1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,500 On this special episode of MythBusters... 2 00:00:05,500 --> 00:00:07,000 Fire in the hole! 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,500 Excited, we're gonna blow some stuff up in the go-home. 4 00:00:10,500 --> 00:00:12,000 Danger at the gas pump. 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 Our cell phones triggering deadly explosions. 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,500 Plus, dummy and dumber. 7 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:24,500 A MythBusters superstar chases a raccoon down the drain to test a myth. 8 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:28,000 Ed blows a hole in the story. 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,500 Testing a medieval tree cannon. 10 00:00:30,500 --> 00:00:32,500 I need somebody with a whip and a drum. 11 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:36,500 It's a blast from the past. 12 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:41,000 Then our new host gets a hazing, then a blazing. 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,500 As we turn up the heat on the exploding toilet myth. 14 00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:46,500 He's still holding the thing. 15 00:00:46,500 --> 00:00:49,000 Who are the MythBusters? 16 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,500 Am I missing an eyebrow? 17 00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:53,500 Adam Savage. 18 00:00:53,500 --> 00:00:56,500 I always enjoyed seeing Adam in pain. 19 00:00:56,500 --> 00:00:57,500 Oh! 20 00:00:57,500 --> 00:00:58,500 And Jamie Heineman. 21 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:00,500 Jamie wants a big hole. 22 00:01:00,500 --> 00:01:05,000 Between them more than 30 years special effects experience. 23 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,000 You're kind of sexy. 24 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,000 They don't just tell the myths. 25 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,000 They put them to the test. 26 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:27,500 Hey, wake up, funboy. 27 00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:28,500 What? 28 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:32,500 You helped me with directions to Antiong and lost. 29 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:40,500 So what are we doing at the Stoke Gas and Oil Memorial, Billyottown in Santa Rosa, California? 30 00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:45,000 Well, we're here to see whether you can accidentally blow up a gas station with a cell phone. 31 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,000 And even if we fail, do we still get to blow something up? 32 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,000 Oh yeah, excellent. 33 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000 So what exactly is this myth? 34 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:58,000 Well, it's an email myth that says that the use of a cell phone near a gas station could cause an accidental explosion. 35 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:03,000 And in fact, people have bought into this on some gas stations near the gas pumps. 36 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,000 You can see a sign saying, please don't use your cell phone here. 37 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000 But also it's a very good story. 38 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,500 And a very good story is very powerful and promotes belief. 39 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:16,500 Heather Joseph Witham, resident folklorist, has another dramatic cell phone explosion story. 40 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:21,500 Well, the story goes that there's an executive speeding along on the freeway in Los Angeles. 41 00:02:21,500 --> 00:02:27,500 And all of a sudden he hears the ding, ding, ding and looks down and he sees that his car is just about out of gas. 42 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:30,500 So cursing and frustrated, he gets off the freeway. 43 00:02:30,500 --> 00:02:36,500 He drives up to a gas station, gets out, starts pumping the gas, takes out his cell phone 44 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:38,000 and calls the office. 45 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:45,000 At which point there's a tremendous fireball that engulfs the executive and then the entire gas station explodes. 46 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:53,000 There have been more than 150 gas station fires across the United States since the early 90s. 47 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,000 Could cell phones be the culprit? 48 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:06,000 The Stoke Gas and Oil memorabilia town is an ideal location for road testing the cell phone myth. 49 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:12,000 We're going to need a big blast chamber, something large enough to contain a large explosion and protect us. 50 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:18,000 And also to control environmental conditions like humidity and temperature and that kind of thing. 51 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,500 We're going to need gas and a way to get it in there in a vapor form. 52 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:26,500 And we're going to put a cell phone in there and call it and see what happens. 53 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:38,000 The chamber will be constructed from Lexan, a polycarbonate product favored by racecar drivers and jet pilots. 54 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,000 The pilots are very appealing. 55 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:47,000 Polycarbonate is a plastic that is extremely tough. You can bolt it in half and it won't break. 56 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:53,000 It'll stop a bullet, it'll stop all sorts of shrapnel and I just love this stuff. 57 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:55,000 Love it. 58 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Anticipating a big bang, the guys are constructing the chamber with a failure point, the center of the two halves of the box. 59 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:11,500 So that if the blast is too big instead of the Lexan failing or the aluminum welds failing, the box itself will just poof separate into two halves. 60 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:12,500 Like a clamp. 61 00:04:12,500 --> 00:04:13,000 Yeah. 62 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:22,000 The blast we might deal with might be a lot larger than we think and so building in a failure point for this that can fail safe seems like a good idea. 63 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:29,500 Considering Americans pump gas around 12 billion times a year, there are plenty of opportunities for disaster. 64 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:34,500 Electrical sparks and gasoline vapors are a potent mix. 65 00:04:36,500 --> 00:04:47,000 To investigate this second theory, static electricity, they'll also need to build a device that generates body to clothing friction and hopefully create a big spark. 66 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,000 So the mythbusters are shopping for something shocking. 67 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,500 So do you ever have customers come in and say could you sell me something different? 68 00:04:54,500 --> 00:04:57,500 This one causes too much static shock when I wear it. 69 00:04:57,500 --> 00:05:00,500 No, but they say this causes too much shock. 70 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:05,500 Yeah, we have to define our terms here. 71 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:07,500 Should we get two? Two of each? 72 00:05:07,500 --> 00:05:09,000 Why do we need two? 73 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,500 One for each of us to wear. 74 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:19,500 With the shocking garments in hand, they're off to the auto yard to find a suitable car seat. 75 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:26,500 Do you think we could build some panty friction in the bed here? 76 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:28,500 Well, that's what it's for, isn't it? 77 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:30,500 Well, we won't be the first. 78 00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:34,500 Oh! These paintings had no idea what they were in for. 79 00:05:39,500 --> 00:05:42,500 I mean, I don't know which one to actually go with anymore. 80 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:48,500 At this point it's just like a sea of rubbing and vinyl and wet car seats. It's like high school. 81 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,500 That's actually good. I got more of a charge off of this than anything yet. 82 00:05:57,500 --> 00:06:01,500 They have the seat of choice, but will it provide the necessary charge? 83 00:06:01,500 --> 00:06:03,500 I don't see any sparks. 84 00:06:04,500 --> 00:06:06,500 Watch this. 85 00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:15,500 Back at Fred Stokes Gas Museum, the fire department has arrived to supervise the experiment. 86 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:21,000 So, is it cell phones or static sparks that cause gas station fires? 87 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Well, let me see. We've got a crash test dummy with his legs removed. 88 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:34,000 We've got a panty static generator with leopard fur and panties wrapped around it. 89 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,000 It's not exactly hard science. 90 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 Nonetheless, the firemen want a much smaller bag. 91 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Jamie wants big bones. 92 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,000 Down boy, down boy! 93 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,500 He's being a little conservative, which is his job, and I appreciate that. 94 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:51,500 We will still try to get the biggest explosion we can. 95 00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:55,500 Time for the fire protection suit. 96 00:06:55,500 --> 00:06:59,500 Delivering the gasoline to the chamber is Jamie's responsibility. 97 00:06:59,500 --> 00:07:04,500 He will use an aerosol device to spray high concentrations of flammable fuel vapor 98 00:07:04,500 --> 00:07:07,500 directly inside the blast chamber. 99 00:07:08,500 --> 00:07:10,500 So, I rigged up the cell phone in there. 100 00:07:10,500 --> 00:07:11,500 OK. 101 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,000 When I call it, it says, Detonate. 102 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Very cute. 103 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,000 OK, we're going to start the fuel. 104 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,000 You guys ready? 105 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,000 For gas to explode, you need the right mix of fuel and air. 106 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:34,000 As the concentration edges towards the flammable level, their gas meter emits a warning. 107 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:35,000 OK. 108 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,000 Still behind the thing? 109 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,000 The chamber is primed and ready for the cell phone blast test. 110 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,000 Calling now. 111 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,000 Hello, explosion? 112 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:46,000 Hello? 113 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,000 Hello? 114 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,000 He never answers his phone. 115 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,000 Both Jamie and Adam are confident the cell phone won't cause an explosion. 116 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000 It creates heat, but not enough to cause ignition. 117 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,000 Time to test the second theory. 118 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:06,000 OK, guys, we're done with the cell phone and we're going to the panty static generator. 119 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,000 Because many unnecessary people back. 120 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,000 I really have some concerns about that thing. 121 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,000 I really do. 122 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,000 OK, all right, I will tell everybody. 123 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,000 Thank you. 124 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,000 You'll notice the firemen are all kind of standing a lot further back than we are. 125 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:20,000 Yeah. 126 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,000 So, this is not to be toyed around with. 127 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,000 It is a bomb. 128 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,000 OK. 129 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:32,000 With the chamber saturated in gasoline, it's time now for Adam's panty static generator to spark an explosion. 130 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:38,000 All right, we're going in five, four, three, two, one. 131 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,000 We should have had a spark right about then. 132 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,000 Come on, come on, maybe. 133 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:52,000 OK, I've gone through what should have been at least three sparks so far. 134 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,000 OK. 135 00:08:54,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Even with sparks and the heavy fuel load, the gas will only blow if conditions are absolutely optimal. 136 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,000 So far, nothing is happening. 137 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:09,000 How hard can it be to blow up a room full of gasoline? 138 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:13,000 My guess is just the wrong mixture, just that simple. 139 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,000 The wrong mixture. 140 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,000 That's it, we're packing up and we're going to go home. 141 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,000 With our tail between our legs. 142 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,000 Don't press send just yet. 143 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,000 Our cell phones and gas stations are a disaster waiting to happen. 144 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,000 That's later in the show. 145 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,000 Coming up on Mythbusters. 146 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,000 Can a man be blown out of a culvert? 147 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,000 Find out after this. 148 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,000 Roll up for the greatest Mythbusters show on Earth. 149 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:57,000 How could a rat up a drain pump, a roasted toy raccoon and a sharp dressed dummy 150 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,000 turn into a disaster area? 151 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,000 Take your seat as we ride the raccoon rocket. 152 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:16,000 In 1998, in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, apparently some good old boys from the San's Oat were hanging out on their porch drinking beer 153 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 and they saw a raccoon go by and so they all opened fire on it. 154 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 So they noticed that the raccoons taken refuge in a drainage pipe. 155 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:30,000 So one of these smart fellows goes over to the drainage pipe and he pours gasoline down there and he tries to light it. 156 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Unsuccessful at doing this, one of them decided to go down into the pipe to better light the gasoline and get the raccoon out 157 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:45,000 at which point the gasoline actually did ignite and it shot this guy out the tube at a high rate of speed. 158 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:50,000 He goes shooting straight out of this pipe and he flies about 200 feet right over the house and falls. 159 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,000 Manages to get up relatively unharmed. 160 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Well, it sounds like we have all the information we need to proceed. What is the plan? Have you got a plan? 161 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:05,000 Well, we need a big gas pipe. I guess a sewer pipe. It's got to be 20 feet long, 3 feet in diameter. 162 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:11,000 We've got to have 5 gallons of gasoline. We have to have some means of igniting it safely from a distance. 163 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,000 I have one more question about this. 164 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:14,000 What's that? 165 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,000 Which one of us is going to get launched from this pipe? 166 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,000 Well, you, of course. 167 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,000 You know, much as I'd like to do it, it sounds to me like it's a job for Buster. 168 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:29,000 Well, what's next in line for Buster is to put him in a 3-foot pipe with a bunch of gasoline and maybe even gunpowder 169 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,000 and see if we can launch him like a cannonball. 170 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Time to grab a $25.98 toy raccoon and put this myth to the test. 171 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,000 Our firing range is an abandoned airfield on the outskirts of San Francisco. 172 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,000 Job number one, get that pipe into launch position. 173 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:53,000 For this, our boys will need a nice new toy. 174 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:57,000 I think this is the biggest thing we've driven yet. 175 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,000 Very, very, very cool. 176 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,000 Yeah, I think this is the biggest thing we've driven yet. 177 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Very, very, very cool. 178 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,000 But does anyone know how to drive this thing? 179 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,000 So did you get any instructions on it? 180 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,000 I did not. 181 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:22,000 A few quick tips from the Backhoe Delivery Man and Adam is an instant expert. 182 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,000 This goes side to side. 183 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:32,000 You can drop this pin in the center and it'll lock it from going like this. 184 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,000 That was fun! 185 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 He's taking an awful long time to do this. 186 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,000 I think he's having just a bit too much fun. 187 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,000 Finally, our cannon is in position. 188 00:12:54,000 --> 00:13:01,000 Well, we've just covered the pipe with dirt and so I guess we're going to pour some gasoline down there 189 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,000 and light it with the dummy in the tube. 190 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,000 We pretty well know that nothing's going to happen. 191 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:10,000 We'll get a big whoosh of gasoline out of both sides of this tube, but besides that, 192 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,000 it's not going to launch this dummy in any way. 193 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,000 The stunt is ready. 194 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000 So where's the fall guy? 195 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:23,000 For extra fireproofing, Buster gets a dressing down with a special flame retardant gel. 196 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,000 Okay, so we're going to shove him about three feet up in there? 197 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Yeah, feet first because his head's got to be down like he 198 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:35,000 skooched down the pipe where the lighter was like, you know, that kind of business. 199 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,000 The scene is set exactly according to the myth. 200 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:48,000 We have one not so smart man, Buster, who's crawled down a three foot wide drainage pipe chasing a raccoon. 201 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,000 Like that. 202 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:50,000 Like this? 203 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:51,000 Yeah. 204 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,000 The raccoon's probably all the way at the very end, you know, up against like a steel grate or something like that. 205 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,000 So he's probably like right here. 206 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,000 Trying to be as threatening as a raccoon soaked with gasoline can be. 207 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:03,000 Okay. 208 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,000 Let me get my automatic match. 209 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,000 The MythBusters team gets ready for launch. 210 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,000 Excited. 211 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:13,000 We're going to blow some stuff up. 212 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,000 Then we go home. 213 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:19,000 Now, Jamie adds the final element, five gallons of gasoline. 214 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,000 Okay, it's kind of a lot. 215 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,000 Oh, it's kind of really a lot. 216 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,000 It's a lot of gasoline pouring out of there. 217 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:27,000 That's it. 218 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,000 All right. 219 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:29,000 Get out of there. 220 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,000 Okay. 221 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,000 Here we go. 222 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,000 Standing over here with me, Jamie. 223 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,000 Yeah. 224 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:39,000 In three, two, one. 225 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,000 We have ignition. 226 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Put it out now. 227 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,000 Go. 228 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,000 Well, that wasn't nothing at all. 229 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,000 Nope. 230 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 That was like a little campfire. 231 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,000 Well, it probably would have set the whole tube on fire after a while. 232 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000 It's essentially a heck out of our raccoon. 233 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,000 Let's see how our raccoon did. 234 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,000 That's one piping hot toy raccoon all right. 235 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,000 But not much else. 236 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:15,000 And certainly not enough to satisfy the destructive desires of these two strange men. 237 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,000 The myth is in fact busted. 238 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,000 But there's always two parts to a MythBusters story. 239 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:23,000 There's replicating the myth and then there's duplicating the result. 240 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,000 And we replicated the myth, we got enough of it. 241 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,000 Now it's time to see what it takes to launch him out of that tube. 242 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:33,000 John McLeod normally creates pyrotechnics for Hollywood films. 243 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,000 Q the bomb. 244 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,000 So that's the 10 pounder, isn't it? 245 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:38,000 It's a 10 pounder. 246 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,000 It doesn't look like much. 247 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:41,000 Not until it goes off. 248 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,000 John will use an electric detonator to ignite the powder. 249 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:49,000 With the wiring all checked, it's time to seal the end of the pipe. 250 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:50,000 Look at that. 251 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,000 That's perfect. 252 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,000 All right, I'm going to bury it. 253 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,000 The pipe must be plugged to direct the force from the blast towards Buster 254 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,000 and send him out the other end of the tube. 255 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,000 Will it work? 256 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,000 That's in the lap of the gunpowder gods. 257 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,000 I think if any of the worst thing that could happen was it would rupture the back end of the tube 258 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 and maybe shoot dirt and sand and possibly little rocks. 259 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:17,000 Jamie is so confident he's parking Buster's wheelchair right where he thinks he'll land. 260 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,000 Jamie, you hoping to catch him? 261 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:20,000 Yeah. 262 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,000 That's about the most optimistic thing I've ever heard. 263 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,000 If you catch him, I'll give you $100. 264 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:32,000 Okay, let's put this big bang theory into practice. 265 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,000 You want to put some protection on there? 266 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,000 No, I think I'm all right. 267 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,000 He thinks he's all right. 268 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,000 Five, and three, two, one. 269 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:49,000 Oh, my God. 270 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,000 I almost made the chair. 271 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,000 You almost made the chair. 272 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:58,000 We've got two very excited mythbusters on our hands. 273 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,000 He survived. 274 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Buster survived. 275 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000 I'm all ready. 276 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,000 Woo. 277 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,000 I came out, I was a little worse. 278 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,000 How are you feeling, buddy? 279 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,000 Absolutely perfectly. 280 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,000 I was off by about five or ten feet. 281 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:29,000 Buster heroically executed at textbook superhero style exit from the cannon. 282 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:37,000 This myth is just complete and utter lunacy to think that it's true. 283 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,000 Coming up. 284 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:45,000 We're going to build a cannon out of a tree on mythbusters. 285 00:17:45,000 --> 00:18:01,000 This myth is from medieval times, actually, and it involves a Hungarian town called Pakis 286 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,000 that was being threatened by their neighbors. 287 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:09,000 So the entire town got together and one night they apparently made a cannon out of a tree. 288 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:13,000 And they put some gunpowder in there and they shoot off this cannon. 289 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:18,000 The entire body of the cannon exploded, killing half the town's people. 290 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,000 And the mayor, in his infinite wisdom, looks up and said, 291 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:27,000 if we have so many dead, how many left of the enemy can there be? 292 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,000 That's the earliest known record of spin, I think. 293 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:38,000 To test this myth, Jamie and Adam will try to build a tree cannon and see if it explodes when fired. 294 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:45,000 To do it like the villagers, they need to drill a hole into a log using medieval style tools. 295 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:50,000 They'll have to fashion a cannonball and make some medieval gunpowder. 296 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,000 This was done in medieval Hungary. 297 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:58,000 They didn't have power tools and there would have been a lot of things that would be different about what we're doing. 298 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:05,000 They learned how differently by examining pictures of a thousand-year-old toolbox found in Sweden. 299 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,000 For authenticity, they want to make similar equipment. 300 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,000 Jamie starting with an axe to strip the log. 301 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,000 Getting a little workout this morning. 302 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Adam's having a workout of his own. 303 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:31,000 He's making a medieval saw out of a forklift pallet. 304 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,000 Now there's some medieval workmanship. 305 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,000 Well, I'm going to heat this piece of metal up until it gets red hot. 306 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:57,000 Hopefully I'll make something that resembles a spoon drill, which is one of the first drills that they used. 307 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,000 It's the best medieval drill Jamie's made all day. 308 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,000 Will Jamie's medieval drill do the job? 309 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:18,000 Drills nice and sharp and I flatten this out so that I can grab this like that to crank it. 310 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:24,000 Remember, according to the myth, the tribe made their cannon overnight. 311 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,000 But this is slow work. 312 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000 We're about half an inch in. 313 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,000 I need somebody with a whip and a drum. 314 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,000 They've got to drill through about five feet. 315 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 You know, we're just moving more, I guess. 316 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,000 Let's see. 317 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,000 Medieval tools just weren't built with myth-busting in mind. 318 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:59,000 Based on what I'm seeing here now, I'm thinking it'd probably take a couple of days to get through it. 319 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,000 The myth says that overnight they'd be able to drill a cannon. 320 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,000 And I would say that that is unlikely. 321 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,000 I would say that the myth is busted because of that. 322 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,000 They've come too far to stop now. 323 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,000 Adam and Jamie resolve to test the rest of this explosive myth. 324 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,000 And that means building the cannon their way. 325 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,000 I'm not doing anything that the package wouldn't have done if they had had a chance. 326 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:28,000 While Adam is bowing to the 21st century, Jamie is staying well in the Middle Ages. 327 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:33,000 I'm making a cannonball out of granite. Or a mess. 328 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:38,000 He plans to hand chisel a perfectly round cannonball. 329 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,000 It's precision versus precision. 330 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,000 And it's a great way to do it. 331 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:49,000 He plans to hand chisel a perfectly round cannonball. 332 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,000 It's precision versus power. 333 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:57,000 That is a tree cannon. 334 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Jamie hasn't done a bad job himself. 335 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000 It's so far beyond anybody's experience that we're all kind of blown away. 336 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,000 And don't think he didn't know it. 337 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:11,000 So they've made the tree cannon, made the cannonball. 338 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,000 And now they need to make medieval gunpowder. 339 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,000 They've called an expert pyro technician, Jack Morocco, to help. 340 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:27,000 What we need to do here is something a little bit different in mimicking an medieval gunpowder form. 341 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,000 Jack knows what ingredients existed around the time of the myth. 342 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:35,000 So they can make up a crude gunpowder. 343 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,000 But how well will it work? 344 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:43,000 For safety reasons, they'll light the fuse electronically from a distance. 345 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Ready? 346 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000 Oh, wow! 347 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Nicely done. 348 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,000 I think that's very respectable. 349 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:57,000 Okay. 350 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,000 I think that'll do. 351 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,000 I think that's going to work quite well, yes. 352 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000 I personally don't think we'll be able to blow this thing up. 353 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,000 I think you'd put a stick of dynamite in it and it still might not blow up. 354 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,000 Of course we're going to try to blow it up. 355 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,000 That's what we do. 356 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:21,000 Once more, in the name of myth-busting, Jamie and Adam head into the world. 357 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:25,000 Armed, dangerous, and set on destruction. 358 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Their destination? 359 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,000 The abandoned runway at the Alameda Naval Base. 360 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:39,000 With expert pyrotechnician Jack Morocco, they've made up a load of medieval-style gunpowder. 361 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,000 We don't want to drop this, do we? 362 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,000 No, we definitely don't. 363 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,000 You ready to load some powder there, Jamie? 364 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000 Yeah, let's do it. 365 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:53,000 They're starting with two three-ounce cartridges of gunpowder. 366 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:58,000 The cartridges are forced to the bottom of the barrel. 367 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,000 And a hull poked in the side for the fuse. 368 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,000 We're debating whether or not to put a single or double load, 369 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,000 either three or six ounces of powder behind it. 370 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,000 The extra weight of the cannonball will further compress the blast, 371 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,000 increasing the force of the barrel. 372 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,000 The guys know the safe way to go is a single three-ounce load. 373 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,000 You comfortable with six ounces, Jack? 374 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,000 Yeah. 375 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,000 All right, loading the cartridge. 376 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,000 It's double or nothing. 377 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,000 Twice the powder, twice the danger. 378 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,000 At this point, no one crosses the front. 379 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Fire in the hole. 380 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,000 I don't have a clue where that went. 381 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,000 I didn't see a darn thing. 382 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,000 Did you see anything? 383 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:55,000 Wow. 384 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,000 What everyone did see was a remarkably successful tree cannon. 385 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,000 They proved you can make a cannon out of a tree. 386 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,000 Long way. 387 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:16,000 Jamie's cannonball is long gone, but the myth-busting continues. 388 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Remember, the cannon in the story is said to have exploded. 389 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,000 We put six ounces of powder in last time. 390 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,000 What are we going to put in this time? 391 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:24,000 Five pounds. 392 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,000 Whoa. 393 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:26,000 Yeah. 394 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Remember, children, myth-busters is hired a licensed pyrotechnician to help us blow stuff up. 395 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,000 You should never try anything like this unless you have your own television show. 396 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,000 Five pounds of gunpowder. 397 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,000 On a danger scale of one to ten, this rate's about nine. 398 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,000 Now it's a ten. 399 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,000 They're seen in the end with an aluminum clock. 400 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,000 If this isn't blowed up, this cannon, I don't know what will. 401 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:01,000 This is basically going to be a bomb and there's going to be splinters going everywhere. 402 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,000 So it's not a question just of hard hats. 403 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:09,000 It's a question of you have to have something like a shield or an automobile or something like that 404 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000 between you and the cannon. 405 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:17,000 I'm going to get back about probably 150 feet on the field there, just in case. 406 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,000 The rest of the team is even further back. 407 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,000 They're hoping that'll be far enough. 408 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,000 Everybody all right? 409 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:49,000 I mean, like, the heaviest parts go farther than the fence. 410 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000 There's a piece of long way back there, really. 411 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,000 Oh my God! 412 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:59,000 It seems tree cannons can explode with even more force than anyone imagined. 413 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,000 The cannon went away. 414 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,000 There's a little black on the ground around where the cannon was and that's all that's left. 415 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,000 I'd say it's a very efficient way to split wood. 416 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,000 No, we don't have to lug that damn thing around anymore. 417 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,000 My God! 418 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:25,000 Adam and Jamie have busted a cannon, but proved two myths. 419 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,000 Maybe 80 pounds or something like that. 420 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:36,000 They've proved you can make a cannon out of a tree and they've also shown the Hungarian townsfolk could have been wiped out when it exploded. 421 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,000 Sometimes myth-busting is dangerous work. 422 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:50,000 When we come back, the myth-busters hit the bathroom to bust a well-known toilet tail. 423 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,000 How much? I put it all in there. 424 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,000 That's too much. 425 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,000 Apparently somebody dumped some combustibles down a toilet. 426 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:14,000 You know, bug spray, gasoline, there's a number of different variations on this myth. 427 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:20,000 At which point, her husband comes into the bathroom, sits down, has a cigarette, 428 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:27,000 puts the cigarette out between his legs into the toilet and it explodes, burning his sensitive parts. 429 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,000 It should be easy for the myth-busters to get this one in the can. 430 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,000 All they have to do is buy a toilet, dump a range of combustible materials into it, 431 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,000 drop in a lit cigarette and watch the fireworks. 432 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:45,000 With your years of experience of exploding toilets and combustible gases, 433 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,000 what do you think the hard part of this experiment is going to be? 434 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,000 I'm trying to think of various ways that we can actually make that toilet blow up. 435 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,000 And, you know, maybe the gasoline or maybe the bug spray will do it, 436 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,000 but if not, you know, there are other things that we can put in there. 437 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000 Like a grand finale? 438 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,000 One way or another, we're going to blow up that damn toilet. 439 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:04,000 Okay. 440 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,000 This narrative has been around at least since the 1930s, 441 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,000 at which point it appeared in news clippings and newspapers. 442 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,000 The early form of the story was probably some sort of rural gag. 443 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:20,000 You have the wife of the house going and cleaning out the outhouse with some kind of kerosene or oil 444 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:27,000 or other kind of volatile fluid, at which point the grandpa goes out and sits down and lights his pipe 445 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,000 and he gets blown right off the outhouse seat. 446 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,000 And as he's lying there amidst the rubble, he says, 447 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,000 it must have been something I ate. 448 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:43,000 The next step, Jamie has to build a remote-controlled hand to drop the cigarette. 449 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,000 That's probably the best thing. 450 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,000 Okay. 451 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,000 Adam and Jamie have also had to build their very own blast chamber. 452 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,000 It's made from a bulletproof material called Lexan, 453 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,000 the same substance used in aircraft windows. 454 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,000 Hopefully, it will survive its maiden voyage. 455 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:22,000 On its first outing, the blast chamber is doubling as the world's most public bathroom. 456 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,000 Like an hourglass, the sands of time. 457 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:30,000 Moving an extra blade towards toilet explosion. 458 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:35,000 Inside, a high-speed camera has its BDI trained on the bowl. 459 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:40,000 It's running at a thousand frames per second, 40 times faster than the average camcorder. 460 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,000 The more frames exposed, the slower the picture. 461 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:47,000 Normal camera, high-speed camera. 462 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,000 Perfectly. 463 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:54,000 That ought to work. 464 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,000 That ought to work. 465 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,000 The temperature inside the chamber is already climbing. 466 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,000 Ow! 467 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:06,000 The hotter it is, the easier it should be to ignite the fuel. 468 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:13,000 While the chamber should easily contain any explosion, the mythbusters have called for backup just in case. 469 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,000 Have you never heard this myth before? 470 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,000 No, actually I haven't heard this one. 471 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,000 I've found a few people on the toilet, but never because of a toilet explosion. 472 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,000 Falling off the toilet. 473 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,000 Falling off the toilet. 474 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,000 Never actually exploding. 475 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,000 The local fire marshal is on hand to oversee proceedings. 476 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:36,000 We've designed this, it's covered with polycarbonate that won't shatter, go anywhere. 477 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:45,000 It's securely bolted as well as it's made in two separate halves so that if there is any kind of general explosion in there, it'll just open like a flower. 478 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,000 So there's nothing holding it together in other words? 479 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,000 No. 480 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,000 The first product you're going to test? 481 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,000 We've got it. 482 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:54,000 We have an order. 483 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,000 You start with your cleanest. 484 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,000 You have your best progression. 485 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,000 Well, oh. 486 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,000 This is powerful porcelain. 487 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:18,000 It seems the smoldering tip of the cigarette is not producing enough heat to reach the flash point of the hydrocarbons. 488 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,000 I mean, we're totally duplicating the circumstances of the myth. 489 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,000 Let's cigarette, bug spray. 490 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:27,000 It's not like anyone tried to reach an ideal air fuel mixture. 491 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,000 Bug spray and hair spray aren't the most flammable things in the world. 492 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,000 And also, you know, it's a cigarette with a coal on it. 493 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,000 It'd be better to have a nice up and flame to it. 494 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,000 Time for butane to step up to the plate. 495 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:41,000 Lighting. 496 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,000 Let's go. 497 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,000 Wow. 498 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,000 There's a poof. 499 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,000 Finally. 500 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,000 That is not enough to blast somebody off the seat. 501 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,000 You don't think so? 502 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:55,000 No. 503 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:56,000 I don't think so either. 504 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:02,000 The myth is looking kind of unlikely at the moment, although, you know, gasoline is the big one. 505 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:05,000 What do you think? Does that work? 506 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:06,000 Oh, that's beautiful. 507 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:11,000 Surely dropping a cigarette into a pool of gasoline will produce some type of reaction. 508 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,000 It's got a wet towel ready in case the extinguisher fails. 509 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,000 Silly housewife pouring gasoline down the toilet. 510 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,000 Are you ready? 511 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,000 I am ready. 512 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,000 Lighting cigarette. 513 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:22,000 Okay, I'm going to drop it. 514 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,000 Three, two, one, go. 515 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,000 Nada. 516 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,000 But the pool of liquids simply put the cigarette out. 517 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,000 Try again, this time using the naked flame of the match. 518 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,000 Let go. 519 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:37,000 Lit, go. 520 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:45,000 Okay, so you'd get a shock and a blackened backside, but it's still not the explosive force mentioned in the myth. 521 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,000 So do you think that was enough to blow you off the toilet? 522 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:48,000 No way. 523 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,000 No way. 524 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,000 It wasn't really like a constant blast. 525 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:55,000 I mean, it didn't, you know, I didn't see the chamber move very much at all. 526 00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:01,000 Finally, the moment the mythbusters have been sweating on, it's time for Solution X, gunpowder. 527 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:06,000 We have this black powder that, like, there's a, actually almost a full can of this. 528 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,000 Do you think you could let us put it in the toilet and set it off? 529 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,000 Sure, go ahead, try a cap full in a metal container and see what we get out of it. 530 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:13,000 Okay. 531 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:17,000 The fire marshal seems to be getting a little nervous. 532 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:19,000 How much? 533 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,000 I put it all in there. 534 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:21,000 That's too much. 535 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:22,000 Half of it? 536 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,000 That's a hell of a lot. 537 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,000 Should give you one hell of an effect. 538 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000 Okay, lighting the match. 539 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:32,000 It left, didn't it? 540 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:33,000 Uh-oh. 541 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,000 I thought it went out. 542 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,000 No, it didn't. 543 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,000 Well, there is no match on the tinfoil. 544 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,000 Strangely, exactly what was explained as a possibility has occurred. 545 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Well, what do we think, time five minutes or something and then going? 546 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,000 Reasonable. 547 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,000 609. 548 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:55,000 Sit tide buster, your moment of glory has been slightly delayed. 549 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,000 Chamber is sealed. 550 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:05,000 Are we good to go? 551 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,000 Ready. 552 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,000 Go. 553 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:15,000 Well, I tell you what, you know, there. 554 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,000 That was great. 555 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,000 It didn't even move him. 556 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:20,000 No, he didn't even move. 557 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,000 It did blow his pants up though. 558 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,000 He's still holding the cigarette. 559 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:29,000 That was fun. 560 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Congratulations. 561 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:35,000 Not even half a tin of gunpowder could unseat our new star. 562 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:39,000 If anything, it just enhanced his smoldering good looks. 563 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:47,000 There you go. 564 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,000 Yeah, I've had dudes just like this too. 565 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,000 Another myth busted. 566 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,000 Jamie and Adam are flush with success. 567 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,000 This is perfect amount of carnage. 568 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:11,000 Okay, Adam, let's get ready. 569 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,000 It's time to dial that number. 570 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,000 Come on, okay, we got three, two, one. 571 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,000 I feel like something's going to happen this time. 572 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:27,000 So it's back to the drawing board to see if cell phones or static sparks can cause gas pump fires. 573 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,000 Ignition is still proving to be difficult. 574 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,000 But the personal flash point is rising. 575 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,000 Wait, wait, hold on, Adam, before you break up all the way out. 576 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,000 All afternoon's work. 577 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,000 Give me just a sec. 578 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,000 I thought all four sides were taped. 579 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,000 You're a nice guy and all, but sometimes you're a bull in a china shop. 580 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,000 I'm not going to respond to that. 581 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:57,000 Working with a smaller blast box should help them figure out the right fuel air mix to achieve ignition. 582 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:03,000 You know, all of that spray presents a lot of surface area, and I think it's probably sinking down and collecting right at the ground. 583 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:09,000 My guess is that one of our mistakes with the big chamber was that we had the ignition source too far above the ground. 584 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:14,000 So let's just see whether this works. 585 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:19,000 To get a bigger spark, Jamie connects a device called a Jacob's Ladder. 586 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:23,000 You'll be familiar with its climbing arc from those old science fiction movies. 587 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,000 But this is no toy. 588 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:29,000 It's high voltage and potentially lethal. 589 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:34,000 Now be careful in this metal, you know, we've got some pretty heavy duty currents here, so. 590 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:39,000 All right, shall we lose the spark and get some gasoline going and blow some stuff up in miniature? 591 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Is gasoline flammable? You'll find out after this. 592 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:58,000 Three, two, one. 593 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Hey, we made something blow up. 594 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,000 We made something blow up. 595 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,000 Adam has improved his lighting jar. 596 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,000 The heavy duty version will provide a potent spark. 597 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,000 And finally, they are getting an ideal blend of fuel and air. 598 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,000 I lost a lot of hair on my arm. 599 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,000 How about that? 600 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,000 It definitely works. 601 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:33,000 Okay, now I'm afraid. 602 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:36,000 Adding more gasoline won't guarantee a bigger blast. 603 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,000 You want yourself there, Andre. 604 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,000 The critical mix needs more air. 605 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,000 That's probably it. That's probably all that it takes. 606 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,000 You think there's anything left of a fume in there? 607 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,000 Go, go, go. 608 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:50,000 Okay, here I go. 609 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,000 Let's talk more sparks. 610 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,000 Stop your grinning and grab your linen. Here we go. 611 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,000 Oh! 612 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,000 The Heinemann was right. 613 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:07,000 We now know exactly what kind of concentration of fuel that we have to have for ignition. 614 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:11,000 We know that we can create a spark from static electricity off of fabric. 615 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:15,000 And we know that it is something that we have to be very careful with. 616 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:20,000 I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. 617 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:23,000 Am I missing an eyebrow? 618 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,000 I am missing an eyebrow, aren't I? 619 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,000 You lost a lot of air up there. 620 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:29,000 You're kidding me. 621 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,000 You're alright, exactly. 622 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,000 I didn't want to look weird after a day or two. 623 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:40,000 I think it took him about five seconds to worry about whether he's going to look funny for his date. 624 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,000 I have a date tomorrow. 625 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,000 Is it survival more important or sex? 626 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:49,000 All it would be was science. 627 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,000 Okay, that was probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done. 628 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000 No problem now with the static spark. 629 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,000 The mix is right, that ignition comes easily. 630 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,000 But what about the cell phone? 631 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,000 Will it prove to be the cause of gas station fires? 632 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,000 Nada. 633 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,000 Miente. 634 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,000 Second call. 635 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000 No explosion. 636 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,000 With the cell phone myth well and truly busted, 637 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,000 they still want to make their own big static back. 638 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,000 So they're back at Fred Stokes Gasoline Museum 639 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,000 with the fire department there to monitor safety. 640 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,000 Here, pump the whole thing in there. 641 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,000 It's maker break time. 642 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:36,000 So today the guys are using a much higher concentration of gas in a much finer spray. 643 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,000 Okay, that's it. 644 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,000 Alright, here we go. 645 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,000 Watching for spark. 646 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:54,000 Despite a heavy saturation of gasoline vapors, still no blast. 647 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,000 This is a pain in the butt. 648 00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:01,000 We've got the darn thing so it's foggy with gas fumes in there and no boom. 649 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,000 What are you going to do? 650 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,000 Lighten jar, I am finished with you. 651 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:11,000 Desperate to get their big bang, the boys decide to use extra juice. 652 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,000 Good spark. 653 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:14,000 That good? 654 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,000 Yeah. 655 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:19,000 We're using a spark that's actually a smaller spark in terms of the kilovolts, 656 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,000 but it's longer. 657 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,000 We're using neon transformer to generate it, but lasts as long as we want. 658 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:30,000 So I feel totally confident we're going to get the concussive boom that we want right now. 659 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,000 Okay Adam, let's get ready. 660 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,000 Come on, okay, here we go. 661 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:35,000 Stand by. 662 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,000 I feel like something's going to happen this time. 663 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:40,000 In three, two, one. 664 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:54,000 Wow, I forgot to watch. That was really cool. 665 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,000 Right on. 666 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,000 Hey, we got it. 667 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,000 That was a lot of force. 668 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:04,000 Yes it was. 669 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:08,000 We're going to part this 24 foot seam of metal tape. 670 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:10,000 Well it's about time, huh? 671 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,000 It's about time. Absolutely right. 672 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:27,000 Bob, what is your recommendation if there is a spark, if there is ignition, what should you do? 673 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:32,000 If you discharge here and you get a spark, don't be a hero, don't take your nozzle out. 674 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,000 Your gas tank will contain the gasoline. 675 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:38,000 We don't want any gasoline spilling on the forecorder, on the pavement. 676 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:41,000 Stand away and notify the station immediately. 677 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,000 Adam, what do you reckon? Myth busted? 678 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:49,000 Absolutely. This myth is definitely busted. 679 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,000 No cell phone will ever cause a gas station to ignite. 680 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,000 Just not going to happen. 681 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:55,000 I agree.