,move a pile of something [dirt , utility poles , junk...]a given number of feet , as fast as possible this could be a bulldozer , big forklift , some type of launcher , bucket loader.... a machine to move an item over a wall.... I think some more flexibility would add another aspect to the show Overall , i like the show , but the challenges seem very directed as to results , though sometimes required. Ideally , pose only the challenge , the task to be achieved , and how results will be measured ...an example , the cabbage at the castle might have generated some cannons , or a motorized launcher , pending on accuracy vs qty of tries ...an example ...the boats challenge , get your people off the island as fast as possible 1 at a time, boats were built , but an open challenge might have come up with a breaches buoy , a motor powered rope ferry. the rockets could have been .make the egg reach a given height and land safely , .... you get the idea.....

-- Ron Landrette (ronl@ct2.nai.net), February 14, 2001

Answers

Can you say FAQ. Sure, I knew you could...

-- faq (faq@faq.com), February 15, 2001.

I read the FAQ areas....and some of what I posed is there , some is not..... I still believe providing the challenge....and not the method to achieve the challenge , would provide some excitement...and some very different results..... you also might find the experts might have alternate opinions if they were to interface with the group prior to teh match , to brainstorm the original design.... at least for an hour or so..... My reasoning behind this is if a group has been assembled , and plans to compete , then that group would likely have some of its own ideas on completing the challenge , even if its a directed challenge..... further , the group having input of the base design of the challenge would make it truly more of a group effort , the expert should be thier for expertise...... example , the boat challenge , anyone with tech experience would have known the 1 outrigger would not work , unless seating and counterweighting was balanced between the 1 outrigger and the boat itself , when they couldnt locate a second pontoon , a half hour could have fabricated the counterweight or another drum into a pontoon..... example , the off road challenge , the sand rail design is superior to a car thats been cut in half... simply speaking , the car left alone , front wheel drive , with doubled up tires for traction and stripped of weight would have stood a better chance example , catapults....the experts were required , as most of us know nothing of slings and catapults.....but mechanisms would have been much easier to build using auto leafsprings than ropes Overall , we all like the show , thats why we watch......but the true challenge of solving a task in competition format , in 10 hrs , from nothing , is a challenge that should be exploited to its fullest potential.

-- Ron Landrette (ronl@ct2.nai.net), February 15, 2001.

I have no doubt that the team that I was with, "The Rusty Juveniles," could have built an air cannon or some kind of pumpkin launcher that would have worked as well or better than the one that we built for the "Missile Launcher" (Pumpkin Chunkin) episode without my input. They were an experienced team and had the background to do it with some kind of device of their own design. For the show to go on though, there has to be two machines that will definitely work well enough to compete at the end of each build day. Part of the expert's job is to see that this is accomplished, and to help with making the machines safe before the day of competetion. The production of each show is a very expensive operation, and they can't have machines that just don't work. The closest that they have gotten to that so far has been the van spring crossbow incident when the Brit teams were shooting the footballs. In that show, the team captain decided to ignore the expert altogether and build a crossbow. A lot of the competetion comes down to luck as well. Waddy, "Rusty J's" "wreckspert"

-- Waddy Thompson (cthomp3851@aol.com), February 15, 2001.