Annotated Mythbusters

• Using a life raft to survive a fall from an airplane: mythbusted
• Using an escape slide to survive a fall from an airplane: mythbusted (although you could survive using the escape slide as a parachute, you would never get it out of the plane)
• Surviving a fall in an airplane in the tailsection: plausible (it really happened, but they could not replicate)
• Haircream can lead to explosive decapitation: mythbusted (it can cause aggressive fire in an oxygen-rich environment, but it won't 'decapitate)

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August 10, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Can a cardboard box in a car become a lethal weapon? mythbusted
• Splitting an arrow with another: mythbusted

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August 3, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (4)

• Illegal immigrants entering the US by means of a giant slingshot that launches them 200 yards and is accurate enough to hit a mattress on the other side: mythbusted

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July 27, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (4)

• Punching a shark in the nose or jabbing it in the gills will drive it away: plausible (seemed to respond to the gills)
• Shark strength feats
  • Ram and pierce boat: confirmed (a 3000 lb great white travelling at 25mph could pierce a boat)
  • Ram and break a shark cage: confirmed
  • Pull down floating barrels: mythbusted
  • Tow a boat: mythbusted
• A bullet can cause a scuba tank explosion: mythbusted
• Piano wire can be used as shark fishing wire: mythbusted

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July 17, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (9)

• Water stops bullets: confirmed
• You can do a full 360 on a swingset: mythbusted

The surprising thing about the bulletproof water was how poorly the high-powered rifles did. The full metal jacket bullets for the high-powered rifles came apart upon hitting the water. Even the dreaded .50 caliber rifle was only able to penetrate about 3 ft of water.

I didn't think the 360 swing set myth was that interesting, but if you were patient through the whole episode you got to see them strap rockets on to a dummy in a swing set -- rockets are always good fun on the show. According to host Adam Savage, "Well hopefully that's our job, to strap rockets onto everything"

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July 13, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (14)

• Sparks off bullets (showed how Hollywood does it, given that bullets don't spark)
• Breaking down a door with your shoulder: plausible
• Wizard of Oz tinman
• Tuning radio with your teeth: busted
• Getting thrown through a plate glass window without injury: busted
• Ingiting a pool of gas with a cigarette: plausible

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July 7, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (2)

• The brace position on airlines increases chance of death: mythbusted
• Talking on a cellphone while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving: confirmed

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June 22, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (6)

• You build a jet pack from plans on the Internet: mythbusted
• Egyptian pyramids incorporate a sacred geometry that helps perserve the mummies: mythbusted

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June 9, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (10)

Some of the shops that got mention:

• Center Hardware in SF
• East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley
• Alameda Discount
• San Antonio Hobby Shop (out of business)

Related Links: * Shop 'Til You Drop video on Discovery.com

Read on for information on how to make ballistics gel from the episode.

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April 4, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

• You can get electrocuted from a phone or in the shower from a lighting strike to your house: confirmed
• A woman got impregnated from a bullet shot through the family jewels: busted
• A boat can be driven while it is still attached to a trailer: confirmed

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March 30, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (3)

• Fastest way of cooling a six-pack (originally test of cooling with gasoline)
  • Gasoline can cool a six-pack: mythbusted
  • Fire extinguisher can cool a six-pack: confirmed
• An archeological find from between 250BC-250AD is an ancient battery.
  • ... and was used for electro-plating: plausible
  • ... and was used for accupuncture: plausible
  • ... and was used for 'experiencing God': plausible
• Testing Buster's new body

Update: The MythBusters did a live demonstration of cooling a six-pack at their Encinal High benefit event.

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March 23, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (6)

• Toy cars can go faster than a real car under the influence of gravity only:confirmed ( toy car faster at 100 ft, real car faster at 400 ft)
• Yawning is contagious: confirmed
• Buttered toast always lands buttered side down: mythbusted

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March 9, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (5)

• Pole-vaulting car: a car can pole-vault off its driveshaft: mythbusted
• Exploding Port-a-Potty: a cigarette can ignite natural methane in a port-a-potty mythbusted

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March 2, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (2)

• Cleaning cement from a cement truck with dynamite: plausible
• You can escape from prison using salsa: plausible (requires electricity)

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February 23, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (6)

• A ~1500AD astrologer was able to launch himself into space: mythbusted
• Free energy/Perpetual motion machines: mythbusted
• A ceiling fan can decapitate you: busted

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December 5, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (4)

• Blowing up a house with bug bombs: confirmed
• National Treasure segment
• Talking to plants affects their growth: plausible
• Needle in a Haystack contest: Adam beat Jamie

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November 16, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (7)

• Using a boom lift as a catapult: mythbusted
• Rolling down your windows more efficient than using the A/C in a car: mythbusted (REVISTED)

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November 10, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (25)

• Using ping pong balls to raise a ship: plausible
• 4-year-old being carried away by balloons: busted (on the account of the number of ballons)

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November 3, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (2)

• A jawbreak can explode after heated in a microwave: confirmed
• Static discharge off of a PVC pipe can kill: mythbusted
• An ordinary playing card can kill you with a powerful throw: mythbusted

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October 27, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (12)

• Archimedes constructed a solar death ray that he used to ignite Roman ships: busted. Update: the MythBusters have revisited the Archimedes Death Ray in season three (still busted)
• Removing skunk odor with...:
  • Tomato juice: plausible
  • Beer (MGD): busted
  • Douche: busted
  • Hydrogen peroxide + baking soda + liquid dish soap: confirmed
  • Commercial skunk remover: confirmed (not as good as custom mix above)
• Stopping bullets with a...:
  • book: busted
  • deck of cards: busted
  • Zippo: busted
  • 1/4" polycarbonate: busted
  • bullet-resistant polycarbonate: confirmed

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September 29, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (14)

• Scuba diver in a forest: mythbusted
• Car capers
  • Veggies/fruit in tailtipe can break the engine: busted
  • 'Unauthorized' additives
    • Drain clog remover: engine kept running. busted
    • Bleach: car eventually cut out. The bleach also rusted up the gas tank. plausible
    • Sugar: engine kept running. let the engine sit overnight and it still ran the next day. busted
  • Bullets blowing up car: busted
  • Hiding behind a car door will protect you from bullets: busted
  • Cola in the radiator as coolant: plausible
  • Cracking an egg into a radiator to plug holes: plausible
  • Penny in carburetor destorying engine: busted
  • Bleach in the engine oil: ?

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July 27, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (5)

• Goldfinger Myth: still busted
• Ice Bullets: still busted
• Cellphones exploding gas stations: still busted

Overturned:

• Chicken Gun: frozen chickens do cause more damage than thawed chickens

Variations on the original: * Electrified Third Rail: tested with an electric fence instead and found that an electric fence can shock you if you pee on it. confirmed * Inflatable braziers: busted * Aerosol cans in a hot car: busted

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June 8, 2004 | Permalink | Comments (1)