MythBusters (2010 season)


The cast of the television series MythBusters perform 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.

Episode overview


No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal air dateOverall episode No.

Episode 137 – "Boomerang Bullet"

Adam and Jamie probe a potentially fatal three-way ricochet, while the Build Team tries to re-create medieval germ warfare by turning trees into catapults.

360° Ricochet

Conifer Catapult

Episode 138 – "Soda Cup Killer"

This episode was Jessi Combs's final appearance as a member of the Build Team.

Cup vs Car

Fall Guys

Episode 139 – "Dive to Survive"

Kari Byron returns to the series as of this episode.

Dive to Survive

Phonebook Freedom

Episode 140 – "Spy Car Escape"

Based on countless car chase scenes from spy movies, the MythBusters try to test whether a pursuing car can be stopped or eluded using...
Myth statementStatusNotes
...road spikes or tacks.BustedWhile the road spikes managed to puncture the pursuit car's tires, they did not instantly deflate and the pursuit car managed to catch Adam. The reason why the spikes failed was attributed to the fact that the spikes stuck in the tires, partially plugging up the holes and causing the tires to deflate more slowly.
...a smokescreen.ConfirmedDuring the first run, Jamie attached several smoke grenades to the rear of his car to create a makeshift smokescreen. While initially successful, the smokescreen quickly backfired when the smoke was sucked into Jamie's car as well, blinding and choking him and forcing him to stop the chase. They modified the rig to keep the smoke grenades outside of the car, and Adam drove while wearing an oxygen mask. The second test was more successful, with Adam being able to use the smokescreen to elude the pursuit car.
...an oil slick.PlausibleThe pursuit car was slowed down significantly by the oil slick, allowing Jamie to elude it. However, the pursuit car did not instantly spin out as is popularly shown in movies.

The MythBusters then built their own car-stopping devices. They then attempted to see if a pursuer could be stopped with...
Myth statementStatusNotes
...Adam's parachute rig.FailAs part of the MythBusters' challenge, Adam designed a rig that would deploy a parachute and release it in hopes of blinding the pursuit car. While the parachute successfully deployed, the pursuit car was able to avoid it and chase down Adam. Both Adam and Jamie agreed that it might have worked, but that the challenge required a more reliable method.
...Jamie's specialized car-stopping devices.Partially successfulAs part of the MythBusters' challenge, Jamie designed specialized car-stoppers meant to get caught in the pursuit car's undercarriage and slow it down. While they deployed successfully, the pursuit car managed to stay on Jamie's tail despite taking serious damage from the car-stoppers. Adam and Jamie pointed out that if the chase had gone on for much longer, the pursuit car would not have been able to keep up.

Vector Vengeance

Episode 141 – "Bottle Bash"

Leather Cannon

Episode 142 – "No Pain, No Gain"

Adam and Jamie subjected themselves to four painful stimuli – heat and electric current for Jamie, capsaicin and cold for Adam – and chose to use cold for their investigations. They then built a chair for test subjects to sit in, with an ice bath at into which they would immerse one hand for as long as they could endure it, and imposed a 3-minute maximum. The following four myths were tested.
Myth statementStatusNotes
Women have a higher pain tolerance than men.ConfirmedTwenty-five members of each gender took part. The women lasted an average of 100.4 seconds in the ice, while the average for the men was 84.3 seconds.
Women who have undergone childbirth without using pain medication have a higher pain tolerance than women who have not.ConfirmedIn the SBS One version of the episode, it was shown that the women who had given birth without pain medication lasted an average of 124 seconds in the above test, while the rest lasted an average of 73.8 seconds. Notably, the latter average was lower than that for the men.
Natural redheads have a lower pain tolerance than people of other hair colors.BustedTwo dozen people of each group took part. The average time for the redheads was 132.2 seconds, while that for the non-redheads was 79.1 seconds.
Cursing aloud will allow a person to tolerate more pain than using mild language.ConfirmedAdam, Jamie, Grant, Tory, and Kari subjected themselves to the ice bath while saying a list of innocuous words to cope with the pain. Jamie and Tory had to disqualify themselves because they lasted the full 3 minutes; Tory also began cursing during this attempt. They were replaced by two staff members. In the second trial, the five subjects were allowed to say a list of curse words, resulting in an average 30% increase in the time that they could keep their hands in the ice.

Gas Canister Rocket

Episode 143 – "Mythssion Control"

Jamie and Adam revisited the "Compact Compact" myth after fans complained about a claim Jamie made in the earlier episode. During the investigation he had said that two cars hitting each other at is "equivalent to a single impact going into a solid wall at 100 miles an hour". This was disputed by fans claiming that according to Newton's third law, two cars hitting each other at 50 mph is the same as one car crashing into a wall at 50 mph.
Myth statementStatusNotes
Two cars crashing into each other at 50 mph will exert the same force as a single car hitting a wall at 50 mph.ConfirmedIn their small-scale tests, the MythBusters compressed clay with swinging hammers at two different speeds. Their results showed that two objects hitting each other at 1x speed will cause 1x damage. In their full-scale tests, the MythBusters crashed two cars into a wall at 50 and 100 mph as references. They then had two cars going at 50 mph collide into each other. After surveying the results, it was clear that the two cars suffered damage identical to the car that crashed into the wall at 50 mph. The MythBusters explained that was possible through Newton's third law of motion. Even though there was twice the force generated from both cars, that force also had to be divided between the increased mass of both cars as well.

Knock Your Socks Off Revisit

The fans put forward a number of arguments, citing that the Build Team did not have a proper human analogue, and that they used elastic socks instead of non-elastic ones. The Build Team also decided to see whether hairy or hairless legs would be a factor in the myth.
Myth statementStatusNotes
It is possible to literally knock someone's socks off.Partly ConfirmedThe Build Team tested various types of socks on both hairy and hairless legs to see which sock could be pulled off the easiest. The Build Team then concluded that a non-elastic woven wool sock on a hairless leg would be the best possible combination. They then built ballistic gel legs covered in lamb skin to simulate human legs. The Build Team tested several punches: the uppercut, the right hook, and the body blow. However, none of the punches managed to remove the socks, even with superhuman strength. In order to see what it would take to knock a person's socks off, they hit Buster with a girder mounted on a moving truck. While the truck failed to knock Buster's socks off at, they saw on reviewed footage that the socks were sliding off; a second run at finally sent the socks flying off Buster's feet. While the myth was confirmed, the Build Team pointed out that they had to use an "astronomical" amount of force in order to achieve it.

Episode 144 – "Duct Tape Hour 2"

The MythBusters and the Build Team investigate whether the "handyman's secret weapon" can be used to…
Myth statementStatusNotes
…build a usable bridge across a chasm.ConfirmedAdam and Jamie began by applying force to the middle of a strip of duct tape in order to determine its breaking strength. Finding a result of, they built up strands from layers of tape and Adam experimented with weaving them together to strengthen the design. They settled on a rope bridge with a 10-layer walkway, two handrails, and two stabilizing rails.
They took the bridge to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where they could set it up across a gap with a drop. During test runs to pre-stretch the parts and remove the tape's elasticity, they decided to connect the walkway and handrails with struts in hopes of reducing the wobble. A total of 196 rolls of tape were used to build the finished bridge, which was connected to steel frames on opposite ends of the gap. Adam and Jamie both made the crossing successfully, though Jamie had a much harder time keeping his balance due to his fear of heights and/or the stress of Adam's previous crossing. Jamie commented that the elastic nature of the tape made it a poor choice for building bridges.
…hold a completely dismantled car together so that it can be safely driven at high speed.ConfirmedKari tore apart a car's body and frame with the help of a squad of San Francisco firefighters. Grant and Tory then reassembled it with tape, and the Build Team took it to Naval Air Station Alameda, where they set up an obstacle course on the runway to put as much stress on the car as possible. With Kari driving, the car held together through 10 laps. Next they did some off-road driving in the rain; the engine stalled after several minutes, but the tape did not fail.
…hold a car in place.ConfirmedThe Build Team hooked a force meter between a car's rear bumper and a telephone pole, and found that the car could pull with a force of. Based on the breaking strength data from the bridge testing, they wrapped five rolls of tape around the car and pole to bind the two together. When Grant stepped on the gas, the car stayed in place even as the tires began to smoke, with only one strip of tape breaking.
…stop a car going.BustedThe Build Team placed two concrete barricades on the Alameda runway and used one roll of tape to make a single thick strand strung between them. Driving at, Tory was able to break through easily. For further tests, the team used 100 rolls of tape to make a thick wall, which they hung between the barricades, and towed the car into it while Grant steered remotely.
On the first test, a problem with the tow cable caused the car to hit one of the barricades; the tape took a glancing blow, but did not break. The second test ended with one of the wall's anchor points breaking loose, while the wall itself remained intact. In the third and final test, the car hit the wall dead center and broke through, but not before the tape had stretched nearly. Based on the amount of time and material that would be needed to construct a workable car stopper, the team declared the myth busted.

Episode 145 – "Waterslide Wipeout"

Based on a viral video that can be found on YouTube, this myth was done by the MythBusters by fan request.
Myth statementStatusNotes
A person can slide down a waterslide, launch off a ramp at the end, fly, and accurately land in a small, distant pool.BustedThe MythBusters first built a scale model of the slide, and discovered that the concept was plausible. They then built the full size ramp with dimensions based on thorough analysis of the video. For safety reasons, the MythBusters built the slide next to a man-made lake so that they could avoid injury if they missed the target. After several runs, the MythBusters concluded that the flight distance was impossible, as they could only travel at a maximum distance of with a peak speed of. In order to achieve the distance, they would need to be traveling at least. They then tested the accuracy of the slide, and found that the accuracy was fairly consistent. However, because they couldn't achieve the distance portion of the myth, they were forced to rate the myth busted. Just to make absolutely sure, the MythBusters contacted the people responsible for making the video, and they confirmed that the video was made using computer-generated imagery.

Left Hand Turn

This myth was based on claims that delivery companies use programs that calculate routes using as few left turns as possible to maximize fuel efficiency.
Myth statementStatusNotes
Per the policy of an unnamed package delivery company, driving a delivery truck route that takes makes mostly right turns is more fuel efficient than driving normally, because the vehicle uses up more gas idling while waiting for traffic to clear on a left turn than taking a right turn. The Team generally assumed that the only alternative to a left turn was to replace each one with three right turns in the same area.ConfirmedFor their first test, the Build Team drove a regular size car on a controlled course. On the first run, they drove the car around a block using a left hand turn, but had to wait for a turn signal. In the second run, they instead took three right turns to bypass the signal, but the route was longer. The results showed that the car managed to cover more distance in less time taking right turns compared to left turns while only consuming less than one percent more fuel. For a real world result, the Build Team obtained a full size delivery truck, with the objective of delivering packages to several locations scattered throughout San Francisco. For their second run, they drove exactly the same route, but replaced each left turns with three right turns. Both runs included the treacherous Lombard Street hill. After reviewing their results, the Build Team discovered that the right turn route was more fuel efficient with a 3% difference, despite having to drive a longer distance. Kari then pointed out that this would be an ideal strategy for delivery trucks in urban environments, but would not work as well with regular cars.

Episode 146 – "Fireball Stun Gun"

Fireworks Man

Episode 147 – "Flu Fiction"

Adam and Jamie explore three myths associated with the common cold.
Myth statementStatusNotes
A sneeze can leave a person's nose/mouth at, roughly the same as a Category 2 hurricane.BustedAdam and Jamie used snuff to irritate their mucous membranes and force themselves to sneeze. Droplets from Adam's and Jamie's sneezes traveled at and, respectively.
Droplets from a sneeze can travel up to.BustedTo get a visual indication of distance, Adam mixed cherry drink powder into the snuff and sneezed over a -long strip of white paper. When this method failed to show any marks, he and Jamie tried talking a mouthful of a small amount of food coloring just before sneezing. This idea worked, giving a maximum distance of for Adam and for Jamie.
Nasal secretions from a person with a cold can spread so far and so quickly that anyone in the vicinity can become contaminated.ConfirmedAdam and Jamie consulted with an otolaryngologist and learned that a person with a cold may secrete up to 60 milliliters of mucus per hour. Jamie built a rig from a syringe and tubing to match that drip rate with fluorescent dye, and Adam wore it by his nose as he did model-building work. After one hour, he and everything he had touched were stained with the dye.
They then set up a party for Adam to host, with three "germaphobe" guests and three unsuspecting ones. Thirty minutes later, Adam, the whole table, and every guest except Kari – who admitted that she actually was a germaphobe – were heavily contaminated. In a second experiment in which Adam consciously did his best to avoid physical contact, all six guests came up clean.
Adam and Jamie declared the myth confirmed at this point, commenting that a healthy person would find it very difficult to avoid being contaminated by a sick one who did not attempt to keep from spreading his/her germs.

Tornado Decapitation

Episode SP14 – "Top 25 Moments"

A countdown of the cast's 25 favorite myths and moments to date, with comments from Adam, Jamie, and the Build Team. This was an 86-minute-long special.
#Name Myth featuredComments
25JATO Rocket CarJet Assisted ChevyFirst myth tested
24Guns & AmmoTree Machine GunFrequent use of various firearms on the show
23Science Is GoldenBullets Fired UpScientific analysis used in exploring myths
22Failure Is Always an OptionSupersize Rocket CarExperiments going wrong in unexpected ways
21World FirstsBreaking GlassFirst "World First" - First time a person had been filmed breaking a glass with their voice
20Mean MachinesSteam Powered Machine GunMassive and intricate builds for testing myths
19MythBusters Dress CodeVariousSafety gear and ridiculous costumes used by the cast
18Underwater CarUnderwater CarDemonstrating survival skills some viewers were able to actually use in a real-life situation
17Not So Steely StomachsVariousCast members vomiting on camera
16Surprise! Surprise!Bull in a China ShopUnexpected results from an experiment
15Buster: Honorary MythBusterExploding PantsThe trials and tribulations of Buster
14Duct TapetasticDuct Tape SailboatThe cast finds new uses for duct tape
13Weird & WonderfulVacuum ToiletMost bizarre "what the hell are we doing?" moments
12Lunar LunacyNASA Moon LandingA story intended to promote critical thinking among viewers
11Shark TalesPlaying DeadShark-related myths
10Flatus BurningLighting the EmissionA segment that had not previously aired on the show
9Human Guinea PigsVariousCast members taking part in stunts and physical testing
8Bring Out the BlimpHindenburg MysteryAn experiment whose dramatic outcome matched closely with the real-world event on which it was based
7One Line WondersVariousCast members' memorable lines and recurring themes
6Alcatraz EscapeEscape from AlcatrazA classic story that left several questions unanswered even after it was finished
5Car DropRacing GravityThe Build Team's favorite myth
4Accidents Do HappenVariousMontage of Adam and Tory's frequent mishaps on camera
3Rocketry in MotionCompact Compact Supersized, Snowplow Rocket ReplicationThe use of rocket engines in revisiting a pair of myths
2Lead BalloonLead BalloonAdam and Jamie's favorite myth
1Explosive Fan FavoritesSeveral, with the main, final representation being the exploding cement truck from Cement Mix-Up.A collection of favorite explosions, as chosen by fans and cast members

Episode 148 – "Hair of the Dog"

A revisit of the "Fool the Bloodhound" myth from 2007. Adam and Jamie investigated new suggestions for evading detection by a scent hound, using the same dog and handler from that earlier episode. Given a five-minute head start, Jamie fled while using…
Myth statementStatusNotes
…a literal red herring.BustedJamie spread canned herring across his path in attempt to throw Morgan off the scent. The dog stopped to eat the fish and passed the point where Jamie turned off the main trail, but later doubled back and found him.
…a suit treated with cleaning products intended to neutralize odors.BustedDespite Jamie's suit and choice of hiding places to shelter himself from the breeze, Morgan found him without difficulty.
…an escape route that crosses a river.BustedMorgan was able to pick up Jamie's scent in the water and find him. Adam and Jamie concluded that the size of the body of water had no effect on a bloodhound's ability to track fugitives.
…a complete full-body cleaning and equipment to mask his scent.BustedJamie scrubbed himself down and rinsed with wipes meant for use by hunters to disguise their scent, then put on a protective suit with a gas mask and air filter to remove odors from his breath. He sprayed a false scent trail using his own wash water, threw the sprayer into the tall grass, and hid. The trail distracted Morgan for a short time, but he soon found the sprayer and tracked Jamie to his hiding place.

Adam and Jamie also explored a bloodhound's ability to single out a suspect from a group.
Myth statementStatusNotes
If several suspects flee at once, the dog can find a particular one after being given his/her scent.PlausibleFive men each provided one unwashed shirt, then fled together for a short distance before splitting up. Morgan was given one of the five shirts for a scent, then began to track; he initially had the correct trail, but soon became confused and could not find it again. In a second test, he did find the correct suspect, leading Adam and Jamie to conclude that picking a single suspect out of a lineup in this manner was a plausible but unreliable method. However, it was noted that dogs can be trained to track multiple targets- and that Morgan had not received such training.

Beat the Sniffer Dog

Four contraband-detecting dogs – Buck, Rex, Gypsy, Max – and their handlers took part in a series of tests arranged by the Build Team. They investigated the possibility of fooling the dogs by…
Myth statementStatusNotes
…masking the scent of the contraband with a much stronger one.BustedThe contraband was packed into a plastic container with one of five strong scent materials and hidden in a large warehouse filled with props. Rex was able to find the package every time, with only the citronella slowing him down to any degree.
…using an ultrasonic dog repellent device.BustedKari tested out such a device on her own two puppies to verify its effectiveness. The Build Team then set up a typical outdoor-concert scenario, with over 200 people gathered in a parking lot and possible distractions for the dog: a car with stereo blaring and a fast food truck. One person was given the contraband and the repellent device to trigger whenever Gypsy came too close, but she was able to ignore it and find her target.
…distracting the dog with another scent.BustedThe concert scenario was reset and a female dog in heat was placed near the person with the contraband, in an attempt to distract the male sniffing dog with pheromones. Max did become confused, whereupon his handler removed both him and the female from the area; after a few minutes, Max was brought back in and successfully found the contraband. The handler noted that it is standard procedure to remove all other dogs from the area being searched to prevent this sort of situation.
…packing the contraband with materials intended to cause a false positive and/or repel the handler.BustedTory fitted a false bottom into a suitcase, loaded the contraband into this, then packed that suitcase and several others with the chosen material. The cases were hidden in a large warehouse full of luggage. Tests with strongly aromatic cheese and sausage, and with dirty diapers from Kari's baby, failed to deter Buck from picking the correct bag or his handler from searching it to find the contraband. The handler noted that both dogs and their handlers are thoroughly trained in seeing through attempts to deceive them.

Episode 149 – "Storm Chasing Myths"

Adam and Jamie team up with Sean Casey and Reed Timmer to investigate myths related to the power of tornadoes. The Build Team does not take part in this episode.
The episode includes a memorial to Sanjay Singh, an EMT and "Honorary MythBuster" who died in 2010.
Myth statementStatusNotes
The Storm Chasers' specially reinforced vehicles can withstand an EF5 tornado with winds up to. ConfirmedAt a Michigan airfield used by Kalitta Air, the group used the engines of a Boeing 747 to generate the needed wind forces and speeds, with a vehicle positioned directly behind one engine's exhaust. The first test was carried out at a distance corresponding to winds ; a passenger car had its hood torn off and was pushed back. The Storm Chasers' vehicles, TIV2 and Dominator, suffered no damage in this trial except for TIV2's door flying open because Sean had forgotten to lock it. Each vehicle's anchor spikes allowed it to keep its position on the ground.
In the second test, the vehicles were placed so as to feel the entire wind. Within seconds, the car lost its hood and was thrown backward. TIV2 held its position, while Dominator slid across the ground but did not tumble due to its low profile that kept the wind from blowing beneath it. The only signs of damage were a bent anchor spike and a twisted license plate holder, respectively. Noting that an occupant in either vehicle would easily have survived, Adam and Jamie declared the myth confirmed and stenciled their seal of approval on each one.
It is possible to build a personal tornado protection device.ConfirmedThree criteria were chosen for testing - portability, degree of protection against flying debris, and ability to withstand up to 135-mph winds. Adam and Jamie worked on separate prototypes: an inverted bowl topped by an airfoil to push it into the ground, and a low-profile tent with an anchored base that could pivot to face changing winds. Jamie's design performed considerably better than Adam's and was chosen for full-scale testing.
A prototype built from polyethylene, aluminum, ballistic nylon, and duct tape was taken to the Kalitta airfield; it could be folded up and carried in a backpack. For the debris test, Jamie fired wooden cylinders at the shield, using his soda-can launcher from "Cup vs Car". Buster and Adam each took a turn inside the shield, with no ill effects. Adam then stood in the 747's exhaust until he lost his footing, which occurred at. This wind speed was used as a minimum that the shield would have to endure without any injury to Jamie inside. It tore apart at due to failure of the attachment points between the panels. After these were redesigned and bolted, Jamie was able to hold his ground in winds – the equivalent of an EF4 tornado.

Episode 150 – "Cold Feet"

Cold Feet

This myth is based on the popular saying "getting cold feet".
Myth statementStatusNotes
Your feet get physically colder when you are afraid of doing something.PlausibleThe Build Team first measured the temperature of their feet using skin sensors, and found the average temperature of a human foot is. To test this myth, each member of the Build Team was given a specific test that would make them feel the most uncomfortable to perform. Tory, being uncomfortable with high heights, rode as a passenger in a stunt plane as it performed numerous aerial maneuvers by Sean D. Tucker. The data showed that Tory's feet got colder only shortly before each stunt was performed, but the temperature changed only by a degree. Grant, who is uncomfortable with fish and bugs touching him, was exposed to tarantulas which crawled all over his head in a specialized container. During the test, the sensors recorded Grant's foot temperature dropping almost 15 °F. Kari, who is a vegetarian, was forced to eat a live wax worm and cricket. Her foot temperature also dropped 15 °F during the test. They declared the myth plausible since all three of them experienced temperature drops in their feet. Grant explained that this is most likely due to the fact that when humans feel fear, the outer blood vessels in the hands and feet constrict, drawing blood and warmth away from the extremities and towards the muscles needed to either fight or run.

Episode 151 – "Tablecloth Chaos"

Adam and Jamie explore a large-scale version of an old magic trick, while the Build Team investigates a popular belief about brain activity.

Tablecloth Chaos

Brain Drain

Episode 152 – "Arrow Machine Gun"

Tipsy vs. Tired

Episode 153 – "Mini Myth Madness"

As a tribute to their fans, the MythBusters randomly drew six fan-submitted letters and tested the myths and questions in them. One letter contained three separate myths, bringing the total number of tests in this episode to eight.
Myth statementStatus/ResultNotes
A scuba diver can wear a tuxedo underneath his drysuit, go underwater, resurface, strip off his scuba gear, and be able to present the tuxedo perfectly. ConfirmedAdam and Jamie donned tuxedos after meeting with an image consultant to learn about the particulars of black-tie formal dress. Adam boarded a boat to serve as a comparison standard, while Jamie put on a drysuit and took a 40-minute scuba dive to rendezvous with him. Once Jamie climbed aboard, removed the suit, and brushed himself down, both his tuxedo and Adam's were found to be in presentable condition for a party.
A car's tire pressure can significantly affect its fuel efficiency.ConfirmedThe Build Team ran a car through a test course with regular tire pressure, extremely overinflated and deflated tires, and slightly overinflated and deflated tires, and measured the resulting fuel efficiency for each. The data showed that lower than normal tire pressure resulted in significantly more fuel being consumed, due to a larger amount of surface area in contact with the road to increase friction. Higher than normal pressure did improve fuel efficiency; however, the Build Team discouraged the idea of overinflating tires due to the hazards involved and negligible cost savings.
A laptop can stop a point-blank blast from a shotgun.PlausibleUsing a 12-gauge shotgun, the Build Team fired a load of birdshot at a 4-year-old laptop in a leather bag from point-blank range, with a block of ballistic gelatin behind it to stand for the owner's body. The birdshot easily punctured every area of the laptop that was hit and damaged the gelatin severely. In a second test, they targeted the battery – the component with the highest density – and found that none of the pellets would go through it. The team classified the myth as plausible, since only a very lucky shot would be stopped.
A hair weave can stop a.40 caliber bullet.BustedThe Build Team replicated the conditions of the news story on which the myth was based, firing at a ballistic-gelatin head through a car's rear windshield from behind it. The bullet easily penetrated the head's hair weave and exited through the front, pulling some of the hair with it. The team hypothesized that in the actual shooting, the bullet may have ricocheted off a metal part before coming to rest near the victim's head, giving the illusion that the weave stopped the bullet.
A refrigerator door can stop a spray of 9mm bullets.BustedThe Build Team fired numerous 9mm bullets at a modern refrigerator door stocked with items commonly found in refrigerators. Every shot easily penetrated both the door and a block of ballistic gelatin placed behind it, indicating lethal impacts. They achieved the same result with a double-walled steel refrigerator door from the 1950s.
One of these ways is the best way to limit the spread of germs created by sneezes.Use your elbowAdam and Jamie tested three different techniques of containing sneezes – a hand, an elbow, and a handkerchief – with the help of snuff and food coloring as in "Fever Pitch". Adam's sneezes into his hand spread droplets up to away, while Jamie's elbow stopped nearly all of the droplets from his sneezes. The few that were not stopped traveled only. When Adam sneezed into the handkerchief, those droplets also traveled but soaked his hand as well. They noted that the germs would quickly spread to both the user's hand and other items that touched the cloth, defeating the purpose of using it. The elbow was judged to the most effective device for containing germs from a sneeze.
It is easy to take candy from a baby.BustedAdam and Jamie measured the amounts of force required to simply pick up a lollipop versus taking one from a baby. They tried snatching the lollipop from babies of various ages, and found that the babies would actively fight to keep the candy. Younger ones tended to use brute force to hold on to the lollipop, while older ones used different tactics such as crying and moving the candy out of reach. Picking up the candy required, while taking it from the babies took an average of, indicating that the latter is actually harder to do than the former.
If a bottle of beer is put in the freezer for long enough, removed while it is still liquid, and given a sudden shock, the beer will instantly freeze solid.ConfirmedThe Build Team left bottles of beer inside a freezer for various times, ranging from 120 minutes to 180 minutes, before removing and striking them. They found that 180 minutes of cooling time was necessary to allow the instant freezing to occur. The most likely explanation is supercooling, in which a liquid, beer or otherwise in a very clean container can be cooled below its freezing point, but will rapidly form crystals and freeze if it is disturbed in any way.

Episode 154 – "Reverse Engineering"

Surf and Turf

Episode 155 – "Inverted Underwater Car"

Gas Room Boom

Episode 156 – "Bug Special"

The MythBusters take a crack at a bee-related myth based on a viral video.
Myth statementStatusNotes
One thousand honey bees are capable of lifting a laptop.BustedAdam and Jamie started by covering a laptop with glue and bee-friendly adhesive. They then started attaching bees to the laptop, but quickly found that the video's showing of using a single frame of bees was inaccurate. At least five frames were needed to achieve an appearance similar to the video, but the bees could not lift the laptop.
Small-scale tests indicated that an average honeybee could carry 96 milligrams of weight; based on this result, it would take at least 23,000 bees to lift the laptop. Adam counted the number of bees per square inch in the frames, measured the laptop's surface area, and calculated that only 2,300 bees would fit onto it. Declaring the myth busted at this point, Jamie used toy helicopters to show that any lift generated by the bees' wings would be counteracted by the force of air being pushed down onto the payload, making it impossible to lift anything as shown in the video. They also demonstrated that bees' ability to work together was limited, as one further test with two bees attached to a single "mini-laptop" payload resulted in the bees being unable to get the mini-laptop off the ground. Finally, to show how the video might have been faked, they devised a rig that allowed them to attach fishing line to the laptop, and then hoist it with an off-camera stick or handle once the laptop was covered with bees.

Fly vs Water

According to the Build Team, this was one of the most demanded myths from the fans. The popular theory is that since water refracts light, it would confuse flies' compound eyes.
Myth statementStatusNotes
Bags of water hung from the ceiling can repel flies.BustedThe Build Team built a rig consisting of three chambers separated by trap doors. The first chamber would hold the flies, the second would hold some rotten meat, and the third would hold both rotten meat and a bag of water. They then released over 5,000 flies from the first chamber and waited to see how many flies would go into each of the other two. After the chambers were sealed off, they let all the flies die and collected the corpses to weigh for comparison. The chambers with and without the water contained 35 and 20 grams of flies respectively, busting the myth.

Biker vs Bug

Myth statementStatusNotes
A person riding a motorcycle at high speed can be killed if he impacts a bug.PlausibleDoing some research, the Build Team discovered that the most vulnerable point on the human body was the throat; an impact with 76 pounds of force could cause the windpipe to swell and suffocate the victim. They attached a force plate to a mannequin torso, put it in a sidecar attached to a motorcycle, and had Tory drive at 85 miles per hour so that the plate would hit an insect suspended at throat height. Tests with a common fly, a cicada, and a Goliath beetle yielded 10, 37, and 100 pounds of force, respectively.
To investigate the speeds needed to inflict a lethal injury at head or chest height, the team set up an air cannon to fire a Goliath beetle analog at the force plate. An impact at 120 mph gave 285 pounds of force, while a test at 200 mph yielded 500 pounds. Although neither of these was high enough to result in a fatal injury, the team deemed the myth plausible, since a heavy enough insect hitting just the right spot on a rider could lead to his death.

Episode 157 – "President's Challenge"

challenges Adam and Jamie to revisit the Ancient Death Ray myth originally aired September 29, 2004.
Myth statementStatusNotes
Up to 500 people with mirrors can focus the sun's light enough to set a wooden ship ablaze.Re-BustedRecalling their experience with previous experiments, Adam and Jamie knew that it would be extremely difficult to coordinate all 500 people into focusing their mirrors into a single spot, so they set about trying to construct aiming systems to assist the shield bearers. While Jamie's efforts with a gunsight system proved unsuccessful, Adam found that stretching a net across the front of the mirrors provided a usable visual guide for aiming the beams. After a test in the workshop with 12 people holding mirrors proved the feasibility of this method, 500 double-sided mirrors were delivered and the crew covered one side of each with bronze Mylar film to represent the Greek mirrors, leaving the other side intact.
In the full-scale test, 500 high school students stood in for the Greek soldiers trying to set a boat's sails on fire, using first the bronze and then the modern mirrors. Both of these efforts failed, as did a third trial in which the boat was pulled close enough to the shore for Jamie to throw tennis balls and hit the students. Though Adam and Jamie declared the myth busted, Jamie noted that the reflections from the mirrors were extremely distracting and had blinded him temporarily, and that this may have been Archimedes' true intent in recommending their use in warfare.

Car Flip

Myth statementStatusNotes
A strong enough punch, directed down onto the hood of a moving SUV, can cause it to somersault into the air. This myth was based on a scene from the film Hellboy.BustedThe Build Team first did some tests to determine the amount of force needed on the hood in order to get the SUV's front end to touch the ground. They found that a total of 5,000 pounds was required, so Tory built a giant fist from a steel cylinder, to be dropped from a crane to give that much force on impact. The first few tests revealed problems with positioning and timing of the drop to hit the hood; after they fine-tuned the system, they scored a solid hit but failed to flip the SUV.
Reverting to small-scale testing with a toy SUV, the team experimented with combinations of fist weight, vehicle speed, and center of gravity, but still could not get a flip. They declared the myth busted at this point, then attached a long lever to a full-sized SUV's roof in order to move the impact force away from the front axle, which served as the fulcrum for the car after impact. Even with this modification, the rear end only flipped 45 degrees into the air and did not somersault forward.

Episode 158 – "Green Hornet Special"

Seth Rogen, star of the 2011 film The Green Hornet, gives the cast two myths to test concerning the Green Hornet's car, Black Beauty.

Explosive Escape

Elevator Car Cut

Myth statementStatusNotes
If a bullet-riddled car drives halfway into an elevator that begins to ascend, the car will be cut in half when the elevator reaches ceiling level, and the front end can be driven out.Busted, Plausible Kari converted an actual 1964-65 Imperial into a Black Beauty replica, and Grant and Tory fired over 200 rounds of submachine gun ammunition into it to replicate the movie car's condition. The Build Team then constructed a rig to replicate the elevator, using a forklift that could generate 35,000 pounds of lifting force. When they put the car in position and lifted, it got caught and crushed at "ceiling" level without being sliced in half.
The team declared the first half of the myth busted, but Seth "revealed" that the Black Beauty was equipped with a system to split itself in emergencies. Concentrating on the possibility of driving the front half, they cut the rear half off another car. After several adjustments, they were able to get the front started and drive it a short distance until it hit a wall. Seth then claimed that Black Beauty had a reserve fuel tank under its hood, so the team installed one in their half-car and took it to Petaluma Speedway for one more test. This time, Tory was able to complete 20 laps at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. The team decided that the idea of driving the half-car was plausible, if the driver made the needed extensive modifications ahead of time.

Episode 159 – "Operation Valkyrie"

Slap Some Sense

Myth statementStatusNotes
It is possible to bring an impaired/shocked person back to some degree of proper mental functioning by slapping him/her in the face.ConfirmedAs Kari consulted a military emergency physician to learn about the fight-or-flight reflex, which can be triggered by sudden trauma, Grant and Tory built a face-slapping rig to deliver a controlled amount of force. Grant was first to take a series of four tests covering reflexes, calculation, coordination, and visual/communication skills. The tests were conducted under three conditions: "normal", "impaired", and "impaired" followed by a slap before each test. Grant's "impaired/slapped" results were not as good as his "normal" baseline, but markedly better than his "impaired" scores.
For a different test of judgment and coordination, Kari and Tory did an exercise on a shooting range and added more impairments: going without food or sleep for an entire day, then sitting in the ice for 30 minutes and being slapped. Their results followed the same trend as Grant's, leading the Build Team to declare the myth confirmed.