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).
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The myths the show has tested for accuracy in Season 1 include:
Episode 4 — "Penny Drop, Deadly Microwaves, Radio Tooth Fillings"
[edit]Adam and Jamie explore a popular claim, likely to have originated from the Empire State Building.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A penny dropped from a skyscraper lands with enough force to either kill a pedestrian on the sidewalk below or embed itself into the sidewalk.
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Busted
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A penny's terminal velocity is too low for it to penetrate human skin - let alone penetrate concrete or asphalt - even when fired from a rifle.
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Radio Tooth Fillings
[edit]Adam and Jamie test whether radio signals can be picked up from tooth fillings, as claimed by Lucille Ball in an interview on The Dick Cavett Show.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| It is possible to pick up radio signals through a tooth filling.
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Busted
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The tooth filling did not act as an antenna.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| It is possible to cook one's insides by using a tanning booth too often.
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Busted
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Tanning booths work on UV radiation, which penetrates the body from the outside in, meaning that all one would get is a sunburn.
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| It is possible to blow up a microwave oven by microwaving metal.
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Busted (with caveats)
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Neither a spoon nor a fork had any effect. Tinfoil scrunched into balls caused a light-show with electric charges, but the microwave did not explode. Microwaving metal can possibly ruin a microwave by arcing against the inner wall, sending electricity back to the magnetron, and either destroying it or shortening its lifespan.
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| If a glass of water is microwaved, and then removed, it will explode due to superheating.
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Confirmed
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If the water had no impurities in it at the time of superheating — if one used distilled water — then any sort of additive placed within will make the water explode. A full explanation of the process can be found here.
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| It is possible to build a super-microwave by aligning four magnetrons around a metal box.
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Busted (unofficially)
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If there is a proper method to build one, the method used in the show is not it. After a glass of water was exposed to the "super microwave"'s magnetrons for thirty seconds, a thermometer found that the temperature of the water had actually dropped by two degrees Fahrenheit.
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| If you put a poodle in the microwave, it will dry its fur.
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Not tested
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Adam and Jamie thought this myth was too cruel to test on a live animal, and did not carry it out.
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Episode 5 — "Hammer Bridge Drop, Buried Alive, Cola"
[edit]
| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
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| A high fall over water can be survived by throwing a hammer ahead of oneself and breaking the surface tension.
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Busted
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Dropping a hammer in front of you cannot break the surface tension of the water enough to save your life if you fall from high up.
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Cola is able to...
| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
|
| ...remove bloodstains.
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Confirmed
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The cola was able to emulsify bloodstains.
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| ...clean rust.
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Busted
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The cola was unable to break down rust deposits.
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| ...act as a toilet cleaner.
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Not in this episode
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This chapter of the myth was not shown in this episode. See Special 4 — "MythBusters Outtakes".
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| ...clean chrome.
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Confirmed
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It surprisingly cleaned the chrome better than the commercial chrome polish used for comparison.
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| ...dissolve a tooth overnight.
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Busted
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The tooth did start to dissolve, indicating that with enough time it could be completely dissolved. However, the acidic solution used for comparison was much more effective in dissolving the tooth.
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| ...dissolve a steak.
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Busted
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The cola just gave the steak a soft, pasty consistency.
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| ...clean a penny.
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Partly Confirmed
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Results were good. The only part of the coin that was not cleaned was an area where a bubble had formed.
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| ...clean battery terminals.
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Plausible
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It works, but it was hard to tell if plain water did not perform just as well. The cola did not do anything spectacular.
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| ...remove greasy stains in your laundry.
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Busted
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No effect at all.
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| ...degrease engines.
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Busted
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The cola did not remove any of the grease.
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| ...kill sperm.
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Busted
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The MythBusters added cola to some slides and saline solution to others. They counted the number of live sperm they could see through a microscope camera in one minute, and found that the number of live sperm in both saline and cola was relatively the same. With the help of Dr. Turek they determined that cola doesn't do much more than dilute the sperm.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| It is possible to stay alive when you are buried alive.
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Busted
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Jamie risked his own life for this myth. While without the dirt Jamie stayed in the coffin for 50 minutes, he maintained just thirty minutes when the dirt was factored in. Suffocation from the lack of outside air would have claimed the life of anyone buried alive. There is also the possibility of the coffin being crushed by the weight of the dirt pressing down on it. The risk of sudden collapse was the main reason the test was aborted after only 30 minutes. After the coffin was uncovered, it was found to have buckled significantly.
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Episode 6 — "Lightning Strikes Tongue Piercing, Tree Cannon, Beat the Breath Test"
[edit]Lightning Strikes Tongue Piercing
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Metal body piercings increase one's chances of being hit by lightning.
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Busted
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The lightning does seem to strike a pierced body more, but not the piercings directly. It would take a piercing the size of a doorknob to attract lightning.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Under siege from a neighboring clan, a Medieval Hungarian town (Paks) built a cannon out of a tree overnight, but wiped out a great deal of itself when the cannon exploded during a test-fire.
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Partly Confirmed
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It is impossible to bore a barrel out of a log in a single night using the technology available at that time. The cannon made of a log, loaded with 6 ounces of gunpowder, successfully fired a 1-pound granite cannonball a significant distance (exact measurement unavailable since the cannonball was not found). Loaded with 5 pounds of gunpowder, and with its barrel plugged, the tree cannon exploded violently enough to feasibly destroy part of a small medieval town like Paks. During the test, several blast shields and a tractor were placed between the cannon and the MythBusters crew for protection - large pieces of the gun were sent way behind them.
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Beat the Breath Test
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Using various substances & tricks when drunk can beat the breathalyzer test (for instance, eating an onion, eating breath mints, drinking mouthwash, placing a penny in the mouth, etc.).
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Busted
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None of the tested methods worked and a blood sample can always be requested by the police. In addition, mouthwash actually made the breathalyzer give a higher reading than usual.
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Episode 7 — "Stinky Car, Raccoon Rocket"
[edit]A Corvette which has been fouled by a decomposing body...
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| ...can destroy the inside of the car.
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Confirmed
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Pig corpses were placed in the car. The car was sealed with tape and placed in a container. Two months later the car was full of condensation, 'raining' in the car, and the seats, doorpanels, and carpets were dirty and disintegrating.
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| ...cannot be cleaned up enough to remove the smell completely.
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Plausible
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With the aid of a professional cleaning company, the car was cleaned, but it is impractical to disassemble the car, clean every small piece, and then re-assemble it. Some parts, like the seats, proved to be uncleanable.
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| ...cannot be cleaned up enough to be sold.
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Busted
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The MythBusters did find a buyer who was willing to purchase the car for spare parts.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A hillbilly was blasted 200 feet (60 meters) out of a culvert when he tried to light gasoline in an attempt to chase down a raccoon which had wandered down the pipe.
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Busted
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The hillbilly (Buster, a dummy) was simply lit on fire when the gasoline was ignited. The only way the alleged result of the myth was duplicated was by encasing Buster in a foam sabot and propelling him out of the culvert using gunpowder.
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Episode 8 — "Escape From Alcatraz, Duck Quack, Stud Finder"
[edit]Escape From Alcatraz
[edit]Jamie said that this was one myth they just had to test, since it is probably the most famous myth of San Francisco, where the show is based.
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| Prisoners successfully escaped Alcatraz prison using an inflatable raft made from rain ponchos.
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Plausible
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The makeshift raft crafted by the MythBusters team did indeed reach the shore. Listed as "Plausible" because no evidence has ever been found suggesting the prisoners survived the actual incident, and personal effects washed up later on shore, indicating that the men probably failed to navigate correctly and drowned in San Francisco Bay. However, a portion of the scale tests (cut for time but later shown in "MythBusters Outtakes") did show that these belongings could have been released by the successfully escaped prisoners and washed up where they were found through strategic use of the Bay's tides to throw the authorities off their trail.
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Does a Duck's Quack Echo?
[edit]This myth originated in lists of "Random Facts" distributed over the internet.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A duck's quack does not echo.
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Busted
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When examined by an audio-expert, it was found that the echo was "swallowed" by the original quack, due to the very similar acoustic structure between the quack and the echo. Because of this, it may be difficult to tell where the quack ends and the echo begins. (This was also tested in the British show: Brainiac: Science Abuse)
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Stud Finders & Mind Control Chips
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| When you go to get blood drawn at the Red Cross, you are actually secretly having mind controlling microchips implanted into your bloodstream that can be detected with a stud finder.
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Busted
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While a stud finder can find microchips (like those used to track pets) embedded in flesh, none were found after a trip to the Red Cross.
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Episode 9 — "Chicken Gun, Octopus Egg Pregnancy, Killer Washing Machine"
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| A frozen chicken launched in a bird strike simulation can penetrate aircraft or train windshields better than a thawed chicken.
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Busted¹
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Originally, impact time or force transferred was the same for both frozen and thawed chickens, but this test was not conducted using airline-qualified glass, which has a thicker consistency than normal pane glass. This myth was later revisited in season 2.
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¹ Original result later overturned. See Myths Revisited.
Killer Washing Machine
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| While overstuffing his washing machine with laundry, a man accidentally wedged himself into the machine and tripped the spin cycle, flailing him around, spilling laundry detergent and bleach as he was bludgeoned to death against the shelves. Afterwards, the man's dog urinated on the detergent and bleach, causing an explosion that set the room on fire.
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Busted
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Not one part of this myth was found to be even plausible. A normal washing machine drum can be halted in its spin cycle simply by grabbing on to it. In addition, most machines have a safety feature that prevents the machine from running if the door is open. Finally, dog urine does not react with bleach or detergent in a way that would cause an explosion.
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Octopus Egg Pregnancy
[edit]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A woman, while swimming, accidentally swallows a fertilized octopus egg, which gestates in her stomach and caused symptoms similar to that of pregnancy.
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Busted
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The human stomach is too inhospitable an environment to sustain an octopus egg through its full gestation.
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Episode 10 — "Explosive Decompression, Frog Giggin', Rear Axle"
[edit]Explosive Decompression
[edit]This myth was revisited in MythBusters Revisited.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Explosive decompression can occur when a bullet is fired through the fuselage of a pressurized airplane, causing the hole to grow dramatically and possibly cause the plane to break up as seen in movies.
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Busted
|
The pressure is not high enough and the hole is too small. Explosive decompression only occurred when a hole the size of a window was made with explosives. Even then, the rush of air could not suck Buster completely out of the hole. Lastly, there are proven instances of explosive decompression where the plane was still able to maintain control and land.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A group of hillbillies use a live .22LR cartridge as a makeshift replacement for a burned-out fuse in their truck, but while the truck is driving, the bullet heats up enough to discharge, hitting driver in the groin and causing enough damage to require surgery.
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Busted/ Plausible
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The bullet did work as a replacement fuse, however when a short circuit was created, the wiring fried and the bullet did not fire. When the wiring was upgraded to a higher gauge, the bullet did fire out of the fusebox, but not with enough velocity to cause any serious injury. Though both Adam and Jamie admitted that the myth was plausible from their tests, they had to call it busted due to a lack of conclusive evidence, and the fact that they didn't have a "plausible" verdict during the first season.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A steel cable, attached to both a street light post and the rear axle of a police car, will be able to yank the rear axle clear out from under the car when it tries to drive off, as seen in American Graffiti.
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Busted
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The rear axle was able to be pulled loose, but only after several bolts securing it were removed. Additionally the axle was caught along the underside of the police car and could not clear the trunk. Adam and Jamie theorized that, in the movie, a ramp was used to give the car and axle enough of a boost to wrench the axle completely free.
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Episode 11 — "Sinking Titanic, Goldfish Memory, Trombone Explosion"
[edit]This myth is widely passed around, even making it into Time Magazine's "numbers" section at one point.
| Myth statement
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Status
|
Notes
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| A goldfish's memory lasts only three seconds.
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Busted
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Jamie trained his goldfish to recognize color patterns and complete an obstacle course under water. They remembered what Jamie had taught them over a month later and easily completed the same course without Jamie's prompting.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A trombonist had put a firecracker into his mute, and at the final note of the 1812 Overture, launched the mute, striking the conductor and knocking him back into the audience. In addition, the bell of the trombone was blown wide open and the slide was launched.
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Busted
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Using a firecracker, the mute hit the conductor (Buster), but did not knock him over. When the equivalent of six model rocket engines was used, he fell forward after being hit. When even more was used, the trombone was practically destroyed, but the bell still did not peel back, nor did the slide launch. Since not even the first part of the myth could be duplicated, the rest could not have followed.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A sinking ship creates enough suction to pull you under, if you're too close, as was rumored to occur when the RMS Titanic sank.
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Busted
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Though using a small ship, neither Adam nor Jamie were sucked under when it sank, even when they were riding directly on top of it.
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Episode 12 — "Break Step Bridge, Toothbrush Surprise, Rowing Water Skier"
[edit]The myth was retested for Myths Revisited, but was ultimately cut out of the episode. [1]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Soldiers marching in unison can cause harmonic oscillation in a bridge and cause it to collapse.
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Busted/ Plausible
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There were some difficulties in testing this myth conclusively. When revisited it was shown to be plausible.
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| Myth statement
|
Status
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Notes
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| A rowing eight can pull a water skier at sufficient speed for him/her to stay upright.
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Confirmed
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After several tries Jamie was able to stay upright for over 40 seconds, with only a few hours experience in waterskiing.
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Toothbrush Surprise
[edit]
| Myth statement
|
Status
|
Notes
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| Fecal coliforms bacteria can grow in toothbrush bristles.
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Partly Confirmed
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Fecal coliforms were indeed found on all the test brushes, including the control ones. However, none were of a level high enough to be dangerous, and experts confirm that such coliforms were impossible to completely avoid.
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Episode 13 — "Buried in Concrete, Daddy Long-legs, Jet Taxi"
[edit]The myth revolved around Jimmy Hoffa, a union leader who unexpectedly disappeared, and the rumors that surrounded his disappearance. Among one of the myths was that he was buried under the infamous ten-yard bump in Giants Stadium, a rumor that persisted in various forms of media.
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Jimmy Hoffa was buried in Giants Stadium.
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Busted
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Adam and Jamie tested several areas on the field held by rumor to be Hoffa's final resting place. No readings were found consistent with a cavity left by a body which had rotted away.
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| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| A Daddy long-legs spider has the most potent venom of all spiders, but is unable to pierce human skin.
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Busted
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A Daddy long-legs was able to bite through the skin of Adam's arm. He reported nothing more than a very mild, short-lived burning sensation. Analysis of the venom proves it does not approach the potency of the Black widow spider.
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This was the first myth in which the MythBusters were neither able to confirm nor bust the results due to logistics reasons. According to the episode, upon arrival at Mojave Spaceport, the insurance company responsible for the aircraft backed out at the last minute, citing possible foreign object damage to the plane. However, BBC's Top Gear was able to independently verify this myth. [2]
| Myth statement
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Status
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Notes
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| Jet wash from an airliner can overturn a taxi if the vehicle passes behind the jet as it goes to full throttle.
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Partly Plausible
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Adam and Jamie tried overturning a used taxi they had purchased, but were unable to get the car to turn over; they couldn't bust the myth because they were unable to acquire proper jet engines for insurance reasons, and had to settle for smaller ones. However, they were able to confirm that a taxi in Brazil was blown off the road by an airliner which was taking off. But that a car will pass behind a jet is very improbable.
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