MythBusters (season 4)

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The cast of the television series MythBusters perform experiments to verify or debunk urban legends, old wives' tales, and the like. This is a list of the various myths tested on the show as well as the results of the experiments (the myth is Busted, Plausible, or Confirmed).

The MythBusters tested these myths for accuracy in season 4:

Contents

[edit] Episode 44 — "Paper Crossbow"

[edit] Paper Crossbow

This myth was the first entry among those listed as one of the twelve myths that would not be tested in MythBusters: The Explosive Truth Behind 30 of the Most Perplexing Urban Legends of All Time. In an interview for Skeptic magazine, it had appeared that the myth itself was considered too controversial by Discovery Channel, who thought that testing the myth could provoke prisoners to try similar things.

Myth statement Status Notes
A prison inmate can kill another inmate from across the hall, using newspaper for a paper crossbow. Plausible Jamie and Adam built separate crossbows for the myth and fired a few shots each. Testing proved that it is possible to kill someone using a paper crossbow, but it would require a precise shot to a vital spot (such as a jugular vein or eye), which is difficult with improvised weapons such as a paper crossbow. Adam's crossbow achieved a maximum arrow velocity of 91 ft/s, a maximum arrow energy of 7.45 ft·lbf, and pierced a dummy's throat one inch deep from a distance of 15 feet on the first shot. The crossbows each gradually became useless after a few shots, showing that the shooter would only have a few shots to hit a vital spot. There is also the obvious problem of getting off one shot or more without being caught in the act.

A visit to a local prison revealed inmates have improvised far more effective weapons in the past, up to and including a hand-made gun with silencer, firing bullets smuggled into the prison.

[edit] Vodka Myths II

Kari, Tory, and Grant test to see if vodka…

Myth statement Status Notes
…can remove cigarette smoke smell from clothes. Plausible There was a noticeable difference between the control jacket and the one sprayed with vodka before washing. Grant described the control jacket as having an "oaky smell" to it, while on the vodka jacket he could not detect such a smell.
…can kill bees like an insecticide. Busted The control water killed more bees (2) than vodka, which failed to kill any. The bees sprayed with water went into a comatose-like state and awoke later the next day when they dried off. The bees sprayed with Vodka showed no ill effects at all (though they seemed to fly in a weird manner as if they were drunk).
…can be used as a bathroom cleaner. Plausible Vodka proved to be less effective than a commercial bathroom cleaner, but still serviceable.

[edit] Episode 45 — "Shredded Plane"

[edit] Shredded Plane

A plane's tail section in a widely circulated photo was shredded by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…an angry wife with a chainsaw. Busted The slices made by the chainsaw were jagged while the ones seen in the photo were clean slices.
…a runaway taxiing plane's propeller. Confirmed The full-scale test done with a run-away engine and stand-in tail section produced a result that was almost identical to the shredded plane seen in the photo. The incident was later confirmed having taken place, the photo sourcing from a newspaper article in Australia.

[edit] Fire Without Matches

Fire can be started…

Myth statement Status Notes
…using the friction caused by rubbing two sticks together. Confirmed While the Build Team — in their own words — cheated and used a drill and some gun powder, with a stick in place of a drillbit, the friction from the drill did light the tinder on fire.
…using a bullet. Confirmed Earlier tests using modern weaponry (and smokeless powder) were unproductive. Tory then modified an old musket and replaced the bullet with a piece of cloth. When the gun was fired, the black powder (which burns more energetically than smokeless) ignited the cloth, which then ignited the tinder into which it was shot.
…using a soda can bottom polished with chocolate. Confirmed Chocolate was used to buff out the wear marks and ink marking and give the can bottom a reflective shine that could focus light and produce heat. While the can was not able to light tinder that was held by hand, the rig easily lit when the tinder was secured on a makeshift rig that kept it from moving.
…using steel wool and the ends of a battery. Confirmed It took several tries but the ends of the battery eventually produced a spark that lit the steel wool on fire. A clip from a survivalist TV show with Ron Hood also showed that this myth was confirmed. This is also a requirement for the American Boy Scout Wilderness Survival Merit badge.
…using ice. Confirmed Kari used a globe of specially produced clear ice about half the size of a bowling ball to produce smoke and later fire when she used it as a refractive lens.

[edit] Episode 46 — "Archimedes' Death Ray"

This is the third episode where Myths from previous episodes are revisited, as well as the third episode to focus on just one experiment.

This episode, referred to as the MythBusters Mailbag Special: The Great Archimedes Burn-Off from within the episode itself, saw a retest of the Ancient Death Ray myth after fans of the series contested their original decision. To this end, the MythBusters commissioned a contest, challenging viewers to prove the myth plausible.

Candidates could enter in either of two categories: a smaller-scale version where the object was to ignite an object from five feet (1.5 meters) away, or the full-scale version, where the object was to ignite a replica trireme from 100 feet (30 metres) away (as per the original myth). For the smaller-scale version, two finalists, the team of Kari Lukes and Jess Nelson, both from UCSB, and the team of Brenden Millstein (Harvard) and Stephen Marsh (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) were chosen to compete against the MythBusters' own entry in the retest (which was disqualified when it was found that the MythBusters had not followed the contest rules they had set out themselves). Only one entrant (Mike Bushroe, a NASA space scientist) entered a full-scale contest, however the winning entry was destroyed en route for the retest.

The MythBusters also invited a team from MIT, who had independently verified that a ship could be lit from afar using an array of mirrors, to retest the myth with Archimedean-era technology instead of the modern technology that was used in their own experiment.

Myth statement Status Notes
An array of bronze mirrors can set a wooden ship on fire. (From Ancient Death Ray) Re-Busted The large scale array simply took too long to light the ship on fire. On top of that the ship only ignited when it was stationary and positioned at less than half the distance described in the myth. The myth was plausible at a smaller scale, however. Flaming arrows were fired from a ballista at the ship, but to little effect. The most effective (and plausible with Archimedes-era technology) method of lighting the ship ablaze was through the use of Molotov cocktails.

While it was shown extensively that it is, in fact, plausible that an array of mirrors (or a parabolic mirror) could set objects on fire, the MythBusters stood by their original Busted verdict because of many factors:

  • Syracuse, where the myth was supposed to take place, faced east, and thus could not take advantage of the more intense midday rays, instead relying on less powerful morning rays.
  • The death ray would not work during cloudy weather.
  • Enemy ships were likely to be moving targets, and thus the mirrors would need to be constantly refocused.
  • The historical records: there was no mention of the use of fire during the Battle of Syracuse until 300 years after the event, and no mention of mirrors until 800 years after the event.
  • The impossibly large numbers of mirrors and personnel needed in order to light a boat with any reasonable speed.
  • The availability of other weapons that were much more effective: flaming arrows and molotov cocktails were more reliable at setting an enemy ship ablaze, and were more effective over longer distances.

The MythBusters also addressed fans' criticisms that suggested they try to light the ships' sails instead of the body of the ship, and showed that the sails diffused the light due to their composition and the wind blowing against them, and thus could not be as easily set on fire compared to the body of the ship.

All in all, the MythBusters concluded that the Archimedes Death Ray was too complicated and impractical to be a viable weapon for its time. Jess Nelson would return as the MythTern in later episodes, while Mike Bushroe would also contribute in later episodes as a researcher[citation needed].

[edit] Episode 47 — "Helium Football"

[edit] Helium Football

Adam and Jamie take on a myth prevalent around American football circles, made more prevalent during the time of prolific punter Ray Guy, whose kicks carried so much distance and had so much hangtime that some had suspected that the footballs he used were filled with helium.

Myth statement Status Notes
A regulation NFL football will fly farther when filled with helium as opposed to compressed air at regulation pressure (13 psi). Busted Under the same amount of impulse force under the same atmospheric conditions, balls filled with helium showed no significant difference from balls filled with compressed air. It was also shown that, under the same impulse, both types of balls had the same initial velocity; since the helium-filled balls have a lower mass than the air-filled ones, the helium-filled balls have less inertia in flight: in fact, they may perform worse than air-filled balls over larger distances.

[edit] Catching a Bullet in Your Teeth

The Build Team takes on the bullet catch magic trick, and see whether it is possible to do the trick for real.

Myth statement Status Notes
It is possible to catch a fired bullet in one piece with one's teeth. Busted A pig's teeth are significantly stronger than a human's, and yet were shattered by an impulse test when a bullet, held by a pig head's teeth under the same pressure as an average human's maximum bite strength, was suddenly forced forward by a force equivalent to a speeding bullet. Furthermore, the reaction time needed to perfectly capture a bullet in one's teeth is too short and has too tight a tolerance for any human to succeed. Finally, when the bullet was captured perfectly, the velocity that it traveled at completely destroyed even a full metal jacket bullet: it is impossible to catch a bullet in the same state as it exited a gun via solid mechanical means.

[edit] Episode 48 — "Franklin's Kite"

[edit] Franklin's Kite

The Build Team take on a piece of American folklore regarding Benjamin Franklin's discovery of electricity. It is to be noted that the folklore description is not historically accurate (as mentioned by the Build Team), although it is a popular misconception.

Myth statement Status Notes
Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity by flying a kite during a thunderstorm. Busted and Confirmed The experiment itself worked perfectly as described, but the current produced by artificial lightning (which is a fraction of what a real lightning bolt would contain) was fatal. Based on this observation, the Build Team concluded that Franklin could not possibly have survived a direct hit as the popular story of the experiment states. They also found that the kite need not be directly struck by lightning in order for the experiment to work. Experiment: confirmed; Story: busted.

[edit] Facts About Flatulence

In this myth, Adam and Jamie test some of the more prevalent myths based on flatulence. Throughout the myth, the MythBusters are careful to only use the scientific term flatus as opposed to the more common fart, to prevent coming off as insensitive to the viewers. (Although fart had been used and aired uncensored by the MythBusters before and since)

Flatulence can be induced by consuming…

Myth statement status Notes
…beans. Confirmed While consuming a diet of beans for one day, Adam's rate of flatulence doubled.
…carbonated soft drinks. Confirmed While consuming only carbonated drinks for one day, Kari's rate of flatulence doubled.
…beef. Busted Jamie's rate of flatulence did not change after consuming a diet of beef for one day.
It is possible to flatuate so much that one can suffocate from the gas expelled. Busted The amount of potentially deadly gases found in an average flatus, such as carbon dioxide, is too low to cause its concentration to rise to fatal levels in a few hours, even in a small airtight room. In fact, breathing causes the CO2 levels to rise much faster.
Lighting a match will burn the odorous gases in a flatus. Busted Lighting a match does not reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, the odorous gases commonly found in flatulence. The smell of a safety match being ignited instead masks the smell of methyl mercaptan when tested individually.

Two additional myths were filmed but not aired as part of the broadcast episode. These have been shown in an outtakes reel at live appearances by the MythBusters.

Myth statement status notes
Pretty girls do not pass gas. Busted Wearing special undergarments fitted with a microphone and patched through a sound system and given a hydrogen sulfide meter, Kari was given the lead in this myth. Despite the meter malfunctioning and many hours without any sound broadcast over the speakers, Kari finally produced a flatus and busted the myth.
It is possible to ignite a flatus. Confirmed Adam began by welding attachments to an ordinary chair to allow him an optimal position. Adam waited patiently for a flatus to surface. Using a standard lighter, the high speed camera showed that the flatus did indeed combust, confirming the myth.

It is likely that these myths were edited out to keep a scientific tone to the experiments, but time constraints could have played a role as well, since during multiple times during the experiments, the MythBusters made mention of the fact that the experiments were going to air.

[edit] Episode 49 — "Cell Phones on a Plane"

[edit] Helium Raft

Myth statement Status Notes
A person can fly using a life raft filled with helium. Busted The amount of helium required to lift a person off the ground (let alone the raft itself) is prohibitively immense, and such a raft of adequate size would be quite flimsy. In fact, the final test of the raft had to be aborted because of an unbalanced release of the ties, causing Adam to become entangled and destroying the raft in the process.

[edit] Cell Phones on a Plane

Myth statement Status Notes
The ban on cell phones on aircraft is designed to force passengers to use the expensive in-flight phones. Busted It was found that cell phone signals, specifically those in the 800-900 MHz range, did interfere with unshielded cockpit instrumentation. Because older aircraft with unshielded wiring can be affected, because of the possible problems that may arise by having many airborne cell phones "seeing" multiple cell phone towers, and because of all the electronic systems in a modern airplane that would have to undergo lengthy and expensive certification, the FCC (via enforcement through the FAA) still deems it best to stay on the safe side and prohibit the use of cell phones while airborne. It should be noted, though, that such a prohibition is being lifted in Europe.

[edit] Episode 50 — "Bullets Fired Up"

[edit] Bullets Fired Up

Myth statement Status Notes
Bullets fired into the air maintain their lethal capability when they eventually fall back down. Busted , Plausible, and Confirmed In the case of a bullet fired at a precisely vertical angle (something extremely difficult for a human being to duplicate), the bullet would tumble, lose its spin, and fall at a much slower speed due to terminal velocity and is therefore rendered less than lethal on impact. However, if a bullet is fired upward at a non-vertical angle (a far more probable possibility), it will maintain its spin and will retain enough energy to be lethal on impact. Because of this potentiality, firing a gun into the air is illegal in most U.S. states, and even in the states where it is legal, it is not recommended by the police. Also the MythBusters were able to identify two people who had been injured by falling bullets, one of them fatally. To date, this is the only myth to receive all three ratings at the same time.

[edit] Vodka Myths III

Vodka can…

Myth statement status Notes
…remove poison oak. Busted For some reason, although most of the MythBusters were allergic to poison oak when they were young (especially Kari, who was exempted from the test because she had once had a dangerous reaction), it didn't affect anyone but John the Researcher. The vodka still gave no results.
…painlessly remove plastic bandages. Plausible Both a control and vodka-soaked bandage were quickly removed from hair-covered legs and, while not painless, the vodka-soaked bandage came off less painfully and removed less hair than the control.
…can be used as an improvised ice pack when mixed with water in a sealed plastic bag. Confirmed After the mixture was put inside the refrigerator overnight, the vodka prevented the water from freezing, making the mixture cold and malleable. When tested against a commercial ice pack for twenty minutes, the mixture worked just as well, although the commercial ice pack was slightly better by about a degree Farenheit (about 18.3°F or -7.61°C for the commercial ice pack against 19.4°F or -7°C in the vodka/water mixture). Tory even joked after the test that the mixture could make a good slushie to drink after use.
…be turned into high-quality vodka through charcoal filtration. Busted Through a double-blind taste test, the cheap vodka seemed to taste better with every subsequent filtration, although the top-shelf vodka beat them all. However, a chemical analysis showed no actual difference between the filtered and unfiltered cheap vodka.

[edit] Episode 51 — "Myths Reopened"

This is the fourth episode in which myths are retested (counting the Archimedes Death Ray revisit).

[edit] Salami Rocket

The MythBusters revisit the Confederate Rocket myth with some new information from viewers. This was revisited in More Myths Revisited.

Myth statement Status Notes
A hybrid rocket can be propelled with salami. (From Confederate Rocket) Confirmed Salami, like the paraffin used in the first test, was able to propel the rocket, although it tended to explode instead of providing even thrust.

[edit] Splitting an Arrow

At the insistence of viewers, the team retests the popular arrow-splitting myth seen in the film The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Myth statement Status Notes
An arrow can be split in half through a direct hit in the tail by another arrow. (From Splitting an Arrow) Re-Busted Even after multiple direct hits on a solid wood arrow with the bone nock removed with a professional archer, a tail-to-tip split could not be achieved. It took an arrow made of hollow bamboo to create the splitting effect seen in the movie. Because with a normal arrow, the second arrow will follow the grain, which will lead to the side before it makes it to the end. Also their tests revealed that an arrow fired from a traditional bow wobbles in the air enough that it won't hit the end of the arrow straight.

[edit] Guns Fired Underwater

It has already been shown that, in some cases, bullets become non-lethal when fired into water. But what happens when the whole gun is fired underwater?

Myth statement Status Notes
A modern firearm can be fired if completely submerged in water. (From Bulletproof Water) Confirmed All of the firearms (a 9mm, a .357, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a .30-06) could be discharged underwater, however the bullets lose velocity rapidly and are rendered less than lethal beyond a metre. (The entire gun had to be completely submerged in water -- all pockets of air must be removed -- in order to prevent a possible explosion when fired.) Furthermore, the break-barrel shotgun (a relatively old design) destroyed itself when fired underwater. Finally, the water pressure might cause the spent cartridge casing to fail to leave the chamber and effectively reduce the gun to a one-shot deal. Obviously, revolvers would not have this problem, as they do not eject their spent casings after each shot.

[edit] Episode 52 - "Mind Control"

[edit] Painting With Explosives

This myth originated from the episode "Do-It-Yourself, Mr. Bean" of the British comedy series Mr. Bean starring Rowan Atkinson.

Myth statement Status Notes
A small room can be quickly painted by detonating a stick of dynamite in a bucket of paint. Busted A stick of dynamite in a bucket of paint cannot distribute the paint evenly enough to fully paint the room; only 40% of the room (around the bottom and part of the ceiling) received paint, and the room took some shrapnel damage (even from a plastic bucket). Furthermore, Adam's and Jamie's customized contraptions, designed to help distribute the paint more evenly, failed to produce any successful results or an intact room.

[edit] Mind Control

Remote, non-consensual mind control can be achieved by…

Myth statement status Notes
…a psionic helmet kit, ordered off the internet. Busted The test failed to produce any effects.
…pulsed air. Busted The test failed to produce any effects.
…a spinning magnet. Plausible While it is plausible that some sort of "mind influence" (determined by looking at EEG recordings) was achieved, there was no actual predictable control of the mind's state. Also, the magnet may have affected the EEG machine's readings.
…subliminal sound. Busted The test failed to produce any effects.
…remote hypnosis. Partially Plausible Enough pre-existing scientific evidence exists regarding hypnosis for the Build Team to call the myth plausible, and their EEG readings backed up that evidence. However, a later myth busts the possibility that one could coerce you into doing something against your will through hypnosis, so while you can influence someone's brainwaves through hypnosis, you can't achieve true "mind control" with it.

[edit] Episode 53 - "Exploding Pants"

[edit] Exploding Pants

This myth comes from New Zealand in the early 1930s, where an epidemic of exploding pants had rampaged, injuring and even killing farmers. The culprit was a then-unknown chemical substance that farmers began using in large quantities at the time.

Myth statement Status Notes
Under the right conditions, farm chemicals can cause a pair of trousers to spontaneously combust if they are spilt on and subjected to normal wear and abuse. Confirmed The Build Team tried to ignite cotton denim pant swatches soaked in fertilizer, gun cotton solution, black powder, and the herbicide sodium chlorate using an open flame, radiant heat source, friction, and impact, but only the herbicide could ignite with sufficient energy under the above conditions (except for friction), and it was particularly reactive to impact. In a full-scale experiment using Buster, paramedics on-hand stated that Buster would most likely survive from the blast with only some burns. Research confirms the herbicide as the culprit, as an accidental infestation of ragwort in the country caused a dramatic increase in herbicide use. The myth was deemed "confirmed" when the team accepted the word "explosive" to mean a sudden ignition and spreading of flame, as opposed to rapid air compression [sic]. After determining this, Frank Doyle and the MythBusters painted Buster's pants with classified "Silver" explosive and the resulting blast completely destroyed him, throwing pieces of his body in all directions.

[edit] The Great Gas Conspiracy

The "Great Gas Conspiracy" mentioned in the myth is the conspiracy theory that gasoline companies are secretly in league with the car manufacturers to produce fuel-inefficient vehicles, to fatten their profits and split the difference. The myths tested are ways found on the Internet that one can supposedly beat this conglomerate and get cheap, easy, and spectacularly improved fuel efficiency for your car.

Theories tested to see if cheap fuel efficiency can be achieved were…

Myth statement status Notes
…carburetor magnets. Busted No change to fuel efficiency.
…acetone mixed with the gasoline. Busted The acetone was less fuel efficient.
…"miracle carburetor" supposed to get 300 miles per gallon. Busted Far less fuel efficient.
…hydrogen fuel cell. Busted The cell didn't work with the car, and while the car did start unmodified when pure hydrogen was introduced, the hydrogen was also violently ignited soon afterwards, making it an unlikely, dangerous - and expensive - alternative.
…used cooking oil, rather than regular fuel. Confirmed Although there's no word on damage to the engine from using used cooking oil, a diesel-fueled car did run on it. However, the MythBusters speculate that once this alternative fuel achieves a significant interest level among the public, used cooking oil will be hoarded as a marketable commodity. The used cooking oil also did not quite fit the requirement of improved fuel efficiency, as it yielded approximately 10% less distance for an equivalent amount of diesel. (see biodiesel and straight vegetable oil)

[edit] Episode 54 — "Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1: Great Hollywood Heists"

The MythBusters test the validity of some Hollywood heist scenes, using a purpose-built "assault course" with Grant operating the security system, while two "crack teams" (Adam and Jamie, and Tory and Kari) attempt alternate myths.

[edit] Air Duct Climb

This myth comes from the movie Firetrap.

A person can surreptitiously scale an air duct by using a system of…

Myth statement Status Notes
…magnets. Busted Jamie's "supermagnets" (ten 500-pound (225 kg) strength ones) could hold his weight and allowed him to make it to the top of the duct, but they caused far too much noise on the way up to allow for a stealthy entrance.
…suction cups. Busted Adam's suction cups were able to hold his weight as well and were relatively much quieter than Jamie's magnets, but the climb was still clearly audible. Further, the mechanisms Adam used to control the vacuums often failed, which caused him to slip and fall down the vent, blowing his cover. He did however make it to the top of the vent once he perfected the method of operating the device in sequence to his steps up the vent. Finally, breaking through the grate of the air duct at the end was much too noisy, also blowing his cover.

[edit] Laser Beam Dodge

This myth comes from the movie Entrapment.

A person can successfully dodge a system of laser beam detectors by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…blowing cosmetic powder across the beams to identify their position. Busted While visible beams can be seen, they are only detectable when the powder is airborne, which is not very long. Also, blowing too much powder can cause enough of the beam to break and set off the alarm. Furthermore, most laser systems use invisible infrared laser trip beams.
…using night vision goggles. Busted None of the beams are visible through the goggles, though a combination of the goggles and the powder was able to allow Tory a brief glimpse of the infrared beams, though not enough to make a difference. Also, wearing night vision goggles severely decreases the wearer's field of view and may hinder one's ability to move around the beams.
…pointing another laser at the photodetector. Busted While the technique is workable enough with visible-beam systems, the fact that infrared beams cannot be readily detected or traced makes locating the relevant photocells too difficult in a real-world situation.

[edit] Glass Door Forced Entry

A glass door can be cut open silently by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…gently cutting the glass and removing it with a suction cup. Busted The suction cup could not remove the glass.
…drilling a hole. Plausible The drilling caused some noise, but not enough to trip a sonic alarm. It did, however, cause the entire glass to break, but because it was tempered and laminated, the glass held together. The broken pieces were then pried out until an arm-sized hole could open up, allowing access to the doorknob on the other side.

[edit] Fooling the Pressure Sensor

This myth also comes from the movie Entrapment.

A person can successfully fool a pressure sensor under a glass case by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…squeezing in a knife between the glass and sensor and using a piece of gum to hold the sensor in its original position. Busted The sensor is extremely sensitive. Even the slight lifting of the case needed to insert the knife can set it off, and it took three attempts just to get the knife in. Also, the freshly-chewed gum is too pliable to keep the sensor held down once the knife is removed.
…squeezing in a knife between the glass and sensor and using duct tape to hold it in place. Plausible This was Plan B in case the movie myth was Busted. If one can get the knife in without setting it off, the knife can then be held in place with tape to keep the sensor depressed.

[edit] Safecracking

A safe can be quickly cracked by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…using a stethoscope. Busted Modern safes are designed with this old technique in mind, and the tumblers proved too quiet to be heard even with amplification.
…drilling a hole and visually causing the tumblers to fall into place. Plausible With help from a borescope and a length of piano wire, Adam managed to crack the safe, but it would take time that may not be available to a surreptitious safecracker, especially given the fact that the safe for the test was rated to be crackable by a professional safecracker in only 5 minutes—though most safecrackers are not required to be quiet in doing so.

[edit] Scaling a Building

Myth statement Status Notes
A suction cup system can be used to scale a (23-story) skyscraper. Plausible The concept worked (see the Air Duct Climb section) but Adam did not have the stamina to scale the entire building. Making the climb would be highly visible and requires significant physical training.

[edit] Episode 55 — "Steam Cannon"

[edit] Cereal Nutrition

A popular saying states that sugary cereal is less nutritious than the box it comes in.

Myth statement Status Notes
A cereal box can have more nutritional value than the cereal. Busted All tests showed that cereal have superior values of calories, fats, sugars, and proteins compared to cardboard. Furthermore, chemicals within the cardboard may be toxic.

[edit] Steam Cannon

A diagram by Leonardo da Vinci blueprints a steam-powered cannon that Archimedes supposedly built.

Myth statement Status Notes
Archimedes was able to build a powerful steam cannon, using technology available at the time. Busted A flash-boil-powered cannon, built even with modern materials and techniques, was barely able to push a projectile out of the barrel. A more modern pre-boiled, valve-triggered system, like those used in aircraft catapults, was able to project a cannonball a considerable distance, and required far less pressure than the Mythbusters had originally projected.

[edit] Which has the whitest teeth?

This is a fan requested mini-myth which makes fun out of the color of Adam's teeth.

Myth statement Status Notes
Adam has the worst teeth. Initially Busted, then Confirmed As determined by Kari through a tooth color comparison apparatus, Jamie's teeth were even worse than Adam's, having a more browner tint, while those of Tory and Grant (in this order) were whiter. Not to be outdone, however, Jamie had his teeth bleached, resulting in teeth whiter than even Tory and Grant and leaving Adam's as the worst ever.

[edit] Episode 56 — "Killer Whirlpool"

[edit] Whirlpool of Death

Whirlpools are an ancient maritime fear. According to the myth, a tidal whirlpool can sink…

Myth statement Status Notes
…a container ship Busted In order for this to happen, the whirlpool would have to be significantly stronger than any maelstrom ever recorded.
…a fishing trawler Busted In order for this to happen, the whirlpool would have to be significantly stronger than any maelstrom ever recorded.
…a person Plausible A whirlpool can generate a vortex large enough to pull down a swimmer and, especially if combined with the effects of dizziness and disorientation (which caused Adam to vomit after mere seconds), induce drowning. The MythBusters only tested according to the most powerful maelstrom ever recorded, and did not determine the minimum size needed to submerge a swimmer.

[edit] Snowplow Flips Car

A fan claims that he saw a car capsize when a snowplow passed by in the opposite direction at high speed.

Myth statement Status Notes
A snowplow passing by at high speed can displace enough air on one side to flip over a passing car. Busted Even a worst-case scenario - an unusually large plow passing by a light, top-heavy sports utility vehicle at highway speed - could not generate the air pressure needed to cause the SUV to even visibly tip. A semi driving at highway speeds only generates about 1/6th of the air pressure needed to make this myth plausible.

[edit] Episode 57 — "Diet Coke and Mentos"

[edit] Diet Coke and Mentos

  • This is the first segment not to be assigned a "Busted", "Plausible" or "Confirmed" rating, as there was no myth to be proved or disproved. Adam and Jamie did the tests simply to dissect the process and determine what actually makes a so-called Diet Coke and Mentos eruption, such as the ones seen on Kari's FHM shoot and on EepyBird.com. However, they did compare their results to the many differing theories given by experts as to how the geyser works, "busting" all of them. (None of the theories had the full list of contributing factors for the geyser, only partial explanations.)
Question Results
Why does dropping Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke create a geyser effect? Mostly because the (uncolored/unglazed version of) Mentos provides nucleation sites for the dissolved carbon dioxide in the Diet Coke to escape as a gas. Other active ingredients in the cascade-effect reaction include aspartame (artificial sweetener), potassium benzoate (preservative), and caffeine in the Diet Coke; and gum arabic and gelatin in the Mentos. The ingredients seem to have a perfect compatibility with each other and, when mixed together and added to the nucleation, creates a chemical reaction that forces the soda to release all of its dissolved carbon dioxide at once, thus causing a more violent eruption than carbonated water alone.
  • The MythBusters also set a new record for the cola geyser at just over 30 feet (9 metres) by using a nozzle, beating the previous record of 18 feet, set by the person who popularized the phenomenon, Steve Spangler. [1] They extended the geyser to 34 feet (10 metres) by using rock salt, which is more porous and hence provides even more nucleation sites per area than Mentos.
  • In this episode Adam and Jamie also created homemade pyrotechnics using water, liquid soap and methane; smoke bombs from saltpeter and sugar; demonstrated a way to separate Pringles chips from its container by using hydrogen gas; and assembled a dry ice bomb. Adam also implies that more improvised explosives may be tested for a future episode. Despite the "do not try this at home" disclaimers, the MythBusters concluded that Diet Coke and Mentos geysers are safe enough for people to try, even for children (with the exception of getting in trouble by their parents).

[edit] Stamp on a Helicopter

Myth statement Status Notes
A stamp placed on the rotor of a helicopter can unbalance the spinning rotors enough to cause it to crash. Busted A stamp in a controlled scale test did not cause any changes to the helicopter rotor's rotation. The Mythbusters immediately ramped up the test to the scale of 8,000 stamps, which destroyed the scale model helicopter. The full-sized test also produced the same results as the stamp did not cause a real helicopter to crash and, according to the pilot, did not cause any significant change in the way the helicopter flew. A stamp placed on the tail rotor also did not cause any noticeable change.

[edit] Episode 58 — "Shattering Subwoofer"

[edit] Shattering Subwoofer

Myth statement Status Notes
One can design an automobile sound system such that the bass can quickly shatter all the windows of the automobile. Busted While the large, diesel engine-powered subwoofer that Jamie and Adam built into a Mercedes-Benz 240D produced sound at 161 dBSPL at 16 Hz (a level comparable to those found in cars specially designed for loudness competitions), it caused the sunroof of the car to jar loose, allowing for the pressure of the sound waves to escape. Because of this leakage, not to mention the fact that the forces behind the oscillation caused the woofer to break apart, the speaker system could not possibly create the amount of intensity needed to cause all the windows to explode as the myth stated. A best-case scenario would involve only one window failing, thus creating a path for the pressure to escape.

[edit] Rough Road Driving

A spinoff myth was tested in More Myths Revisited

Myth statement Status Notes
A car will achieve a smoother ride on a rough outback road by being driven faster. Confirmed As far as driving on non-washboard roads, there was no solid conclusion due to a conflict of data. However, when they tested a "washboard" road, the build team were able to confirm the theory that driving at a higher speed will indeed cause the body of the car to float over the ridges: the wheels of a car oscillated wildly, but the car suspension allowed for a relatively smoother ride at high speed.

[edit] Episode 59 — "Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 2"

As opposed to the earlier Crimes and Myth-Demeanors, which focused on security systems as seen in movies, the MythBusters attempt to break real-world security systems, which were all installed in the original assault course.

[edit] Fingerprint Lock

Fingerprint readers take a sample of a fingerprint and match it with an approved-person database. The particular door-mounted scanner tested optically samples the fingerprint, and also had some extra "liveness-sensing" features that supposedly looks for pulse, body heat, and sweat. The optical fingerprint reader the MythBusters installed can be fooled by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…a copy of an approved fingerprint etched in latex. Confirmed Licking the latex sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.
…a ballistics gel copy of an approved fingerprint. Confirmed Licking the gel sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.
…a paper copy of an approved fingerprint. Confirmed Licking the paper sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.

[edit] Thermal Motion Sensor

Heat detectors note any changes in the temperature gradient within its field of view (as seen in the 1992 film Sneakers). A heat detector can be fooled by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…cooling the body down using a CO2 fire extinguisher Busted Not only was the sensor not fooled, using a fire extinguisher on a person is dangerous.
…a neoprene diving suit. Busted The neoprene suit did insulate body heat from its surroundings, until the suit itself warmed up.
…being covered in mud. Busted Like the neoprene suit, it only worked until the mud warmed up from body heat. Also, Tory left behind mud tracks while attempting this.
…heating the room to body temperature. Busted Heating the room from the ceiling immediately set off the sensor, while heating the room from the ground did not. However, the sensor was still sensitive enough to detect the difference between human body temperature and the ambient temperature.
…wearing a highly insulated fire proximity suit. Confirmed The suit blocked the body heat, preventing the sensor from seeing the wearer. However a small breach in the suit triggered the sensor when pointed towards it.
…placing glass between the intruder and the sensor. Confirmed Glass blocks out infrared light.

[edit] Ultrasonic Motion Sensor

Ultrasonic motion detectors note any doppler shifts caused by a moving intruder. An ultrasonic motion detector can be fooled by…

Myth statement Status Notes
…wearing thick-padded clothing Busted The sensor was still able to pick up Kari's movement.
…holding a bedsheet in front of you. Confirmed The bedsheet absorbed enough of the ultrasonic waves to mitigate any return signals.
…moving extremely slowly. Confirmed Although it took Kari 20 minutes to cross a relatively short hallway, she moved slowly enough to stay below the detector's sampling threshold.

[edit] Water Safe

This myth is based on a scene from the movie The Score.

Myth statement Status Notes
A thief can drill into a safe with a thermal lance, fill the safe with water, and detonate an explosive inside without damaging the items inside or prematurely activating the glass relocker. Plausible Drilling into a safe using thermal rods takes far longer than the myth states. Also, the heat from the thermal rods completely destroyed the items inside. Secondly, the safe was not watertight and had to be sealed from the inside in order to completely fill it with water. Finally, even though the explosion successfully dislodged the safe door, none of the items inside remained intact. It was deemed plausible from historical precedent and police reports, even though the MythBusters themselves could not replicate any of the conditions.

[edit] Episode 60 — "Earthquake Machine"

[edit] Miniature Earthquake Machine

The MythBusters test one of Nikola Tesla's publications.

Myth statement Status Notes
Nikola Tesla invented a machine that when attached to an object and tuned to vibrate at a certain frequency, can cause an earthquake-like effect on the object it is attached to. Busted The MythBusters built several variations of Tesla's "earthquake machine" using modified jackhammers, as well as a specially designed computer-controlled electromagnetic linear actuator provided by Grant. Small scale tests on metal bars were mixed, with the modified tools performing poorly while the more finely-tunable actuator produced significant vibrations in the bar. A scale test with a model of Tesla's lab and miniature motor failed to produce any noticeable result. Finally, a large scale test using an actual bridge was attempted. The MythBusters attached the resonator to the side of a large truss bridge, which are today designed to withstand such vibrations, to see whether the entire bridge would be shaken. While the resonator did match the bridge's frequency and produce a vibration noticeable 100 ft away, it was not strong enough to be considered an earthquake. The MythBusters declared the myth busted.

[edit] Stove Myths

The MythBusters tested whether putting the following items on a stove will cause an explosion that could kill a person…

Myth statement Status Notes
…a lava lamp Confirmed All lava lamp tests produced violent reactions. The reactions differed depending on the lamp's design. When lava lamps with safety caps exploded, they vented their contents out through the top of the lamp because of the safety cap popping off (as designed). A bottlecapped lava lamp being tested leaked due to a poor seal, and was helped to explode with a spray of cold water (through the thermal stress caused by the cooling effect of the water on the glass). The explosion lodged a piece of glass deep into a ballistics gel dummy planted near the lamp. A jumbo lava lamp exploded with enough force to pierce the dummy with numerous shards of glass. With the combination of the violent explosion, glass shrapnel in the dummy, explicit warning labels, and a recorded incident, the myth was deemed confirmed.
…a can of beans Confirmed The cans of beans tested exploded with force proportional to the size of the can. Larger cans explode more violently than smaller cans, especially since large cans do not have a weakened pop-open top, but the build team concluded that any can of beans on a stove is potentially lethal.
…a can of potted meat Busted Though the can of potted meat exploded rather violently, the explosion did not have enough force to be deemed lethal.
…a large glass jug of milk Plausible The jar of milk exploded violently, though not with a large amount of force. The build team concluded that an exploding jar of milk can be lethal if a person happened to be standing over it.

[edit] Episode 61 — "Deadly Straw"

[edit] Straw Through a Palm Tree

Myth statement Status Notes
A piece of straw can penetrate all the way through a palm tree if propelled by hurricane-force winds. Busted Propelling a piece of straw at a palm tree at a distance of 50 cm at 320 mph (the world record for recorded wind speed at ground level), the straw only managed to penetrate the tree a quarter of an inch. Even firing at the tree while it was bent (to increase the size of the pores in the surface of the tree) at point blank range added no additional distance into the tree. A piece of reed was tested as the sturdiest organic object that might be mistaken for a piece of straw. At both ranges, the reed only managed to go about two inches into the tree. Additionally, Jamie tried a piece of piano wire, and at 50 cm, it flew not only through the tree but through a sheet of plywood on the wall behind it, partially embedding itself into the cement wall.
Wind alone can blow the feathers off of a chicken. Busted Even wind speeds faster than those ever recorded could not remove any of the feathers of a tethered chicken. The whole bird would more likely be blown away completely.

[edit] Primary Perception

The Build Team tests world-renowned polygrapher Cleve Backster's theory of primary perception.

Myth statement Status Notes
Polygraph tests indicate that all living things share some form of interconnected consciousness. Busted Tests were done by connecting plants to a polygraph's galvanometer, and then employing actual and imagined harm upon the plants or upon others in the plant's vicinity. The galvanometer showed some spurious readings (showing some kind of reaction about 1/3rd of the time), so a much more accurate EEG machine was used. When Grant and Tory used a machine that dropped eggs randomly into boiling water, the plant had no reaction. Additionally, Tory's leukocytes had no reaction when Kari shocked them with a stungun.

[edit] Episode 62 — "Killer Cable Snaps"

[edit] Killer Cable Slice

Myth statement Status Notes
If a cable snaps, it can cut a person in two (as seen in the movie Ghost Ship). Busted A 5/8" cable at 30,000 lbs of tension was unable to cut a pig in two (or even cut into it), but did cause potentially lethal injuries. The MythBusters took the test even further by adding a smaller cable at the end of larger one to create a "whip" effect, and even pre-looped a cable around the pig itself. None of these methods could cut the pig by the pre-tensed cable's inertia alone. The pig was cut in half only when Adam tied a cable around it before tightening the cable. Also, after making inquiries with almost every safety organization imaginable, the MythBusters were unable to find any concrete evidence of a person being cut in half by a snapped cable.

[edit] Pottery Record (Archaeoacoustics)

Myth statement Status Notes
Sounds can be recovered from old pottery. Busted The MythBusters were unable to recover any recognizable sound from the pot using a record player with a glass needle (to prevent scratching the clay). Even with professional audio enhancement and the most advanced sound systems available, they were unable to recover any discernible sounds from the straw-made grooves on the pots.

[edit] Episode 63 — "Air Cylinder Rocket"

[edit] Air Cylinder of Death

A compressed air cylinder can…

Myth statement Status Notes
…blast itself through a concrete wall. Confirmed Once the MythBusters constructed a launch tube and perfected shearing off the cylinder's valve, the cylinder shot entirely through their constructed cinder block wall and damaged the solid concrete wall behind it. The MythBusters were also aware of recorded instances of such a thing happening.
…power a speedboat. Busted The two cylinders could only propel the Mythtanic V 120 feet at a maximum of 5 knots. A second attempt resulted in the boat barely making half the distance, and barely registering any speed at all.

[edit] Gunpowder Engine

Myth statement Status Notes
An engine can run on gunpowder alone. Busted Even though gunpowder has a greater energy density than gasoline, none of the three historical designs (by Huygens, Cayley and Paine) worked for more than one cycle; the team could not find a practical or reliable way to feed the gunpowder into the engines without having them backfire and ignite all the powder, most likely because black powder is not a liquid and therefore is not transported as easily; also, gunpowder cannot be ignited while mixed in with liquid (even flammable lubricating oil), so it must be dry for the engine to work. They were also unable to convert a modern lawnmower engine to run on gunpowder, even with gunpowder inserted directly into the ignition chamber.

[edit] Episode 64 — "More Myths Revisited"

This is the fifth episode where Myths from previous episodes are revisited.

[edit] Sword vs. Gun

Myth statement Status Notes
A sword can cut a machine gun in two (Spinoff of Sword vs. Sword). Busted A machine gun barrel cannot be sliced in two using a sword. Using the barrel from a .30 caliber Browning machine gun, the team heated the barrel until it was red hot and struck it with the sword machine. Even with the barrel red hot, the sword could only make a small gouge in the barrel. What further disproved the myth was the fact that the barrel's outer heat-dissipating shroud was removed and the machine was swinging the sword with power that significantly exceeded a normal human's capabilities. The team then rapidly heated and cooled the barrel to make it more brittle, but when hit by the sword, it shattered instead of being cut. Finally, the team tried to cut a thinner Thompson submachine gun barrel, but only managed to bend it, proving that a sword cannot cut a gun barrel in two.

[edit] Rough Road Driving

Myth statement Status Notes
Bracing a windshield can keep it from shattering (Spinoff of Rough Road Driving). Busted Bracing a window with a hand was unsuccessful in preventing a window from being shattered by a rock or a fired BB.

[edit] Salami Rocket

This marks the first time a Confirmed myth was disputed. In this case, the claim was that the rocket launched not due to the two-part hybrid reaction but simply due to the release of the pressurized nitrous oxide.

Myth statement Status Notes
A Hybrid Rocket can be made out of Salami (from Salami Rocket). Re-Confirmed Using Salami as a rocket fuel can create high amounts of thrust with the right nozzle. Readings from the force gauge proved that salami did in fact generate much more thrust than just the released nitrous oxide gas alone, though they do admit that the NOX output alone could have launched the rocket, as may have been the case with the original launch.

[edit] Tailgate Up vs. Tailgate Down

Myth statement Status Notes
It is more fuel efficient to drive a pickup truck with its tailgate down, rather than up (from Tailgate Up vs. Tailgate Down). Re-Busted Using a calibrated fuel flow gauge, Adam and Jamie first Re-Busted the tailgate up vs. down myth, then went on to test various other truck configurations (hard top, mesh tailgate, no tailgate).
A plastic mesh tailgate provides superior fuel efficiency compared to the standard metal tailgate Confirmed Again using a calibrated fuel flow gauge, Adam and Jamie proved that the mesh was the most efficient way to configure a pickup truck. What was interesting about this is that the fans stated that the truck mesh was the worst tailgate to use, which the MythBusters proved wrong.

[edit] Episode 65 — "Exploding Lighter"

[edit] Exploding Lighter

The MythBusters tested the following myths concerning standard disposable butane lighters.

Myth statement Status Notes
A lighter can explode when placed under a welding tool. Confirmed The heat generated from the welding tool was hot enough to cause the plastic lighter to melt and release its fuel which ignited, causing a small explosion.
A lighter can explode when put in a laundry dryer Busted A lighter was left in a running laundry dryer but suffered no significant damage and therefore did not explode.
A lighter can explode when hit with a golf club. Partly Confirmed Hitting a lighter with a golf club did not make the lighter explode, but when the MythBusters decided to hit the lighter while it was lit, it exploded rather violently.
A lighter can explode on a car dashboard. Busted The lighter was put in a toaster oven to simulate the maximum temperature that the interior of a car can reach, around 180 degrees Fahrenheit. There was no reaction for several hours, and the lighter finally exploded when the MythBusters ramped the temperature up to over 350 degrees Fahrenheit, well above any temperature that can be expected in the interior of a car.
A single lighter can be lethal if it explodes. Busted The MythBusters placed a lighter in a pair of jeans on a pig carcass used as a human stand-in, and put it under a welding tool. The sparks and heat from the tool managed to set the pants on fire and burn the flesh, but failed to ignite the lighter.
Five hundred lighters packed inside a car can explode with lethal force. Plausible The MythBusters placed five hundred lighters in a car and slowly heated it up. One by one, lighters began to rupture and release gas fumes. When the MythBusters finally triggered an igniter, the gas fumes exploded, blowing out all of the windows and setting the car on fire. The myth was deemed possible as long as there is a suitable ignition source.

[edit] Gunslinger Myths

Using a Colt Peacemaker and a Navy revolver, the MythBusters tested whether an Old West gunslinger could…

Myth statement Status Notes
…drop a coin and fire his pistol five times before it hits the ground. Partly Busted Using replicas of actual Wild West pistols, Grant, Kari, and Tory attempted the stunt themselves. However, Grant and Kari were unable to clear the pistols from their holsters in time and Tory was only able to get off one shot. Grant then built a device which showed that the pistols consistently jammed when the MythBusters tried to fire them so quickly. The MythBusters finally turned to a professional gunslinger, but he could only fire three shots and he stated that firing five in that space of time would be "extremely difficult". With no results, the myth was busted.
…shoot a hole through a silver dollar. Busted The MythBusters used actual period silver dollars for the test. A professional gunslinger proved that hitting the coin was possible (with many tries) by piercing a lead coin. Both the Peacemaker and Navy revolver were only able to dent the silver dollar. While a .357 Magnum could easily pierce the coin, the myth was busted because the .357 was not introduced until the 1930s—gunslingers didn't have access to it. However, re-trying the myth with lead coins instead of silver did yield large holes from both period weapons.
…save a man from being hanged by shooting the rope. Busted Firing at a rope with the pistols, even at point blank range, failed to break the rope. The bullets were merely deflected off the rope. A professional gunslinger armed with a more powerful Winchester repeating rifle managed to shoot and break the rope, but it required multiple tries in order to pull off. With the difficulty involved in shooting and breaking the rope, the myth was considered busted. The gunslinger also commented that it would have been easier to just shoot the executioners.

[edit] Episode 66 — "Concrete Glider"

[edit] Concrete Glider

This myth is part of a well-known engineering cliche: "Like a lead balloon, you can't make a concrete glider fly."

Myth statement Status Notes
A glider can be made out of concrete. Plausible Adam's glider made a flight of over 34 feet from a height of 9 feet. Jamie's took a nose dive. Also, an expert noted that making a glider out of concrete is possible and that the Germans experimented with the idea during World War II. After the test, the MythBusters decided that making a concrete glider is possible, but highly dangerous and impractical since the brittle concrete would shatter once it hits the ground.

[edit] Train Suction

Myth statement Status Notes
The vortex from a passing train can suck a person onto the tracks. Busted Although small scale testing with model trains in a wind tunnel showed a vortex, the more dominant force when running the full size train was the air turbulence running alongside and away from the train. The force caused Ted, a dummy made of ballistics gel, to simply fall down where he stood rather than be drawn into the train's wake, and also violently pushed around an empty stroller tethered onto the platform alongside. Despite the lack of suction, the MythBusters agreed that the turbulence was powerful enough in its own right to make standing that close to the train as it passes very dangerous.

[edit] Episode 67 — "Firearms Folklore"

[edit] Firearms Folklore

A portion of this myth was revisited in Myths Redux.

Myth statement Status Notes
A bullet can be shot into the empty chamber of another revolver. Confirmed The MythBusters were actually able to fire a bullet straight down the chamber of the test revolver. The bullet went in and lodged itself inside the chamber, matching the picture that the MythBusters had.
A sniper can kill another sniper by shooting straight through the scope. (see Carlos Hathcock) Busted* Using a police industry standard SWAT sniper rifle and standard police match ammunition, the MythBusters fired several shots at a scoped rifle mounted on a ballistics gel dummy. Unfortunately, the bullet was unable to hit the dummy. The bullet was either stopped or deflected by the multiple layers of lenses in the scope, leaving the dummy relatively unharmed. Without any clear evidence that a bullet can penetrate a sniper scope, the MythBusters decided to label the myth as busted.

*This myth was originally labeled "busted," but due to much debate by viewers it was revisited in episode 75. Using a period-accurate scope (this myth originates from reports of Carlos Hathcock in the Vietnam War), it was found to be plausible.
During the Civil War, two soldiers' bullets collided in midair and fused together. Plausible The MythBusters first tried to mount two Civil War rifles in front of each other so that when fired, the bullets (lead Minié balls) would collide in midair. However, this proved impossible because they were unable to get the guns to fire at the same time. Instead, they aimed a single rifle at a bullet suspended in the air. The fired bullet hit dead center, and the MythBusters found that both bullets had fused together into a single mass. Though very unlikely, it is possible for two bullets to collide and fuse together in midair.

[edit] Hammer vs. Hammer

This myth was brought up by concerned viewers, who feared that Jamie was in risk of suffering from the myth each time he banged two hammers together as part of a build.

This myth was revisited in Myths Redux.

Myth statement Status Notes
If two hammers strike each other, or a hammer strikes an anvil, at least one hammer will completely shatter with lethal force. Busted Using a custom rig, the MythBusters repeatedly struck pairs of hammers together, but none shattered. Hammers with wooden handles merely snapped in two and hammers with metal handles bent. The MythBusters then decided to make the steel hammers harder and more brittle by adding more carbon and through heat treatment. In particular, they attempted to case harden the hammers. They heated the hammers to high temperatures and then coated the hammer heads in used engine oil. They also decided to have the hammers strike a more sturdy anvil instead of each other. However, during testing, the carbonized hammers merely bent at the handles without shattering. Though the myth was busted, some hammers come with warnings not to use them to strike another tool or hardened nail with excessive force; although no hammerhead shattered or chipped, high-speed footage showed particle dust flying in all directions, which presents an eye hazard.

[edit] Episode 68 — "Anti-Gravity Device"

[edit] Antigravity

Anti-gravity is a hypothetical force that eliminates the effects of gravity on an object (as opposed to counteracting it). The MythBusters test various devices that claim to produce anti-gravity.

Myth statement Status Notes
Anti-gravity is possible. Busted (for now) After testing various contraptions that were allegedly able to defy gravity, the MythBusters found that none of them could actually achieve "anti-gravity"; the contraptions (that did levitate) generated an upward force that balanced its downward gravitation. The myth was declared Busted (for now), because although they could bust the contraptions as anti-gravity machines, the idea of anti-gravity itself could not be busted through their tests.

[edit] Christmas Lights

Christmas tree fires are common during the winter holidays, and cause millions of dollars in damage annually in America alone. The MythBusters test one hypothesis on the cause of a Christmas tree fire.

Myth statement Status Notes
The heat generated by Christmas lights can ignite a Christmas tree. Busted After rigging a tinder-dry Christmas tree with 2500 C9 Christmas lights (for a total of 17.5 kW) and waiting for at least 40 minutes, the MythBusters were unable to get the tree to ignite by itself. Instead, they used an artificially created spark (simulating a short circuit) to set the tree on fire. Though the myth was busted, Adam and Jamie noted how quickly the tree caught on fire once it was ignited, warning viewers to be careful around their Christmas trees. Also, Adam and Jamie proved that you can overload a single extension cord with too many lights and making it short, which they theorize is the primary reason for Christmas tree fires.

[edit] Vodka Myths IV

Vodka can…

Myth statement Status Notes
…cure the pain of a jellyfish sting. Confirmed After receiving a sting from a jellyfish and then treating the wound with vodka, Kari noticed that most of the pain from the sting had disappeared. Vodka-based treatment seem to have worked about as well as the traditional warm water-based solution.

[edit] Episode 69 — "22,000 Foot Fall"

[edit] 22,000 Foot Fall

During World War II, an Allied airman, Alan Magee, fell out of the underside ball turret of his B-17 at 22,000 feet and survived. The MythBusters test one version of this story. According to the explosives expert used for the episode, this was the largest explosion executed for MythBusters up to that time.

Myth statement Status Notes
A 22,000 foot fall is survivable if one falls through a glass ceiling, and a 1000-pound bomb explodes below oneself. Busted In both the small scale and full scale tests, the MythBusters observed that the shockwave from the blast had little effect on the speed of falling bodies. Also, the glass and metal fragments from the explosion would most likely kill the falling person if the fall itself did not.

[edit] Lights On/Off

Throughout the series, Jamie has always pressured his M5 Industries employees and MythBusters production staff to turn the lights off whenever they leave a room in order to save on electricity. The Build Team tests whether Jamie is correct in his assertion. During this myth, Grant and Kari visit the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department in California to see the Centennial Light.

Myth statement Status Notes
Leaving a light on will save electricity. Busted Through numerous tests, the MythBusters calculated that the power surge from turning on a light would only consume as much power as leaving it on for a fraction of a second (except for fluorescent tube lights; the startup consumed about 23 seconds worth of power). Furthermore, the wear and tear of turning the light on and off repeatedly did not reduce the bulb's total life expectancy enough to offset the increased electricity usage. Therefore, it is far more economical to turn a light off rather than leaving it on.

[edit] External links

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