07x02 - Alaska Special: Part 2

[bunniefuu]

Attention, viewers.

Do not try anything
you are about to see at home.

We're what you call experts.

NARRATOR: On this super-cool
episode of "Mythbusters"...

Ah!

NARRATOR:... it's all aboard
for the second Alaska special...

[ Scottish accent ]
We've got to keep her afloat!

NARRATOR:... as Master Savage
and Commander Hyneman

shiver their timbers...

I'm in a boat made out of ice.

NARRATOR:... in a world-first
attempt to build a mythical boat

out of nothing
but sawdust and ice.

[ Laughs ]

NARRATOR:
Meanwhile, Kari, Grant, and Tory

are on a northern exposure
collision course...

[ Cheering ]

I'm a trained CPR.
Don't worry.

NARRATOR:... wrestling with
the myth of a snowplow smash

that split a car
completely in two.

Who are the Mythbusters?

Adam Savage...

Oh! Whoa! Hey! Ow!

NARRATOR:
...and Jamie Hyneman.

Are we going to try
and sh**t him in the head?

NARRATOR:
Between them, more than 30 years

of special-effects experience.

That's pretty.

NARRATOR: Joining them...

Tory Belleci...

Grant Imahara...

That was crazy.

NARRATOR:
...and Kari Byron.

This is going to be
a whole lot of fun, huh?

NARRATOR:
They don't just tell the myths,

they put them to the test.

Alaska,
famed for its stunning scenery.

The 49th state is also shrouded

in tall tales
and outlandish legends,

making it a virtual home away
from home for the Mythbusters.

I know it's not a beret,
but you got to put this on.

What do we got?
Cold-weather myths?

We do. It's time to do
another Alaska special.

You got any ideas?

Well, as a matter of fact,
there is one thing

that I'm kind of curious about.

It's a material called pykrete
that a guy named Pyke invented

around World w*r I I.

And this was made
of frozen wood pulp and water.

And supposedly it made a mix

that was harder than concrete
when it froze.

And they were going to build
an aircraft carrier out of it,

but they never got around to it
'cause the w*r ended.

So as far as we know,

no one's ever tried to build
a boat out of the stuff.

That's correct.

Until us.

Yeah.

NARRATOR:
According to this myth,

in World w*r I I, with steel
and iron in short supply,

an ingenious inventor came up
with an entirely new concept --

pykrete, a mixture of ice
and wood pulp

that was supposedly so tough,
you could forge a fleet from it.

But before the Allies
could build a frozen flotilla,

the w*r ended, leaving this
mythical question unanswered.

Can you really build a boat out
of nothing but sawdust and ice?

An aircraft carrier
made of sawdust and ice.

I really hope we haven't bitten
off more than we can chew here.

Well, ultimately,
we are gonna have to build

some sort of boat
out of pykrete.

But first I think we need to
test its magical properties.

Such as?

Well, like its bulletproof,
it is tougher than concrete,

and it takes longer than ice
to melt, supposedly.

That sounds like
a great plan of attack.

We'll test those properties
here in San Francisco.

When we've got
the information we need,

we head up north
to launch a pykrete boat.

Yeah.

Good.

NARRATOR: It's a story that will
ultimately see Adam and Jamie

attempt to sail
the Alaskan fjords

in a beautiful pykrete boat.

It's getting worse.

NARRATOR:
But before all that,

they're starting at the
beginning by making the stuff.

The traditional recipe,

if there is such a thing,
of pykrete

is that it should be 14 % by
weight of sawdust or wood pulp,

and then 86 %, of course,
by weight of water.

NARRATOR:
Sounds simple, and it is.

Jamie mixes the wood pulp
and water and, hey, presto.

This is pykrete.

Aircraft carriers, huh?

[ Chuckles ]

Who knew?

NARRATOR: The pykrete goes into
the deep freeze to chill out

so the guys
can take aim at this myth.

So, there are three mythical
properties of pykrete --

that it melts slower than ice,
that it's harder than ice,

and that it's bulletproof.

And, well, we couldn't resist
testing the last one first.

So we've set up
a mini-g*n range,

and we're going to sh**t
a block of ice

and sh**t a block of pykrete
and see what the difference is.

NARRATOR: So for the first test,
it's just plain ice.

That's pretty darn good.

NARRATOR:
Versus a .45 caliber slug.

sh**ting at ice.
In 3, 2, 1.

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ Laughter ]

I think I can tell
what the results are.

[ Laughs ]

It sounded like a bowling alley.

NARRATOR:
Yep, closer inspection confirms

the b*llet scored
a clean strike.

[ Laughs ]

We've turned it
into a snow cone.

NARRATOR: So can
the freshly frozen pykrete

withstand the same fate?

In 3.. .2... 1.

[ Laughs ]

[ Laughs ]

There you go.

That's bulletproof.

You weren't lying.

It's tough stuff.

NARRATOR:
It certainly is.

Instead of shattering
like the ice,

the b*llet ricocheted
off the pykrete,

taking only a shallow crater
with it.

We don't only bust myths.

Sometimes we confirm stuff.

We were told
that pykrete is bulletproof,

and [chuckles]
it's definitively bulletproof.

NARRATOR:
Well, it may be bulletproof,

but the pykrete
isn't out of the woods yet.

Next up is
the mechanical strength test,

and it's nothing
if not straightforward.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here
and say that you want to

put these 5-pound weights on
one at a time until it breaks?

It's like
I'm a freaking mind reader.

NARRATOR: And first
they need to break the ice.

10 pounds.

-20 pounds.
-JAMIE: 40 pounds.

Oh!

[ Laughs ]

41 pounds.

40 pounds, 1 ounce.

That was the straw
that broke the camel's back.

NARRATOR: At 40 pounds,
the ice shattered.

So how will the pykrete compare?

Pykrete, 5-pound weight.

There you go.

NARRATOR:
Well, cue fast forward

because it's tougher
than it looks.

And when the tally reaches
300 pounds,

they run out of lead.

So Jamie adopts
a more direct approach.

[ Laughs ]

This is k*lling me!

[ Laughs ]

Well, there you go.

-There's your problem.
-I love this stuff.

NARRATOR:
And Adam has every reason to.

The pykrete
is nearly eight times

the breaking strength
of the ice.

Hell's bells, Margaret,
I am impressed with pykrete.

I would not have bet
that it could withstand

all the lead we had in the shop.

I'm starting to think
that we could have some fun

with this technology.

NARRATOR: Next,
Kari, Grant, and Tory plow on.

The last time we did
the Alaska special,

we got a lot of fans from Alaska
writing in

saying we missed a classic myth.

Tell me more.

The myth is that a couple
are driving down a road

on a dark, snowy night.

The visibility is horrible.

They swerve out of control,
crash head on

into a parked snowplow
on the side of the road.

But this is no ordinary crash.

Instead of just crumpling
into a wreck,

the car splits
all the way down the middle

from the front to the rear
in a perfect bifurcation.

And both walk away
from the crash.

Are you serious?

Yep.

Wow!

NARRATOR: It's a crazy crash
concept that's "snow joke."

A car plows into a plow and is
split right down the middle.

But could a snowplow
really bifurcate a car?

It's a myth
that's full of problems,

starting with this one.

For this myth we need to do some
pinpoint-accurate crash tests

using cars
smashing into snowplows.

But there are
no crash-test facilities

that we can use in Alaska.

All right. So how are we
gonna test this one?

Well, our researchers have come
up with an amazing location.

It's beautiful.
It's snowy.

It's in Wisconsin.

Well, ultimately,
this is a great Alaskan myth,

but if we have to go
to Wisconsin to test it,

then so be it.

All right,
well, if that's the case,

I think the first thing
we need to do when we get there

is look at some snowplows.

Let's face it,
we're from California.

What do we know about snowplows?

NARRATOR: In an odd start
for the Alaska special,

the team
head to Wisconsin instead.

TORY:
Ooh, there it is.

Snowplow nirvana.

NARRATOR: Now, it isn't Alaska,
but with plows aplenty,

Burke's Trucks
is the perfect place to start.

KARI: We may not have crab
fishermen walking around here,

we can't see Russia
from our back porch,

and there's no moose
freely walking the streets.

But what we do have here
is a lot of snow and snowplows.

And that's our first step.
We got to get us one of those.

NARRATOR:
And that's a process

bringing back bad memories
for Grant.

So last time we used a snowplow,
it was a cursed item.

There was a curse
of the snowplow.

This time,

I fell down immediately
after getting out of the car.

This does not bode well.

NARRATOR:
"Snowplow of Death"

was a myth cursed
from beginning to end.

[ Tires screeching ]

But that's not
what's bothering Tory.

I'm not so concerned about the
curse as I am about these plows.

For this to be
even remotely possible

to get one of these cars
to split,

we're going to need
a wedge-shaped plow.

NARRATOR:
Tory's got a point.

These flat scoops
are miles off the myth.

But after hunting
high and low...

[ Laughs ] It turned on.

Shut it off.
Turn it off.

TORY: Nothing.

NARRATOR:
...the team strikes gold.

TORY: Now, that is the plow
we're looking for!

GRANT: Dude, if anything
is gonna split that car,

it's got to be this.

Not only does it have
this sharp ax edge,

but it's got this really thin
blade right in front,

which is just like presenting
a knife edge to a car.

And that's exactly what we need

to split our car
right down the middle.

NARRATOR: And there's more
behind this plow

than just the blade.

KARI:
The great thing about this

is not only do we have
this magnificent blade,

but we have this huge weight
of a truck behind it,

which means the car
is going to be hitting

a completely immovable force,

basically hitting
a giant immobile ax.

NARRATOR:
Immobile ax is right.

NARRATOR: During World w*r I I,
the engineer Geoffrey Pyke

imagined a flotilla
of iceberglike ships

made only from pykrete.

But would a boat made from wood
pulp and ice have stayed afloat,

or was this idea just dead wood?

Well, the Mythbusters
are finding out,

putting pykrete
through a trial by fire.

And sure as heck,
it is bulletproof.

NARRATOR: And so far
it's living up to the claims.

But Jamie sees some room
for improvement.

JAMIE:
The reason the pykrete is strong

is because of the overlapping
fibers of these wood chips.

Now, the reason that
it actually breaks under shock

is that the fibers
are not terribly long.

And so they can break apart
relatively quickly.

So what other kind
of cellulose products do we have

that maybe would be superior?

NARRATOR:
And there's your answer.

Newspaper.
Lots of newspaper.

In "Phonebook Friction,"
the Mythbusters found out

just how much force
two interleaved phonebooks

could withstand.

This is like a sickness!

NARRATOR:
And it's that layered strength

that Jamie is hoping
to capitalize on

with his own new brand
of pykrete.

JAMIE: What if we saturate
something like that with water

and freeze it?

We might have something,
say, like plywood

instead of particle board,
and plywood is stronger.

NARRATOR: The newspaper is more
or less the same old wood pulp,

just different form.

So how will it compare?

Okay, the last few pounds.

NARRATOR:
Just like the classic pykrete,

the super pykrete
supports 300 pounds of lead.

But even after a beating,
it doesn't crack under pressure.

Here, wait a second.

Dude, I'm gonna go out on a limb
and say I like this material.

Okay.

I'm literally out on a limb.

Yeah, I got it.

NARRATOR:
But before they set sail,

there's arguably
the most vital question.

Will it melt?

And for that,
Jamie whips up these.

Perfect.

NARRATOR: Like an ice-cube tray
on steroids,

these molds will ensure
that the boys end up

with three identical,
small-scale boats for testing.

JAMIE:
We got our newspaper one.

We have our pykrete mix,
and we have plain water

that will turn to plain ice.

We're gonna pull them out
when they're frozen

and launch them
and see which one melts first.

NARRATOR: And they've come
to Bamboo Reef to do just that.

Adam, what's our plan
of action today?

Oh, Jamie,
it's going to be totally great.

We're going to take all three
ice boats out of the molds

and put them in the water
and see which one melts first.

Then we're gonna use
two little characters of us

to represent us
just to increase the danger.

Do we really have to use

these stupid representations
of ourselves?

I hate that.

Yeah, man, it's gonna be funny.

[ Sighs ] Okay.

NARRATOR:
It's a head-to-head melt test

to find out which boat
will be the last one floating.

And with a stunt doll standing
by, first up is the ice.

ADAM: Why don't you try
turning it over,

and I'll try
and hold it on my hands.

[ Laughs ] Oh! Ah!

NARRATOR:
Now, it may have cracked,

but all they're looking for
is how long it takes to melt.

Abandon ship.

ADAM: [ Laughs ]

It's gone from
three-quarters of an inch thick

to a quarter-inch thick
in about a minute.

NARRATOR:
With the ice disappearing fast,

it's over to the pykrete
and super-pykrete boats

to test the waters.

I'm gonna put a passenger
in here.

Here we go.

[ High-pitched voice ]
Oh, look at me!

I'm in a boat made out of ice.

Well, right off the bat,
we can see it's better than ice.

ADAM: [ As Jamie ] Oh,
look at me. My boat is perfect.

My boat's lasting a long time.

I love wet newspaper.

[ Normal voice ]
Notice that even in scale,

Little Jamie Hyneman looks smug.

NARRATOR:
There's plenty to be smug about.

Five minutes in,
and the super pykrete

is still going strong
in the warm water,

but Adam's ship is sinking.

I'd say that's a total failure

-of the boat right there.
-JAMIE: Yep.

NARRATOR: The pykrete held up
five times longer than the ice.

There you go.

NARRATOR: But it's no match
for the super pykrete.

ADAM:
We're at an hour.

I'd say given that this is
no longer a structure...

-JAMIE: I'd call it.
-...we can call it.

NARRATOR: The super pykrete
lasted 12 times longer

than the classic pykrete.

And let's face it,
every second will count

in those icy Alaskan waters.

It looked like
the newspaper pykrete

was just as strong
as the regular pykrete.

But when we put it in the water,
it becomes far superior

as a building material
for our purposes.

You might see
a pile of wet newspaper here.

Jamie and I, we see a boat.

NARRATOR:
It's Plow Wars,

as the team takes on
a snowplow collision

for the Alaska special.

So what are they doing
in Wisconsin?

Kari knows.
So, uh, Alaska.

KARI: This is what
we couldn't find in Alaska

and why we ended up
in Wisconsin.

This is
MGA Research Corporation,

one of the world's
leading testing companies

for the consumer, aerospace,

military,
and automotive industries.

And I hear that they excel

in working
in these snowy conditions,

which is perfect for us.

NARRATOR:
It's the ideal location

for our two mythical foes
to duke it out.

[ Gong crashes ]

[ Traditional Japanese music
playing ]

NARRATOR:
No, no, not you two.

The snowplow versus the car.

But what is it
that makes MGA so perfect?

We need the dead center
of the car

to hit the pinnacle point
of the blade of the snowplow.

And for that, we need
something far more reliable,

which starts 900 feet that way.

With this,
a continuous loop of steel cable

that propels the car
along the guide rail

all powered by a 600-horsepower
electric motor

that will ensure pinpoint
accuracy and repeatability.

NARRATOR:
So let's get that straight.

Instead of a towing system,

MGA use a motor to pull a cable
which will let our car

plow into our stationary plow
with incredible accuracy.

And speaking of cars...

So, the observant viewer
is probably asking themselves,

"Why are there two cars?"

The engine is the most
resistant part of the car.

So we need to test
two different types of car,

a front-engine car
and a rear-engine car.

Now, this is a front-engine car.

The only problem is,
the other car we have...

...is also a front-engine car.

So what we need to do
is pull this engine out,

stick it on the back
so we have our rear-engine car.

NARRATOR: While Tory
puts the junk in the trunk,

the other car
also needs some attention.

I got to Alaska up
this car a little bit.

It's looking
a little Wisconsin right now.

NARRATOR: But halfway through
pimping her ride,

Kari is worried.

I think this is gonna be
a much more daunting task

than the snowplow actually
thinks it's going to be.

It's got to get completely
through this dashboard

all the way through the center
of the car to the back?

I'm having a hard time
seeing this actually happen.

NARRATOR: It's clear that
there's a lot of car to cleave.

So will the snowplow
be up to the task?

Look. The car is all decorated
for a big Alaskan-style crash.

Well, the rear-engine vehicle
is ready to go.

Well, let's come back tomorrow
and split this myth in two.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Whoo!

NARRATOR:
Kari, Tory, and Grant

are about to crash and burn
in the snow.

TORY:
I want to ride that one!

What they're doing right now is
chaining the car to the skate.

The skate is a device
that hooks onto the track

and ensures that the car goes
straight the whole distance.

Now, at the very end, there's
a high-tech quick release.

There's no blue rope here.

This will ensure that we hit
our snowplow dead center.

NARRATOR: And with a few final
tweaks, we're good to go.

Except for one last thing --
passengers.

KARI:
So Buster, having a little bit

of a problem
with airport security,

called ahead
to get us some local talent.

NARRATOR:
You're thinking,

how are inflatable people going
to provide any sort of data?

Now, these guys are clearly not
crash test dummies

or human analogs of any sort.

But the myth says that both
the passenger and the driver

made it out of the crash
completely unharmed.

Now, if either one of these
gets the slightest nick --

Pbht! --
they'll totally deflate.

NARRATOR: And with the dummies
sitting pretty,

here's how the test
is going to go down.

This cable
will pull that front-engine car

up to 55 miles an hour,

and 10 feet before the plow,
it will release the car,

and it'll go smashing
into the blade.

And if that all works out,

what we're looking for
are two things.

Number one, does the car split

on the snowplow blade cleanly
all the way down?

And number two,

are our inflatable people
still inflated?

NARRATOR: Well, there's only
one way to find out.

Because it's go time.

All right, this is front-engine
car at 55 miles an hour

versus the mother
of all snowplows.

In 3.. .2... 1.

Go!

NARRATOR:
It's the moment of truth

as the car hurtles down
the track at 55 miles per hour.

TORY:
Looking good.

GRANT:
It's looking great!

NARRATOR:
But will the combination

of speed and snowplow
be enough to split the car?

[ Cheering ]

Wow!

KARI:
That is not bifurcated.

Nope, It didn't split in half,
but that was awesome.

That's great!

NARRATOR: Yep, that test
couldn't have gone better,

but that's hardly the result
the team was looking for.

-That's not split in two.
-No.

That's not even cut.

It's just like a dent
in the front end.

GRANT: Yeah, it hit
the engine block and stopped.

So as cool as this crash was,
we're watching it real time.

So it only lasts a split second.

But luckily for the viewers,
we have high-speed cameras.

And not just one, but four
for their viewing pleasure.

NARRATOR:
Viewing pleasure is right.

Every angle of that spectacular
crash tells the same story.

Although the car hit the plow
head on, there's no bifurcation.

But the Mythbusters aren't ready
to call this one just yet.

After all,
it wasn't a complete failure.

The bumper
totally severed in half.

But that is only the first
four inches of the car.

The other 98 % of the car,
still pretty much intact.

NARRATOR:
98 % still intact.

But the passengers, not so much.

I'm a trained CPR.

Don't worry.

I'm pretty sure these people

are not gonna be walking away
from this accident.

We lost her.

NARRATOR:
Sorry, Tory.

But to find out if the plow can
split more than just a bumper,

it's over to plan B
to bring up the rear.

Now we want to give it
a better chance of working.

So we've got
a Mythbuster-y rear-engine car

that we can try to split
on the snowplow.

Maybe this will give us
some sort of bifurcation.

NARRATOR: Yep, 'cause a snowplow
smash just isn't enough.

To confirm this myth, we need to
see a car split in two.

You can make some pretty useful
stuff out of ice and wood,

but could you really make a boat
out of both combined?

Well, to find out,
Adam and Jamie have put pykrete

through its mythical paces.

[ High-pitched voice ]
Oh, look at me!

I'm in a boat made out of ice.

NARRATOR:
And so far, it's looking good.

So, it looks like pykrete
is living up to its hype, huh?

Absolutely, it is.

This stuff is really impressive.

Impressive until you improved on
it with the idea of newspaper.

Yeah, well, what's next, though?

Obviously,
we have to finish this episode

putting around
the Alaskan fjords

in a boat
made out of newspaper and ice.

It's not like
we're going to be able to build

a full-sized aircraft carrier.

-We don't have the time.
-No.

What if we made a boat
that looked like

and performs like a real,
honest-to-goodness speedboat

with a big motor on it?

That is ambitious.

It will be fun, though.

I love it.
Let's go.

NARRATOR:
It's destination Alaska

to attempt to build and set sail

in the world's
first frozen speedboat.

This is Ketchikan, Alaska,
population just about 8,000.

Often the first stop
for cruise ships

heading up the west coast
of North America,

its Alaskan locale
and proximity to water

make it the ideal place

for the maiden voyage
of the "Mythbusters" ice boat.

And this is the
Ketchikan High School wood shop.

It's a shop actually
pretty similar to this

where I first cut my teeth
in the making of things.

This is where
2,000 pounds of newspaper,

aided by low temperatures,
will hopefully become a boat.

Now, if you'll excuse me,
I've got some work to do.

NARRATOR: Indeed.

Because in just a few days,

the boys will be putting
their lives on the line...

ADAM:
Dude, there's paper everywhere!

NARRATOR:
...in a boat made out of these?

What weighs over a ton
and might end up being a boat?

That's right.
Newspaper.

And we've got about
15,000 local Alaskan newspapers

that we've got to unfold
and soak

in order to build our boat.

It's too big a job
for Jamie and me.

Okay. Welcome to Building a Boat
Out of Paper 101.

ADAM: But luckily,
Ketchikan High School

has some willing
"Mythbusters" fans

who also happen to be students

who also happen to have
some free time.

JAMIE:
So, for this to work properly,

we need to make sure that water
gets in between all of the pages

and all of the fibers
and makes it all one piece.

Air bubbles and things like that
aren't good.

It could cause it to delaminate.

And we've only got
one shot at it.

NARRATOR:
With 150,000 pages soaking,

the next step is the mold.

And Jamie has got
just the design in mind.

JAMIE: I used to work
as a boat captain.

So I've been around
a lot of boats.

There was one type of boat

that caught my attention
some years ago, though.

It was called
the Carolina Skiff.

And that's because
it has a flat bottom.

Now, the flat bottom allows it

to get up on a plane
really quickly,

which is good for our purposes.

But also, it makes
our mold-making really simple,

'cause the mold
basically just has to be a box

with flat sides
and bottoms and so on.

So we're gonna have a boat
in no time at all.

Jamie and I ran through
at least 20 different ways

to build this boat from the
inside out, from the outside in.

Pouring it, spraying it,
laying it, freezing it

until we came upon
what we think is the solution

with the highest chance
of success.

NARRATOR: It's going to be
a painstaking process

that starts in the center...

ADAM:
It's the first one.

NARRATOR:
...and works out

to protect the integrity
of the boat.

ADAM: We're going to be
layering the newspapers

layer over layer
like the shingles of a roof

so that all the open sides
of the newspaper

point away
from the direction of travel.

Thus as it starts to melt,

the water
is still not gonna be able

to peel off big chunks
of newspaper as it's going,

and, hopefully,
that will make it last longer.

NARRATOR:
Well, that's the plan.

But it's going to take time...

Your back
is getting to you already, huh?

NARRATOR:... as every layer
is built from the center out,

front to back, one at a time.

Paper-boat-making is dirty work.

NARRATOR:
Dirty work,

but the build is going
just as they planned.

I feel like I'm working
in a swamp. [ Chuckles ]

NARRATOR:
And right on cue,

the all-important
freezer truck arrives.

Ah, that's perfect.

It's nice and cold already.
[ Chuckles ]

ADAM: That's it.
Let's lay in some plastic.

Okay.

NARRATOR: With the plastic
covering in place,

the boat is watertight.

So the boys construct
the internal mold.

Lovely.

The outer mold is in place.
The inner mold is in place.

And the newspaper and the water
are in place.

It's time to get this thing
into the freezer truck

and let physics take over.

NARRATOR:
Which, when you're dealing

with something 20 feet long,
8 feet wide,

and weighing 3,000 pounds,
is easier said than done.

-Yeah.
-We need all hands on deck.

I got the little forklift
out here to pull it.

Oh, okay.

NARRATOR:
And despite weather

that would freeze the ba*ls
off a pool table,

they get the boat
onto the ice truck,

and the freezing can begin.

ADAM:
Extra, extra, read all about it.

NARRATOR: Deep in the heart
of Wisconsin...

Ah!

NARRATOR:... Grant, Tory,
and Kari have been making music.

Welcome to the "Mythbusters"
Alaska special in Wisconsin.

We're testing the myth
that a car skids off the road,

goes head-on into a snowplow,
bifurcates perfectly,

and the driver and the passenger
walk away completely unharmed.

But in test one,

which was a front-engine car
at 55 miles an hour,

the only thing to bifurcate
was the front bumper.

And the passenger and driver,

they were pretty far
from being unscathed.

But we can't bust this myth yet.

Our first vehicle
was a front-engine car.

For test two, we have
our modified rear-engine car,

which means there's
hardly anything in the way

for that plow to cut through.

This vehicle is gonna give us
the best chance

of confirming this myth.

And to give this myth
even more of a fighting chance,

we've made
a few additional changes.

NARRATOR:
And the first of those changes

is to the pointy end
of the plow.

GRANT: If you review
the high-speed footage

from test one,
you'll see that the snowplow

did, indeed,
sustain a little bit of damage.

And, in fact, it left a little
cove in the snowplow blade.

Well, our friends at
MGA Research have repaired it,

and, dare I say,
made it better than new.

There's one more thing
that I've got to do,

and that is
to sharpen the blade.

NARRATOR: A super-sharp blade
may seem unrealistic,

but it could happen.

And to show you
exactly how sharp this is,

let me give you a demonstration.

At least we've got one split.

[ Rimshot ]

NARRATOR: But that's not the
only edge this myth is getting.

Test two is also about speed.

KARI:
Okay, to ramp up test two,

we have an even
sharper snowplow blade

and we have
a "rear-engine vehicle."

But I hear you're the man
to talk to about speed.

How fast can we go?

Well, I would love to do
the 92 miles an hour

that our system is capable of,
but because of track conditions,

vehicle balance, I can do 70.

-I like 70. Let's do 70.
-Excellent.

NARRATOR:
15 extra miles per hour.

That's 25 % faster
than the first test.

But hold on.
Who's driving?

So, test one,
Judy didn't make it.

John did.

I tried as hard as I could
to revive her,

but nothing I could do
would bring her back.

[ Squeak! ]

These are Judy's clothes.

[ Voice breaking ]
Still smells like her.

But luckily,
Judy has a twin sister, Trudy.

So all I need to do
is fill her up with air...

...stick her in the car, and see
if these guys survive this test.

NARRATOR: With Trudy in the hot
seat and the car on the track,

there's only one thing
left to do,

and that's get some predictions.

I don't think we're gonna split
it all the way down the middle,

but I think we're going to get a
lot further through the vehicle.

But I definitely
don't think those people

are going to walk away
from this accident.

In terms of the myth, if
we can't get this car to split

with a rear-engine vehicle
and a super-sharpened snowplow,

this is completely,
totally busted.

There's just nothing
that's going to make a car

split into two
if this doesn't do it.

This is test two.

Rear-engine vehicle
at 70 miles an hour

versus the mother-in-law
of all snowplows.

In 3, 2, 1.
Go!

NARRATOR: It's now or never
for the snowplow split

as the rear-engine car
hurtles down the track

at 70 miles per hour

and headlong into its date
with snowplow destiny.

-Whoa!
-Whoa!

Did you see that thing?!
It looked like a banana peel!

But I don't think the passenger
or driver are walking away.

[ Laughter ]

NARRATOR:
And at snowplow ground zero,

the wreckage
confirms their suspicions.

I've never seen anything
like this.

-No.
-I got to tell you.

It is split for sure.

It's split
all the way to the back seat.

TORY: I'm pretty sure, though,
that the guys did not survive.

I can't wait to see
the high speed.

-[ Laughter ]
-That's gonna be awesome.

NARRATOR: Well,
it certainly is impressive.

At impact, the car is cleaved
almost in two.

But once again,
that pesky engine block

proves too tough for the plow.

TORY:
That was sick!

As soon as that car
came out of the garage,

you hear the whizzing
of the cable on the concrete!

It smashed into that plow,
and it was like bzzzh!

It went in two directions!

Wheels flew over on that side,
glass came over here!

But we still were not able to
split it all the way through.

But it was still awesome.

So I've seen a lot of crashes,
but that?

That is one of the most
amazing things I have ever seen.

To see a car almost split in
two, that's once in a lifetime.

NARRATOR: It certainly is
a once-in-a-lifetime crash.

But where does that leave
our snowplow myth?

TORY: We tested this myth
using a front-engine vehicle

going 55 miles an hour,
and we busted it.

We tried using
a rear-engine vehicle

going 70 miles an hour,
and we busted it.

And then one final thing
we busted.

The curse of the snowplow.

[ Imitates spooky music ]

This test couldn't have gone
any better.

Yeah, we gave this myth the best
possible chance of working,

and the car still didn't split.

And there is no way
those people are walking away

from that crash.

-So this one's busted.
-Busted.

-Busted.
-Let's go back to the shop.

-That's a long walk.
-GRANT: Yeah, well.

TORY: Are you sure
we're going the right way?

NARRATOR:
The Mythbusters are no strangers

to setting sail in dangerous
dinghies for science.

This is so cool!

NARRATOR:
And they've also engineered

ingenious devices
using only paper.

Freedom!

NARRATOR:
But in this Alaskan special...

...they might
just outdo themselves.

JAMIE:
In case you ever wanted to know

how to build a boat
out of frozen newspaper,

this is how it works.

First you've got to get
a bunch of newspaper.

Then you build a mold.

Then you put the wet newspaper
in the mold.

And then you build an inner mold

to hold
the whole thing together.

You take the whole affair.
You put it in a freezer.

And when it's frozen,
you pull it out.

And then you remove
all the mold stuff.

So excited.

You put an outboard motor on it.

You take the whole thing
down to the water,

and out you sail away
into the icy Alaskan ocean.

NARRATOR: Well, they've got
the first part taken care of.

It's a nice boat,
and it's an ice boat.

-JAMIE: [ Chuckles ]
-Get it?

I got it.

An ice boat.

NARRATOR: And no boat,
not even an ingenious ice boat,

would be complete
without a catchy moniker.

Oh, look at that.

It's even got the name
of the boat on it.

It's perfect.

NARRATOR: Which means
all Yesterday's News needs now

is some muscle.

JAMIE:
Why 150 horsepower?

Well, we could have built
a boat that floated,

and, frankly, it wouldn't have
been much of a challenge.

But a boat that will take
a really powerful motor

and get it up on a plane,
that's another thing.

And that's what
I want to see here.

This sucker
is gonna get up and go.

It's going to go scary fast,
if it works at all.

[ Bird squawking ]

NARRATOR:
Well, here's hoping.

Because it's judgment day,
as the boys get ready

to literally put their lives
on the line.

ADAM: Well, we are
at the water's edge.

It's dead calm.

The conditions
couldn't be better,

although I don't need
to tell you

that it's pretty cold out here.

So the very first thing
we are going to do

is put on our survival suits
just in case we get wet today.

NARRATOR: With the water
two degrees above freezing,

these orange monstrosities
will keep the hypothermia at bay

should the boys end up in it.

JAMIE: My biggest concern
right at the gate here

is that the boat
actually floats.

We just sort of
invented this thing,

and we've done our homework,

but we're not going to know
if it floats until it floats.

This is it.
It's no return

once we open the doors
of this freezer.

-Are you ready?
-Let's do it.

Okay.

-Ba ba ba!
-[ Chuckles ]

NARRATOR:
It's a tense process

as the boys
unpack their precious cargo

for its first
and possibly final voyage.

JAMIE:
That's beautiful.

That's the first time we've seen
the outside of the mold.

I know.

NARRATOR:
At the water's edge,

there's time
for a few adjustments.

ADAM: That's it. I don't
want to catch your 'stache.

-You're good.
-Okay.

NARRATOR: Leaving Master Savage
and Commander Hyneman

ready to cast off.

Remember,
the myth that launched it all

was of a World w*r I l-era boat
made only of ice and wood pulp.

The Mythbusters
pushed the boat out

and confirmed
those mythical pykrete claims.

And then added
their own news twist

to give this myth
the best shot at success.

But now,
thousands of man-hours later,

unbelievably, they're
setting sail in a boat

that is only frozen newspaper
and an engine.

-Okay.
-You and I are pushing.

-You ready?
-Yeah.

Here we go.

Ha, ha, ha!

Ah!

Look at that!

Come on, baby!

NARRATOR: Well,
first impressions are good.

ADAM:
Do you realize what this is?

The maiden voyage
of Yesterday's News.

Ice and newspaper.

Let's go. [ Laughs ]

NARRATOR: Incredibly,
Yesterday's News

is staying afloat.

But for our intrepid voyagers,
that's not quite enough.

Dude, it's holding up.

Let's take it up on a plane.

Ready?

NARRATOR:
The real test for this boat is,

will it stay in one piece
at speed?

Three miles per hour.

10 miles per hour.

Ha, ha, ha!

18 miles per hour!

-JAMIE: Yee-haw!
-Wow!

Keep an eye on the motor.

ADAM:
23 miles per hour!

Holy crap!

NARRATOR: "Holy crap"
just about sums it up.

Remarkably, even at a click
of 23 miles per hour,

the frozen newspaper boat
is holding fast.

But Adam's celebrations
may be a little premature.

ADAM:
Dude, we've got a leak.

Why don't you fix it?

Yeah!

NARRATOR: Although Adam
snap-freezes the first leak

with a blast of CO2...

[ Scottish accent ]
We've got to keep her afloat!

NARRATOR:
...he can't stem the tide.

JAMIE:
The water is coming in quicker

than that pump can push it out.

I think we should head back
into shore.

ADAM:
Okay. Can I drive?

JAMIE:
Yeah, go for it.

It's my last chance to drive
a boat made out of freakin' ice!

NARRATOR: After 30 minutes
on the high seas,

the guys head back to shore,

and just in time, judging
by the trail of newspaper.

But our able-bodied Mythbusters
aren't disappointed.

JAMIE:
We did everything we could

as far as testing this material

before we got committed
to making this whole big boat.

And it looked like
it was gonna work out fine.

And who knew?
It actually did.

It worked like a treat.

ADAM: What is a boat?
A boat floats.

By that rudimentary definition,
we've succeeded.

But more than that,
a boat is made

to move efficiently
over the water --

i.e., get up on the plane.

We put a 500-pound engine
on this boat,

and we got up on a plane.

NARRATOR: Yep, Yesterday's News
was papier-mâché in motion.

ADAM: I don't want to
get all misty on you,

but it's a pleasure
building strange crap with you.

[ Both laugh ]

JAMIE: That's one of the most
gratifying parts of this job is,

trying something out,
nobody's ever done it before.

And when it actually works,
it's wonderful.

We came to Alaska to make a boat
out of ice and newspaper.

And as far as I'm concerned
[clicks tongue]

we knocked it out of the park.

NARRATOR: They came,
they saw, they conquered.

JAMIE: It's funny to think
that in a few hours,

those are just going to be
a pile of mush.

ADAM: I know.
I love that.

NARRATOR: And the Mythbusters
abandoned their ship

to melt to slush.

How are we gonna call this one?

Seems to me
pretty straightforward.

Pykrete lived up to all three

of its mythical properties
beautifully.

And we built a viable boat
out of ice and newspaper.

Not only did our boat
get up on a plane,

not only did it
go over 25 miles per hour,

but it looked so damn good,

I swear people
are gonna think we faked it

even though we didn't.

I say that makes it plausible.

Yeah, but let's not forget
that this myth

is about the original pykrete
and about an aircraft carrier.

And given that our super pykrete

darn near melted through
in 20 minutes,

if you're talking about
an aircraft carrier

that can go anywhere
in the world,

including tropical waters,

it's gonna be sloughing off
huge chunks of this stuff

as it goes along.

That means
it's just not at all practical.

How about
plausible but ludicrous?