ThisBark essay by a woman named Laura explains why Kari Byron is a role model:

In case you don’t know, Kari Byron is the only female Mythbuster. She earns her living by using her artistic and scientific skills (and, since it’s TV and this is America, her cute smile and quirky wardrobe) on one of the Discovery Channel’s most popular shows to…well…bust myths. Meaning she does crazy scientific experiments and TV presentation all day. Meaning she blows stuff up, sets things on fire, and shoots things on a regular basis. Because there are so many nerds out there (myself included) who must know: Can you unlock a door by shooting it? Can you split a tree in half with an arrow and dynamite? Is it really better to hit the ground running? Can you literally knock someone’s socks off?

Laura says her dream job is to be Kari Byron, whose bio says:

“Artist” was only one of many hats she wore while searching for her place in the world. Her sculpting skills and love for odd jobs soon led her into the field of model-making and toy-prototyping, which led to a job with Jamie Hyneman at M5 Industries.

It was at M5 that Kari got her big break with MythBusters.

Laura says about Kari:

She even kicks ass when she’s pregnant. Kari busted quite a few myths even while waddling through the late stages of pregnancy, while always keeping in mind the safety of her baby.

She gets to shoot all kinds of guns. If I recall correctly, she once shot a bazooka.

She is an artist with a day job–a day job she seems to love.

Sure, there are times when her work is probably mind-numbing and back-breaking (would you like to construct a zeppelin-sized balloon out of lead foil?) but I would guess the rewards outweigh the costs. Of course I do. It’s my fantasy, not my reality.

Well said, Laura.

Plus Kari Byron loves balloons. Balloons are awesome!

Here's a link to Kari's art: http://www.karibyron.com/

And here is Kari's "big break" with MythBusters:

And here is a Kari Byron glamor shot:

Kari Byron, balloon buster:

Sauce: 

Better Sauce: 

Kari Byron blowing up balloon gifs

More Kari Byron gifs:

http://pandawhale.com/post/17688/kari-byron-gifs