1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,800 Remember, don't try this at home. 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:09,520 We've got years of experience that keeps us safe. 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,240 On this episode of MythBusters... 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,000 That is just crazy. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,360 Adam and Jamie test the myth that falling bullets can kill. 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,920 Please don't fire bullets into my head. 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,000 Take cover as they spray the skies with ammo to find out. 8 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,440 I've been searching across the desert for a pencil-sized hole. 9 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:36,240 And sit back and unwind as the team takes the top off some more vodka myths. 10 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,280 That's all group cut. 11 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,880 Who are the MythBusters? 12 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,920 Adam Savage. 13 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,200 Jamie Heinemann. 14 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,720 Aren't trace-arounds illegal? 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,760 Between them, more than 30 years special effects experience. 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,000 That's what I'm talking about. 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,200 Joining them, Tori Balachy. 18 00:00:58,200 --> 00:00:59,640 Science is fun. 19 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:00,880 Carrie Byron. 20 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:02,080 Guess what I did today? 21 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:03,720 And Grant Imahara. 22 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:05,240 You guys ready for this? 23 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,240 They don't just tell the myth. 24 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,240 They put them to the test. 25 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:21,760 What do we got? 26 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,480 This one's another one of those myths that everybody's heard of. 27 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:29,600 And that is that if you fire a gun straight up in the air, that the bullet, after it's 28 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,600 done its thing, got all the way up there, is going to come down with lethal velocity. 29 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,920 If it hits you, it'll kill you. 30 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,120 This is the kind of thing that happens on the 4th of July or some type of celebration. 31 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:45,760 Someone pulls out their gun to add to the festivities. 32 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:51,160 And the bullets rain down on society and innocent bystanders thinning the herd. 33 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:52,160 That's it. 34 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,600 What are they talking about when celebrations really go off with a bang? 35 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:01,920 When revelers get fired up and start firing up. 36 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,640 They think it's harmless fun, but are they right? 37 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:11,640 Or when the bullets come down, are they still deadly? 38 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:17,520 To find out, they'll start with some in-shop simulations. 39 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:23,960 First they'll clock the terminal velocity of a falling bullet. 40 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,560 Then they'll figure a way to fire bullets at terminal velocity to see what damage they 41 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:29,560 do. 42 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:38,960 And finally, they'll fire real bullets straight up to see what falling bullets do for real. 43 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:44,760 So step one, to find out how fast a bullet falls, they want to know how high one goes. 44 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,320 The question is, what height will a bullet go to when you fire it into the air? 45 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:54,000 And to answer the question, what we were thinking was to correlate the density of ballistics 46 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,400 gel with the density of air. 47 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:57,400 Huh. 48 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:02,160 Jamie doesn't seem entirely convinced, but Adam's adamant. 49 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,760 So he plows on alone. 50 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,200 He knows that one cubic centimeter of air weighs 1.2 milligrams. 51 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,080 But what about ballistics gel? 52 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,200 Look at that. 53 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,280 That is so beautiful. 54 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:22,000 At one gram, ballistics gel is 650 times more dense than air. 55 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:28,200 So by my theory, if I'm correct, if we fire a bullet into ballistics gel and it goes one 56 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:33,680 foot, then it would go 650 feet in air. 57 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:39,120 Next morning, the guys decamp to the police firing range, along with a half a ton of ballistics 58 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:45,080 gel at it, which they arrange into a 16 foot long block. 59 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,760 After mixing up all this lot, Adam set his sights on some gun fun. 60 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,800 Hey, given that you're always shooting, you mind if I take these shots? 61 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:59,360 Firearms instructor Sergeant Al Normandy is on hand to keep an eye on the experiment. 62 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,680 First up, a 9 millimeter pistol. 63 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,640 Magazine's out, slides locked back, we're safe. 64 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:06,640 Go ahead and proceed forward. 65 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:07,920 Let's take a look at it. 66 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:08,920 Look at this. 67 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:09,920 It's beautiful. 68 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,520 The slug made it all the way to the third block. 69 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:13,520 Look at that. 70 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:14,520 There it is. 71 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:15,520 Five feet in. 72 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:21,520 According to Adam's theory, that's equivalent to 3,250 feet in air. 73 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:30,800 Now for the 30 odd six, some serious firepower. 74 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,640 What the hell happened to that? 75 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,640 Dude. 76 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:36,720 I think it got stopped in the first block. 77 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:43,320 I don't think it moved outside the first block, but I mean, shouldn't it go farther 78 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,840 than the 9 millimeter round? 79 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:49,320 It's a little counterintuitive, but actually because of the speed of the bullet, the bullet 80 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:53,480 has a tendency to break up more so than the pistol round, which is technically a very 81 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:58,320 low velocity projectile. 82 00:04:58,320 --> 00:04:59,320 They've been here before. 83 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:05,240 In a previous episode, Adam and Jamie discovered that high velocity bullets break up when fired 84 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,440 into water. 85 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:19,320 And because ballistics gel is 90% water, exactly the same thing happens. 86 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:26,040 With the experiment dead in the water, Jamie applies the coup de gras. 87 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:32,080 Oh, that is just crazy. 88 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:38,520 Crazy, but in terms of how high a rifle bullet goes, totally useless. 89 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:44,880 Myth one, mythbusters zero. 90 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:49,520 Around the world, millions of gallons of vodka are consumed every year. 91 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:56,440 Most people choose to drink it, but the mythbusters have been testing it for other uses. 92 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,640 As a bee killer, it was busted. 93 00:05:58,640 --> 00:05:59,640 That's terrible. 94 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:00,640 They're drunk. 95 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,280 As a mouthwash for Adam, it defied all odds. 96 00:06:05,280 --> 00:06:06,960 Not that bad. 97 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,560 It even removed the cheese from Adam's feet. 98 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:15,520 And it rose to the occasion by freshening up the smell of a chain smoking jacket. 99 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,040 So this is the better smelling one, right? 100 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,040 And it's the one that we sprayed vodka on. 101 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,040 And if it's going to help it, just pour it on there. 102 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:31,480 First up, can vodka combat poison oak? 103 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:32,720 Why poison oak? 104 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,720 It's another vodka related myth. 105 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:39,560 Apparently, if you pour vodka over an area that's been affected by poison oak, it will 106 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:44,160 remove the erythroxial oil and prevent you from developing a rash. 107 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,960 Tauri's drawn the short straw. 108 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:51,440 Ironic, isn't it, that I'm protecting myself from poison oak just so that I can rub it 109 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,440 on my arm later? 110 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,120 We don't want it everywhere. 111 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:59,400 Even more like ghostbusters than mythbusters, Tauri prepares to take one for the team. 112 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:00,400 This? 113 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:01,400 Yeah. 114 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:02,400 Oh. 115 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:03,400 Seahawk glistens with poison. 116 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:04,400 Look at that, scissors. 117 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,000 So you guys sure that's poison oak, right? 118 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,440 Yeah, it's got the three leaves. 119 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,840 It's that beautiful dark green color. 120 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:18,040 Carrie's ruled out of this rash myth as she's been dangerously allergic to poison oak since 121 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:19,040 childhood. 122 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,800 What are you trying to do, get enough to make a salad? 123 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:22,800 Cool. 124 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,840 According to some, chewing poison oak protects against its effects. 125 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,080 Others say it will make you very, very sick. 126 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,720 So what's the toxic ingredient? 127 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:37,680 What makes them painful is the erythroxial oil, and that's the active ingredient that 128 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:41,360 causes an allergy in 90% of people. 129 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:44,520 Remember that figure, 90%. 130 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,560 And the most common side effect is a rash, but some people have such a severe reaction 131 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:51,080 that they have to be hospitalized. 132 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,080 No problem. 133 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,800 Carrie's health insurance is paid up, and in any case, vodka may just work. 134 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,080 This is going against everything I've ever been taught as a kid. 135 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:01,880 It boggles my mind. 136 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:06,200 His arm is divided into three sections, and the poison oak is applied. 137 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:07,200 Oh. 138 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:08,200 It's okay. 139 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:12,280 It's not like you've never had a rash before. 140 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,880 That's right, that was that time that you and I were hanging out, and you gave it. 141 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:21,080 In section one, they use an orthodox remedy, a commercial balm. 142 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:22,080 Rub it in. 143 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:26,360 It cleanses and decontaminates skin by removing the invisible oils. 144 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:31,280 Now for the vodka, which they pour over a separate section of skin. 145 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,240 The middle section is left untreated as the control. 146 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,640 Well, I hope you don't have a date tonight because you're showing up smelling like liquor, 147 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,080 poison oak on your arm. 148 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:41,080 It works every time. 149 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:46,480 Okay, now I guess we just wait and see what happens. 150 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,960 Let's all group hug. 151 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:59,480 Let the games begin. 152 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,440 And can you find a myth buster who isn't immune to poison oak? 153 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:04,440 I have no rash. 154 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:05,440 But you're allergic. 155 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:12,920 In the myth that bullets fired up can kill, Adam and Jamie have been trying to find out 156 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,880 how high a bullet can go. 157 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,240 Oh, that is just crazy. 158 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,120 Their first experiment drew a blank, so it's back to the drawing board. 159 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,240 Well, that was a good waste of time. 160 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,760 I mean, we didn't really get any useful data at all from firing a bullet into the ballistic 161 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:32,760 shell. 162 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:33,760 No. 163 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,840 I mean, if faster the bullet, the more the shell resisted, just like water. 164 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:41,800 Well, we might have busted out experimentally, but there are computer simulation programs 165 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:45,160 that can give us the figures on a vertically discharged bullet. 166 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:46,160 And here's what we got. 167 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:52,040 A 30-odd-6 bullet will reach a maximum height of 10,000 feet and take 58 seconds to make 168 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:53,280 its round trip. 169 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:58,920 A 9-millimeter bullet will reach a maximum height of 4,000 feet and take 37 seconds to 170 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:00,280 make its round trip. 171 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,320 Well, that's certainly high enough for it to reach its terminal velocity on the way 172 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,440 down on both bullets. 173 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,600 So all we need to do is find out what that is. 174 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,400 Terminal velocity is the maximum speed at which an object can fall through the air. 175 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:22,000 Its reach when the force of gravity is matched by the force of wind resistance, at which 176 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,240 point the object can't go any faster. 177 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:35,080 To find the terminal velocity of a bullet, Adam builds an acrylic wind tunnel. 178 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:43,000 He fires a high-speed jet of air from below and inserts a wind speed meter at the top. 179 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,080 Everything's set. 180 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,200 The way this wind tunnel measures the terminal velocity of a bullet is when I put a bullet 181 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:54,800 into this tube and I get it to a point at which it's stable and it floats in the tube, 182 00:10:54,800 --> 00:11:00,280 I know that that is this, I'm equaling the bullet's weight and mass with the air pressure 183 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:05,320 below it and that speed that I get on my wind speed indicator is exactly the speed at which 184 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,320 this bullet will fall if it's falling through the air. 185 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,840 First up, a 9-millimeter bullet. 186 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:17,360 Take some adjustment to find the right wind speed, but Adam soon dials it in and he's 187 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:18,360 in business. 188 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:20,860 Look at that! 189 00:11:20,860 --> 00:11:25,720 It was pretty consistent, I see on the wind speed indicator I've got here, it's just almost 190 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,040 exactly 100 miles an hour. 191 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:33,040 That's how fast this thing would be heading towards you if it fell from the sky. 192 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,040 So now I've got to do the other bullet. 193 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,040 This is a 30-odd 6-bullet! 194 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,040 Longer, but closer to the simile of weight! 195 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,040 Look at that! 196 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:52,040 This wind tunnel demonstrates absolutely the terminal velocity of both the 9-millimeter 197 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,040 and the 30-odd 6 is just about 100 miles per hour. 198 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:01,240 Now, this wind tunnel also demonstrates really clearly that their most stable way of falling 199 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:06,040 is on their side and that's their stable speed, that's the speed they're going to hit you at. 200 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,040 100 miles per hour is about 150 feet per second. 201 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:14,040 That sounds pretty quick, but is it quick enough to kill? 202 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:21,040 Now that I've determined that, next up is to build a device that will fire these at exactly 203 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:29,040 150 feet per second, fire them into some human head analog and see if they're in fact lethal 204 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,040 at those speeds. 205 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,040 Human head analog. 206 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,040 Hmm, on this show, that only means one thing. 207 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,040 Jamie, please don't fire bullets into my head. 208 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,040 It's only got one ear though. 209 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:46,040 We don't need ears for testing the lethality of bullets at terminal velocity, man! 210 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:51,040 A pig's cranium is harder than a human's, but it's close enough. 211 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:56,040 And don't worry, as always on the show, Adam and Jamie got these at the Slaughterhouse. 212 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:04,040 Now they need a way of firing bullets at just 150 feet per second, so Adam takes some aluminum piping, 213 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:07,040 a high pressure air hose, and a 9mm bullet. 214 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:14,040 Simple, but dangerous, so don't try this at home. 215 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,040 I think you might have put a dent in your door. 216 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:17,040 That would have hurt. 217 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,040 In fact, I wouldn't want to get hit in the head with that. 218 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:24,040 I know that, I mean, that could potentially do you harm. 219 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,040 Sounds encouraging, so Adam goes into production. 220 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:34,040 He makes two high pressure P-shooters, one each for the 9mm and 30 caliber bullets. 221 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:40,040 Both consist of an aluminum barrel with a solenoid valve plumbed into one end. 222 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:44,040 He'll fire through a chronograph, which measures in feet per second, 223 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:48,040 so he can tune the velocity until it matches a falling bullet. 224 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:53,040 Once again, Sergeant Normandy's there to lend a hand. 225 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:58,040 First up, the 9mm bullet at 120 psi. 226 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,040 The gun is loaded, prepare to fire. 227 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:03,040 Here we go. 228 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:04,040 Three, two, one. 229 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:10,040 140, actually I was looking for exactly 146. 230 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:11,040 That's amazing. 231 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,040 Perfect. 232 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,040 Okay, 9mm is dialed in perfectly. 233 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,040 Next up, the 30 caliber bullet. 234 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:24,040 And with Adam dialed in, it too is soon hitting its terminal velocity target. 235 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:25,040 151. 236 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:26,040 151. 237 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:27,040 One of my favorite numbers. 238 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,040 Dead on the money. 239 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:35,040 Now, with a little help from the pigs, he should soon know if bullets fall fast enough to butcher. 240 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:40,040 Back at the myth that vodka can relieve a poison oak reaction, 241 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,040 Tari's looking alarmingly healthy. 242 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:47,040 13 days ago, I put poison oak on my arm, but apparently I don't get it anymore. 243 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,040 I mean, I got it when I was a kid, but I don't get it anymore. 244 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,040 So, I need your arm. 245 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:57,040 I need somebody, you know, a weaker individual, or not individual, but... 246 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:00,040 While Tari gloves up, Adam fires. 247 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,040 But he needn't have worry. 248 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:07,040 Turns out he too is one of the 10% who are immune to poison oak. 249 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,040 So poison oak. 250 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:18,040 I did the test a week ago, and it seems that the myth now isn't about poison oak and vodka as a topical treatment. 251 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:24,040 It's about whether or not a myth buster can actually get to the point where it's not about poison oak. 252 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,040 So now it's your turn. 253 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,040 Oh, it's cool. 254 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,040 And what do you know? 255 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,040 Tari tried it. 256 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:33,040 Yeah. 257 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:34,040 Adam tried it. 258 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:35,040 Yeah. 259 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,040 And now two weeks later, I have no rash. 260 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:39,040 But you were allergic. 261 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,040 They've tested the leaves at a lab, and it really is poison oak. 262 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,040 Seems like myth busters is hosted by mutants. 263 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:48,040 So how about the crew? 264 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,040 We have a lot of people who are not immune to poison oak. 265 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,040 But they're not immune to the mutants. 266 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,040 So how about the crew? 267 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,040 We have got to get a result on this one. 268 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,040 There's just no ifs and buts about it. 269 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,040 So we're going to have to test it on three people this time. 270 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,040 Hopefully one of them might possibly be allergic to poison oak. 271 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:09,040 Press ganged into compliance, they offer themselves up for science. 272 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,040 With this myth on the line, it's rash up or flunk out. 273 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,040 It's been 24 hours, you guys. 274 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:20,040 What do you got? 275 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:21,040 Flunked. 276 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:23,040 Not enough to call anything at this point. 277 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,040 Flunked. 278 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,040 Hey! 279 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:29,040 And straight A's for John the researcher. 280 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:31,040 That is definitely poison oak. 281 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,040 I'm glad you guys are really happy about this result. 282 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,040 This is a very, very clear cut result. 283 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,040 Vodka and control have the same amount of rash. 284 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:44,040 The commercial topical brands, there's really nothing to speak of. 285 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,040 I would say we can definitely call this one busted. 286 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:51,040 After the break. 287 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,040 Three, two, one. 288 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:59,040 Can falling bullets kill or is it a case of pigs might fly? 289 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:00,040 That bounced right off of them. 290 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:05,040 And Iron Man Imahara tests another vodka myth. 291 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,040 Firing guns in the air can be bad for your health. 292 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,040 Or at least that's the myth. 293 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,040 If it's true, these cowboys should be wearing helmets, not hats, 294 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,040 because falling bullets can kill. 295 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,040 Adams found a way to fire bullets at their terminal velocity. 296 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:32,040 The speed at which they would fall if fired straight up. 297 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,040 Now he's planning to take a pot shot at some porkers. 298 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,040 Look and then come with these handy targets. 299 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,040 Okay, bullets loaded. 300 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,040 And three, two, one. 301 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:44,040 Fire! 302 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:50,040 Well, that bounced right off of him. 303 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:55,040 The high speed confirms that the bullet was traveling at about the right speed. 304 00:17:55,040 --> 00:18:00,040 This bullet was traveling at 165, 166 feet per second. 305 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:04,040 Just slightly over what its terminal velocity would be, slightly faster. 306 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,040 Still didn't even really break the skin. 307 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,040 That would have been a real owie. 308 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,040 It definitely would have been nasty, but that's not a lethal hit. 309 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:16,040 So once more into the breach, this time with a larger 30 caliber round. 310 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:21,040 30 out of 6 bullets in three, two, one. 311 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:26,040 Now! 312 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:37,040 Here's where it hit, and it really definitely pierced the skin, but bounced right off. 313 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:42,040 One small dent in the skull, one giant ding in the myth. 314 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:50,040 I'm starting to suspect that 150 feet per second of bullets terminal velocity just isn't fast enough to be lethal. 315 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,040 Yeah, it's a little confusing. 316 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:59,040 I mean, I've seen news footage where people have been killed by falling bullets, but our data doesn't show it. 317 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,040 Well, I've got a great thing here. 318 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,040 The researchers have found us an expert. 319 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:09,040 He's a doctor at Stanford University, and he's also an international expert on falling bullets. 320 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,040 I think we should go talk to him and see if he can resolve some of our conflicting data for us. 321 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:14,040 Let's do it. 322 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:19,040 It seems almost too good to be true, but true it is. 323 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:24,040 An international authority on falling bullets right on the Mythbusters doorstep. 324 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,040 Well, Dr. Muller, I'm Adam Savage. 325 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,040 Good to meet you. Why don't you come back to my clinic? 326 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:36,040 So, Dr. Muller, are you familiar with the myth that if you fire a bullet straight up in the air when it comes down, it'll kill you? 327 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:46,040 I actually have right here in the Bay Area two unique cases, one of which involves the shooter actually having been caught. 328 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:57,040 In one case, a woman watching the 4th of July celebrations from her launch air was struck in the thigh by a 30-caliber bullet fired into the air over a mile away. 329 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:05,040 We did a bullet recovery from her leg, and the ballistics match was achieved, and we were able to actually prosecute and send that guy to jail. 330 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:09,040 The other Bay Area case involved an elderly man from Alameda. 331 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:15,040 A gentleman who was standing under his plastic corrugated, roofed carport talking to his wife. 332 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:21,040 He had his eyes roll up in his head and fell to the ground, and she thought he was having a stroke. 333 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:27,040 She called the paramedics, they took him to the hospital, x-rays were done, and he was found to have a bullet in his brain. 334 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,040 This time, the victim did not survive. 335 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:39,040 So, Dr., based on your experience of these cases, do you think that you would call this myth true, that the bullets falling from the sky will kill you? 336 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:47,040 I know for a fact that bullets fired at a distance, returning to Earth with terminal velocity, have the ability to kill people. 337 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:53,040 It's a real conundrum. On the one hand, Dr. Moller has proof that falling bullets do kill. 338 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,040 On the other, the mythbusters have proof that they don't. 339 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,040 It definitely would have been nasty, but that's not a lethal hit. 340 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:05,040 Getting to the bottom of this one will test Adam and Jamie to the limit. 341 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,040 It's happy hour with another vodka myth. 342 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:17,040 I got a vodka myth for you guys. Apparently, you can remove plastic bandages painlessly. 343 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,040 So, is this vodka taken internally? 344 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,040 No such luck, Byron. It goes on the outside. 345 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,040 The vodka acts as a solvent, dissolving the adhesive. 346 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:33,040 Grant puts his masculinity on the line by proffering his legs for the experiment. 347 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:41,040 That's gonna suck taking it off. 348 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:48,040 The plan is to soak one bandage in vodka. The other will be the control. Pain will be the judge. 349 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,040 Oh, it's cold. 350 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:54,040 Iron Man Imahara grits his teeth. 351 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,040 Maybe the vodka will act as a local anesthetic. 352 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:02,040 There are girls at Swiss finishing schools rougher and tougher than Grant. 353 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:06,040 How do you want to do this? Do you want to just go quick or should we go slow? 354 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:11,040 I don't know. What is traditionally more painless, quick, huh? 355 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,040 You ready? 356 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,040 Okay, go for it. 357 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:16,040 It's best. 358 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,040 Ready? One, two, three. 359 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:22,040 If you wear a hearing aid, remove it now. 360 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,040 Look at your little bald spot there. 361 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,040 Scale of one to ten. Pain on the rip off. 362 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,040 That was a good six or seven. 363 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,040 Really? Yeah. 364 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:48,040 Which makes trapping your finger in your handbag a nine or ten. 365 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,040 But will vodka help? 366 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:51,040 Ready? 367 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,040 Oh! 368 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,040 Look, there's no hair. 369 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,040 So what's the verdict? 370 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:06,040 If we had to judge from the standpoint of hair, vodka bandage definitely has less hair. 371 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:10,040 Did it feel like it dissolved the adhesive? Was it easier to pull off? 372 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,040 Well, it definitely wasn't painless. 373 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,040 Oh. 374 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:18,040 Not painless, but not busted. 375 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,040 Scale of one to ten. 376 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:22,040 It's hard to tell. I would say maybe a four. 377 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:27,040 Coming up on Myth Busters. 378 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,040 What goes up must come down. 379 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,040 So where the heck are those bullets? 380 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:36,040 I'm searching across the desert for a pencil-sized hole. 381 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,040 And Carrie's on the job. 382 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,040 Drink at work? Sure. 383 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,040 Knockin' them back for science. 384 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,040 Don't try what you're about to see at home. 385 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:58,040 The Myth Busters are investigating the myth that celebratory gunfire can kill when the bullets fall back to Earth. 386 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:05,040 A doctor at Stanford showed Adam cases that seemed to confirm the myth. 387 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:11,040 But shop tests showed bullets fall on their sides too slow to kill. 388 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:13,040 So, where next? 389 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,040 The dollar actually came up with some pretty compelling evidence that contradicts our results. 390 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,040 Now, he showed me X-rays of people with bullets in their head and their legs, 391 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:26,040 and proved that those bullets had been fired by guns during 4th of July celebrations. 392 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:32,040 But here's the thing. Those bullets had been fired from guns over a mile away from where they landed. 393 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,040 That means they were not fired straight up in the air. 394 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:39,040 They were fired at an angle, and they were maintaining their ballistic trajectory. 395 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:44,040 According to the medical evidence, the most lethal falling bullets aren't exactly falling. 396 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:50,040 A bullet fired up at an angle stays spin-stabilized and on a ballistic trajectory, 397 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:55,040 returning to Earth, point down at a high terminal velocity. 398 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,040 But what about bullets that are fired straight up? 399 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,040 That's the question. 400 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:06,040 Even though it's going to be really hard, I think it's time to do this for real and go out to the desert. 401 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:11,040 Then we get to see if what we find out there matches the tests we did in the shop. 402 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,040 Road trip! 403 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:20,040 It's sunrise on bullets fired up day, and the Mythbusters lead a convoy into the middle of the Mojave Desert. 404 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,040 If this isn't the middle of nowhere, you can certainly see it from here. 405 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,040 It's the perfect location for today's experiment. 406 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:34,040 Well, the desert suits our purposes in this myth in that it's completely desolate. 407 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:41,040 We've got like two and a half miles around us in every direction of empty, perfectly flat lakebed. 408 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,040 It's the ideal location to find a bullet if one can be found. 409 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:51,040 To improve the odds, Adam and Jamie have borrowed several pairs of eyes and ears. 410 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:56,040 Their crew will be stationed in a ring of bullet-proof listening posts around the firearm. 411 00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:03,040 Jamie has turned a tripod into a straight-up, 90-degree gun-holding bullet-firing rig. 412 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:07,040 That's pretty good. It's pretty much 90-90. 413 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:12,040 And finally, with bullets flying everywhere, they're joined by Armorer Torrance Hall. 414 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:19,040 We're not hoping for fantastic odds, but all we really need to do is find a single bullet, and we're going to know a lot about what's going on here. 415 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,040 The win will be the crucial factor. 416 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:29,040 It's calm at ground level, but with the 30-caliber bullets likely to reach altitudes of 10,000 feet, 417 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,040 they decide to test what's going on higher up. 418 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,040 For science! 419 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,040 It's going that way. 420 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,040 You're a budding meteorologist, Jamie. 421 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:51,040 Before they start firing straight up, they need to fire straight down to see how deep into the lakebed various bullets go. 422 00:26:52,040 --> 00:27:04,040 Now, this isn't an absolute test. This is a relative test that will give us a comparison point between the bullet right at its muzzle velocity into the ground as compared to a falling bullet. 423 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:10,040 First, a BB gun, which in rare cases can be lethal, but will usually just pierce the skin. 424 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,040 Okay. 425 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,040 Next, the 9-millimeter pistol. 426 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:19,040 And three, two, one. 427 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,040 And finally, the 30-ought 6. 428 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,040 One. 429 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,040 So, how deep did the bullets go? 430 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:30,040 First, the BB. 431 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:31,040 It's about three inches. 432 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,040 Next, the 9-millimeter. 433 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:38,040 That one's about five or six inches. 434 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,040 And finally, the 30-caliber. 435 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,040 Wow. 436 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:43,040 That's about a foot. 437 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:51,040 By using the desert floor as a surrogate ballistics material, they now have a yardstick for measuring the lethality of falling bullets. 438 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,040 If they can find any, that is. 439 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,040 Okay, eight rounds. 440 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:56,040 Eight rounds, everybody. 441 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:02,040 Alright, firing in three, two, one. 442 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:10,040 One clip on its way up. 443 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:11,040 Here's that. 444 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,040 And 39 seconds later, touchdown. 445 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:17,040 One. 446 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:18,040 Two. 447 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:19,040 Hit. 448 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,040 You heard one that way, Jamie? 449 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,040 Yeah, I heard like two or three out there. 450 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,040 Now, all they have to do is find them. 451 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:29,040 So, you guys heard several out this way. 452 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,040 We heard a couple out this way. 453 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,040 Why don't you take your camera crew that way? 454 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:35,040 We'll take our camera crew this way. 455 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,040 So, that makes a half a lake bed each. 456 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:41,040 This could be harder than they thought. 457 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,040 I'm searching across the desert for a pencil-sized hole. 458 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:53,040 Coming up on Mythbusters, can one of these fired straight up in the air kill you on the way back down? 459 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:00,040 I guess I'm a cheap date. 460 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:09,040 Back in the Mojave Desert, the Mythbusters have fired on nine millimeter clips straight up in the air, 461 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:14,040 and they're scouring several square miles of lake bed for the fallen bullets. 462 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:20,040 It's a tall order, made even taller by the holes which pockmark the desert floor. 463 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,040 Bullet-sized holes. 464 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,040 Even though it looks disturbed, it's not actually a hit. 465 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:32,040 This could take a month of Sundays, and they've only got until sundown. 466 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:36,040 With the fat lady warming up, Adam spots something. 467 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:38,040 Hey, I found one! 468 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,040 I got broken salt crust. 469 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,040 You know, the other thing I notice is the hole is oblong. 470 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,040 Not perfectly round. 471 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:47,040 It hit sideways. 472 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:51,040 It means it was falling sideways, or tumbling when it fell. 473 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,040 Early indications are that it would not have been a lethal hit. 474 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:55,040 Alright. 475 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,040 For confirmation, Adam measures how deep it went. 476 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,040 Not that far at all. 477 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,040 Remember, a BB went three inches. 478 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,040 That's two inches exactly. 479 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,040 That means it probably wouldn't even pierce your skin. 480 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:14,040 It's another nail in this myth's coffin. 481 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,040 There she blows. That's nine millimeter round. 482 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:21,040 Woo! He found it! 483 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:27,040 Using GPS, Torrance pinpoints how far away from the gun the bullet hit. 484 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,040 Looks like about 330 feet. 485 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,040 And it was fired straight up. 486 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,040 That was fired dead straight up, 330 feet off. 487 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,040 It just shows you what the wind does. 488 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:37,040 That's amazing. 489 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,040 And with other bullets out here somewhere, 490 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,040 they now know exactly what they're looking for. 491 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:47,040 There's a crap load of bullet hole shaped holes around here. 492 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,040 So it was hard to know what to look for, 493 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,040 but it pretty much matched exactly what one would think. 494 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,040 It was a nice, clean black hole. 495 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:55,040 Adam! 496 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:56,040 What? 497 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,040 Adam, check it out. 498 00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:59,040 You got another one? 499 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,040 Yep. 500 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:02,040 Same depth. 501 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:03,040 Same depth? 502 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:05,040 And it's an oblong hole. 503 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:06,040 Oh my God. 504 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:09,040 Can we just go home? This is fantastic. 505 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:13,040 Both bullets were found on their sides, two inches down, 506 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,040 confirming their shop test results. 507 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,040 Nothing could be sweeter. 508 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,040 This is science in action. 509 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,040 One for the road, a final vodka myth. 510 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,040 What's going on? You got vodka? I see water filters. 511 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,040 What are you making, Grant? 512 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:39,040 Well, the myth is you can turn low-end vodka into top shelf vodka 513 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:44,040 with six filtrations of a domestic charcoal water filter. 514 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:45,040 Here we go. 515 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,040 Dude, if this works out, you might be able to start a little company 516 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,040 of vodka producing. 517 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,040 Huh? Grant vodka. 518 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,040 Grant vodka. I'd buy it. 519 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:54,040 Sweet. 520 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,040 So, is the only difference between a top shelf vodka 521 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,040 and a bottle of rodgat really just filtration? 522 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:06,040 To find out, they're planning a taste test and some laboratory analysis. 523 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:09,040 Okay, here's the sixth and final filtration. 524 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,040 Now for a double-blind test, 525 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:14,040 and Grant's assembled a panel of top shelf tasters. 526 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:19,040 Expert number one, Anthony Dias Blue, 527 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:23,040 executive director, San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 528 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:30,040 The characteristics of a good vodka are clarity, purity, and texture. 529 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,040 Expert number two, Jamie Heidemann, 530 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:37,040 degree in Russian literature. 531 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:40,040 Expert number three, Carrie Byron, 532 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:44,040 former undercover martini tester. 533 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:45,040 The rules are simple. 534 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,040 Each judge gets eight shots of vodka, 535 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:51,040 one from each of the six filtration stages, 536 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,040 and an expensive top shelf brand. 537 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,040 The cheap, unfiltered vodka will be the control. 538 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:02,040 Their task is to rate them from worst to best. 539 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,040 Anthony Dias Blue, are you ready? 540 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:09,040 I'm ready. 541 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,040 These samples have been prepared and randomized. 542 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,040 Even I won't know which is which until the very end. 543 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:22,040 Anthony's reputation as a professional taster is at stake, 544 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,040 and he's got to be on top of his game. 545 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:27,040 It tasted like gasoline, it was kind of hot. 546 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,040 That one's pretty nice. 547 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,040 Eight straight vodkas later, 548 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:37,040 and not surprisingly, Anthony's brimming with confidence. 549 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,040 Anthony Dias Blue, is that your final answer? 550 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,040 That is my final answer. 551 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,040 Jamie Heidemann, you may begin. 552 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:45,040 All right. 553 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:49,040 Tasting a spirit that's produced to be odorless and flavorless 554 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:53,040 is a tall order, just the way Jamie likes it. 555 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:56,040 Okay, well, I guess it's time to start tasting. 556 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,040 He's nothing if not methodical. 557 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:03,040 Just before the other judges lose their will to live, 558 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,040 Jamie makes his final line up. 559 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,040 Are you happy with your selections, Jamie? 560 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:13,040 Yes. 561 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:16,040 I'm wondering if you might have contaminated your experiment 562 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,040 by mixing on the mustache. 563 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,040 Either that or they're actually very sensitive 564 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,040 and able to pick up on subtle variations 565 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,040 in the chemistry in the vodka. 566 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:25,040 To Shay. 567 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,040 Carrie Byron, are you ready? 568 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:28,040 To drink at work? 569 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:29,040 Sure. 570 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:34,040 If the myth is true, there should be no discernible difference 571 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:38,040 between the top shelf brand and the fully filtered rotgut. 572 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:46,040 I think I could go with this. 573 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:47,040 Okay, you're sure about this? 574 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,040 No, not at all, but I'm going with it. 575 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:50,040 All right. 576 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,040 So, what are the results? 577 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,040 Carrie's worst. 578 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:55,040 What's the top shelf? 579 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:58,040 Third filtration. 580 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:00,040 Not the best of starts. 581 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:02,040 Carrie's second worst. 582 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:04,040 The top shelf? 583 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,040 And she flunks out in two. 584 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,040 Third to best, the control. 585 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,040 I guess I'm a cheap date. 586 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,040 Now we know what Carrie likes. 587 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:21,040 With cheap and cheerful Carrie eliminated, 588 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,040 it's over to the myth buster with the mustache. 589 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,040 Mr. Heineman, are you ready? 590 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:26,040 Ready as I'll ever be. 591 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:27,040 Here I go. 592 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:29,040 Jamie's second worst. 593 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:31,040 The control. 594 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:32,040 It's not bad. 595 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:33,040 That's very good. 596 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:34,040 Well done. 597 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,040 Second best of the fifth filtration, 598 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,040 leaving the top shelf. 599 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,040 You did really good. 600 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:42,040 I guess I did good. 601 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:43,040 Cool. 602 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,040 Jamie pretty much nailed it. 603 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:48,040 So finally, it's over to the pro. 604 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:50,040 Anthony's worst. 605 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,040 The control. 606 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:52,040 Lower shelf vodka. 607 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:53,040 Perfect guess. 608 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,040 Second best, spot on. 609 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:57,040 Sixth round filtration. 610 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:02,040 And first place, the top shelf vodka. 611 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,040 You did good. 612 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:07,040 Very good. 613 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:08,040 Thank you. 614 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,040 Not bad. 615 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,040 In fact, Anthony called it exactly right. 616 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:13,040 Well congratulations, Anthony. 617 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,040 Looks like we got the right man for the job. 618 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,040 Your reputation is intact. 619 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:19,040 Well, I'm relieved. 620 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:21,040 I mean, as you say, I can keep my job now. 621 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:26,040 So how about the myth, still standing or slumped over the bar? 622 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:31,040 Passing a low end vodka through a filter will make it better, 623 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,040 but it won't make it a top shelf vodka. 624 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,040 Let's give the last word to science. 625 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:41,040 Can filtration turn a cheap and cheerful vodka into a top shelf drop? 626 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:44,040 Dr. Byron has the laboratory data. 627 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:49,040 So, Doctor, were you able to turn cheap vodka into good vodka by filtering it? 628 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,040 Well, actually, I just got the lab results and the gas chromatographs 629 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:57,040 showed that there are really absolutely no difference in chemical composition 630 00:36:57,040 --> 00:37:02,040 between the filtered vodka and the low end non-filtered control vodka. 631 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,040 So it's probably cheaper just to buy the good vodka 632 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:07,040 than actually going and get water filters and filtering the crap vodka? 633 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:08,040 Yeah. 634 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,040 So I'm calling this busted. 635 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,040 Good job, Doctor. 636 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:22,040 After the break, Adam solves the wind problem in bullets fired up. 637 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:26,040 And another myth is laid to rest. 638 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:27,040 Dude! 639 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:34,040 Alright, firing in three, two, one. 640 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,040 Back in the Mojave Desert, the mythbusters have been firing 641 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:41,040 nine-millimeter bullets straight up in the air to see if they're lethal 642 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,040 when they fall back to earth. 643 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:48,040 Both the bullets they found fell sideways at a non-lethal velocity, 644 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:51,040 confirming Adam's wind tunnel shop tests. 645 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:55,040 Now it's time for the .30-06 assault rifle. 646 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,040 Next safety's going off. 647 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,040 Weapon is hot. 648 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:06,040 They fire off eight rounds, but nobody hears anything land. 649 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:08,040 Here's off. 650 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,040 Did anybody hear anything? 651 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:11,040 No. 652 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:17,040 To counter the wind, they tilt the gun at a slight angle and try again. 653 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,040 Forty rounds later and they're still drawing a blank. 654 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:27,040 Alright, did anybody hear anything? 655 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:28,040 Nope. 656 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:29,040 No. 657 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:30,040 Damn it. 658 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:35,040 With no clues as to the landing spot, the search proves fruitless. 659 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,040 Adam, have you had any luck firing .30-06? 660 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:40,040 No. 661 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,040 I think we got super-crazy lucky on the nine-millimeter. 662 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:47,040 The clustering was incredible and the crew has just been astounding, 663 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,040 but the .30-06 is flying more than twice as high, 664 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,040 almost 10,000 feet in the air before it comes down. 665 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,040 It's like it's in the jet stream and it's headed for the Pacific Ocean or something. 666 00:38:56,040 --> 00:39:01,040 In the absence of a .30-caliber bullet, this myth has an annoying loose end. 667 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,040 Luckily, Adam has a planned B. 668 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:09,040 It's all about beating the wind. 669 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:21,040 He's built a rig that will simulate bullets falling at their terminal velocity 670 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:23,040 after being fired straight up. 671 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:30,040 A remote-controlled device will drop the bullets from a balloon flying at 400 feet. 672 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:36,040 How do I know that if I drop my bullets from my balloon at 400 feet 673 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:39,040 that they'll be falling at their terminal velocity? 674 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:41,040 It's really simple math. 675 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:46,040 Gravity pulls everything towards the Earth at an increasing rate of 32 feet per second per second. 676 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:52,040 That means that every second an object falls, it's increasing in its speed by 32 feet every second. 677 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:57,040 From 400 feet, they'll hit their maximum speed of 150 feet per second 678 00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,040 just before they hit the ground. 679 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:04,040 And this time, the guys will know exactly where they've landed. 680 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:07,040 Alright, I think this is pretty good. 681 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:16,040 Yeah, the altimeter says we're at a beautiful height, about 140 meters, which is just about 400 feet. 682 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:19,040 Okay, well the EMTs are standing by in case we get hurt. 683 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:22,040 Alright, everyone's got their hard hats on? 684 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:23,040 Alright. 685 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:24,040 Give us a countdown. 686 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:29,040 Three, two, one. 687 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,040 Oh, they dropped beautifully. 688 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:39,040 That was perfect! 689 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:42,040 Alright, I'm going to power down the camera here. 690 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:43,040 Okay. 691 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:45,040 Oh, that was excellent. 692 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:51,040 To match the shop tests, the 30-caliber bullets should match the profile of the 9mm. 693 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:57,040 In other words, they should be found on their sides two inches down. 694 00:40:57,040 --> 00:40:59,040 That looks like a 30-odd 6-hole. 695 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:00,040 There's some over there. 696 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,040 Look at that, we got them all. 697 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:08,040 Alright, 30-odd 6 and terminal velocity. 698 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:12,040 Ha ha ha ha, about two inches. 699 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:13,040 Okay. 700 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:14,040 It doesn't get better than that. 701 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:15,040 Let's find some more. 702 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:19,040 Oh, here's a 9mm. 703 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:21,040 This is the real test. 704 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:26,040 Since we found 9mm bullets falling from their absolute height, 705 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:30,040 if this matches, this rig is perfectly calibrated. 706 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:34,040 There you go. 707 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:35,040 Dude! 708 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:39,040 It's the terminal piece of the falling bullet puzzle. 709 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,040 We can confirm that vertically in the air, 710 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:48,040 neither a 9mm nor a 30-odd 6 is coming to the earth with a lethal velocity. 711 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,040 It couldn't be any clearer than that. 712 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:51,040 No. 713 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:53,040 We've covered it with a real gun, 714 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:56,040 we've covered it with our artificial test here with the drop. 715 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:58,040 We've covered it with the wind tunnel tests, 716 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:02,040 we've covered it with the pigs' heads. 717 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:04,040 I think we got this one down. 718 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,040 So where does this mint leave us? 719 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,040 Busted, plausible, or confirmed? 720 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:10,040 All of the above. 721 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:13,040 I don't think we've ever done that before. 722 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:14,040 Explain. 723 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:18,040 Well, all of our tests showed that a bullet fired straight up in the air, 724 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:22,040 dead straight, is not going to come down with a lethal force. 725 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:27,040 Right, but we've also seen that it's very difficult and unnatural 726 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:29,040 to hold a gun perfectly vertically, 727 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:32,040 and that if you're off by even a few degrees, 728 00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:34,040 that bullet can maintain its ballistic trajectory 729 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:37,040 and come back to earth with potentially lethal force. 730 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:39,040 We've got a doctor who's seen the deaths, 731 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:41,040 he's looked at a bunch of the cases, 732 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:43,040 and those prove that it's confirmed. 733 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:45,040 Yeah, so it's all of the above. 734 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:50,040 And in any case, you should never, ever fire a weapon straight up in the air. 735 00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:54,040 No, it's stupid and it's illegal almost everywhere. 736 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:56,040 Could be lethal. 737 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:57,040 Let's go home. 738 00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:58,040 Okay.