1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 In this episode, the mythbusters are going far beyond their comfort zones. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Did I tell you I was afraid of heights? 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Could you survive falling 200 feet into water by throwing a hammer in first? 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,000 And multiple myths for soft drinks. 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,000 Does cola have miraculous power? 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:22,000 Your side sucks. 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,000 You might bust a myth from the other side if you could survive the burial. 8 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,000 I can feel it coming in. 9 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Roger that, we're going to get you out. 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Who are the mythbusters? 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Am I missing an eyebrow? 12 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:38,000 Adam Savage. 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000 I always enjoyed seeing Adam in pain. 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Oh! 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,000 And Jamie Heidemann. 16 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,000 Jamie wants a big bone. 17 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,000 More than 30 years special effects experience. 18 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:51,000 You'll kind of sexy. 19 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,000 They don't just tell the myths. 20 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,000 They put them to the test. 21 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Are you ready? 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,000 It's been nice knowing you. 23 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,000 See you later. 24 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Okay. 25 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,000 She thinks I look great in an Audi pine. 26 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,000 What do you think? 27 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:23,000 How long could a human survive in the confines of a coffin six feet under? 28 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,000 Fair well, cruel world. 29 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Adam's plan is to bury Jamie alive. 30 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:29,000 Are you doing good, boy? 31 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:30,000 Are you okay in that? 32 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,000 This experiment is risky, asphyxiation a real possibility. 33 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,000 I don't know if I'm going to like this too much. 34 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Well, we're going to bring our science to a really old one this time, Jamie. 35 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,000 And the idea is that someone could be mistakenly declared dead, 36 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,000 put in a coffin, and then put into a grave and buried while still alive. 37 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,000 Well, it seems like that would be possible, but I don't think they'd last very long. 38 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000 There are multiple legends about being buried alive, 39 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,000 because apparently there have been stories about this since the ancient times. 40 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,000 Heather Joseph Witham, resident folklorist. 41 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000 Social myths are her specialty. 42 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,000 One version of the narrative is that your friend's great-great-grandma 43 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,000 was very ill, and in fact, she was lying in a coma for several days, 44 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,000 at which point she died. 45 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:28,000 Now, when the doctor pronounced her dead, her husband came and was looking at the body and said, 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,000 she's not dead, she's not dead. 47 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,000 We've been married for over 50 years. 48 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,000 I can feel her innermost thoughts. 49 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:34,000 I know everything about her. 50 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,000 She's not dead. 51 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,000 Now, every night this man is having a recurring nightmare. 52 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:44,000 He wakes up, he sees his wife crying at the coffin, screaming, 53 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,000 I'm alive, help me, help me. 54 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,000 He has this dream every night. 55 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,000 So finally, after a week of these hysterical calls, 56 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,000 the doctor, together with the local authorities, 57 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,000 digs the woman up. 58 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,000 And when they open the coffin, what they find is all her nails are bent back, 59 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:03,000 and there are very clear scratches all along the inside of the coffin lid. 60 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,000 First of all, I don't think anyone has ever been put into a closed casket 61 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,000 unintentionally and alive. 62 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,000 I think that is fiction from overheated Gothic writers. 63 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,000 At Mission Dolores, San Francisco's oldest church, 64 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Brother Gwair Cleary takes a very skeptical view. 65 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:31,000 Well, I've heard stories that some people would insist on perhaps having bells, 66 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:36,000 ropes going to bells from the coffin, so if they woke up underground, 67 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:41,000 they could ring it, or perhaps they would have their veins drained of blood 68 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,000 to make sure they were genuinely dead. 69 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,000 So if they weren't dead of natural causes, they'd like... 70 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,000 They were dead from their undertaker. 71 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:49,000 Yeah. 72 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:55,000 It makes you wonder also, was this a myth that was encouraged by people who produce 73 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,000 and were selling such products? 74 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,000 You know, the great American skill is not satisfying needs, 75 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,000 it's creating needs. 76 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,000 Burying Jamie alive is a dangerous experiment. 77 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:15,000 It requires an above-ground chamber and a casket strong enough to withstand the load of dirt. 78 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,000 Meters will monitor his pulse and blood oxygen levels 79 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:24,000 and the amount of potentially deadly CO2 building up inside the casket. 80 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:29,000 And for safety, a night vision camera and emergency oxygen. 81 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:34,000 You know, the CO2 level is going to build up really quickly in the volume and size of a casket. 82 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,000 How long do you think the average person might last? 83 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,000 I'm guessing around maybe three hours tops. 84 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,000 How long do you think you're going to last? 85 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Well, three hours is like on the verge of death, 86 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,000 and I don't think I'm willing to go quite that far. 87 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,000 So, you know, maybe an hour and a half, I don't know, maybe two. 88 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,000 It sort of depends on how I can control my breathing, I believe. 89 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:03,000 Kind of like that, you know? 90 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:04,000 You like the cash drawer? 91 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,000 Yeah. 92 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,000 I keep my wallet and valuables in there. 93 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,000 The first item required is Jamie's coffin. 94 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,000 His concerns are size, strength and comfort. 95 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:20,000 This is a 18-gauge steel casket and velvet interior. 96 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:26,000 Kelly Gillespie works closely with the bereaved at the Arthur Sullivan Funeral Home. 97 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,000 This is the pillow, so you'll feel how soft that is. 98 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Oh, that feels nice. 99 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,000 All right. 100 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Is that going to be comfy for you? 101 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,000 Yeah. 102 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,000 There's the spring bed mattress underneath, which does rise up and down, 103 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:42,000 and then these notches up here go right into the hole, and then you can lock it. 104 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,000 So, if you were inside here and once it's closed, you're not getting out by yourself, right? 105 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000 I don't see any way of getting out from the inside. 106 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Pumper. 107 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000 You're going to have to trust us. 108 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,000 Not very comfy. 109 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,000 It actually feels kind of lumpy. 110 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,000 It's a press board that's covered in fabric. 111 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,000 I'm kind of concerned about getting crushed. 112 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,000 I don't know about a couple tons of dirt on there. 113 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,000 It seems sturdy enough. 114 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,000 It's 20-gauge steel. 115 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:13,000 Maybe to make sure that I do come back intact, and we should buy the Astrol Phoenix. 116 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Well, then what do you think about this one, Jamie? 117 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,000 I think I'd be okay with 20-gauge. 118 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,000 I would feel a little bit more comfortable with, you know, loading all that dirt on it. 119 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Your comfort, Jamie, is our first priority. 120 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,000 I need to be able to rest in peace. 121 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,000 Exactly. 122 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,000 The choice is made. 123 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,000 A preference for steel over wood. 124 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,000 You know, there's something vaguely disturbing about this, and I'm not sure what it is. 125 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,000 You want to ride back in the back and I'll drive? 126 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Sure. 127 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,000 This is the carbon dioxide and oxygen meter. 128 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,000 This is the pulse oximeter. 129 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,000 This is the night-shot camera. 130 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,000 And this is our emergency supply of oxygen. 131 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,000 Basically, we have to get all of this in here, with Jamie included, 132 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,000 so that all the systems are up and running. 133 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,000 We can monitor him. 134 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,000 We can know if he's okay. 135 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,000 We can give him oxygen if he needs it. 136 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,000 Make sure he's going to be safe. 137 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,000 The casket will be buried inside a chamber. 138 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:27,000 It's constructed to come apart easily for quick access to Jamie in an emergency. 139 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:43,000 Safety is the first priority, so the casket is prepared for a trial run at the workshop with Jamie inside. 140 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,000 The casket is sealed. 141 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,000 Two emergency medics will be on hand at all times. 142 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Jamie's survival may depend on their skills. 143 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Both of us. 144 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,000 He has 81 and his blood oxygen level is 98. 145 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,000 Hey Jamie, you want to run through how you're feeling in there? 146 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Any change in the state of your head, i.e. light-headed, dizziness, seeing lights or anything? 147 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,000 No, I don't think so. Everything seems fine. 148 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,000 I'm just kind of thinking about sex a lot. 149 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,000 Okay, that's only interesting if it's change in state. 150 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,000 The medical profession is doubtful anyone could survive a burial. 151 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:26,000 Dr. William Miller, medical director at St. Luke's Hospital, believes no one would live to tell the tale. 152 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:36,000 Well, I think that when I was a Boy Scout, we used to sit around telling each other stories around the campfire about bodies that had been dug up and scratch marks on the inside of a coffin. 153 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:42,000 But when I became older and a physician, I have never given any of those stories any credence. 154 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,000 Do you think it would have been any more likely in the past? 155 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,000 I mean, given that the technology was a lot different then. 156 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:57,000 I think certainly that in the 1800s, for example, at that time we did not have an agreed upon set of criteria. 157 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:04,000 And so you might have a physician whose idea of death was, for example, very flimsy and not very solid. 158 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:11,000 And they themselves might pronounce somebody dead who by today's criteria we would not say was dead. 159 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Most of the macabre stories belong to the dark days of medicine when pronouncing someone dead was a hit or miss kind of science. 160 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:31,000 So you have the story in the 17th century, Marjorie Elphinstone of Scotland gets actually buried a few hours later at night time. 161 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:37,000 Robbers come, they dig her up and they are going to take the jewelry off her when she groans. 162 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:43,000 And they all go running off into the night in terror and she sits up, walks home and outlives her husband. 163 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:52,000 Modern medicine avoids uncertainties of the old days by using five different factors to pronounce someone officially dead. 164 00:09:52,000 --> 00:10:00,000 Well, the first thing that we would do is to induce some significant stimuli to see if there is any neurological response. 165 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:10,000 And the way many of us do that is we take something scientific like a car key and we push very hard on the thumb to induce pain. 166 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:17,000 Then we check for a pupillary response, usually using a pen light and see if the pupils react. 167 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:22,000 Then we would take our stethoscope and we would listen for a heartbeat. 168 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,000 And usually while listening we also check for a pulse. 169 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:33,000 And we use the carotid artery and then finally we would listen over both sides of the chest for any respirations. 170 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:42,000 So if a patient is not breathing and there is no pulse and there is evidence that the brain is not functioning, then that is the determination of death. 171 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,000 Are you okay for another seven minutes there, Heneman? 172 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:52,000 I feel perfectly fine. It's really hot. That is the only thing I don't like. 173 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:59,000 Back at the workshop, Jamie's test run in the sealed casket has lasted nearly 50 minutes. 174 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:08,000 His blood level of carbon dioxide peaked at 3%. 4% is getting dangerous. 10% is lethal. 175 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:14,000 Waking up in a coffin, you know, surprise, I think it would be pretty scary experience. 176 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,000 This stuff is like what gets you. You know, it's all, being in a box is one thing, 177 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:26,000 but you got all the stuff that's supposed to make it real nice and pleasant and it's actually really kind of creepy, I think. 178 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:38,000 Many of these stories are relatively recent. You have a man in South Africa in 1993 who is pronounced dead after a car accident. 179 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:46,000 He spends two days in some kind of metal casket above ground, at which point he wakes up. 180 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:54,000 And unfortunately, he's not very happy apparently because his fiance won't take him back believing that he's a zombie come back to get her. 181 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:04,000 So the next step is to load this up on our forklift, lower it down into our makeshift above ground grave, fill it with earth, 182 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 and monitor Jamie until he begs for mercy. 183 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:24,000 The mythbusters are about to defy nature in an attempt to bury Jamie alive. 184 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,000 How you doing? Hey, what the hell are we supposed to do with all this dirt? 185 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,000 So buried alive, huh? 186 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,000 Buried alive. You ever heard about anyone being buried alive? 187 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:37,000 Well, I've heard of them. You know, I've seen movies, but I've never really actually seen it happen. 188 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:38,000 Yeah. 189 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:48,000 I'm a little apprehensive at the moment. I'm hoping that the box won't collapse, but I think it'll be alright. 190 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:59,000 His dry run lasted 50 minutes, but now, under real conditions, Jamie will be feeling stress, producing more CO2, 191 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,000 reducing his survival time. 192 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Are you comfy? 193 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,000 Yes. 194 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,000 You can deal? 195 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Yeah. 196 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:11,000 Okay, so you've got your walkie, you've got your mic on, that's your emergency oxygen, you have your pulse oxygen meter here, 197 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,000 camera, thermometer, humidity sensor. 198 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:15,000 You ready, Jamie? 199 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000 Farewell, cruel world. 200 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,000 Bye-bye, honey man. 201 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,000 The next day 202 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:30,000 With Jamie laid out in his casket, Adam gently lowers him into the chamber. 203 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,000 Watch yourself, it's going to go down. 204 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:38,000 He's about to undergo a rare ordeal. He will be buried alive. 205 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:51,000 To match a burial as closely as possible, Jamie's temporary grave will be covered with several tons of earth. 206 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:59,000 I got a fair amount of dirt in here and actually crushed the container a little bit. 207 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,000 Roger that, are you nervous about it? Over. 208 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:06,000 No, I think I'm fine. It definitely had an effect on the casket though. 209 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:13,000 Loading earth on the steel casket is a calculated risk. It's up to Jamie to make the call. 210 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:22,000 Well, all I got to say is be gentle on those dumps because I'm worried about the lid slipping off of its sides or something like that. 211 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,000 Jamie, would you like me to come in and check the lid out? Over. 212 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:30,000 You're not going to be able to tell anything more than I can at this point. 213 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:34,000 I'd say just keep going. I wish I had a light in here. 214 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,000 He's a trooper man, I'll tell you. 215 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,000 Oxygen levels? Oxygen, he's at 98%. 216 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:48,000 The medics are watching his vital signs closely. Any indication of acute stress and he will be exhumed. 217 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,000 I imagine my heart's beating a little faster than it was on the test, over. 218 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,000 You'd be correct about that. It's at 95 right now, buddy. 219 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,000 You are almost officially completely covered now, Jamie. 220 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:08,000 The casket is getting so warped from the pressure that it's popped up the corners a little bit. 221 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:16,000 Suddenly, the major worry is the very real possibility of Jamie being crushed inside the metal box. 222 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:22,000 This thing's really starting to creak and it's feeling like it's changing, it's cheap. 223 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:29,000 They decide to halt the bobcat. They hope the casket can withstand the force pressing from above. 224 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,000 It's buckling and changing shape on him. Truly. 225 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,000 That's the last one we're doing. 226 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Roger that, we're going to get you out. 227 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:50,000 Oh wow. 228 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,000 It will? 229 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,000 Yeah, it buckled. 230 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,000 Here you go. 231 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,000 Just ahead. 232 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,000 Hey, Jamie. 233 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,000 Hey! 234 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,000 And he's still alive! 235 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,000 Did it do anything or is that all my imagination? 236 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,000 No, it definitely was coming out. 237 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,000 Oh, he definitely was crushing it in. 238 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,000 It's just sitting there, Gordon. 239 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:15,000 Yeah! 240 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:22,000 Jamie persisted inside the casket for 30 humid minutes, breathing only the available air. 241 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:27,000 I started to panic a little bit there at the end. It's pretty scary. 242 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:35,000 I don't have any particular fear of enclosed spaces at all and feeling those walls starting to cave in, 243 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:42,000 it really gets you going as I'm sure my pulse rate will testify. 244 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000 This is where your pulse started. 245 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000 And with the point you asked us to get you out, you were off my chart. 246 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,000 Your pulse was about 115. 247 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Okay. 248 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,000 Which shows, I mean, because of your pulse, you were using up a lot more oxygen. 249 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,000 So what are the chances of surviving six feet under? 250 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,000 I think that it is sufficiently busted. 251 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:11,000 I don't think it's possible for someone to survive a couple of hours in the panicked state of being buried with their coffin crushing 252 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:16,000 and all of that stuff, let alone a couple of days until they're exhumed and found to be alive. 253 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 That's just patently ridiculous to me. 254 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,000 Well, there you go. Myth busted. 255 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:33,000 America's favorite drink has always attracted its own share of popular myths. 256 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:40,000 Some of them true, most of them baloney, but all of them challenges for the myth busters. 257 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,000 Jamie, how many things can we do with cola? 258 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,000 Lots. 259 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,000 We can clean up blood. 260 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,000 You can dissolve a T-bone steak. 261 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:48,000 You can clean chrome. 262 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,000 Clean corroded contacts on your battery. 263 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,000 You can free a rusted bolt. 264 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,000 You can clean your greasy laundry. 265 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,000 Car paint work. 266 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Dissolve a tooth. 267 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,000 You can clean your car engine. 268 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,000 And it also might be an effective spermicide. 269 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:00,000 That should be fun. 270 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:05,000 Some of these sound actually like they're pretty reasonable to me, and some of them just sound absolutely ridiculous. 271 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,000 So it would seem. 272 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:12,000 Well, let's go get some blood and steaks and chrome and rusty bolts and get started. 273 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,000 Yeah. 274 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:14,000 Okay. 275 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:19,000 We'll cola shift those hard to remove blood stains from the myth busters crime scene. 276 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:21,000 Why still? 277 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:22,000 I'm not going to hurt you. 278 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:23,000 I don't trust you. 279 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,000 Well? 280 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,000 You realize that this white line thing is all a myth. 281 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,000 They don't actually do that. 282 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,000 No, you're kidding me. 283 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:31,000 Yeah, that's it. 284 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,000 It would contaminate the site. 285 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,000 When did the myth start? 286 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,000 Was it ever used? 287 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:37,000 You know, I don't know. 288 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,000 I think it just looks good. 289 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,000 It definitely looks good. 290 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:45,000 Oh, yeah. 291 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,000 You know, everything's giving it's the cranberry sauce that makes it special. 292 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,000 Animal blood was used to keep the test as authentic as possible. 293 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,000 Okay, so how long do we have to wait? 294 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,000 Is it like the amount of time that it would normally take for an ambulance to get here? 295 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:09,000 For the realism and effectiveness, we always strive for... 296 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:12,000 There we go. 297 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:24,000 After two hours in the California sun, only Jamie's crime scene outline gets the cola treatment. 298 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,000 It's kind of rejuvenating the blood, isn't it? 299 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,000 Isn't that what they advertise it to do? 300 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,000 That was a lot of blood. 301 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000 Check the truck out. 302 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,000 It really dissolved it on that. 303 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Yeah, took it right off the truck. 304 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Well, most of the blood is washed away. 305 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,000 What do you think? 306 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,000 Was the final verdict on this? 307 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,000 The cola helped. 308 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Not by a whole lot, but it did help. 309 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,000 This area is cleaner than that one, and this is the one with the cola on it. 310 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,000 Yeah, I still see a blood streak on mine after all the washing we did, and it took it right up the bumper. 311 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Well, it works. 312 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,000 Alright, cool. 313 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:17,000 No one was willing to volunteer their car for the cola cleaning and rust test, 314 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:23,000 so Jamie rolled in a junker to see if it could take all that cola could throw at it. 315 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:24,000 That was good. 316 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,000 I didn't know it had brakes until you stopped. 317 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:27,000 I didn't either. 318 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,000 It's hurt. 319 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Will cola and aluminum foil shine the chrome on your car? 320 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:39,000 We'll compare the cola against the leading brand of chrome cleaner. 321 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,000 I'm not sure exactly what the aluminum foil does with this. 322 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:54,000 Well, I think it ionizes the cola particles and brings a rust to the surface. 323 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,000 I think the cola is doing a great job. 324 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:02,000 The rust is all gone. 325 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:07,000 It kind of has like a foaming, you know, scrubbing bubble kind of thing going on there. 326 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,000 Even a sticky mess, but that'll wash off. 327 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,000 Man, I mean, this is some spots. 328 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,000 Yeah, I know, I know. There we go. 329 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,000 Your side sucks. 330 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,000 My side sucks? 331 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,000 I gotta say, if you ask me, cola is a fantastic bumper cleaner. 332 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,000 I agree. 333 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 High marks for shining the chrome. 334 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,000 But what about freeing a rusty bolt? 335 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,000 The myth is that it's a cola-soaked rag. 336 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:39,000 But could cola's low phosphoric acid content be effective against rust? 337 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,000 All right, why don't we give it five minutes? 338 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,000 Okay, let's go drink some cola. 339 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,000 I don't see any real way that that's going to do anything. 340 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,000 Oh! 341 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,000 You want to give it a shot? It ain't moving. 342 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:57,000 I got it, Adam. 343 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,000 You got it? 344 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000 Yeah. 345 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Was it hard? 346 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,000 Yeah. 347 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,000 I don't think it really penetrated that well. 348 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,000 Well, I think this one was a total failure in that regard. 349 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:08,000 Well, I'd agree. 350 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,000 Maybe it removed a little surface rust on it. 351 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,000 It's about it. 352 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,000 So, what's next? 353 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Everyone's heard about cola's so-called corrosive qualities. 354 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:21,000 Time to test the myths with two pennies and some teeth. 355 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,000 And one more. 356 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,000 Can cola dissolve a T-bone steak? 357 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:33,000 In this test, the cola will be compared to pure phosphoric acid, 358 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:37,000 an active ingredient in cola that gives the drink its sharp taste. 359 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Most food contains naturally occurring acid, 360 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,000 much of it stronger than phosphoric. 361 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,000 So, how will the cola react with the chosen test items? 362 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,000 That looks yummy. 363 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,000 Oh, now that's a marinade. 364 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,000 I'll have to try it. 365 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:52,000 And you know what? 366 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,000 It might actually be really, really tasty. 367 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,000 Jamie, I think we've got something really important here. 368 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:01,000 I notice that the steak tends to float in the acid, 369 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,000 but not the cola. 370 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:03,000 That's amazing. 371 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,000 I would have guessed the other way around. 372 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,000 Penny, cola. 373 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,000 Penny, phosphoric acid. 374 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000 Tooth, phosphoric acid. 375 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,000 Tooth, cola. 376 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,000 The teeth and the pennies will soak for 24 hours. 377 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,000 The steak will stay for 48. 378 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,000 We'll be back later for the cola results. 379 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000 Did I tell you I was afraid of heights? 380 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:43,000 Busting the hammer-jump myth involves G-forces, terminal velocity, 381 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,000 surface tension, and a helpful crash test dummy named Buster. 382 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,000 Oh, no. 383 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000 Poor guy. 384 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000 Well, there's this myth that if you fall off a high structure 385 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,000 like a bridge or a crane or something over water 386 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,000 and you throw a hammer in front of you, 387 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,000 that it'll save your life because it'll break the surface tension of the water. 388 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:10,000 No way. 389 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,000 This story has been told about the Sydney Harbor Bridge 390 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:17,000 and also about the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. 391 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:22,000 The story is told among people who work on bridges, construction workers, 392 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,000 people who might fall off of a bridge 393 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,000 and like to have the idea, at least subconsciously, 394 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,000 that there's something they can do about it, 395 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,000 that there's some way to save themselves. 396 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,000 I guess this is based on the idea that if you fall from a really large height, 397 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,000 hitting water is pretty much like hitting concrete. 398 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,000 I mean, it doesn't move out of the way like we expected to. 399 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,000 It actually resists impact at that speed. 400 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,000 Yeah, and so by throwing a weight in front of you, 401 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,000 that you're going to break the surface tension 402 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:52,000 or possibly simply aerate the water to where it slows your deceleration down. 403 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:57,000 You don't stop so quickly because that stop is what kills you. 404 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,000 Right. 405 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:02,000 This is where you incur all that G-force that like makes your organs go crazy. 406 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,000 Yeah. 407 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,000 Surface tension is what keeps water-striding insects afloat. 408 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,000 It allows them to make indentations without getting wet. 409 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:18,000 The apparently invisible skin is formed by water molecules 410 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,000 creating even greater tension at the surface. 411 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,000 And that's why belly flops hurt. 412 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 In consideration of the myth, I would think it'd be very reassuring to believe 413 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,000 that if you're working high steel, you miss step. 414 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,000 It would be nice if your tool belt went first, broke the fall, and you survived. 415 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,000 According to author Stephen Cassidy, 416 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,000 the hammer myth may have originated during construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. 417 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:47,000 In 1937, 12 men fell when a bridge section crashed into their safety net. 418 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,000 Only one man survived. 419 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Did his hammer break the fall? 420 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,000 The tool belt that those guys used had, among other things, spanners and hammers. 421 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,000 So they might have 100 pounds of tools around a tool belt. 422 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:03,000 Certainly enough heavy metal at their disposal in the form of tools 423 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,000 to equate to a hammer or mini-hammers. 424 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:12,000 At 220 feet above water, the Golden Gate Bridge would be ideal 425 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,000 to test the myth of a hammer breaking an accidental fall. 426 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:21,000 These days, for security reasons, the massive structure is off limits. 427 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:27,000 So to bust the hammer-jump myth, Jamie and Adam need a way to get some serious height. 428 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,000 That's what the crane's for. 429 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,000 So we'll take the dummy to the top of this crane and drop him into the water a bunch of times? 430 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,000 That's it. The dummy's going to get it go swimming. 431 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,000 Oh, I love this job. 432 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:47,000 The myth busters are at Mayor Island, the former naval shipyard just north of San Francisco, 433 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,000 where the Pacific Fleet used to put in for maintenance. 434 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:58,000 Mayor is the home of the Whirly, a huge crane that can turn through 360 degrees. 435 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:02,000 At full extension, it reaches up around 150 feet. 436 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:07,000 The height Jamie and Adam need to drop the hapless dummy buster. 437 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:13,000 Well, we'll always have a rigger with you, and a rigger will signal the operator. 438 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,000 The operator can't hear you. 439 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:21,000 Cooper manages the massive crane and is supervising safety aspects of the experiment. 440 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,000 He's a little dubious about the story. 441 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,000 I hadn't heard it. I thought it was kind of different. 442 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,000 But two of the guys in my office were very familiar with it. 443 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:34,000 One of our fellows has got an advanced degree from Stanford in construction management, 444 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,000 and he definitely hadn't heard it. 445 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:41,000 So it seems like it's something within the industry of his common knowledge. 446 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:48,000 When the experiment is underway, Jamie will have the job of rigging buster, the dummy, and the hammer, 447 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,000 all while working hundreds of feet above water. 448 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,000 My gosh! Wow! 449 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,000 Snug is a bug in a rug up here. 450 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,000 This thing ain't exactly flimsy, you know? 451 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,000 The view up here is incredible. 452 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,000 You know, the simple fact is that when he hits the water, 453 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,000 the margin between life and death is going to be very small. 454 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:20,000 Yeah, it's only a tiny fraction of the second, and I suppose this hammer thing actually could make that difference. 455 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,000 The critical science requires calculating the force at impact. 456 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:34,000 Adam will fit buster with an accelerometer, the same type used by courier companies, 457 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,000 to see if your packages are being treated gently. 458 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:41,000 It measures the energy generated by sudden stops. 459 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,000 We've got to put this in his head, or in his torso, wherever it will fit. 460 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,000 This is an accelerometer, this will measure the g-force when he hits the water. 461 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:53,000 Oh! Look at that! 462 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,000 That's really pretty. 463 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,000 All right, let's see. 464 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,000 Do you want to get hit in the head? 465 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,000 Keep going to anyway. 466 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:10,000 Buster's cavities are designed to hold smaller instruments for auto industry research. 467 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,000 He's a crash test dummy after all. 468 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:19,000 Adam's task is to make room inside the dummy to accommodate a larger accelerometer. 469 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:23,000 I like this. I'm quite pleased with this. 470 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,000 I'm going to get your chest back on. 471 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:41,000 I'm sure there's a crash test dummy expert out there who's watching me do this and going. 472 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,000 No, that's not how you do it, you idiot. 473 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,000 Ah! Fuck! 474 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,000 Yeah. 475 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,000 You think you're better than me? 476 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Hey, this guy's almost ready to throw off the roof. 477 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,000 Come on there, buddy. 478 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,000 That's it. 479 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,000 I get to drop him the next time you know. 480 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,000 Before dropping the dummy from towering heights, 481 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,000 they need to test the accelerometer from a little lower down. 482 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000 All right, go ahead. 483 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,000 Three, two, one. 484 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,000 That's really horrifying to watch. 485 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,000 Three, two, one. 486 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,000 That was perfect. 487 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,000 Dude, we've cracked his entire head in. 488 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,000 No, we can't go again. 489 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,000 I guess we weakened it a little bit by. 490 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:41,000 Yeah, I mean, just some big old welds along here should be fine, 491 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:48,000 but you know, our accelerometer, we should take it out and just read the events. 492 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,000 Despite the mishap, 493 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Adam found the accelerometer was still functioning effectively. 494 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,000 So, download. 495 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,000 In addition to the head repair, 496 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,000 Jamie needs to modify Buster before the big fall. 497 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,000 The other thing that we've got to do to him is that we have to rig some sort of a slide 498 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:19,000 that will allow him to travel along a cable so we can guide him precisely where we need to. 499 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:28,000 To predict exactly where and when Buster and the hammer will hit the water, 500 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:33,000 Jamie is rigging a quick release cable and guide wires for the descent. 501 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000 All right. 502 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,000 So, let's say it's from six feet. 503 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:50,000 Buster's in for more pavement punishment while the quick release mechanism is tested. 504 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Ready? 505 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,000 Two, put. 506 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,000 Oh, man. 507 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,000 In three, two, one. 508 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,000 These quick releases work great, Jamie. 509 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,000 Yeah. 510 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:04,000 Let's go for another one. 511 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Okay. 512 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,000 Not too daisy. 513 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:10,000 But the dummy is not designed for this type of rough handling. 514 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,000 Something's wrong. 515 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:14,000 Uh-oh. 516 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:15,000 Not again. 517 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,000 Oh, well. 518 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,000 All right, well, let's lift him by his head and get him back on the operating table. 519 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:21,000 Okay. 520 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:22,000 And get to work on him again. 521 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,000 I can get the data out and see what the drops were like. 522 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,000 Okay. 523 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 This is our last intern. 524 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:38,000 Back at the Mayor Island dogs, all is ready for Buster's big day out. 525 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:44,000 Will his dramatic drop prove that a hammer could break a fall and save a life? 526 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,000 I just tested all the systems of the accelerometer and they're all a go. 527 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,000 So it's now recording events. 528 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:55,000 It's probably recorded more than a few jostles on the way out here. 529 00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:02,000 But we should be able to see which ones are the events we really care about because there'll be lots of Gs. 530 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:09,000 With the dummy's accelerometer on board, it's time to drop. 531 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:13,000 The massive crane is rolled into position. 532 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:19,000 It's a strange combination of like sheer terror and delight. 533 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:20,000 I'm not sure. 534 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:25,000 Looking at the ground a couple hundred feet away and I don't know, it's really cool. 535 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:29,000 I think my fascination is overriding my terror. 536 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,000 He looks good. 537 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,000 Take him all the way up. 538 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,000 The crane is raised to 180 feet. 539 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,000 A guide wire will keep the dummy on target. 540 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,000 A high speed camera will record the moment of impact. 541 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:45,000 Okay, I'm ready. 542 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:49,000 Three, two, one, go. 543 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:57,000 Oh, no. Poor guy. 544 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,000 I think it was a backflop. 545 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,000 I was looking for a belly flop, but this was a backflop. 546 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:07,000 You probably experienced the full G-force that's possible from this height. 547 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,000 Oh, no, no, no. 548 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Somebody didn't remember to clip him into the cable. 549 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:20,000 You know, there's a lot going on though and we just forgot or somebody forgot. 550 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,000 We didn't forget to hook the legs on. 551 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,000 In fact, Jamie forgot to hook the leg on. 552 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,000 I said, by the way, I put a pin in the knee, but because the threading is stripped out, 553 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,000 there's nothing there. 554 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:33,000 You're going to need to take a long bolt and put it all the way through that to make sure 555 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,000 the leg is in place. 556 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:38,000 Never got taken care of. Not my fault. 557 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,000 There's only one answer. 558 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,000 Someone's going to get wet. 559 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:51,000 I don't know if you'll use any excuse to run around in the Zundies, I think. 560 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:55,000 Oh, God. 561 00:34:55,000 --> 00:35:00,000 Probably like five feet down in the mud. 562 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,000 I had absolutely no success finding the leg. I'm really disappointed about that. 563 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,000 I really wanted to come up holding the leg. 564 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:07,000 That would have been beautiful. 565 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,000 We would have been able to keep on going. 566 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,000 I did a good effort, but it's gone. 567 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,000 Despite the setback, they hope Buster's remains are still in place. 568 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,000 I'm going to go back to the Zundies. 569 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000 I'm going to go back to the Zundies. 570 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Despite the setback, they hope Buster's remaining limbs will survive more drops. 571 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,000 We are all good to go. Release at your leisure. 572 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,000 Three, two, one, go. 573 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,000 No. 574 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,000 Whoa. 575 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:51,000 He's completely, completely trashed. 576 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:57,000 The cast aluminum of his thigh bone right here absolutely just shattered and contacted with the water. 577 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:02,000 It's pretty obvious that from that height, you're completely screwed. 578 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:08,000 Jamie, atop the crane, is coping with a personal fear. 579 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:12,000 Right now, he would prefer being on Terra firmer. 580 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,000 It's kind of an intense rig up there. 581 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,000 I mean, reaching out and hooking up the dummy to the quick release. 582 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:22,000 You know, seems pretty simple, you're just a couple feet away, but when you're in a 4-degree pitch, 160 feet in the air. 583 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,000 It's less than pleasurable. 584 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:32,000 When I'm up there on that height, I'm over and over seeing myself like, ah, that's all there is to it. 585 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:36,000 And so, you know, I can do it. I don't have to like it though. 586 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:40,000 Buster has been falling an average of 60 miles an hour. 587 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:46,000 Because of the missing legs, to get consistent data, they decide to start again. 588 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:51,000 We'll do a test, we'll do a control without legs, and without a hammer, and then we'll do another one with the hammer. 589 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,000 All cameras are rolling. It's a go. 590 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,000 Three, two, one, go! 591 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:08,000 That's so radically, radically hardcore. 592 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:21,000 So hardcore, the accelerometer registered a force of 287 Gs, a devastating impact, considering an average car crash rates around 70 Gs. 593 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:31,000 Time to attach the hammer. Will it break the surface tension and help prove the myth? 594 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000 We're ready on your count. 595 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,000 Three, two, one, go! 596 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:52,000 Even with the hammer falling first, the dummy still registered a shattering impact of 239 Gs. 597 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:57,000 Take a look and see the little yellow pieces of foam over there. The force is so great. 598 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:02,000 It's yanking foam out of his butt and like rendering it all over the place. 599 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:05,000 We're seeing little scraps every time he falls. 600 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,000 Three, two, one, go! 601 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,000 You know, if I was a crashless dummy, I think that would have hurt more than any of the other falls. 602 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:19,000 Go! 603 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:25,000 Woo! 604 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Go! 605 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:31,000 I'm enjoying this more every time. 606 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,000 You know, I think Jamie's getting a little sick up there. 607 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,000 Oh! 608 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,000 Oh! 609 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,000 I'd say that's a good day's work. 610 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:47,000 I want to get the hell off this crane. 611 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:50,000 Alright. 612 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,000 I don't know what to do. 613 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:54,000 Alright. 614 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,000 I don't think that losing the leg affected our results. 615 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:02,000 We got a good control of three drops without the hammer and three drops with the hammer. 616 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:08,000 That's a reasonable data set to make an assessment as to whether or not the hammer helped or didn't do anything. 617 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:15,000 My gut feeling about this is that the hammer is probably having somewhat of an effect on the impact that the dummy receives. 618 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:20,000 I don't think it's all that much. I don't think it would save your life, personally. 619 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,000 Oh! 620 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,000 That's our first one with a hammer. 621 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,000 Did a face plant at a slight angle but first. 622 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:38,000 Back at the workshop, Adam and Jamie are comparing the different impact curves downloaded from the accelerometer. 623 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:45,000 There's effectively no difference in the length of that curve just between 200 and 300 genes. 624 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:51,000 Even if the hammer helped a little bit, when he hits the water he's going 60 miles per hour plus, 625 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,000 which is like twice the speed that they test auto crashes. 626 00:39:54,000 --> 00:40:02,000 You know, the thought that jumping off something and hitting water is going to like literally rip your limbs off your body is surprising. 627 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:03,000 I never would have thought that. 628 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:04,000 It blew my mind, actually. 629 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:05,000 Yeah. 630 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:10,000 And then bottom line, our data doesn't show any effect of the hammer at all. 631 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:11,000 No, it doesn't. 632 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,000 I would say that this myth is busted. 633 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,000 I agree. 634 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:24,000 There are plenty of legends associated with cola. 635 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,000 Some of them sound feasible. 636 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,000 For instance, can it clean battery terminals? 637 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,000 That is a pretty corroded battery. 638 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,000 That is a very corroded battery. 639 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,000 So, let's try out the cola on it. 640 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:41,000 Well, let's try cola on this one and baking soda and toothbrush on that one. 641 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:42,000 Cheers. 642 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:53,000 So, should we line them up and take a look, see? 643 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:54,000 Sure. 644 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:58,000 Personally, I don't really see any major difference between them. 645 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,000 Yeah, but the cola actually does work. 646 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:01,000 Let me see something here. 647 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,000 I'm going to actually just try straight water on this one. 648 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:10,000 See, given what the water does, it might just be that the cola is simply a liquid. 649 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:16,000 Not that it has any special properties, because the water without anything just cleaned up that terminal pretty fine. 650 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:17,000 That's true. 651 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:22,000 Is cola the great grease stain remover? 652 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:28,000 So, I kind of figured before we cleaned the engine, I should sort of like... 653 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:35,000 If there's an easier way to dirty a pair of coveralls, this is not it. 654 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:36,000 Wow. 655 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,000 I must say it's kind of exciting. 656 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,000 Oh, there we go. 657 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,000 It's only going to hurt a little bit. 658 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:49,000 There you go. 659 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:55,000 So, one sample in cola and the other in a leading brand of detergent. 660 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,000 Both left to soak for four days. 661 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:07,000 So, well, we've rinsed these and, I don't know, for my money, the unagitated laundry detergent didn't really do squat. 662 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:13,000 Cola turned the material brown, but it didn't do anything at all to the grease. 663 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:16,000 So, strike another one off the list. 664 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,000 Okay. 665 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:23,000 A real cola cleaning challenge. An old greasy engine. 666 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,000 So, we have the cola on the left side, right? 667 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:26,000 Yeah. 668 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:28,000 There you go. 669 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:33,000 I'll tell you right now, I wouldn't do this to my car. 670 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,000 Why don't we let it sit like ten minutes or so and then come back? 671 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:40,000 Yeah. 672 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,000 So, it's the last time. 673 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,000 What do you recommend? Knit or not? 674 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:59,000 It cleaned off a lot of the dirt, but the grease was all still there, same as the cola as the water. 675 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:05,000 Yeah, I think it removes a little bit of corrosion here and there on the aluminum or certain metals, but not a whole lot. 676 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:09,000 So, I'd say that as an engine degreaser, it's busted. No way. 677 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:15,000 Will spilled cola damage car paint if it's not cleaned off in 24 hours? 678 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:22,000 Once again, the cola is competing against the concentrated power of phosphoric acid. 679 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,000 Wow, look at what it's doing to this Sharpie. 680 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:25,000 Yeah. 681 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:31,000 24 hours later, what's the verdict? 682 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,000 What's going on there? 683 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:35,000 Try the phosphoric. 684 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:42,000 The first time I've seen a car that's been cleaned off, I've been looking at it. 685 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:49,000 The phosphoric acid's bright and white. It's actually like I might use it on my car. 686 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:52,000 I think it actually changed the color of the truck though. 687 00:43:52,000 --> 00:44:00,000 Yeah, I mean it definitely ate through the paint, the phosphoric acid, but as an ingredient in cola, it's definitely not effective in ruining anybody's paint job. 688 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:01,000 No. 689 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,000 Another one busted. 690 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:04,000 Yes, indeed. 691 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,000 Alright, let's get that penny out of there. 692 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:15,000 Back at the lab for the cola soap test. What happened to the teeth, pennies and the T-bone steak? 693 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,000 Well, I see something interesting here, Jamie. 694 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:24,000 I know for a fact when I looked at it that this penny, which was in the cola, this is the side that was down and there was an air bubble right here. 695 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:30,000 So we can see where there was air, it didn't clean, but where there was cola, it did. 696 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:31,000 Wow, that's neat. 697 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:35,000 Clearly see the difference that it actually did brighten up this penny. 698 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:38,000 The cola did a better job than the phosphoric acid did. 699 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:43,000 Yeah, I'd say it did a much better job actually. I mean, it doesn't look like the phosphoric did very much at all. 700 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:44,000 That surprises me. 701 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,000 Well, you know to me, it looks like the myth's true. Cola cleaned this penny really well. 702 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:54,000 Now the teeth. Will they still be there after an overnight soaking? 703 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,000 I still hear it rattling around in there. 704 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,000 It made it a yucky brown. 705 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:02,000 That's just disgusting. 706 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:07,000 That's one sat in the phosphoric acid and did effectively nothing to it. 707 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:11,000 Actually, Adam, there's a lot less of that other tooth than there was to begin with. 708 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:12,000 Really? 709 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:14,000 Yeah, it ate maybe half of it away. 710 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:17,000 Wow, no, I didn't have any idea about that. 711 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:21,000 Looks nice and white in comparison, but it's mostly gone. 712 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:24,000 I don't think I'd want to put either of them in my mouth based on that. 713 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:28,000 Yeah, in a 24 hour period, I'd say Cola could never dissolve a tooth. 714 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:29,000 Yeah. 715 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:30,000 Oh, that one's busted. 716 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:31,000 Yep. 717 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:32,000 Okay. 718 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:33,000 What's next? 719 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:38,000 This is the myth that Cola will dissolve a steak in 48 hours. 720 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:41,000 Well, it's done something in 48 hours. 721 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:46,000 Oh, man. I mean, we've given it a little bit longer than that. 722 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,000 And you've put the steak in just phosphoric acid. 723 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,000 Ooh, did you see that? 724 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:52,000 Yeah, this kind of fell apart. 725 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:54,000 It's totally breaking it down. 726 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:55,000 Ooh. 727 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:59,000 It's funny, it didn't look like it did anything to it, but it did. 728 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:05,000 This is the Cola steak with our fine glaze of mold. 729 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,000 Well, there's nothing remotely dissolved about it. 730 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:12,000 I'm trying to speak through my mouth so I don't have to smell this. 731 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:16,000 It doesn't smell bad at all. It smells kind of good. 732 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:21,000 It might have tenderized it a little bit, but you know, 733 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,000 because I don't know that I could do that with that if it was fresh. 734 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:25,000 Yeah. 735 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:29,000 And I don't smell anything bad at all. It smells... 736 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,000 It smells okay. It smells like food. 737 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,000 Nah. I wouldn't eat it. 738 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:37,000 I wouldn't either, but... 739 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:40,000 Ah, so, after all your talk, you wouldn't eat it? 740 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:41,000 It's true. 741 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,000 So, the myth busted. 742 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:44,000 Myth busted. 743 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:46,000 Plus, Cola did nothing to a steak. 744 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:51,000 Next myth. Could Cola be an effective spermicide? 745 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:57,000 They will combine one small sample of sperm with Cola 746 00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:00,000 and another sample with a control substance. 747 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:05,000 Under the microscope, they will estimate the score between alive and dead. 748 00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:07,000 Let's try the Cola. 749 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:08,000 Okay. 750 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:11,000 Oh, yeah. 751 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:12,000 Look at that. 752 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:14,000 Wow. I mean, this is really exciting. 753 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:16,000 This is like those films in high school. 754 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:18,000 Maybe they like the caffeine. 755 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:19,000 Whoa! 756 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:20,000 What do you think? 757 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:21,000 That's amazing. 758 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,000 What are we going to use for our control? 759 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:27,000 Well, I have some saline solution here. 760 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:31,000 I think that ought to be kind of easy on the sperm. 761 00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:32,000 Okay. 762 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:33,000 There we go. 763 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:35,000 Okay. Two drops of saline. 764 00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:37,000 There it is. 765 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,000 Certainly look very lively to me. 766 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:40,000 Yeah, they look great. 767 00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:44,000 And three, two, one, count. 768 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:50,000 For 60 seconds, Jamie will count live sperm in the saline. 769 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:53,000 And stop. We're done. 770 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,000 How many live ones did you see? 771 00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:56,000 53. 772 00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:58,000 53 live ones in a minute. 773 00:47:58,000 --> 00:47:59,000 Okay. 774 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:00,000 And go. 775 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:03,000 And now a 60-second Cola count. 776 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:05,000 And stop. 777 00:48:06,000 --> 00:48:07,000 85. 778 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:08,000 No way. 779 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:09,000 Nope. 780 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:10,000 85. 781 00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:16,000 This is an occasion when Jamie and Adam bow to superior knowledge. 782 00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:21,000 Dr. Paul Turek is a male reproductive specialist at UCSF. 783 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:24,000 He's heard hundreds of similar claims. 784 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:26,000 I think it's a great myth. 785 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:29,000 To summarize, I think the experiment kind of shows what I thought would happen, 786 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:34,000 which is Cola will serve as a dilly and will dilute the sperm, 787 00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:36,000 but it won't be necessarily toxic to it. 788 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:38,000 And a spermicide is different. 789 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:41,000 A spermicide actually stays in there, so it doesn't really dilute anything. 790 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:43,000 It just kills the sperm on contact. 791 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:46,000 Three, two, one, and done. 792 00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:48,000 96. 793 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:49,000 96. 794 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:53,000 Clearly, Cola is not an effective spermicide. 795 00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:54,000 It's just not. 796 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:56,000 So I'd say this myth is busted too. 797 00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:57,000 Absolutely. 798 00:48:57,000 --> 00:48:58,000 Cola's going down. 799 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:03,000 So Jamie, we've been testing Cola for a week. 800 00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:04,000 What did we end up with? 801 00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:05,000 Not a hell of a lot. 802 00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:09,000 Well, the only thing that it really did well was it did a great job of cleaning chrome. 803 00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:10,000 I agree. 804 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,000 That's the best thing it did of anything. 805 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:13,000 Yeah. 806 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:14,000 Otherwise, it kind of sort of cleans up blood. 807 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:18,000 It cleaned up a penny kind of okay, but nothing really spectacular. 808 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,000 The cleaning chrome was great. 809 00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:21,000 And that's it. 810 00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:24,000 I mean, none of these others were really effective in any way. 811 00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:25,000 No.