What was the most significant scientific discovery the mythbusters ever made?
Posted by waveball03@reddit | mythbusters | View on Reddit | 235 comments
Was it something historical like proving the Alcatraz escape was possible? Something useful like showing how driving with your windows down kills your gas mileage? Something safety related like showing how dangerous driving and talking on the phone is? Or was it something they invented maybe? Curious what people think.
kobrakaan@reddit
When messing with fuel vapours and naked flames you can lose an eyebrow 😱
quietriot1983@reddit
Definitely don't do that when you have a date that night!
Lady-Kat1969@reddit
I don’t know; she still married him so apparently it’s an effective dating strategy.
SalltyJuicy@reddit
It's a pretty solid ice breaker and a really interesting anecdote.
tinafeysbiggestfan@reddit
The one that I think about most often (not your question I know) is the walking vs running in the rain thing!
vegasidol@reddit
What's better?
SurgeFlamingo@reddit
Exactly. They left us hanging.
AnynameIwant1@reddit
In the revisit episode the build team proved that running was better in real rain. The 1st time they used artificial rain, aka a sprinkler.
Thefirstargonaut@reddit
I didn’t see the revisit episode! This whole time, I’ve been upset because I was sure using artificial rain with the exact same amount of water coming out all over the area had to change the results compared to what m if hot happen in real rain. I’ll have to go look that episode up.
Get_a_Grip_comic@reddit
my beef with the OG test was the lack of Wind, testing for the variable of horizontal rain while running horizontally.
I can't remember, maybe they did use a fan or they didn't I felt that could have been easily tested
xenogra@reddit
If you're caught in the rain without a Mac, walk as fast as the wind at your back. If the winds to your face, the optimal pace is as fast as your legs can make track.
-_I---I---I@reddit
mac?
An Irish person? Mac and cheese? Mac truck? McDonalds fish sandwich? Mack Daddy?
CapitalClank@reddit
Bars!
Confident-Fox-8403@reddit
About to comment this!
bellrae@reddit
I think about this often too!
GenZ2002@reddit
The banned credit card episode. Proving (before it was super obvious) that your cards are super insecure and vulnerable to hackers.
Scolor@reddit
This was the one I was thinking of as well! A discovery so big every major CC’s lawyers had to get in the phone with them.
GenZ2002@reddit
Yeah this episode also goes to show just how much the major companies control the information we take in and our daily life’s. I believe they never fixed or addressed the issue.
Illustrious_Crab1060@reddit
necro-posting but actually this is the reason why they switched to Chip and Pin, but yeah in most other countries you need to use the pin
Malakai0013@reddit
Has any of that footage ever seen the light of day?
threedubya@reddit
No,cause they didn't want to loose advettising.
iEspeon@reddit
The underwater car myth. If I recall correctly, within a few months of the episode airing, a viewer used that exact knowledge to escape their sinking car safely.
mysteryman447@reddit
that viewer not only saved herself but her young daughter as well
SurgeFlamingo@reddit
What was the knowledge?
KelseyBDJ@reddit
Well, that's the sort explanation.
📼 The Underwater Car | MythBusters Season 5 Episode 4 Full Episode
ScumBunny@reddit
So just chill out until the water fills the car, then you’ll be able to open the door?
I’m worried about my electric locks. Like, if water shorts out the electrical system, will I be able to open my doors, even if they were unlocked beforehand, or (more terrifying) if they were locked?
Why am I asking you? Who are you? What am I doing here? Where am I….🧐😅
beheadedstraw@reddit
All cars (at least in the US) are required to have some sort of manual way to exit the car for those specific circumstances. It's the reason why your car will always open from the inside unless it's a car specifically engineered not to do so (police cars for example).
sapphyresmiles@reddit
Right that's the funny thing about reddit. Anonymous discussion forums lead to the strangest conversations and I love it. About the car I have no idea but I'll sure take the other replies with a grain of salt!
H_Industries@reddit
One suggestion that has been made (can’t remember if it was mythbusters or later) was to go ahead and roll down the windows while they have power.
Ginger_Grumpybunny@reddit
That's definitely worth a shot, but survivors' accounts suggest that electric windows can behave unpredictably in a sinking car.
optimushime@reddit
Much like myself, I reckon.
MikeTidbits@reddit
You could smash the window.
sir_thatguy@reddit
Not if you’re splashing around in water, unless you have one of the emergency escape tools.
Car windows are much stronger than people realize. Also supporting the backside with a shit ton of water makes it harder to break.
If you’re physically being hindered by water in the cab of the car, you’ve got yet another disadvantage.
CookFan88@reddit
And don't cheap out on an egress tool. They make cheap ones that just straight up don't work. Get a good, spring-loaded striker and read the instructions. Emergency equipment is only useful if it works, is there when you need it, and if you know how to use it.
LVOver@reddit
It's best to test the tool on your own car when you buy the device. You want to make sure that it will work with your specific windows. Someone else commented here that some windows are laminated and stronger than others, so make sure you try the egress tool in your driveway before you're in an emergency panic situation.
Miffed_Pineapple@reddit
Make sure you try the tool on each window, tints and lamination thickness can be different. Then buy a new car
LVOver@reddit
Good advice. I hadn't thought about the fact that front and rear door windows often have different tint films on them. The windshield and back windows are definitely different, so those should certainly be tested also. You never know which side will be "up" when your car lands or rolls into water.
nobeer4you@reddit
So you're saying you are gonna buy an egress tool, and then bust out your window in your driveway. Good luck with that. Better have Safelite around so you don't have to wait for a new window
uniquelabel@reddit
Don’t be ridiculous. Of course they aren’t suggesting you break the window of your car in your driveway at home. It’s only a proper test if the car is submerged in water.
LVOver@reddit
satire
CookFan88@reddit
Granted that satire is very subjective this kinda falls flat. Stating you should know how to use an emergency tool and not cheap out on it doesn't imply someone should try it on a window. Either way your comment kinda misses.
LVOver@reddit
Thanks for your critique and criticism. I'll be sure to have you proofread my future posts to make sure they hit the mark.
buttbugle@reddit
Also you should practice at least once on your vehicle. Even better if you are prepared with a window already gone and it is just a piece of plastic taped to the window frame.
CookFan88@reddit
Hilarious...
ddd615@reddit
The one we bought after watching this episode is about 1/2 lbs of steel with a sharp point and a handle. Watching Jamie use it, made me think it was enough.
CookFan88@reddit
Those are good but I've seen a lot of cheap look alike that don't have the same strength. I do like the spring loaded version better as trying to swing one hard enough in tight quarters where your airbag may have deployed or have personal items in your way just seemed like a huge failure point for me in an emergency.
Doom_Balloon@reddit
An easy solution to this is a spring loaded center punch. You push it against the window and the spring mechanism causes it to give a sharp thump, intended to make a dent in steel but perfect for shattering a tempered window. Additionally, most of these are adjustable, so you can reduce the spring tension to about 10lbs and any adult and most children over about 7 can use it to break a window. It makes a tiny initial hole, but spiderwebs the entire window so it can be easily pushed away.
CSI_Gunner@reddit
Heads up, these days many/most cars have removable head restraints that allow you to use the pointy metal bottom to smash out a window in an emergency.
Voidstaresback0218@reddit
Headrests are window breakers. Remove the headrest from your drivers or passengers seat, jam the prongs into the bottom of the window’s track, and pull back. The strain will break the glass.
Tindalos_Dawg@reddit
The seatbelt clip should come with a bump or something specifically for breaking the window how is that not a thing?
gitfiddle31@reddit
I haven't tested it but I've heard that the legs on the headrest that go down into the seat can be used for this.
Joe_theone@reddit
I believe they are designed for that.
wyohman@reddit
They are not and many are no longer removable
Joe_theone@reddit
Well, that's a drag.
wyohman@reddit
Given the likelihood of it being needed (and hardly anyone knows about it or are calm enough to think of it), it's probably not a big idea
sir_thatguy@reddit
I’ve ridden with people that basically beat the shit out of the window with the seatbelt clip just taking it off. Don’t start introducing more problems.
cjboffoli@reddit
Cars going into water is still a fairly rare occurrence. Around 1,500 incidents and 500 deaths. And there are probably 250 million cars on the road in the US in any given year.
Joe_theone@reddit
The 4 high school kids on the icy road by the ponds in our little town will always stay with me. And all the rest of us that were around for it.
cjboffoli@reddit
I've heard that drowning is one of the worst, most torturous ways to die. When your body forces you to stop holding your breath and you take that first full breath of water, filling your lungs. Horrible.
Joe_theone@reddit
Especially with a window to look out of and salvation just that close. I don't want to think about it.
Joe_theone@reddit
They say that the headrests work good for that. Pull one all the way out and use the metal stick. They're supposed to just pull right out.
SporesM0ldsandFungus@reddit
Tempered glass is very difficult to break without the proper tools or conditions.
The easiest way is to use a dense, sharp, tool to pierce the glass. This will release the internal tension within the glass and it will shatter itself.
I have seen a full grown man hit a side window of a car with a hammer a half dozen times with a full swing and it didn't break.
randyaldous@reddit
A spring-loaded center punch, used in a lower corner of the glass works well. Do note, that I have heard that some of the newer vehicles’ windows are now laminated similar to a windshield so that may not apply anymore, but your mileage may vary.
SporesM0ldsandFungus@reddit
It will still work, the lamination does not prevent it from breaking, it just prevents it from shattering into a shower of shards. Once broken, the lamination layers may hold it together but you can push it out of the way (or the incoming water will for you).
Front windshields are heavily laminated since they are most likely to be impacted. You don't want to be driving a long and sprayed in the face with glass because a truck in front kicked up a rock at you.
cjboffoli@reddit
Very hard to do even when there isn't water on the other side. Once you're submerged you're going to run out of air and exhaust yourself doing that.
scarlettcat@reddit
You’re still not getting out of the car while the water is coming in. Unless you mean while the window is above the water line…but I reckon a car would sink fast.
crazym108@reddit
Car doors don't lock with a deadbolt like a house. A "locked" car door just disconnects the outside handle from the latch. The inside handle is always connected to the latch.
AlexTheSergal@reddit
In most cars, your driver side door will unlock when you pull the handle. It's a mechanical connection, meaning if you lose power or your electrical goes haywire, you can still open the door. I'm not sure if that's true on newer vehicles such as the Cybertruck, or some newer fords, however.
ScumBunny@reddit
I’ll try it in the morning, thanks!
TheFeelsNinja@reddit
Your electric locks should have a mechanical backup. Like if you pull your door handle it should unlock it. You can try this parked, lock the door then pull the handle to check.
ScumBunny@reddit
Thank you. I will try that in the morning!
deltaz0912@reddit
Unless you’re dropped into the sea, the water won’t short circuit anything. I think the show did an episode about that too.
p0k3t0@reddit
In America, at least, car doors need to have mechanical linkage to locks and latches.
KelseyBDJ@reddit
📼 The Underwater Car | MythBusters Season 5 Episode 4 Full Episode
ScumBunny@reddit
Thank you! I’m an idiot when it comes to remembering to research things I’m interested in. The link helps me get there faster. I appreciate you!
Cyborg_Huey@reddit
Not to be “that person,” but you might want an Oxford comma for your second bullet point.
patrickfatrick@reddit
While I’m always in support of Oxford commas, it’s readable without given context.
Cyborg_Huey@reddit
I don’t know. “Don’t struggle, panic or force your way out” is a helluva lot different than “don’t struggle, panic, or force your way out.”
dmckimm@reddit
The most important first step is to roll down all the windows while you can. Then start undoing your seatbelt.
dadof2as@reddit
FYI similar tactics in a helicopter that crashed in the water, grab reference, wait for motion to stop, exit aircraft. (Dunker training FTW)
moonyriot@reddit
In one of the last seasons/episodes (I don't know which one specifically but it's on HBO Max,) there's an interview with a woman who saved herself and her daughter with this information that the whole crew gets to see.
MarvelousT@reddit
I thought that person credited Fear Factor? Anyone have a link?
sourmilk4sale@reddit
I'm not sure I'd call that 'significant scientific discovery' as much as very useful advice.
CotyledonTomen@reddit
Did they make scientific discoveries at all by that definition?
bjguill@reddit
Yeah, that was a pivotal episode. I never would have imagined to wait for the car to fill with water first. Hopefully I'm never in that situation, but if I ever am, that knowledge might save my life.
Honda_TypeR@reddit
Agreed from a real world educating and life saving PSA, that episode was amazing
_otterinabox@reddit
This is my pick. There are multiple people Adam has spoken of being saved by that episode.
jocax188723@reddit
I remember Adam speaking about Bullets Fired Up being one of their most scientifically rigorous myths, and a paper of publishable quality could easily have been written from its results.
I think the most significant result would probably be their 'household explosive', which never made it to air because what they found was so dangerous and easily accessible they sent everything they had to the relevant authorities and swore never to go anywhere near it again.
Ragnarsworld@reddit
The explosive was already well known.
jocax188723@reddit
Look, I know what it is, you know what it is, but I think we can both agree it may not be the best idea to make it known on national television that there even IS an easily accessible ka-boom maker.
English999@reddit
So……what is it?
In_my_mouf@reddit
I must be dumb idk what it is
NetDork@reddit
IIRC the result of the bullet fired up is that a bullet fired perfectly straight up in the air will come down tumbling and falling slowly enough not to cause serious harm BUT it is almost impossible for a person to fire perfectly straight up. Bullets fired in the air by people will almost always have a ballistic path and come down at about the same speed, minus air resistance, that they went up.
Pablo_Diablo@reddit
And, problematically, people keep quoting this episode as a reason to say "A bullet fired in the air won't hurt/kill you," when the opposite is proven regularly around the world, with injuries and deaths caused by celebratory gunfire.
No_Helicopter_9826@reddit
What are the "relevant authorities" for an informal scientific discovery?
jocax188723@reddit
Well, when it involves explosives and potential bombs, the FBI and ATF probably got a heads up.
vescis@reddit
Crap are the Mythbusters the reason we can't take water through airport security?
Jumpy_MashedPotato@reddit
Nah, that I actually just learned is because the atomic weight of water is so similar to other common explosive compounds that there are very few scanners in airport lines that can distinguish them without getting hands on it, so it's easier to just ban water in the interim since they can't chance false negatives.
That is changing tho! Some airports do actually let you take water through because new methods are being refined to be able to tell the difference!
Joe_theone@reddit
And you can buy it inside the gate?
Jumpy_MashedPotato@reddit
Sure but that's always been a thing. Did prices go up after 9/11? Sure, but that's not airport policy, that's convenience store policy. The stores have absolutely no say in banning water through security, nor does the airport profit so heavily from scalped water bottles that it makes sense to base arbitrary policy decisions off of it.
It's super easy to play "follow the money" for water bans, but the truth is that there isn't that much money in it. As dumb as it sounds, it was actually based on a security concern
Joe_theone@reddit
Valid security concern. But I think, last time I flew, I could buy water from the store in the secure area and take it on because it came from a secure source. And I think that's reasonable. And I could certainly buy one on the plane.
ProtoformX87@reddit
Ooh, that’s cool!
Both the reason and the improvements in the works.
vegasidol@reddit
Where did you hear the story?
SVNBob@reddit
I think Adam has mentioned it in one of his Q&As on his Tested YouTube channel.
jocax188723@reddit
I want to say one of the w00tstock speeches, but I’m fuzzy.
havron@reddit
For me it's their scale test of the Hindenberg burning, which lent heavy support to the theory that it wasn't so much the hydrogen filling the balloon that was the big fire hazard, but rather that the (also flammable) skin of the dirigible was basically painted with freaking thermite. This was of major historical significance.
shrimpstatus@reddit
So funny when the model catches on fire accidentally.
Jamie furiously puffing air and his mustache fluttering and Adam like "these things are ALWAYS catching on fire" 😆
waveball03@reddit (OP)
I like this one!
gmcarve@reddit
Personally I think “check what’s down range before firing cannonballs” was pretty humbling for all involved, and a good reminder to all aspiring scientists watching that safety should never get complacent.
tryM3B1tch@reddit
What episode was that? And what happened in it?
VeryLowIQPerson@reddit
Not sure if they aired it, but here's a link describing the incident. It's pretty wild, they fired a cannon at a range in the SF bay area and it flew threw a house in a suburb. They had an episode where the B team apologized. Given how dense with houses the bay area is they probably should never have been testing stuff like that there to begin with https://mythbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Cannonball_accident
RetroRaiderD42@reddit
In their defense, this was supposed to be a safe space to test that sort of thing, w/the loose soil of the hill designed to catch any projectiles, and remember that they were fully supervized and authorized by the bomb squad.
IIR, the firing range was well out of the way of the suburbs when it was built, but no-one accounted for property developers seeing "land that's w/in spitting distance of a firing range" as "cheap land for suburbs", or for a cannonball seeing a barrier hill as a challenge.
scaper8@reddit
Yeah, it was a long time since I read up on it, but as I recall, it was a certified firing range that was and still is used by civilians, police, and movies/TV. The housing development was far closer than what is considered "safe" but outside of what is legally considered "safe."
okapiFan85@reddit
I think the problem was that they were treating cannonballs like bullets in the sense that they assumed that they would follow a “ballistic trajectory” under the influence of gravity. In short, bullets fired horizontally will fall at least a small amount before hitting the target, so if there is a dirt hill behind and we’ll above the target, the bullet has nowhere to go but into the dirt.
Unfortunately, I think that the cannonballs had insane amounts of spin, and the errant cannonball in question must have had enough spin in the right direction to “skip” off the dirt on the hill behind the target and go completely over the hill into the houses on the other side. IIRC, it went completely through at least one wall of a house and traveled like it was “bouncing” along its path (which is how a dense spinning sphere would be expected to move).
DefaultUsername11442@reddit
Skipping a cannonball through troop formations was a well know cannon artillery technique.
RetroRaiderD42@reddit
Yeah, I watched a Tested where Adam mentioned it relatively recently, plus a related bit from the final season of MB where the cast did a roundtable, and that was basically the issue.
DirtyDirtyRudy@reddit
Oh my gosh I live just down the street from this cannonball incident! I’m gonna check out the house later today to see how those repairs turned out.
I often hear them guns firing at the range, and come to think of it explosions as well. Didn’t know that Mythbusters used the range!
__relyT@reddit
The episode was aired. Season 13 episode 6, "Cannonball Chemistry".
After the intro, the episode immediately begins with the B team explaining that there was a mishap while filming the episode. They apologize to those involved and the fans while committing to be better.
Even the shot was aired. They didn't know it had happened until 20 minutes later when the fire department showed up and asked them if they had been firing cannonballs. They looked around at each other and were like, "Uh, yeah, why do you ask?". They knew they had lost the cannonball but assumed it was caught by the hill overlooking the bomb range.
Here's a short clip of them discussing it. I can't find the actual clip as it seems most MythBusters episodes and clips are heavily copyright stricken.
https://youtu.be/kASD-RwQFQw?si=fiDCOGopEI9xW-SG
AirierWitch1066@reddit
To be fair, they pretty much did everything you could expect them to do. That incident is arguably the textbook definition of a “freak accident” it’s a testament to their dedication to safety that something like this only really happens once in the whole run of the show.
gmcarve@reddit
I respect the perspective, and of course they thought they had done enough as well, but at the end of the day the results kind of prove the point that it wasn’t enough.
They fired a projectile at the wrong trajectory. Even off a few degrees, and they would missed the bunker entirely. You have to account for that, have enough margin of error that it’s not going to be an issue if some math is incorrect. There was no backstop between this and the landing zone should things go wrong. I would equate it to testing a bullet proof vest on a living person. Everything says it should be fine. But do we really need a person in harms way? What if we miss? What if there is an unknown fail point? Probably not worth the risk.
Point the cannon in another direction next time. I can think of a large blue mass nearby that would not be too sad if something accidentally landed in it.
Huge fans of the MB, but it was an example of not thinking all the way through the potential safety concerns.
Joe_theone@reddit
Friend of mine and I took his fancy new bulletproof vest, tied it to a stump, and shot it plumb full of holes with his .38. He was pissed. We were going to hang it on him until our brains kicked in in time. Literally dodged a bullet or 5.
Ginger_Grumpybunny@reddit
Yeah, don't fuck around with "bulletproof" stuff: even if it does its job as expected, you would still be painfully injured if shot in the vest.
Kinsei01@reddit
There was another "Freak Accident" I remember happening. It was when they revisited the JATO rocket car. Even after they did all their testing where everything went fine during the final live test the whole thing exploded. I don't remember the cause but I remember the ending where Jamie mentioned he was going to get on the phone and figure out what went wrong and where.
I should really look up what happened. Or maybe it might make a good story for Adam to answer over on tested
myname_not_rick@reddit
Pretty sure this one really was just a case of "sometimes, rockets explode."
As someone with a little bit of knowledge in this stuff, (not an expert by far, so don't string me up if it misspeak haha,) there was likely a void or multiple voids in the solid propellant mix for the custom made motors they had. Said void would cause an unexpectedly much faster burn (more surface area of the propellant available to be burned) and consequently an overpressurization of the casing. Typically known as a "CATO" (Catastrophic failure.)
This kind of thing can (and does) often happen in hobby high power rocketry. I personally have had 1-2 commercial made motors CATO on me, and have seen many others experience the same. You really don't see it with major large scale motors of the NASA variety these days, because all sorts of propellant density testing is done to ensure safety and reliability of those.
Hopefully this answers some questions! Much as I would've loved to see this particular JATO car fly, I always enjoyed the spectacular unexpected explosion. Was truly impressive.
Kinsei01@reddit
Neat. I'd love to know if this is what Jamie found out. I do recall he was upset in the end because he thought it had to have something to do with the charges not being made right.
Thanks for the insight
Similar-Fix3113@reddit
I feel that it wasn't the only time they went out of bounds of what was safe. There was an episode where they tested a form of waterboarding. It wasn't the brightest idea they had. Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but I wouldn't claim the cannon test was the only non safety episode.
Emerald_Rain4@reddit
It was drops of water on the forehead and they had tons of people are to easy get Kari out of the test when she asked
Galactico812@reddit
Interestingly enough, we'll never find out. They managed to build something explosive from basic, cheap household items for an episode that never aired. Entire crew including producers, cameramen, sound guys etc had to sign a pact to destroy every tape and delete any proof of its existence because it was so explosive and so simple anyone could make it. Years later when DARPA sent a memo urging people to show unique findings Adam sent em a letter of what they found and even DARPA had no idea it was possible! It bothers me to this day not knowing what it is
whiterabbit_hansy@reddit
You can Google it really easily if you’re that keen to know. I’m quite sure there’s even been Reddit threads on it too (possibly on this subreddit).
Galactico812@reddit
Wow how didn't I think of that? There are only guesses and speculations, if you find an official answer share it or don't bother posting comments like these
whiterabbit_hansy@reddit
Geez mate, no need to get all bent out of shape about it days later. I was literally just trying to help a dude out. Some people do not have the forethought to google this or think they’ll somehow get intro trouble for searching literally any info about explosives.
There’s only so many things it can be given that it’s from “cheap household products”. And they said that it was an explosive that bomb techs were aware of. There’s plenty of community knowledge and peer discussions out there from that group of people, even specifically on this episode
Never seen that said about it, would like a source on that given they said bomb techs are aware of it. Pretty sure DARPA knows about it since bomb techs do. Chemists also know about. I learnt about most of the “speculations” in undergrad chem, it’s really not a secret. They’re all in the anarchist cook book. The common assumption has its own page on the DNI.
You’re trying to make out like this is some big, huge, super secret “no one will ever know” BS. It’s not that complicated. Plenty of people have used the above criteria, knowledge of chem/explosives and some critical thinking and figured it out. Almost certainly one of these speculative answers is right and almost all of them generally suggest it’s TATP.
https://www.reddit.com/r/chemistry/s/t50VYXv12s
https://www.reddit.com/r/mythbusters/s/bYwMQORlIq
bladow5990@reddit
It was probably ballistic gell and lard /s
AJ2016man@reddit
It both is bothering and concerning.
itchy-and-scratch@reddit
bull in a china shop was prity good. i dont think anyone expected the result
Flam3Emperor622@reddit
Yup. Shockingly graceful. It was a bovine ballet.
DStaal@reddit
That people enjoy science and experiments when presented correctly, and can see the application to their daily life.
DontPokeTheCrab@reddit
Maybe not most rewarding, but I like that they basically showed NASA pee could theoretically freeze on an airplane and break off in a big chunk.
whatever_yo@reddit
This is such a weird sentence to read. What is "NASA pee," and why are chunks of if freezing on airplanes?
DontPokeTheCrab@reddit
Yeah, it could be worded better.
From IMDB - Grant, Kari and Tory look into the urban legend of the Blue Ice - frozen airplane's toilet's waste falling from the sky.
breeeeeez@reddit
Not the most ground breaking but when they proved that cigarette embers dont ignite flames sticks with me. Also the episode where they try a handful of different fuels for a car engine was very interesting and i would love to revisit that episode.
Malakai0013@reddit
The lit cigarette being unable to light a puddle of gas got an innocent man freed from prison. He was being charged with doing exactly that, and the judge and jury just assumed it'd happen immediately. His attorney got the charges overturned.
MrGabogabo@reddit
People have all kinds of fun misconceptions around gasoline. I once got yelled at by an old dude at a gas station cause I let my truck idle for a minute before getting out to fuel up. Like dude, if you think we're going to explode from me idling, wait till you find out that there's a tank full of gasoline inside your car! /s
RideDiligent4524@reddit
In fairness, every gas station I've ever been to has signs on the pumps saying "do not let engine idle while fueling," but I have to agree that it seems vanishingly unlikely to actually cause an explosion.
MrCuzz@reddit
I went to college in Fairbanks, Alaska. At -60* you not only leave the car running but also get back inside when fueling.
LowFat_Brainstew@reddit
Probably a left over idea from much older cars, more poorly sealed gas tanks, hotter exhaust lines, perhaps? Exposed electrical maybe too?
Dr-Gravey@reddit
Don’t confuse these fx guys with scientists. Science isn’t doing something once and then pretending you ‘proved it’.
8layer8@reddit
The golf-ball surface they carved into the car was extremely successful, just not pretty
shadierlion41@reddit
Adam spoke about that on his YouTube channel Tested—apparently a major car company tried their best to reproduce the experiment and never got it to work the same way the mythbusters did. But the fact that they got a huge automotive brand to devote resources trying to copy them is still really impressive.
BTP_Art@reddit
There is a car with active tech to replicate this. At speeds above 74 mph 60 elements create indentations of 10 mm in the surface of the air intake mounted in the roof of the car. It results in a 10% reduction in drag and 17% less lift.
So it has been adapted.
Now the bad news, I didn’t say the name of the “the car” above. The car is called the Bolide. It’s a track only monster. It’s made by Bugatti. It cost 4.7 million USD.
Electric7889@reddit
The Simpsons call those Speed Holes. They make the car go faster.
freylaverse@reddit
I have little indentations like that too. The hailstorm was free.
theghostofmrmxyzptlk@reddit
This is probably the best answer, their evidence was peer reviewed by real deal engineers interested in that specific effect.
Joe_theone@reddit
And apparently couldn't get the same result, using the same methods and materials. Wouldn't that mean the MB's data was flawed? That they were, in fact, busted?
Alexthelightnerd@reddit
Not the same materials. Myth Busters used a clay coating on the exterior of the car to make the dimpals, since that was the best option for them within their budget and time frame for the shoot.
IIRC, the car company did it full-out with properly moulded body panels on a test vehicle. This led Adam to conclude that their clay methodology was not as accurate as they'd hoped.
theghostofmrmxyzptlk@reddit
That's the point, application of a rigorous and repeated methodology. You might be surprised at how wide the band of repeatability is in recreating another lab's work. Science is ugly, covered in warts, that's why data interpretation matters and even non-reproducible results will yield valuable information going forward.
hi_internet_friend@reddit
Doesn't Porsche use golf ball dimples on the front spoilers of their gtrs cars?
Graylily@reddit
So not full on dimples, but the small seemingly random bumps you have on new cars headlights and taillights save about 5-8 mpg depending on the car and conditions. Which is very similar and was easier to implement in production.
No_Helicopter_9826@reddit
5-8 mpg?!?!? 🤣🤣🤣 You can't be serious.
Graylily@reddit
I forget exactly how much. but it was significant enough to measure and add them to all their cars. There was a story about the scientists who brought in some executive to see the bumps and review the data. I'll see if ai can find the article.
thagor5@reddit
To what purpose
tmiller9833@reddit
Golf ball dimples on a car and increased gas mileage.
dB_Manipulator@reddit
A little AmFo goes a long way
jjj5858@reddit
I really liked the one where they proved that shooting a window in an airplane at altitude would not necessarily cause everything to be sucked out like we see in movies.
m0nkeybl1tz@reddit
Not sure if it was a significant discovery, but the one about water stopping a bullet blew my mind. Like 1 or 2 feet of water completely stopped even the most powerful bullets
atomic-raven-noodle@reddit
That episode ruined me for movies and video games. I get SO irritated when a character can get shot when they’re underwater. That and the shooting padlocks.
Roxygidgetmom@reddit
For me, it was the germ dinner party scenario. Adam had a runny nose and they used black light to track how many people at the party he infected with his germs. Eye opening!!
waveball03@reddit (OP)
Good one!
Fit-Rip-4550@reddit
The episodes they cannot air due to them being info-hazards.
CrazyHopiPlant@reddit
The versatility of duct tape...
Furtivefarting@reddit
I liked and still do like mythbusters, but i take issue when they tried to prove a negative. As in often it was as if they were saying 'if we couldnt do it, then it cant be done'.
Tootired82@reddit
How they proved men are better drivers than women
knightnorth@reddit
You can in fact polish a turd.
RichardGreg@reddit
They got that one so wrong. The idiom wasn't about whether or not it could be done, but that a polished turd is still a turd.
Furtivefarting@reddit
I agree, cant think of many examples, but seemed like a lot of what they called myths, werent myths at all, polished turd, lead balloon etc. Still liked to see them do what they did.
RussBof6@reddit
Yeah, this always bothered me about that episode.
knightnorth@reddit
Idk, the fact that you can polish a turn explains most of western politics and how the turd keep getting re elected
monkeetoes82@reddit
I was thinking this in the exact wording too!
Jormungandragon@reddit
Groundbreaking, truly.
D4d330@reddit
That the Courtesy Flush was a myth. I actually suggested that one back in the day, but they never responded....
Mikemtb09@reddit
You get more wet from running in the rain than walking
Fist_One@reddit
Jamie messing with hydro forming and all these people that never heard of it before suddenly looking at the production process they currently have. Don't remember the episode it was, but a few years later all those youtube videos started popping up with people using a hand pan (sometimes called a space drum) because suddenly manufacturers could make a lot more of them in the same ammount of time. That happened because the manufacturers of the instrument saw the Mythbusters episode and realised that instead of hand forming the top and bottom pieces of each drum, they could cut hours of production off of each drum by having the general shape formed by the process Jamie came up with to shape metal, then just work on the detailed stuff.
https://youtu.be/Yf2ssRUMqAQ?si=XRBfjvU3102hfVNm
Tenchi2020@reddit
I can tell you something that they got wrong. When I was a kid I put a potato wrapped in aluminum foil in the microwave, it was one of the types that when you close the door you push the handle down and it would lock, old style. It blew the door open on the microwave.
They replicated this and said it was a myth busted but I know personal experience that it can happen.
RichardGreg@reddit
It's possible to reproduce the moon landing on earth.
Before anyone downvotes, NO I am not saying the moon landing is fake. I'm just saying the MythBusters did an awfully good job trying to replicate the conditions.
freylaverse@reddit
Yeah, they actually proved it was real by reproducing it on earth. To clarify for anyone who still wants to downvote you: They pointed to the moon landing debunking attempts that people like to parrot, like some of the shadows appearing to be at different angles, and demonstrated that they would/could theoretically look like that on the real moon.
00goop@reddit
They were the first to every record proof of someone shattering glass with their voice. They have also saved a lot of lives because of the sinking car episode. I think I remember saying that MythBusters episode allowed him to get out of his truck after driving into a pond, and that episode is also the reason I have a window hammer in my car.
CanadianDarkKnight@reddit
Been a long time since I've seen that episode, what are you supposed to do if that happens again?
naturalorange@reddit
SurgeFlamingo@reddit
Can’t you just swim out of the window?
naturalorange@reddit
if you can get it down. if it is an electric window it may stop working once the car hits water (or may already not be working if the car was in an accident). When partially submerged even if the electrics are still working the pressure may jam the window and the motor won't be powerful enough to open it.
ScumBunny@reddit
So would you even be able to open a door in that case? I think about this way too often…
unomasme@reddit
I think there was an episode of some TV show you could watch
ArminiusBetrayed@reddit
See Step 4
lorgskyegon@reddit
Have you seen the size of most Americans?
CreamyGoodnss@reddit
My fat ass is not gonna fit through the window easily
ProtoformX87@reddit
Now I’m curious… in a car like a Tesla, which part sinks first? Seeing as there is no engine block…
bridaus@reddit
Almost 50/50 weight distribution, all on the bottom in the battery, so likely bottom down with the back maybe a tad lower. Educated estimation.
ProtoformX87@reddit
That’s what I was guessing. And it probably differs from model to model.
TheBordIdentity@reddit
You either have to open the door before your car gets submerged enough or wait for the interior cabin of your car to fill with water to open your door. Basically if you can’t open your door because you’re submerged remain calm and wait until the cabin fills with water completely. Save your energy and when it fills you can open the door and escape
CanadianDarkKnight@reddit
Thank you!
AnynameIwant1@reddit
Many cars have laminated side windows which would prevent the windows from shattering with the window hammer. I would definitely suggest looking into whether or not your car has them.
In response to your next comment, many cars have an engine up front, but there are many that don't. Some cars that don't have engines in the front: VW Beatles, Smart cars, Corvettes, most Porsches, etc. Almost every EV has a nearly perfect 50/50 balance front to rear. Additionally, plug in hybrids usually put their heavy batteries in the trunk, offsetting the weight of the engine in the front.
msimms001@reddit
Probably the unaired episode where they discovered common household items make a strong explosive, and they alerted the proper authorities.
seanskins@reddit
That grand-daddy long-legs aren’t the most poisonous spiders in the world.
bsischo@reddit
How to survive if your car goes into the water.
anotherbarry@reddit
I'm just listening to Adam savage now
The household items that are easily explosive so much so that they deleted the episode.
So significant that they were morally obliged to hide it
joshygill@reddit
That roundabouts are the superior method to keep traffic flowing
funmaker13@reddit
The flammable and somewhat explosive capabilities of coffee creamer.
DARYL_VAN_H0RNE@reddit
driving with the windows down vs using the AC
Throwing_Spoon@reddit
I think they aired an episode showing how the danger of texting and driving was comparable to drunk driving 5+ years before it was made illegal throughout most of Canada and the US.
DangerSwan33@reddit
The myth was actually that talking on the phone - even hands free - was a dangerous as drunk driving, which was confirmed.
havron@reddit
Did they address whether talking on the phone hands-free was any different than speaking to the person in the passenger seat?
AirierWitch1066@reddit
I’d really love to see the data on this tbh.
I always hear that you can’t talk hands-free on the phone while driving, but that implies that you can’t talk to anyone while driving, phone or not right? Is there anyone in the world who will drive with passengers and never talk to them at all? Should it be illegal to talk to the driver of a car if you’re a passenger?
It just seems wild to me that we treat hands-free phone calls any different than having a passenger in the car.
Joe_theone@reddit
You'll get busted by a cop with a couple phones, a goddamn laptop and a radio or two and a bunch of papers to pay attention to and use while he's chasing you down for having your phone visible.
Bandit_the_Kitty@reddit
This has been addressed. Basically because a passenger is in the car with you they know when to shut up, vs someone on the phone will just keep talking when you need to concentrate most.
IEatOats_@reddit
Talking to someone in the passenger seat is much much safer. Passenger also has some attention on the car's surroundings. They'll pace their speech based on what's going on. Entering a new roundabout? They'll tend to pause more and use less emotionally charged language or depend on your recall with a difficult question, etc.
justthistwicenomore@reddit
Didn't the windows down one end up oddly inconclusive?
awfl_wafl@reddit
Windows down vs AC in a car had too many variables, like speed and the aerodynamics of a car. Lower speed windows are better, higher speed AC. Also rolling down the windows ruining the aerodynamics of a car doesn't matter if it already has terrible aerodynamics. They also had a lot of trouble getting consistent results.
_benjaninja_@reddit
I may be completely wrong on this, but I feel like most of the discoveries they made were either already known or partially known, they just popularized their discoveries, which helped dispel common misconceptions and myths in everyday life.
It might not be one discovery in particular but I think their most significant contribution was creating a show that inspired so many to become interested in science and engineering while also being entertaining
Big_Degree7582@reddit
I think it’s when they prove that elephants really were afraid of mice
lorgskyegon@reddit
Wasn't it that elephants have poor eyesight and don't like things scurrying near them?
sourmilk4sale@reddit
how is that a significant scientific discovery?
rrabbithatt@reddit
They now use mice as sheep dogs to herd elephants
MarvelousT@reddit
You can't blow up a cellphone by using it while you pump gas. It's only a risk that you'll miss the ads playing on the pump's little tv.
abqcheeks@reddit
The bull daintily negotiating the china shop without breaking anything was mind blowing for me.
pookexvi@reddit
That peeing on a 3rd rail won't kill you. (But the train might)
chuckles65@reddit
So many great ones already mentioned. One I think about all the time is the episode where they proved using a cell phone while pumping gas cannot ignite the fumes. Every time I see those signs posted at gas stations about not using your cell phone I remember that one.
Of course we now know the real source of some gas station fires was static electricity.
oswaler@reddit
By far the most important one was when they proved that Bugs Bunny bending the rifle around so Elmer Fudd would shoot himself in the face actually worked
ProtoformX87@reddit
I still want to know where they found a rabbit that strong… 🫣
Needmoresnakes@reddit
This is probably boring but I think for me it's just the overall realisation that we know so little about the world around us. Some things I thought would be so obviously true ended up busted, some things that seemed laughably ridiculous ended up confirmed.
murphsmodels@reddit
I think the "Bull in a china shop" myth was the funniest. You expect to see a bull rampaging through, sending shelves and plates flying everywhere...
...not daintily stepping through avoiding everything.
DanEpiCa@reddit
Are elephants scared of mice comes to mind here. Such a ridiculous myth to be confirmed, I loved it.
Needmoresnakes@reddit
That was in my head as I was typing. Anyone could have said "What? No were not doing that. What's next, you want to see if trying to run after you've fallen off a cliff will keep you in place for a few seconds? Get this wile-e-coyote shit out of my office, idiot" and that would sound reasonable and then we'd never know that elephants are in fact scared of mice.
I think it's such a cool thing to hold on to that pure science mindset. Nothing is too preposterous, we don't know until we try.
DanielBWeston@reddit
The best part is that they just did it as they were in that area and had a bit of spare time.
Only-Ad5049@reddit
Jamie’s poop rocket could have real (off) world implications, although even he had to admit that the experts at NASA may have already tried it.
Water heater rocket may be responsible for our water heaters having even more safety equipment than before.
The biggest problem is their most significant scientific discoveries generally aren’t the flashy ones. They are things we will forget they did because so many were so cool and fun. Plus they likely happened in the early days when they were still busting myths.
weirdoldhobo1978@reddit
The show has been cited in a few of published papers. IIRC the methane sewer explosion and diet soda geyser are two instances.
mt-egypt@reddit
Loading a plane