No wind, too much variability in droplet diameter, water not falling from enough of a height to replicate rain accurately. They did the experiment twice and got two different conclusions.
What's funny is that both are true, with the difference being how heavy the rain is. Lighter rain, you'll want to walk at a decent pace. Where with heavy rain, your best bet is to haul ass.
It's an interesting idea though because there must exist, for every type of rain and every distance to shelter, the perfect pace as to get the least wet.
I haven't watched that episode, but I believe it pretty much depends. If you can run to cover fast, then it'll diminish the exposure to the rain significantly, even though you get wet faster while running.
I can disprove everything with a different myth. They proved that a convertible moving faster in the rain will get less rain in it. This is because by moving faster, more rain hits the front. Your front has a higher surface area than your top. As for wind, just lean until you are parallel with the rainfall.
I literally walk in the rain because of this episode lol, unless of course it’s a very short distance to cover. Every cell in my body is screaming at me to run, so it’s difficult.
I’m currently rewatching now, and I have the mythresults site and Wikipedia episode list page tabs open literally just so I can check after each episode for “this myth was later revisited in…” so I don’t accidentally make the same mistake as this clip.
HBO Max for the majority of them. A few (missing from Max for some reason) had to be watched via Roku Channel (“Archimedes Death Ray” 2006), or bought on Amazon Prime Video (“Cell Phones on Planes” 2006) or Apple TV (“Jaws Special” 2005 I only found on Apple TV). I also found out…after some unnecessary purchases…that my YoutubeTV VOD has a lot/most of the ones that supposedly are only available via purchasing on Prime (“Bullets Fired Up”; “Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1”; “Mentos & Soda” (all 2006) etc.)
So far (I’m only at 2006/50+ eps in), the only 2 episodes I can’t find anywhere are “Mythbusters Outtakes” (2005) and “Mega Movie Myths” (2006).
My favorite episode was when Adam and Jamie were blindfolded and then they tried to walk as straight as they can in a field. Nope, they aimlessly went in circles.
We did it in 9th grade bio class. We paired off to make sure we didn’t walk into anything and my partner was cracking up at how poorly I was doing. Sure enough he did even worse than I did.
It's an experiment that has been done several times before by other scientist. Weather does effect it. Clean and sunny and you'll walk straighter, overcast and windy you begin to go off a line sooner.
But it's even been done indoors and even then without visual clues you still do it.
Veritasium did a video on this and I think shows running gets you “less wet”. Essentially moving forward you hit rain on your front, and you will be getting rain on your ‘top’ regardless. So if you move faster you won’t get more rain from the front but you will spend less time outside therefore decreasing the amount of rain you receive from above. Obviously assuming no variables like wind or rain direction. IIRC
I always had an issue with this mythbusters episode. Yes you get more wet running through the rain but you’re under the rain for less time if you’re running to a destination. This episode was misleading because they had the subjects run and walk for the same amount of time. I’m guessing you’re still better off running through the rain if you’re running as quickly as you can for cover.
I developed a technique for dodging rain drops a few years ago. It's not very difficult, and with a bit of practice you can get from point A to point B without a single drop hitting you. Unfortunately the movements you need to make to perform the technique are incredibly strenuous and you end up soaking wet with sweat.
Yes, I think about this too when I'm out in the rain and thinking about this episode. Also, if it's torrential downpour, your best bet is to just sprint for cover.
Yeah, running and walking for the same amount of time is not the question at all. As I remember it, running or walk a set distance, running won. I think I’ve only seen one of them though.
Also if one of ”as fast as possible” or ”as slow as possible” is optimal (not actually a given) the it’s certainly fast. You’ll catch all the drops on a you-shaped hole wile e coyote style, and no others. Taking one step per day will have you extremely wet, mostly standing in the rain.
"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything."
Xkcd had a ‘What if’ about this, and the significant variable was distance, rather than speed. If point A is closer to point B, then it’s better to walk. If the distance is greater, then you’d want to run. Running ensures you get wetter faster, but you also spend less time in the rain, as opposed to walking. After reading it, I questioned why it took Randall Munroe to get me to understand.
I don't see how this could possibly be true. I would expect that at a given speed, the number of drops hitting you would be a linear function of distance traveled. You don't start getting wetter at an increased rate the more you walk, nor do you start avoiding drops better by running longer.
The lines for walking and running would intersect at distance zero, so unless they have the same slope, they could not intersect anywhere else.
So you are telling me if I have to travel a distance of 1 mile I will get more wet if I travel the speed of sound and take a second to traverse the distance compared to slow-mo walking that takes me hours? That makes no sense.
The amount of droplets you travel into is the same no matter your speed. But the amount of droplets that fall on you depends on how much time you spend in the rain.
Here’s the thing though, the faster you run the less time you spend standing in the fucking rain. So maybe this guy gets slightly less wet? But he’s extending his wet time by like 100%
This is one of the episodes where I completely disagree about the results. Running in the rain decreases the amount of time spent in the rain, so you are less wet. Walking just allows the rain to fall on you for much longer so you get more wet.
kjrjk@reddit
That experiment had wayyy too many variables both times
Phonixrmf@reddit
Like what, if you don’t mind explaining?
Nobodythrowout@reddit
No wind, too much variability in droplet diameter, water not falling from enough of a height to replicate rain accurately. They did the experiment twice and got two different conclusions.
JerryFlorg@reddit
If there’s wind just lean into it. If your body is parallel with the raindrops’ trajectory, you will get less wet.
Nobodythrowout@reddit
Not all raindrops fall the same
Fuckoakwood@reddit
Which were
Nobodythrowout@reddit
First they said waking was better, the they said running was better.
hsantefort12@reddit
Either way you gon get wet
Mr_Times@reddit
I remember this being the final conclusion. You’re gonna get wet no matter what so just run to get out of it faster.
ardent_iguana@reddit
Look at the brain on Einstein over here
MrMisklanius@reddit
What's funny is that both are true, with the difference being how heavy the rain is. Lighter rain, you'll want to walk at a decent pace. Where with heavy rain, your best bet is to haul ass.
Nobodythrowout@reddit
Yes. Like with most dynamic real world problems, the most appropriate answer is always: "It depends."
JohnMcGoodmaniganson@reddit
It's an interesting idea though because there must exist, for every type of rain and every distance to shelter, the perfect pace as to get the least wet.
Nobodythrowout@reddit
I would imagine travelling at the exact same speed and direction as the wind would do the trick. Provided that your shelter is down wind, of course.
jamjamason@reddit
Yes.
umyninja@reddit
Ok.
postbansequel@reddit
I haven't watched that episode, but I believe it pretty much depends. If you can run to cover fast, then it'll diminish the exposure to the rain significantly, even though you get wet faster while running.
NemeanLyan@reddit
Yeah this seems like the intuitive answer to me
JerryFlorg@reddit
I can disprove everything with a different myth. They proved that a convertible moving faster in the rain will get less rain in it. This is because by moving faster, more rain hits the front. Your front has a higher surface area than your top. As for wind, just lean until you are parallel with the rainfall.
Bunny_Bunder@reddit
And why didn't they use math to calculate a theoretical result?
Swabia@reddit
Because Grant wasn’t on the show yet.
mogul_w@reddit
Cuz that's not good for TV. The whole point of the show is testing the myths
Moakmeister@reddit
I literally walk in the rain because of this episode lol, unless of course it’s a very short distance to cover. Every cell in my body is screaming at me to run, so it’s difficult.
JerryFlorg@reddit
Nah, it ain’t hard, just don’t care about the rain.
JerryFlorg@reddit
This is now the all time post of r/mythbusters.
You’ve won, but at what cost?
thisismeritehere@reddit
I’m just gonna post this here for that guy
No-Nerve-2658@reddit
Thats the thing about watching mythbusters I never remember what was the conclusion of the miths
xtlhogciao@reddit
I’m currently rewatching now, and I have the mythresults site and Wikipedia episode list page tabs open literally just so I can check after each episode for “this myth was later revisited in…” so I don’t accidentally make the same mistake as this clip.
gw3il0@reddit
If you don't mind me asking, where are you watching these?
DFrostedWangsAccount@reddit
r/smyths
xtlhogciao@reddit
HBO Max for the majority of them. A few (missing from Max for some reason) had to be watched via Roku Channel (“Archimedes Death Ray” 2006), or bought on Amazon Prime Video (“Cell Phones on Planes” 2006) or Apple TV (“Jaws Special” 2005 I only found on Apple TV). I also found out…after some unnecessary purchases…that my YoutubeTV VOD has a lot/most of the ones that supposedly are only available via purchasing on Prime (“Bullets Fired Up”; “Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1”; “Mentos & Soda” (all 2006) etc.)
So far (I’m only at 2006/50+ eps in), the only 2 episodes I can’t find anywhere are “Mythbusters Outtakes” (2005) and “Mega Movie Myths” (2006).
treswm@reddit
Lol same! Whenever it’s raining I’m always like “oh crap, what did mythbusters say was the best way to not get wet again?!”
mor1995@reddit
My favorite episode was when Adam and Jamie were blindfolded and then they tried to walk as straight as they can in a field. Nope, they aimlessly went in circles.
patrick119@reddit
We did it in 9th grade bio class. We paired off to make sure we didn’t walk into anything and my partner was cracking up at how poorly I was doing. Sure enough he did even worse than I did.
TheRealBlueJade@reddit
I really wish they did that one in more controlled circumstances. Just the wind itself would have affected the results.
DeathMonkey6969@reddit
It's an experiment that has been done several times before by other scientist. Weather does effect it. Clean and sunny and you'll walk straighter, overcast and windy you begin to go off a line sooner.
But it's even been done indoors and even then without visual clues you still do it.
FrancoRoja@reddit
When I worked at the mall I would try to walk the corridors with my eyes closed to see how far I could get and it was never far. It’s a bizarre thing.
Candid-Collar-3385@reddit
Personally, I think the fact that everyone's legs are very slightly different lengths has a lot to do with it.
JohnnyDerpington@reddit
You know what gets me wet, mythbusters
Bleord@reddit
It totally works I swear.
PseudonymousWitness@reddit
Sometimes you just need to feel the rain on your skin. No one else can feel it for you.
Normous16@reddit
Veritasium did a video on this and I think shows running gets you “less wet”. Essentially moving forward you hit rain on your front, and you will be getting rain on your ‘top’ regardless. So if you move faster you won’t get more rain from the front but you will spend less time outside therefore decreasing the amount of rain you receive from above. Obviously assuming no variables like wind or rain direction. IIRC
flounderfred08@reddit
I always had an issue with this mythbusters episode. Yes you get more wet running through the rain but you’re under the rain for less time if you’re running to a destination. This episode was misleading because they had the subjects run and walk for the same amount of time. I’m guessing you’re still better off running through the rain if you’re running as quickly as you can for cover.
BellowsHikes@reddit
I developed a technique for dodging rain drops a few years ago. It's not very difficult, and with a bit of practice you can get from point A to point B without a single drop hitting you. Unfortunately the movements you need to make to perform the technique are incredibly strenuous and you end up soaking wet with sweat.
Sufficient_Rub_420@reddit
I had a good lol at this
b0og73@reddit
Yeah that’s always overlooked. I want to get out of the rain as fast as possible to start drying off
Patbach@reddit
If we extrapolate / exagerate we can easily find the response.
Would you move at 1meter per second to cross 1000m under the rain during 1000sec (16.6 minutes)
Or move 100meter per second for 10sec under the rain to cross that same 1000m
FatalErrorOccurred@reddit
Yes, I think about this too when I'm out in the rain and thinking about this episode. Also, if it's torrential downpour, your best bet is to just sprint for cover.
LarrySDonald@reddit
Yeah, running and walking for the same amount of time is not the question at all. As I remember it, running or walk a set distance, running won. I think I’ve only seen one of them though.
Also if one of ”as fast as possible” or ”as slow as possible” is optimal (not actually a given) the it’s certainly fast. You’ll catch all the drops on a you-shaped hole wile e coyote style, and no others. Taking one step per day will have you extremely wet, mostly standing in the rain.
Weak_Employment_5260@reddit
Not to mention in the video above the ones running have umbrellas.
tin0_@reddit
Do the ones running not realize that they have umbrellas?
Wykin1@reddit
Well..... it depends on your distance.
Short distance = run.
Long distance = Walk.
If your going 3 blocks - just walk.
If your going next door - run like the wind.
Ok-Phase4728@reddit
I've referenced this so many times in life
ilongforyesterday@reddit
I don’t run in the rain but is more just because I’m too lazy to run if I don’t need to
Grim47z@reddit
Running in real rain proved the opposite, running made them less wet.
DJ-Dev1ANT@reddit
People evidently think about this a lot. The same experiment also appeared on Braniac.
BossOne2@reddit
Things that you make go hmmm 🤔
GingaNinja01@reddit
I literally think back to that episode every time i have to walk in the rain lmaoo
WitFacedSasshole@reddit
"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything."
KurtisLloyd@reddit
Xkcd had a ‘What if’ about this, and the significant variable was distance, rather than speed. If point A is closer to point B, then it’s better to walk. If the distance is greater, then you’d want to run. Running ensures you get wetter faster, but you also spend less time in the rain, as opposed to walking. After reading it, I questioned why it took Randall Munroe to get me to understand.
itsthebeans@reddit
I don't see how this could possibly be true. I would expect that at a given speed, the number of drops hitting you would be a linear function of distance traveled. You don't start getting wetter at an increased rate the more you walk, nor do you start avoiding drops better by running longer.
The lines for walking and running would intersect at distance zero, so unless they have the same slope, they could not intersect anywhere else.
KurtisLloyd@reddit
I was wrong: it was minutephysics 12 years ago
https://youtu.be/3MqYE2UuN24?si=gDjkgkxTVL-gF4m1
Richard_b_Stillhard@reddit
The guy running with the umbrella, runs like his mother.
Rpposter01@reddit
They actually tested it again and found that running actually did help a lot.
AwareAge1062@reddit
I mean.... I walk calmly through rain cuz I'd rather not slip, eat shit, and be covered in dirty-ass sidewalk water anyway lmao
hikik0_m@reddit
wasnt the most optimal thing to do was just get out of the rain as quick as possible?
Careful-Junket7177@reddit
When you run you crash into more rain drops than standing still.
Cerberusx32@reddit
The different military branches and how they deal with it is funny too.
Fun-Bobcat-6536@reddit
So you are telling me if I have to travel a distance of 1 mile I will get more wet if I travel the speed of sound and take a second to traverse the distance compared to slow-mo walking that takes me hours? That makes no sense.
Please help me understand.
dosthouknowmuffinman@reddit
There's comes a certain point where you know you will be drenched either way, so you run to make not last as long?
Liedvogel@reddit
And then there's me, who just doesn't care lol
LoGo_86@reddit
Running really fast in the rain soaks your front but your back stays quite dry.
WINNER1212@reddit
The amount of droplets you travel into is the same no matter your speed. But the amount of droplets that fall on you depends on how much time you spend in the rain.
So running will keep you dryer.
CityOfDread@reddit
I literally think this every single time I don’t run in the rain.
chapelMaster123@reddit
I run in the rain to minimize my time being wet. Not my intensity of wetness. The sooner I'm inside the sooner I can start drying.
Ttokk@reddit
I watched this minute physics vid from like 2013: https://youtu.be/3MqYE2UuN24?si=TruWUn6x24Ok4MK4
TommmG@reddit
I feel like people dont consider the time factor, like I'd rather get a tiny bit more wet than have to spend more time bracing the shitty weather
DrunktankTheEquine@reddit
I think about that episode every single time I walk home in the rain
Aveeye@reddit
They have umbrellas.
REALtumbisturdler@reddit
But you get out of the rain faster. So....
LowFat_Brainstew@reddit
I always go to the extremes, run at c, minimum integral of water. Walk at 0.0001 m/s, super wet.
An in between minimum could exist, but the logic is sufficient for me to go fast.
Past-Background-7221@reddit
If you ran at c and hit a droplet of water, it would perforate your skull.
takeahike89@reddit
If you ran at c your while body would be a luminous plasma so I'm not sure a water droplet would affect it much
Past-Background-7221@reddit
Wooooow, ok, Mr. Pedantic Technicalities, I guess you win this one.
LowFat_Brainstew@reddit
Technically true, made me chuckle.
I was just trying to span the possibilities, c isn't necessary, 300 m/s is fine. I'm staying under the sound barrier now for my ears.
I think the logic still holds. Even slower should be fine if you don't want me slipping at ungodly speeds. Zoom zoom!
Liverpoolclippers@reddit
People don’t run in the rain to get less wet, they run to get inside away from the rain
Nate8727@reddit
They have umbrellas
theinvisibleworm@reddit
Here’s the thing though, the faster you run the less time you spend standing in the fucking rain. So maybe this guy gets slightly less wet? But he’s extending his wet time by like 100%
enigmatic407@reddit
Litlerally watched this episode the other day lmao
cheesymcbeard@reddit
Every time it rains, it reminds me of that particular episode.
ObiJuanKenobi1993@reddit
I spent many hours watching Mythbusters in the mid 2000s and this is one of the few episodes I remember.
BobTheCowComic@reddit
This is one of the episodes where I completely disagree about the results. Running in the rain decreases the amount of time spent in the rain, so you are less wet. Walking just allows the rain to fall on you for much longer so you get more wet.
Slight_Bed_2241@reddit
Ok how the hell does Reddit know I started watching mythbusters again last night.
w00keee@reddit
Kari, Tory and Grant revisited the myth in Ep 38.
Different variables: actual rain storm with wind, not simulated and they confirmed running will keep you drier.
MythBusters Results - Episode 38
JaMicho34@reddit
I think of this study constantly lol
_within_cells_@reddit
Haha! This is amazing.