The cast/crew of the television series MythBusters performs 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).
{{spoiler}}
The myths the show has tested for accuracy in Season 4 include:
Episode 54 — "Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1: Great Hollywood Heists"
[edit]The MythBusters test the validity of some Hollywood heist scenes.
This myth comes from the movie Firetrap, where one can surreptitiously scale an air duct by using a system of...
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| ...magnets.
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Busted
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Jamie's magnets (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.
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| ...suction cups.
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Busted
|
Adam's suction cups were able to hold his weight as well and were much quieter than Jamie's magnets. However, the mechanics 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. However, breaking through the grate of the air duct was much too noisy, thus blowing his cover.
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This myth comes from the movie Entrapment, where one can successfully dodge a system of laser beam detectors by...
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| ...blowing cosmetic powder across the beams to identify their position.
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Busted
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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.
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| ...using night vision goggles.
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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 decreases the wearer's field of view and may hinder one's ability to move around the beams.
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| ...pointing another laser at the photodetector.
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Busted
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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.
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Glass Door Forced Entry
[edit]A glass door can be cut open silently by...
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
|
| ...gently cutting the glass and removing it with a suction cup.
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Busted
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The suction cup could not remove the glass.
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| ...drilling a hole.
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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.
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Fooling the Pressure Sensor
[edit]This myth comes from the movie Entrapment, where one can successfully fool a pressure sensor under a glass case by...
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| ...squeezing in a knife between the glass and sensor and using a piece of gum to hold the sensor in its original position.
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Busted
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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. And the gum is just too pliable when chewed to keep the sensor held down once the knife is removed.
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| ...squeezing in a knife between the glass and sensor and using tape to hold it in place.
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Plausible
|
This was "Plan B" in case the movie myth was Busted. If you can get the knife in without setting it off, you can hold the knife in place with the tape to keep the sensor pressed.
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A safe can be quickly cracked by...
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| ...using a stethoscope.
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Busted
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Modern safes are designed with this old technique in mind, and the tumblers proved too quiet to be heard even with amplification.
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| ...drilling a hole and visually causing the tumblers to fall into place.
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Plausible
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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.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A suction cup system can be used to scale a (23-story) skyscraper.
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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 require significant physical training.
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Episode 55 — "Steam Cannon"
[edit]A popular saying states that sugary cereal is less nutritious than the box it comes in.
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
|
| A cereal box can have more nutritional value than the cereal.
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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.
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A diagram by Leonardo da Vinci blueprints a steam-powered cannon that Archimedes supposedly built.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Archimedes was able to build a powerful steam cannon, using technology available at the time.
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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 with far less pressure than the Mythbusters had originally projected required.
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Episode 56 — "Killer Whirlpool"
[edit]Whirlpools are an ancient maritime fear. According to the myth, a tidal whirlpool can sink...
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
|
| ...a container ship
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Busted
|
In order for this to happen, the whirlpool would have to be significantly stronger than any maelstrom ever recorded.
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| ...a fishing trawler
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Busted
|
In order for this to happen, the whirlpool would have to be significantly stronger than any maelstrom ever recorded.
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| ...a person
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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, 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.
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A fan claims that they saw a car capsize when a snowplow passed by in the opposite direction at high speed.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A snowplow passing by at high speed can displace enough air on one side to flip over a passing car.
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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.
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Episode 57 — "Diet Coke and Mentos"
[edit]Diet Coke and Mentos
[edit]- 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 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?
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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.
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- 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. 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.
Stamp on a Helicopter
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| A stamp placed on the rotor of a helicopter can unbalance the spinning rotors enough to cause it to crash.
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Busted
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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 the 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.
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Episode 58 — "Shattering Subwoofer"
[edit]Shattering Subwoofer
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
|
| One can design an automobile sound system such that the bass can quickly shatter all the windows of the automobile.
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Busted
|
While the obnoxiously large, diesel engine-powered subwoofer that Jamie and Adam built pumped out a whopping 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.
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A spinoff myth was tested in More Myths Revisited
| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
|
| You will get a smoother ride on a rough outback road by driving faster.
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Confirmed
|
As far as driving on non wash-board roads there was no solid conclusion due to a conflict of data. However, when they tested a "washboard" road, like one the myth originally states, the build team were able to confirm the theory that driving at a higher speed will indeed cause the wheels of a car to travel over just the ridges and not into the troughs, allowing for a relatively smoother ride.
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Episode 59 — "Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 2"
[edit]The MythBusters attempt to circumvent some real-world security devices.
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 Mythbusters installed can be fooled by...
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
|
| ...a copy of an approved fingerprint etched in latex.
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Confirmed
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Licking the latex sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.
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| ...a ballistics gel copy of an approved fingerprint.
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Confirmed
|
Licking the gel sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.
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| ...a paper copy of an approved fingerprint.
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Confirmed
|
Licking the paper sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.
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It should be noted that the ballistics gel and paper copies did not fool a computer-based biometric sensor that the Mythbusters used for their initial testing, but did fool the door lock installed in their maze. It should also be noted that, according to the manufacturers, the "liveness-sensing" reader has never failed.
Thermal Motion Sensor
[edit]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
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Busted
|
Not only was the sensor not fooled, using a fire extinguisher on a person is dangerous.
|
| ...a neoprene diving suit.
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Busted
|
The neoprene suit did insulate body heat from its surroundings, until the suit itself warmed up.
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| ...being covered in mud.
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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.
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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 (i.e. heat).
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Ultrasonic Motion Sensor
[edit]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
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Busted
|
The sensor was still able to pick up Kari's movement.
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| ...holding a bedsheet in front of you.
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Confirmed
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The bedsheet absorbed enough of the ultrasonic waves to mitigate any return signals.
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| ...moving extremely slowly.
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Confirmed
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Although it took Kari 20 minutes to cross a relatively short hallway, she moved slowly enough to stay below the detector's sampling threshold.
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This myth is based on a scene from the movie The Score.
| Myth statement
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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.
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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.
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Episode 60 — "Earthquake Machine"
[edit]Miniature Earthquake Machine
[edit]The MythBusters test one of Nikola Tesla's more outlandish publications.
| Myth statement
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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.
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Busted
|
The MythBusters built several variations of Tesla's pneumatic "earthquake machine" using modified jackhammers, as well as a specially designed computer-controlled electromagnetic linear actuator made 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 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. With the combination of the lack of spectacular results and Tesla's tendency to exaggerate his accomplishments at the time of publication, the MythBusters declared the myth busted.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Episode 61 — "Deadly Straw"
[edit]Straw Through a Palm Tree
[edit]
| Myth statement
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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.
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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.
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The Build Team tests world-renowned polygrapher Cleve Backster's theory of primary perception.
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| Polygraph tests indicate that all living things share some form of interconnected consciousness.
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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 him with a stungun.
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Episode 62 — "Killer Cable Snaps"
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| If a cable snaps, it can cut a person in two.
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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 and then tightened 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.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
|
| Sounds can be recovered from old pottery.
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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.
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Episode 63 — "Air Cylinder Rocket"
[edit]Air Cylinder of Death
[edit]A compressed air cylinder can...
| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
|
| ...blast itself through a concrete wall.
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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.
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Busted
|
The two cylinders could only propel the boat 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. It was jokingly said that Jamie could swim faster than the boat and that the speed should be measured in "miles per day" rather than miles per hour. This boat was referred to as "Mythtanic 5".
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| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| An engine can run on gunpowder alone.
|
Busted
|
Even though gunpowder has a greater energy density than gasoline, none of the three historical designs worked for more than one cycle; the team could not find a practical or reliable way to feed the gunpowder into the engines (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.
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Episode 64 — "More Myths Revisited"
[edit]This is the fifth episode where Myths from previous episodes are revisited.
| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
|
| A sword can cut a machine gun in two (Spinoff of Sword vs. Sword, Mega Movie Myths Special).
|
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.
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| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
|
| Bracing a windshield can keep it from shattering (Spinoff of Rough Road Driving, Episode 58).
|
Busted
|
Bracing a window with a hand was unsuccessful in preventing a window from being shattered by a rock or a fired BB.
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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, Episode 51).
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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.
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Tailgate Up vs. Tailgate Down
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
|
| It is more fuel efficient to drive your pick-up truck with its tailgate down, rather than up (from Tailgate Up vs. Tailgate Down, Episode 43).
|
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.
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Episode 65 — "Exploding Lighter"
[edit]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.
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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
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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.
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Plausible
|
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.
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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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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 were able to fire that fast. 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.
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Busted
|
Firing at a rope with the pistols, even at point blank range, failed to break the rope. The bullets were merely deflected off of 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.
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Episode 66 — "Concrete Glider"
[edit]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.
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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.
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| Myth statement
|
Status
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Notes
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| The vortex from a passing train can suck a person onto the tracks.
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Busted
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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.
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Episode 67 — "Firearms Folklore"
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A bullet can be shot into the empty chamber of another revolver.
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Confirmed
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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.
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| A sniper can kill another sniper by shooting them straight through the scope. (see Carlos Hathcock)
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Busted
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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.
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| During the Civil War, two soldiers' bullets collided in midair and fused together.
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Plausible
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The MythBusters first tried to mount two Civil War rifles in front of each other so that when fired, the bullets 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 incredibly unlikely, it is possible for two bullets to collide and fuse together in midair.
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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.
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| If two hammers strike each other, at least one of them will completely shatter with lethal force.
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Busted
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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, however it is questionable if this was done correctly. 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. Furthermore, an anvil is generally not made of particularly hard steel, and so that test may have been doomed from the beginning. An anvil with a hardened tool steel insert would have been more appropriate. 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.
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Episode 68 — "Anti-Gravity Device"
[edit]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
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Status
|
Notes
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| Anti-gravity is possible.
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Busted (for now)
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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.
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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
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Status
|
Notes
|
| The heat generated by Christmas lights can ignite a Christmas tree.
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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.
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Vodka can...
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
|
| ...cure the pain of a jellyfish sting.
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Confirmed
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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.
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During World War II, an Allied airman 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.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A 22,000 foot fall is survivable if you fall through a glass ceiling and a 1000 pound bomb explodes below you.
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Busted
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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 does not.
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Tory, Grant, and Kari visit the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department in California to see the Centennial Light.
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| Leaving a light on will save electricity.
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Busted
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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.
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