Narrator: on this episode
of "mythbusters,"
It's the first-ever
viewer special,
Where all our myths
were found by fans.
You asked, could cigarette butts
be a lethal weapon?
It bleeds!
You demanded to know if putting
a car into reverse
Could stop your car.
Dang, did you see the smoke
off those tires?
You also wanted to know if
sneezing with your eyes open
Could pop out your eyeballs...
[ Sneezes ]
Narrator: ...and if a tennis
ball could serve as a lock pick.
Adam:
don't try this at home.
Narrator:
then, you even donated a car
For some high-expl*sives
hijinks.
So, buckle up and get fired up,
Because this show is for you.
[ Adam laughs ]
Narrator:
who are the mythbusters?
Adam savage...
Ow, ow, ow, ow.
...and jamie hyneman.
It's almost too exciting.
Wow!
Between them, more than 30 years
of special-effects experience.
Cue dramatic music.
Joining them --
kari byron...
Grant imahara...
Danger! Warning! Warning!
...and tory belleci.
They don't just tell the myths,
they put them to the test.
Drumroll, please.
If you're ready, it's time
For the very first "mythbusters"
viewer special.
Since the beginning
of season 5,
Or the hindenburg episode,
We've been appealing
to you for ideas.
Kari: we've been inundated.
Some are myths,
And some are just questions
people need answers to.
The kind of questions that keep
america awake at night.
Exactly.
So we're just gonna take
the most popular ideas
That the viewers
are giving us
And we're gonna test them
here now?
Well, let's split it up.
You guys take a few,
and we'll take a few.
Perfect. Why don't jamie and I
kick it all off?
Are you ready for this?
We're just about to do
the most requested myth ever
In the history
of "mythbusters."
Over 10,000 people have asked us
to take this one on.
What?
Quite simply put, I can tell
you're really excited.
But calm down.
Okay.
Here it is.
That if you sneeze
with your eyes open,
Your eyes will pop out
of your head
And roll across the floor.
Get out!
Swear to god.
Now, thanks
to the viewer requests,
We're gonna take it on.
Why does your poor body look
so discombooberated, huh?
Why do it, huh?
Here, take a good sniff of
this of this here smelling salt.
Narrator: in cartoons,
a good sneeze
Can catapult you
into the ceiling.
In the real world,
"mythbusters" fans reckon
Sneezing with your eyes open
could pop them right out.
So, is there anything
to this myth,
Or will the eye-pop sneeze
be all washed up?
The physics of this myth
are nothing to sniff at.
[ Sneezes ]
A sneeze is the fastest physical
reaction of the human body,
With the spray reaching speeds
of over 120 miles an hour.
[ Sneezes ]
So, perhaps this force
is violent enough
To propel your peepers
out of place.
For viewer myth number one,
The team get straight into
capturing some "achoos."
Adam: the setup is pretty
straightforward.
Your basic grid,
which we love to put
Behind all our high-speed shots.
Then jamie and I need to sit
in a chair
In front of the high-speed
camera and generate a sneeze.
Hold our eyes open
while we're doing it.
The high-speed should make it
absolutely clear
If we're successful.
And that should answer
this question.
Narrator:
yep, it really is that simple.
So, who's first for
the sneeze sh**ting range?
Have you ever tried
to make yourself sneeze?
No. I get boogers all over
my mustache.
[ Both laugh ]
Despite his
snot-rocket reservations,
Jamie takes the hot seat.
And to induce sneezing,
Adam tries a well-known
tickly tactic.
Does that help at all?
No. It's [bleep] me off,
though.
The hyneman isn't moved.
So they try something
from the cartoons --
Pepper up the nose,
Perhaps with eye-popping
results.
My experience in the past
with pepper,
Plain old black pepper --
it makes me sneeze.
So, what is it about pepper
that makes you sneeze?
Well, pepper, whether
it's white, black, or green,
Has an alkaloid of pteridine
called piperine,
And this irritates
the nerve endings
Underneath
your mucus membranes,
And it wants to get it
out of there.
So your nose wants to get
the irritant out,
And the only way it knows how
to do that is to sneeze?
That's pretty much it.
That is pretty much it.
But for jamie,
it's just not working.
It actually kind of makes me
want to cough
Instead of sneeze
'cause it's burning
All the way down in my throat.
[ Sneezes ]
Adam: hey!
Narrator: gesundheit.
But unfortunately,
there's a problem.
Adam: eyes totally closed.
He lost his concentration.
Eyes were totally closed.
[ Sneezes ]
Adam: oh, there's a little
silvery booger there, too,
Right on his big old 'stache.
It glints in the light.
Narrator: for this test,
Jamie needed to keep
his eyes open,
But in the heat of the moment,
He couldn't overcome
the sneeze reflex.
Dude, your eyes
are closed there.
I think we need another shot
at this.
I've got too much pepper
in the system.
I don't think
I can do any more.
All right.
Well, I'll give it a shot.
Okay.
Maybe adam can keep his eyes
on the prize.
Good luck, buddy.
Here we go.
I just had one of those
"What the hell are we doing?"
Moments.
Just like jamie, adam takes
a big whiff of the pepper.
[ Sneezes ]
[ Laughs ]
[ Clears throat ]
how's that?
That was a sneeze.
Yeah, I think I closed my eyes.
I'm pretty sure I did.
I couldn't not.
And the high-speed confirms it.
At the precise moment
of the sneeze,
Adam's eyes were shut.
He opened them afterwards.
So this time adam has a plan
To produce some potentially
blinding results.
I'm gonna to try and hold
my eyes open this time.
Like that.
All right?
Whatever floats your boat.
Narrator: adam's not leaving
anything to chance.
This time he'll clamp
his eyes open.
But will he be able to sneeze
Without causing
permanent damage?
[ Sneezes ]
[ Laughing ]
Oh, my god.
I think I was able
to hold them open.
Narrator:
and before adam can blink,
There's another sneeze
on the way.
[ Sneezes ]
Good job.
You did it again.
Thank you.
Yep, it's another world first
for "mythbusters" science.
The high-speeds confirm adam
definitely held his eyes open
For both sneezes.
And there was no bulging
or eye popping in sight.
[ Laughing ]
oh, my god.
That's awful.
Those eyes don't look like
they're bulging out at all.
No.
Well, they do,
but they normally look that way
When you peel
the eyelashes back.
Viewer myth number one
is looking ready to bust.
Achoo!
That's pretty definitive.
I couldn't do it,
but you sure as heck did.
You did it twice.
Yeah, it's looking
pretty busted.
But because the fans asked
so many times,
I'd really like
to wrap this up
With an expert opinion.
Narrator: the mythbusters are
going all out for the viewers.
So adam heads to ucsf,
Where ophthalmologist
jacque duncan
Can set him straight.
I'm sure that when the fans
hear this question
They're thinking
you go "achoo!"
And your eye goes
"boing, boing!"
Could your eye actually pop
all the way out of your head?
Well, that's almost
impossible.
There are a number of things
holding your eye in your head.
There's a covering
over the surface of the eye
Called the conjunctiva.
Your eye's also connected to six
different extraocular muscles
That allow your eyes
to move around.
Finally, the optic nerve
is connected to your eye
And would prevent it
from falling out
And rolling across
the floor.
That's a lot of ophthalmology.
But what it means is,
no matter how hard you blow,
Your eyes aren't
gonna go anywhere.
There you have it.
I couldn't do it,
but you sure as heck did.
And you did it twice.
You sneezed,
you held your eyes open,
And no eyeballs came out.
Here they are.
Yeah.
You asked for it,
and we did it.
This one is
totally busted.
It's busted.
Next up, another fan favorite,
hot off the website.
Our next viewer myth
is a classic.
And that is, can you stop a car
by throwing it in reverse?
Now, to test this we've come
to one of our favorite places --
The runway at alameda.
We've gotten two donated cars.
'Cause we're pretty sure
they're not gonna survive.
You ready to wreck
these cars?
Let's do it!
Narrator: this viewer myth is
not recommended for your car.
[ Laughs ]
We've all thought about it,
And now you the fans
want to know
If you can stop a runaway car
by throwing it into reverse.
Can shifting gear stop your car?
Or will it just trash
your transmission?
What's the plan, stan?
Okay, this is the plan.
I've got an automatic.
You've got a stick shift.
We'll drive them
up to 50 miles an hour,
And then stop at a line
that we paint on the ground.
We'll hit
the regular brakes
And see how long it takes
for us to stop.
And then for grand finale,
We'll throw it into reverse
and see what happens.
I love it.
Let's do it.
That's the plan.
No frills. No fuss.
You asked for it,
and we delivered.
Here we go, grant.
Ready?
In 3, 2, 1...
Go!
[ Tires squealing ]
First up is the regular braking
distance on the automatic.
At 50.
[ Tires screech ]
[ Laughs ]
Oh, my god.
Dang, did you see the smoke
off those tires?
Do I have any tires left?
You do, but they're all
on the asphalt.
So, how do grant's skid marks
measure up?
To a dead stop with the brakes.
Tory accelerates
to 50 miles an hour.
And when he hits the stop line,
he slams on the brakes.
[ Tires screeching ]
[ Laughing ]
All right!
Can you smell the rubber?
That was fun!
Nice.
Brake pedal.
Them's the "brakes."
But what happens when you shift
into reverse?
How will the stopping
distance compare?
Tory's predicting
some serious consequences.
Hey, grant, if, you know,
a crazy --
I mean, let's hope
this doesn't happen,
But let's say you do
go off course
And you end up crashing
and dying,
Um, can I have your robot?
I want the robot to be buried
next to me. Over.
I promise we will bury the robot
next to you.
He'll be dead. He won't know
where the robot is.
It's gonna be in my house!
Let's do this test.
Here we go. Ready?
In 3, 2, 1...go!
Grant brings the car
up to 50 miles per hour.
When he hits the white line,
instead of hitting the brakes,
He'll shift into reverse
just like you asked,
And try to stop the car.
Or at least that's the theory.
[Bleep]
that's interesting.
Narrator: but that's not exactly
the photo finish
The guys were expecting.
Buddy, it doesn't look like
you did anything.
Nope. It's in reverse.
The "check engine" light's on.
The battery light's on.
I'm still coasting.
That was
the most underwhelming outcome
I've ever seen on this show.
[ Laughs ]
It's a new record.
Narrator:
that's an extra 2,205 feet
from the brakes.
Turns out the automatic
has a safety device,
Making it impossible
to engage reverse
While driving forward.
The reverse-stop theory
is running out of gas.
But there's still one more car
to try.
Grant: okay, here we go.
In 3, 2, 1...
Go!
Narrator:
start your engines.
Once again, tory's gunning
for 50 miles per hour.
And when he hits the stop line,
He throws the manual
into reverse.
[ Tires screech ]
Unfortunately, it's not as easy
as you might think.
The transmission crunches,
and tory clenches.
Grant:
veering off course!
Hit the brake!
Save yourself!
But he can't engage
the reverse gear.
Hey,
you made it down here.
From the stop mark.
Oh, my god.
Trying to throw it into reverse
to stop a manual
Is just not the way to go.
Did you actually use the brake
at the end?
Eventually,
I had to use the brake,
Because I couldn't engage it
into reverse.
It was just grinding.
And at first, I thought
I could just keep grinding it
To slow the car down,
but it wasn't enough.
Even with tory's mantra --
If you can't find it,
grind it --
The car still went
an extra 1,842 feet.
Maybe that's because
with a manual transmission,
You have to be at a complete
stop to select reverse.
So, what's the verdict
from the guys?
All right, the fans have been
dying to see this one tested,
And we tested it.
Trying to stop
a manual car
By throwing it into reverse --
totally busted.
Trying to stop an automatic car
by throwing it into reverse --
Also busted.
All right,
but we can't stop here.
It sounds like you have
something up your sleeve.
Yeah.
Automatics have a park gear.
I think we have to get this car
up to 50 miles an hour
And throw it into park.
It's the viewer special,
And we owe it to you
to leave no stone unturned.
The team revs up
for one last try
At trashing the transmission.
Okay, everybody,
heads up.
This is the automatic
going at 50 miles per hour.
We are throwing it
into park.
In 3, 2, 1...go!
[ Tires squealing ]
They're going to park
at 50 miles per hour.
Will this give them the result
they're after?
Okay, you're at 50.
Here it comes.
Here it comes!
[ Laughs ] what?
Nothing.
What's happening?
I'm in park.
Even shifting into park
didn't stop the car,
Which means viewer myth
number two is busted.
Oh, that sucked!
And now for something
completely different.
"Mythbusters" viewers like
nothing more than a good bang --
Be it
an annihilated avalanche...
Oh, look at that!
...detonating denim...
Or a cement truck
turned torpedo.
So it's no surprise
that viewers want more.
All right, next one up
says "exploding car."
Is that a myth?
It's no myth --
some kid e-mailed me
And said he wanted us
to blow up his parents' car.
I told him,
"sure. Why not?"
As long as he gets
their permission.
Well, I suppose it is
a viewer request special.
So we ought to honor it.
Yeah, and I figure
while we're at it,
We should just use it
as an excuse
To test hollywood explosions
as opposed to the real thing.
That's perfect.
We'd do two explosions.
One's like a big
hollywood fireball,
And the next one's
like the cement truck.
The real deal.
Perfect.
Let's do it.
It's a story inspired
by chris cannella.
He wrote in with a simple wish.
He wants his parents' car
obliterated.
[ laughs ]
So, this is your parents' car.
Is that right?
Yes, it's not mine.
Now, let me tell you
what we have planned.
You know how you watch
those old tv shows
And the car always
blows up?
Yeah.
So, we're gonna replicate
one of those
And show that the car's
just totally still there.
And then
we're gonna show
What a real car expl*si*n
really looks like.
Cool.
Will you come out with us on set
and watch it go?
Yeah.
Excellent.
It may be
this viewer's dream come true,
But it's this car's
worst nightmare.
It's going to explode
not once but twice.
And it's going to go down
In one of the team's
all-time favorite places.
Adam: we are back at one
Of the fans' most treasured
mythbuster locations,
At the rock quarry where
we blew up the cement truck...
And where we did
Today, we're here to blow up a
Twice.
First time, it's gonna be
a movie-style expl*si*n.
Like from the '70s tv shows
that you grew up with.
The second time,
it's gonna be a real expl*si*n.
And there's gonna be
nothing left.
Narrator: so the team's
hoping for some car carnage,
And retired fbi agent
frank doyle
Is just the man for the job.
Gonna fix it. We're gonna do
some instantaneous repair.
As the b*mb techs get technical,
Prepping the car
for the hollywood-style boom,
Adam's pulling out
all the movie clichés.
Here's how it's gonna set up.
Camera's gonna be right
where the camera is right now.
Car's gonna blow up.
I'm gonna be running.
"Ohhh!"
And I'm gonna be diving
hopefully in mid-air
As the expl*si*n happens
and land safely on these mats.
Then I get to live out
my fantasy as a stuntman.
Narrator: with adam adamant he's
playing the role of stuntman,
Jamie wants to first take
a few safety precautions.
So, adam,
if you want to do that shot
Where you're running away
from an expl*si*n
And the expl*si*n
is in the car...
I don't want any glass
in my backside.
Exactly.
That's what I was thinking.
Maybe I should take
the windows out.
Yeah. Can I do one?
Okay. Sure.
Don't try this at home.
Boom!
[ Laughs ]
Narrator:
with the glass out the window,
The b*mb squad takes care
of the rest.
Jamie: this type of stunt
is all about the visual effect.
The main thing that people
are going to be seeing here
Is just gasoline burning.
Now, we are using expl*sives,
But it is only to place
under the gasoline
To vaporize the gasoline
And make it easier
for the gasoline to burn.
Narrator: that's the theory.
And with the gas in place,
Everything's ready
for some movie-inspired mayhem.
Ready for a hollywood-style
expl*si*n for your parents' car?
Yeah.
You got anything else
you want us to blow up?
Aside from
my other parents' car?
[ Laughter ]
Well, where is it?
It's party time.
Let's do this.
You feel ready?
Oh, yeah.
All right,
give me a high-five.
Excellent. Let's go.
Narrator:
with everything set,
Stuntman adam
does his stretches,
And then it's go time.
Man: fire in the hole!
Fire in the hole!
It's a perfect copy
of a cinematic cliché.
Jamie presses the plunger,
and in a move
That hannibal smith
would be proud of,
Adam leaps as the car
gets blown sky-high.
I love it
when a plan comes together.
Well...almost.
Of course, nothing ever
goes quite as smoothly
As you'd hoped,
And when the "3, 2, 1," which
we had all planned out for me
To start running at 3,
to jump at 1
So that I'd be
in the middle of the air at zero
When the b*mb went off,
The "3, 2, 1" happened
a little slower
Than I thought it would,
so I kind of had to slow down.
Nonetheless, the high-speed shot
of jamie pushing the plunger
While I'm in mid-air
with the fireball behind
And the wide shot of the flames
sh**ting high up into the sky,
It could not have gone better.
Narrator:
you can't improve on perfection,
And viewer chris
is pretty darn excited.
Right now I pretty much feel
like the happiest kid on earth.
And this is just half of it.
Narrator:
he's right, of course,
Because now it's time
for boom number two.
Jamie: what we just saw here,
by my mind
Is a classic
hollywood expl*si*n.
Somebody gets in the car,
they turn the key,
The car blows up.
But when you look at the car
more closely,
I mean, it's still intact.
All the structural stuff
is here.
The car is basically fine.
The next thing we're gonna do is
put real expl*sives in this car,
And the car is going to go away.
Narrator: next up,
for the viewer special,
The team takes a stab
at something different.
What's that?
Your lunch?
No.
Kari: what is it?
Remember when we did
"what is b*llet proof?"
Yep.
Well, the fans want to know
what's stab-proof.
So, what we're gonna do is test
different materials.
We're gonna do books,
we're gonna do paper money,
And we're gonna do coins.
And we're gonna see
which stops the blade.
Narrator:
in "what is b*llet proof,"
The team set out to find
what would stop a slug.
They set their sights on a range
of mythical b*llet-stoppers,
And the results were surprising.
Look, it's like completely
encased in the plastic.
And now you, the viewers,
Want the team to pick up
where they left off --
With three suggestions
that may be stab-proof.
So, what's the plan?
The plan is we'll dress the ham
up in the shirt,
And then we'll stick
the different materials
In the pocket,
and then start stabbing away.
So the ham will be
the stab-wound stand in.
And it'll be facing
a fully sharpened modern blade.
So, what's going
under the knife first?
The first myth involves
a modern knife,
And the viewer suggestion was
a bible.
But I've a feeling
that might be kind of offensive,
We can't stab a bible.
So I'm going to use
the mythbuster bible,
The pocket reference guide,
which is very sacred around here
And about the same thickness
as a bible.
And somebody would be carrying
that in their pocket,
Wouldn't they?
Yeah, I carry mine
all the time.
Narrator: no bible-bashing
for the busters.
For test one, they'll find out
What kind of protection
the pocket reference provides.
Kari:
that stopped the blade.
Let me try a little harder.
Let me do it again.
Put your back into it.
There you go.
Come on.
Did it penetrate the book?
It penetrated the book.
Let's see.
It got up to 170,
which is major world airports.
Ah. So the pocket reference
saved your life.
Narrator:
that's one for the books.
And for the next
stab-proof suggestion,
The team "change" tactics.
So, you're going
to the arcade.
You got a bunch of change
in your pocket.
You ready?
This is "modern knife
with pocket full of change."
Get him, grant.
[ Change rattles ]
Oh.
That doesn't look
like it worked very well.
Narrator:
the knife slid right off the
coins and sliced into the flesh.
But grant's not ready to
lay down his weapon just yet.
Kari: ooh.
Wow.
The theory is that
the metal coins should provide
Enough resistance
to repel the blade.
Okay, you know what?
That's enough.
That's enough, okay?
Coins don't seem to work
very well.
No, they just keep moving
out of the way.
Kari: well, I think
the problem here
Is that your body
is soft.
You've got
too much give.
This is gonna slide
to the side,
And you're just gonna
get stabbed.
I think
coins is busted.
Narrator:
they've carved up the ham,
but they're not done yet.
Our viewers have
one more suggestion
In this stab-proof saga --
a wad of one-dollar bills.
Isn't that ill*gal
to destroy u.s. Currency?
Actually, only if you intend
to destroy it
And take it out
of circulation.
Oh, and we're not intending
to take it out of circulation.
No,
this is for science.
Narrator:
so how rich do you have to be
to survive a stabbing?
Kari starts the biddings.
Now I know what it would be like
to be married to you.
No,
it would be like this.
[ Grant laughs ]
Dang it!
Taking my money!
Here you go.
Taking
all my money.
[ Laughter ]
All right,
He's just flaunting it
in front of everybody.
They're getting jealous, and
they're gonna want to stab him.
Whoa.
Oh. Did it make it?
That went right through
all 50 one-dollar bills.
[ Sighs ]
we're gonna amp it up.
We're doubling.
We're doubling.
If you had
Stuck
in your top front pocket...
Narrator: so if you were twice
as rich, would you survive?
Okay, ready?
Ooh.
Moral of the story --
carry small bills.
Narrator: this time, the ham has
a clean "bill" of health.
So, what's the price tag
for protection?
So it looks like
If you have enough paper money
in your front pocket
And you happen to get stabbed
exactly right there,
You could survive.
So there you have it, fans.
You wanted to know what was
stab-proof, and now you do.
[ Exhales deeply ]
So,
what's the next story?
It's called
"k*ller butts,"
And it's not about
somebody's rear end.
Okay. I got to know --
what is the story?
Well, a couple of good ol' boys
decided to get drunk
And mess around with g*ns --
generally not a good idea.
Anyway, one of them decided
to put three cigarette butts
Down the muzzle
of a muzzle-loading r*fle
And, just for fun,
fired at his buddy.
Aah.
It didn't turn out well.
Sounds like
it's a bad case of heartburn.
It k*lled him.
Ooh!
Narrator: alcohol and g*ns
may be great on their own,
But together, they're never
a good combination.
Add cigarettes to the mix,
And you've got a visit to
the e.r. Just waiting to happen.
The story goes
that two alcohol-fueled buddies
Had a boozy idea.
They loaded up a r*fle
with three cigarette butts,
Took aim from 7 feet,
But that's when things
went horribly wrong.
And you, the viewers,
want to know
If this could really happen.
I just had
the funniest daydream.
Anyway,
so, what's the plan?
Well, it's pretty
straightforward.
We get a ballistics-gel dummy,
some cigarettes,
Some gunpowder,
a muzzle-loading r*fle,
And a firing range.
You know, in this one,
I'd also like to add a heart to
our ballistics-gel test subject.
That way, if the cigarette gets
all the way through the skin
And into the heart,
we know we've got death.
Well, it's kind of gross
and smelly. I like it.
That's never stopped us
before.
Narrator: the plan is to pack
a muzzle-loading r*fle
With black powder
and three cigarette butts,
Then take aim
at a ballistics-gel dummy
From 7 feet
for some heart-stopping action.
So while jamie
rustles up a r*fle,
Adam shoots to the workshop
To fire up
a boozy ballistics buddy.
Adam:
like a lot of other myths
Where we've got something deadly
that occurs,
We're gonna test this
by making a human analog
To show whether or not
death has occurred.
In this, I'm using a very old
"mythbusters" torso mold,
Which we've used
on countless myths,
Except I'm pouring into it
A brand-new ballistics medium
we've got.
This stuff is totally clear.
Narrator:
like regular ballistics gel,
This stuff has the same
properties as human tissue
But has the added bonus
of being crystal-clear.
That'll help the team
see right through
To the heart of the matter.
If any of the cigarette butts
actually reach that heart,
We will know that not only
are cigarettes deadly,
So are the butts.
Narrator:
for this viewer myth,
Only a shot through the heart
will do.
Adam: so, the pig's heart
is perfectly suspended.
I like its placement, I like its
distance back from the front.
All that has to happen now
Is the ballistics media
has to cool down,
And then
we can experiment with it.
Narrator: and with the miracle
of television,
Adam:
this is gonna be great.
This stuff is perfect.
Narrator: with buddy all set,
they pack up the sh**ting party
And head out to the range
to meet an old friend.
How you doing, jamie?
Nice to see you.
Always a pleasure.
Welcome to south san francisco
police department.
Narrator:
to test the k*ller butts,
Adam and jamie are back
at the familiar ground
Of south san francisco
police department g*n range.
And to help them get fired up is
master sergeant alan normandy.
Al, we have a doozy
for you today.
Well, I'd love to hear
this one.
This one is a guy
who decides to do an experiment
With his 50-caliber
black-powder r*fle.
He loads it
with a black powder charge,
But instead of a b*llet,
He actually puts in
three cigarette butts
And shoots at a friend of his,
k*lling his friend.
I always heard
tobacco will k*ll you,
But this is the first way
that I've heard
That's different
from smoking it, so let's see.
Narrator:
jamie brings out the big g*ns,
With an exact replica
of the r*fle used in the myth.
Looks good to me.
It's a nice one, huh?
It's pretty.
It certainly is a beauty,
And soon, buddy's going to be
staring down its barrel.
But first,
a word from his creator.
Adam: for us to confirm a k*ll
from the cigarette butts,
We'd need to see them go through
the front of the chest
And into the heart.
Now, we didn't put a rib cage
in this
Because the myth isn't
that the cigarette butts
Got through the spaces
in a rib cage.
It's whether or not
They actually pierced his heart
and k*lled him.
So, which one of you guys
is taking the shot?
Jamie:
I'll take the shot.
I'm a better shot
anyway.
Narrator:
jamie will take the shot,
And as they load the r*fle,
adam has a revelation.
Now, this is the moment
Where the whole scene
plays itself out, right?
I look down there, "well, hell.
Look, they fit right in there.
"Hey, what say
you stand right over there,
And I sh**t you
with that?"
"Yeah!
That sounds like
a great idea."
Are you done?
Yeah.
Okay, you got that
out of your system.
I did.
I'm just trying to profile
our sh**ter.
Narrator: once the r*fle
is locked and loaded
With the three cigarette butts,
Jamie takes aim from 7 feet,
the same distance as the myth.
Adam: all right, jamie,
this is three cigarette butts,
From 7 feet
When you're ready.
Normandy:
stand by for smoke.
[ Laughs ]
that's a thud.
Narrator: indeed it was,
But was it a long shot,
or is buddy heartbroken?
All right, let's see
what happened here.
I see a lot of fluff.
I don't see any penetration.
I don't see any subcutaneous
damage here.
Narrator:
buddy survived the first test,
And on closer inspection,
al thinks he knows why --
There's black powder
all over buddy's chest.
What the unburned powder
suggests to me is perhaps
That the powder charge
isn't tightly packed enough.
If we pack it tighter,
we'll get more pressure,
Perhaps more penetration.
Narrator:
so, al's theory is that the
black powder didn't all burn,
Meaning the butts weren't
traveling at maximum speed.
So for test two, they'll pack
the butts in tighter
For a faster exit velocity.
Now we're talking. You can hear
it squeak when you push it.
Normandy:
that's much better.
Adam: okay, so second shot,
more wadding.
Whenever you're ready.
Ooh!
That looked impressive.
Narrator:
sounds impressive, but what's
buddy's prognosis this time?
Again, more of the wadding
and more of the filter,
But I don't think
we have a lethal hit there.
Nope.
Narrator: the tight-wad
hasn't given anything up.
The butts are not lethal,
And jamie has a theory
as to why.
More wadding didn't do it.
What we're seeing is kind of
a shotgun-like effect,
Where these cigarette butts
are spraying out,
Going in all directions,
Instead of hanging together
to go down one hole,
Which is what we need
for a k*ll.
Narrator: so far,
this myth is zero for two.
Sorry, viewers. It's not looking
good for the smoking g*n.
Narrator: next, the team
serve up another viewer myth.
So, this one's being talked
about by thousands of fans.
There are mythical ways
to open your car-door locks
When you don't have
your keys.
All you do is you take
a tennis ball,
You cut a hole in it, stick
the hole over the car lock,
And press it
as hard as you can.
And somehow the air pressure
will unlock your car door.
Well,
this sounds just crazy,
So why don't we just
go ahead and try them?
No, they're not making this up.
It's an ace viral video
from the internet
Scoring millions of hits.
And it goes
something like this --
A humble tennis ball
serves as a lockpick.
With a small hole
cut into the ball,
The leading lady holds the hole
to the lock,
Squeezes the ball, and hey,
presto -- the car unlocks.
So, does this actually work?
Tory gets the ba*ls rolling.
Grant:
okay, what do you got?
All right,
so I looked at the video,
And she had cut a hole
about this size.
What they're saying
is the air pressure
Is opening up
the car-door lock.
The pressure
from the ball.
Yeah, the air pressure
from inside the ball.
So what I'm thinking is
if it's about air pressure,
I cut another, smaller hole
in this tennis ball,
And hopefully that'll give us
a stronger stream of air.
Narrator:
that's all they need --
Two tennis ba*ls,
two different air pressures,
And, of course, the lock.
Okay, so,
just like in the video --
Electronic door lock.
Go for it.
Okay, so, we'll do
the big hole first.
She said all you need to do
is push it as hard as you can.
Wow.
It's not working.
It looked like
I'm doing it the same way.
It's love-1
for the tennis ball.
But perhaps the ball
with the smaller hole
And greater air pressure
will pop the lock.
You want to try
the smaller hole?
Yeah, go for it.
Narrator:
not exactly open sesame.
That's game, set, and match
for the car.
But the team aren't ready
to stop play just yet.
So, let's take apart
what exactly you think
People would think
this works by.
I think
it's all about air pressure.
All right, well why don't we
get the shop air
And just shove it into the lock
and blow?
Making it a complete seal
around the key lock.
So see if air pressure
can at all open the lock.
Narrator:
sounds like a plan.
After all, if it's worth doing,
it's worth overdoing.
With a perfect seal, they'll
pump in 100 psi of shop air.
And if anything is going to
jimmy the lock, it's this.
All right, grant.
Blow us away.
So, this will be
the ideal case
For opening the lock
with air pressure.
We got compressed air
and a really good seal.
Ready?
Narrator: despite pumping in
more than 10 times
The air pressure
of the tennis ball,
The car stays secure.
I think that was
pretty definitive.
Sorry, viewers,
But the tennis ball
opening the car lock is busted.
And even ideal seal air pressure
won't open the car lock.
You know, they did it
in the video, though.
How do you think
they did that?
I think
we should show the viewers
How we think they did it
in the video.
Narrator: cut to "mythbusters"
masterpiece theater,
Where, with some editing genius,
We can show you
exactly how it was done.
Kari puts the tennis ball
to the lock,
And, hey, presto,
the door unlocks.
But didn't they just bust
tennis ba*ls?
Yes, they did.
It's not the tennis ball.
It's actually tory --
behind the camera, with the key.
Just goes to show --
and this is important --
You can't believe everything
you see on the internet,
Which means that's
another viewer myth busted.
Adam and jamie
have been firing up
A drunk-and-disorderly
viewer myth.
The fans want to know
If cigarette butts fired
from a muzzle-loading r*fle
Could pierce a heart.
It's not going well
for the guys.
But for once, there's
a policeman when you need him.
Well, the cop in me
has a question, and that is,
Are we thinking that filters
are the same as cigarette butts?
I see where you're going
with this.
Yeah, I mean,
typically,
You wouldn't smoke it
all the way down to the end.
There'd be a little bit left
on it.
And that adds up
to a certain amount of weight,
As well as you've got
nicotine and tar
And other crap that is
collecting in the filter, right?
Narrator: right.
Trouble is that means someone's
got to smoke for science.
As jamie plays
the tobacco harmonica,
Adam can't believe his eyes.
I can't even describe the number
of things I've seen on this show
That I would've never
imagined seeing.
Jamie sitting on a box
full of chum,
Punching sharks
in the caribbean.
Scuba divers being lifted
out of pools
By pumps
that we built ourselves.
This, I never imagined
I would see.
[ Laughs ]
He is not a smoker.
He's never been a smoker.
He is truly taking one
for the team,
'Cause this is disgusting.
Narrator:
jamie's smokestack duty is over.
But will using smoke butts
really make a difference?
Adam: up till now,
we have been firing
What we've called
cigarette butts.
In fact, it's just the filter
torn off a cigarette.
We have posited
That perhaps this is what
a smoker will be playing with --
A full smoked butt,
burnt tobacco -- everything.
This weighs
three times as much as this,
And thus very likely has
much more deadly force in it.
Narrator: the unsmoked butts
are out of the picture.
They've been all fluff
and no fury.
Maybe the smoked butts
will prove to be deadly.
All right,
three pre-smoked butts.
That is nasty.
So, this is
pre-smoked butts.
Three of them, same amount
of wadding as last time,
At 7 feet.
All right,
we're ready to fire.
Narrator:
as the smoke clears,
The guys go in
for a closer look.
Ooh, wait.
There's definitely
some real skin breakage here.
Jamie: yeah, that looks
like that might have gone in
About 1/4 inch.
There's some penetration,
but it's certainly not lethal.
Yeah, he'd be bleeding.
That's about it.
So, what's next?
Well,
I'm starting to think --
We've replicated
all the technical details,
And I think they might have been
lying about the distance
That they shot at.
I'd say we move
to point-blank range.
Okay.
This is the final chance
for this viewer myth.
If the butts at this range
don't break buddy's heart,
Then it's busted.
Jamie: we're down
to our last option,
Which is just to move in
point-blank range
Because it's not working
from 7 feet.
I can't help but think
That all that energy
coming out of that g*n muzzle
Is gonna do something to this
if we're close enough.
Narrator:
jamie moves in for the k*ll.
Trigger's set.
Okay, everybody ready?
Adam: ready.
[ Laughs ]
Look -- it bleeds!
[ Laughs ]
Narrator:
that's a shot through the heart.
And jamie's to blame.
Jamie: does it feel like
you're going into the heart?
Yeah, it does.
I believe
what we have there
Is what I'd call
a confirmed k*ll.
That's lethal.
He's dead.
A few feet made
all the difference for buddy.
The dummy is dead.
No ifs, ands, or -- well, butts.
And it also goes to prove
the golden rule with g*ns --
Don't aim a g*n at anything
you don't intend to destroy.
Narrator: wise words.
So, what's the verdict
for k*ller cigarette butts?
So, cigarette butts fired
at point-blank range,
Is he alive or dead?
Dead.
Dead.
That makes the status
of the myth...
Confirmed.
Yeah, totally.
Let's get out of here.
Let's do it.
I'm gonna go
rinse my mouth out.
Narrator: the boys have been
having a blast...
Blowing one lucky viewer's car
to bits hollywood-style.
But there's still more to come.
Adam and jamie are
about to go ballistic.
And I'll let adam explain why.
Adam: so, if you haven't been
paying attention,
Here's where we stand so far.
A viewer -- kid -- wrote in
And asked us to blow up
his parents' car.
We figured, why not do
a real expl*si*n of a car
But also show
how hollywood does it?
So, for the first blast,
We placed
a couple gallons of gasoline
With a little bit of expl*sives
in this car
And showed a big fireball
but not much destruction.
Now it's time
to make this car go away.
So we have put many hundreds
of times the expl*sives
In the same spot
as the gasoline
And another batch under the hood
just for good measure.
I'm about to retreat
to our detonation zone
And we're gonna make this car
disappear.
Narrator:
but before plunging the plunger,
The boys first get a taste
of things to come,
Thanks to
tour guide frank doyle.
How's it going, frank?
A-okay, guys.
Give you the tour here.
Under the hood,
we are doing the tune-up
With a large bag
of blasting agent there,
As you can see.
And then moving on down here --
we'll close that up.
And moving on down
To the interior
of our vehicle here,
We have a quantity
at midship here
And then another quantity
on the back beam here.
And with all of this,
We would project
that it's gonna go away.
It's gonna go away.
All right, where do you want us
to be for this one?
A long way away.
[ Laughing ] okay.
A long way away.
Well, we've got a hill
about 1,000 feet distant.
Is that far enough?
Hey, we're all set to go,
and that should be perfect.
Terrific.
And all that really leaves
Is a chance to hear
those "mythbusters" predictions.
Adam: percentage of the car
that will be remaining
When we're all done with this --
Strewn over
about a 300-foot radius.
The experience -- priceless.
For this task,
We've picked a relatively slow
and powerful expl*sive,
So we're more into pushing
and heaving and tearing.
So when we detonate this,
It will cause the car
to go in 360 degrees.
Narrator: the words "smash" and
"smithereens" spring to mind.
Well, chris, I think
it's about that time.
Are you ready?
How about you watch the thing
through these things?
Go ahead
and check it out.
Make sure you got
a good bead on the car.
Fire in the hole!
Fire in the hole!
Hold! Everybody hold!
Hold, hold, hold.
[ Laughter ]
No more car!
Narrator: no more car --
ain't that the truth?
Nice work.
Thanks for the car,
chris.
Like the cement truck before it,
now you see it...
Now you don't.
Here one minute...
Gone the next.
What's here anew i--
oh, you get the picture.
Now, remember, viewers,
"mythbusters" strongly advises
That you don't try this
with your parents' car...
Or anyone's car,
for that matter.
[ Laughs ]
Wow.
It's armageddon out here.
Look at this.
Jamie: it's kind of like
car confetti.
[ Laughs ]
Each piece has the potential
to be modern art.
Come on out here, chris.
Look at that. That used to be
your parents' car.
Well,
there's your problem.
Oh, well.
One way that you can tell
That "mythbusters"
has been in the area
Is to look for shrapnel
in the trees.
This right here is a piece
of the car that we just blew up.
And it kind of tells you
about what we've been up to.
That expl*si*n was a real one.
It had real force behind it,
And there was crap
flying everywhere.
Narrator:
ain't that the truth?
The movie magic was a blast.
But it pales in comparison
to what real expl*sives can do.
I think that while some may look
at the car after our first blast
And go, "well, I would
call that car destroyed,"
I think this makes my case
That there is a real difference,
quite clearly.
[ Laughs ]
Jamie: steering wheel
still works.
Narrator: frank's left the car
well and truly destroyed.
And, viewers,
given that this is your show,
This repeat is for you.
Well, chris, jimmy...
I think our work here
is done.
Yeah, well, you know,
Let us know when you get it
all cleaned up, all right?
That was cool. I can't believe
you blew up a car.
Well, that is what
little chris wanted us to do.
After all,
this is the viewer special.
And while we prefer
busting myths,
This is all for you,
the viewers.
That's right.
We'll be back
in another 12 episodes
With another episode
dedicated to your needs.
Log on to
discovery.com/mythbusters,
Follow the links,
and tell us your ideas.
We'll be waiting.
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05x15 - Viewers' Special
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A weekly documentary in which two Hollywood special effects experts attempt to debunk urban legends by directly testing them.
A weekly documentary in which two Hollywood special effects experts attempt to debunk urban legends by directly testing them.