MythBusters: Confirm or Bust! Science Fair Book #2 (2011) – Review

💥 Double the Experiments, Double the Chaos


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📖 Non-Spoiler Rundown

Following the first Science Fair Book, this sequel — Confirm or Bust! — is another collection of at-home experiments inspired by the MythBusters TV show. It ups the ante with new projects, designed to challenge curious kids (and patient parents).

Just like before, it isn’t about reading a story but about testing science yourself — putting myths, physics, and chemistry to the test in bite-sized form. For me, this was a natural follow-up. I loved the first book, I loved the show, so of course I needed Book #2. And just like the first one, I tried some projects… and discovered they’re harder than they look.


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👥 Personal Connection

By the time I got this book, I was already a MythBusters fanatic. Adam Savage was still my favorite, and I was obsessed with the idea that science could be explosive, funny, and messy. I bought this because the show made me want to try my own “mini busts.” Even though I wasn’t the most patient experimenter, just flipping through made me feel closer to the workshop chaos I loved watching on TV.


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🧪 Five Example Experiments Inside

Here are some of the experiments included in the second book:

1. Potato Battery – Stick wires into potatoes to make a working battery and power a small lightbulb. Teaches electricity basics.


2. Egg Drop Challenge – Design a container to protect an egg from a big fall. It’s classic science-fair material and teaches physics + problem-solving.


3. Invisible Ink – Write secret messages with lemon juice, then reveal them using heat.


4. Water Bottle Rocket – Fill a plastic bottle with water and air pressure, then launch it like a rocket. (Messy but fun outdoors.)


5. Marshmallow Launcher – Build a mini catapult or slingshot to see how far you can fling marshmallows. It’s silly, but teaches force and trajectory.




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🎨 Style & Design

The second book keeps the same blueprint-inspired visuals: chalkboards, diagrams, warning stripes, and playful photography. It leans even more into the idea of a kid-friendly “lab manual,” with bolder instructions and colorful layouts.


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✅ Pros

Adds new experiments instead of repeating the first book.

Keeps science fun, goofy, and messy — true to MythBusters.

Challenges kids to design and problem-solve, not just follow steps.

Encourages creativity — there’s no single “right way” to succeed.


❌ Cons

Still requires materials and patience, which may frustrate younger readers.

Some experiments work better in classrooms or groups than solo.

Without guidance, results can feel anticlimactic compared to the show’s explosions.



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💭 Final Thoughts

Confirm or Bust! is basically more of what fans loved from the first Science Fair Book. If the first book was about dipping your toe into at-home myths, this one is about cranking it up and getting bolder.

For me, it didn’t matter if I succeeded or failed at the projects. What mattered was that the book carried the same chaotic, “try it and see” spirit of the show. And that’s why both of these science fair books are permanent 10/10s in my heart.

⭐ Rating: 10/10

Harder projects, bigger messes, and still the best way to feel like a junior MythBuster.