Favourite Mythbusters? (1 Viewer)

[DaleC]

What is everyone's favourite episode of Mythbusters?

For me, the absolute coolest thing they've ever done was the escape from Alcatraz. I sat and watched it with my wife, who normally NEVER watches shows like this, and we were absolutely fascinated and surprised by the outcome of the myth.

The other coolest--and craziest--thing they've done was to test the crash position in aircraft. When they hung themselves from the crane and dropped the platform, I was laughing like crazy at their reactions.

 

[Jeff Pounds]

The one that AMAZED me the most was the one where they tested the myth that going under water would protect you from gunshots... amazingly IT DID!

Even a 50-calibur shell was no match for about 6 inches of water --- the shell was dashed to pieces. Amazing.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

The gunshot in water was probably the most surprising myth for me. Ruins the opening of Saving Private Ryan now.

The chicken gun was pretty cool too.

 

[Lucia Duran]

Just saw the death from flatulas one....not the best, but oh so funny.

 

[MarkHastings]

I really liked the "Breaking Glass" where that singer was able to break the wine glass with his voice.

 

[Citizen87645]

Perhaps it goes without saying: Airplane Toilet

Actually the crash position one was entertaining for Kari's onscreen apology to her parents for participating in it.

 

[MarkHastings]

I figured airplane toilet would be too easy.

 

[DaleC]

You know, it's the same thing for me...

The crystal shattering with a voice was cool too. And it was pretty amusing to see the army of automatic soldiers trying to march in time and destroy a bridge. It looked like something form a cartoon.

 

[dany]

Brown note of course.

 

[Graham Perks]

It's great this show is on iTunes now. I've never watched it before, but downloaded "Penny Drop" which had some neat segments. The title segment was about dropping a penny from the Empire State Building and what would actually happen when it hit bottom.

Was wondering what to go for next - sadly none of the ones you guys mentioned are on iTunes yet. They have:

Exploding Toilet
Cell Phone Destroys Gas Station
Barrel of Bricks
Penny Drop
Buried Alive
Lightning Strikes/Tongue Piercing

Which to try next?

 

[Citizen87645]

Barrel of Bricks and Lightning Strikes

 

[Chuck Anstey]

For LOL funny, Trombone Player and Barrel of Bricks.
For just overall enjoyable, Civil War Rocket.

 

[Marty M]

I missed that episode, so what is the myth and outcome regarding Alcatraz.
I liked the episode where they were able to lift a sunken boat with something like 20,000 ping-pong balls.

 

[Paul McElligott]

The myth was basically the story of the film "Escape from Alcatraz" and they tested whether or not it was possible for the men to make it.

First thing they did was decide that the escapees were not trying to reach Angel Island, like they told some inmates. That would mean going against the current in San Francisco Bay. Instead, they tried to make it to the Marin headlands of the Golden Gate bridge in a raft just like the escapees designed, made from the same rubber rain coats and other materials that the inmates had access to.

Adam and Jaime and Red Shirt Mythbuster #1 were able to make it without the raft sinking.

I loved Confederate Rocket and Explosive Decompression.

 

[Marty M]

Thanks for the summary. As I read your summary I realized I had seen parts of that episode.

 

[Michael Harris]

Actually, no. If you recall, the bullet that did not break up in the water was shot from a WW II era M-1. It was the bullets shot from modern high velocity rifles that broke up.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

I thought they all either broke up on inpact or went only a couple feet max, meaning it was nothing like the bullets flying through the water like mini torpedos striking and killing guys deep in the water.

It's been awhile since I've seen it but I was pretty sure that they said no matter what the bullet or gun you would only have to get a few feet under to render the bullet useless. This was also later proven to be true in the follow up of shooting the gun underwater to begin with.

 

[Paul McElligott]

Of course, the bullets in Mythbusters were fired from a few feet away, not a hundred yards or more. The bullets at Omaha beach may haved slowed down just enough not to disintegrate on contact with the water.

 

[Michael Harris]

Ok, since I have a bit of a faulty memory, here is what the magic of Google told me:

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

That is one scenario they should have tried. But I think it doesn't really matter since even if the bullet stays intact or not, no matter what the speed it won't zip through water more than a couple feet and surely nothing fatal as Michael Harris's google pulled up of their findings.

This is why it was one of the most interesting findings for me, people still don't believe it.