MythBusters Episode 113: End with a Bang
Air Date: November 12, 2008
It’s better to hit the ground running.
busted
The MythBusters tested this idiom in a literal sense by applying it to running, bicycling, and driving. They wanted to see if you can be faster when your legs or wheels are already moving at the start of a time trial. For running, Kari, Tory, and Grant each ran 30 feet from a standstill, then after dropping from a trapeze bar while running in the air, and finally after riding a zipline to the starting line. All of them were faster when running from a standstill. For the bicycle, Tory made a rig that allowed him to elevate the rear wheel and drop it, spinning, onto the ground. This made the bike unstable and was slower than a dead start. Finally, the team raised the front wheels of a car off the ground while Kari revved the engine. The front end was then dropped, but once again, a dead start proved to be faster.
You can’t polish poop.
busted
Adam and Jamie visited a zoo to obtain a variety of feces to try to polish. They tried to pick the most polishable candidates and baked them to remove the moisture. Adam tried to shine his poop with a buffing wheel, while Jamie reasoned that using a wax polish would result in a shine. Adam eventually sought the advice of an outside expert, who showed him that it was possible to apply a shine to dirt with a tedious technique. Applying this technique, Adam and Jamie were able to obtain very polished poop without using any foreign materials like polish.
It’s better to end with a bang.
up to the fans
To test this myth, Adam and Jamie tried different ways of ending the episode: first with a bang, then with a slow burn. For the bang, detonating cord was wrapped around Jamie’s moped, and Adam added bottles of gasoline. The explosion utterly destroyed the moped. For a burn, Jamie mixed over 1000 lbs of thermite, intending to use it to cut an SUV in half. While the SUV was not completely severed, the thermite burned through most of the vehicle, and both Adam and Jamie enjoyed the destruction. Adam preferred the bang, but Jamie liked the burn more. They decided to leave the verdict of the myth/idiom to the fans.
What’s up internet?
So, my question is:
How the heck did that guy manage to shine dirt like that? I’ve been looking online for a little bit now, and so far I’ve had no luck.
If someone could find a way to shine dirt similar to the way shown on this episode, please post it.
Thanks!
November 13, 2008 at 8:33 PMHitting the Ground Running. What if you are already running, say on a quay wall or pier-like structure and have to run off the end onto the ground. Your timing will be much more precise than being randomly dropped from a trapeze.
November 14, 2008 at 2:14 PMI can see why California has a air pollution problem – Mythbusters – with their passion for blowing/burning things up – are an ecological disaster!
November 14, 2008 at 6:18 PMSlow burn and Big Bang were both cool. Too cool to have to pick just one!!
November 15, 2008 at 10:23 AMThe dirt-polishing technique is called Dorodango. Information is at: http://www.dorodango.com
November 16, 2008 at 1:32 PMIt looks pretty neat!
At work, we used to have a train stop that let you off right on the plant grounds.
We had a guy who they used to say “Hit the Ground Running”. He just actually pushed off the stationary train and started running using that momentum.
Would that qualify as one of the tests for a follow-up of “Hit the Ground Running”?
November 17, 2008 at 4:37 AMEnding with a bang was cool. I thought it was a good way to end an episode. Good Job Adam and Jamie.
November 19, 2008 at 5:59 PMI like what Adam and Jamie did on the helium blimp but can you go get a rc blimp and fill it with helium and build a tower and crash in to it and cech it on fire.
November 23, 2008 at 9:51 PMThe dorodango thing looks so cool! I’m going to try that. Does anyone know how long it would take?
And I like the ending with a bang much better than just those massive fires.
I <3 Explosions~
November 29, 2008 at 11:13 PMIs it actualea posable to shine dirt like that guy did on the episode.
November 29, 2008 at 11:15 PMadam and jamie do you guys check this site and read the comments? if so, id like to ask: will you do an episode only testing myths with explosions? please? i, like scarlet (whom i know) <3 explosions, and i think that many people would like more EXPLOSIONS in your shows!!:) i <3 mythbusters!
November 29, 2008 at 11:18 PMI believe hitting the ground running has more to do with not falling rather than going faster. An example in the episode would be when riding the bike there was in an accident. When the rider hit the ground he literally hit the ground running and was able to avoid falling on his face.
November 30, 2008 at 1:56 AMI have a different slant on “Hit the ground running”. I beleave the term is ment to mean that a program or what ever is already in motion, is in it’s normal flow and you are running to it. It would be like an escalator, if you put a spot at point A, it will move along, but if you are running and hit that spot you will be furture along then if you just stepped on the escalator.
December 2, 2008 at 9:53 AMDoes that make sence?
Putting a car in reverce. If you find a 1965 or 67 dodge or a 62 chev with a power glide and go highway speed and then put the car in reverce the fun begins. The car will slow down until about 20 mph and then will lock the rear end so it hops and then hits reverse.
December 6, 2008 at 1:40 PMTake care
Mark
you guys should do the old myth “its so hot outside that you can fry an egg on the side walk” !!!!!!
December 16, 2008 at 5:33 PMWhen I was in high school (ca 1956) I heard of a supposed “Science Fair Project” that still sounds plausible today. The theory was that you could remove the speaker from a radio (remember that they had tubes back then) and connect electrodes to the wires that originally drove the speakers. The subject would then hold the electrodes, (one in each hand? both taped to one arm?) and after a period of time on the order of 20 minutes, that a significant percentage of the subjects would start to hear music (or whatever was playing on the radio).
The theory is this: The human nervous system works on voltage, albeit digitally. The brain is famous for rewiring itself. At some point, the nerves from the sensing cilia in the ears to the brain are transmitting analog signals at acoustic frequencies. After a while, the brain recognizes the acoustic signals that are appearing on the nerves of the arm as music, and routes the signals to the part of the brain that hears sound.
If it really worked, it would be the obvious way to interface computer chips with the brain, rather than implanted connectors, etc. So it probably doesn’t work. But it would be cool if it did.
December 20, 2008 at 8:33 PMHey there,
December 21, 2008 at 5:45 PMI really enjoy your show and I always end up in the same way (picking my jaw up off the floor)the results trip me out but love when Im right.Well anyway while I was watching yall blow up stuff it hit me,A whole series could come from this.
A Mcgiver episode this would be every little thing he did to pull his Yahoo out of a bind.
Thanks
Casey
Please do a viral show including the one where they supposedly pop corn kernels with 4 cellphones arranged around them. The videos look authentic but with CGI anything’s possible. I suspect they do it with a hotplate of some sort. Ought to be a fun segment. Merry Chrishannukwanzza.
December 22, 2008 at 1:49 PMYou guys should test some things from “The Dark Knight”. Like the cellphone sonar thing and the Joker’s pencil trick :)
December 28, 2008 at 12:09 PMHey when you did the eposode hit the ground running I thought you should try to hit the ground running in a nova super sport.(sweat burn out) right guys.
December 30, 2008 at 10:07 PMHey,
Couldn’t find the right myth…
You tested the theory about driving a car behind a plane to see if the car can be blown away…you said it was impossible. BUT…here in england, a TV show did it with a Boeging 747, not just a mounted engine, but behind the real plane. They drove a ford mondeo and a citroen 2cv and blew them both at least 20 yards, you put the car just parked behind the plane, the show over here actually drove each car (unmanned) behind the 747′s tail. You should revisit this myth, as you were wrong about it being busted!
Cheers!
January 15, 2009 at 3:21 PMbetter with bang
when in doubt use C-4.
January 17, 2009 at 8:14 PMI like the bang better. and was wondering if you could test a myth that exploding high explosives can put out a large fire. thank you!
January 24, 2009 at 7:45 PMHit the ground running, If a person were on a moving sidewalk and started running, when the came off the end the transition would be smooth, in that way they definitely would cover the distance faster than from a standing start
January 28, 2009 at 11:06 AMdog myth: sorry i didn’t get to see the whole episode. I was wondering if adam tryed changing into someone elses clothes, cleaning himself after getting a good distance away, then gather really dirty, smelly clothes from someone else then running away? if not i think out of all of them that has best chance …
January 29, 2009 at 7:03 PMtry hanging the dirty clothes in a bag from a tree and cleaning with a unsented alcoholic based cleaner then fully changing into the new clothes then running away… best of luck on it if you revisit that myth….btw hit the ground running with the car … in drag racing when u burn out your wasting power and not allowing the power to be placed on the ground causing you to lose time. Furthermore, with rear wheel drive when you lift the front end of the car your wasting power in upward motion instead of forward motion same princapals should apply to all forms of racing even boats…. if that helps to explain to your viewers why it didn’t work. I look forward to hearing from you
oh since you have a woman on your team… the myth of chocolates and orgasims seems unprovable have you guys ever thought of trying that one?
The myth is if your driving down the road in a bug and open the doors at the same time the bug will flip over
January 30, 2009 at 10:18 AMBetter to end with a bang!
March 4, 2009 at 10:15 PMI much like watching the vech to burn in half.
The “hit the ground running” bit is about the WEAKEST bust ever. A, it’s obviously just TRUE; if you could actually “start” at top speed, you’re gonna beat someone starting from zero with the same top speed every time, this is basic math and physics. B, those tests didn’t even attempt to test the idea; what they tested was whether an awkward impact at “start” will improve your time, which it just as obviously WON’T. And even in this they were bizarrely flawed–what part of “hit the ground running” intuitively suggests one wheel spinning, the other stationary?! If you actually tried to minimize impact and maximize momentum preserved, you could probably disprove this bust in about 5 seconds. Bust: BUSTED!
March 5, 2009 at 1:59 AMto make a 4 barrell shot gun from scratch with scope and single trigger and try to hit a rat from 25 meters!! really hard!! from jay and Brownie
March 16, 2009 at 9:29 PMis it possible to blow up a bottle with dry ice and water????
March 21, 2009 at 12:53 AMWill a pressure cooker which is blocked blow like a bomb? would love to see it ;)
March 29, 2009 at 4:07 PMI got a myth for u ok “a guy has a gun and he wos drunk and he shot the gun up on the ceiling like a circle and the ceiling fell down on top of him and killed him” try this myth guys
April 14, 2009 at 8:38 AMA quite attempt but missed the prime intention of the actual meaning…. It means one has already overcome the time additions caused by a standing start on anything by having a similar velocity already in play to the final velocity required by continuing the forward momentum in a forward state from a previous state
April 25, 2009 at 10:56 AMMy vote … BANG BABY! BANG!
Suggested Myths to bust/prove:
April 26, 2009 at 2:09 AM1. If a man says something in a forest and there’s no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?
2. In any family photo of at least 6 people, there’s always SOMEBODY pulling a stupid face!
3. Any given blog will attract 8/10 stupid comments!
I have a myth that you can try to prove.
We’ve all seen the exploding diet pepsi and mentos bomb, but will it actually penetrate a 1 to about 5 inch thick window? The force of the bomb can also take someones head off, litterly, if flown at their heads with alot of speed created.
Come on, Jamie, try and prove me wrong!!
May 8, 2009 at 5:20 PM1st of all I think the saying “hit the ground running” applies best to situations where one is already in motion like landing from a parachute drop where you are moving laterally say 5 to 10mph, wouldnt you want to try to hit the gound with legs already running in the same direction? If legs are stationary the feet will grab traction and you will fall and be dragged along abit as opposed to if you timed it well running in the air as you hit the ground, it rather seems that might help?! why not retry the myth with situations like THAT on a future episode?
May 16, 2009 at 4:13 PMwhen testing that CAMRY, when its dropped , its in 3rd gear or overdrive…..when its dropped, it goes back to 1rst gear, causing a delay ….if the test was in 1rst gear only….there would be better results…..or test with a muscle car , something that has power to keep the wheels spinning without slowing down…..
PS LOVE THE SHOW!
Chris from Vancouver Canada.
June 14, 2009 at 12:43 AMyou should test superheros that get thier powers from radiation and see if it’s possible
August 11, 2009 at 12:07 AMThis is to the car drop..
I thought that with a front end drive would not have worked out to the results you got because of all the weight in the front end.. The other item i was pondering that why didn’t you try dropping the car when in put in reverse to see if there would be a total different reaction from going forward…
If you used a car with rear wheel drive do you think the result of the outcome would have been better..? Due to the fact that the car would be lowered at a faster speed of rate which in turn would lift the front end up…
August 28, 2009 at 2:55 AMas it would as you step on the gas if you were driving normally, or racing……..
The test of “Hit the ground running” completely misunderstands the intent of the expression.
The reason for hitting the ground running when landing on a parachute, is to keep from being dragged by the still open chute.
You should try it again.
September 30, 2009 at 7:51 AMThis time you should test what was intended.
Just watched a rerun of this episode, and while I will agree that you guys polished poop, in my mind, these results were inconclusive.
The expression “you can’t polish a turd” bears the implication that you can’t take a singular piece of excrement and give it a high gloss. Since you had to “prepare” the poop for polishing, I feel that this doesn’t quite fit the spirit of the idiom.
Mind you, I was quite impressed with the technique used and the finished results, but you haven’t quite convinced me that a singular turd can be polished. I’d love to see you do it – the lion poop looked promising. ;)
November 4, 2009 at 8:13 PMI watched the re-run of this episode the other night and I had the same thought as richard taney. That the advice is not about increasing speed, but about retaining control and safety when using a parachute. Also, I don’t think it’s about flailing your feet in the air, rather it is about touching the ground with one foot so you are ready to run (like a hurdler).
November 6, 2009 at 10:04 AMI liked the BANG! Hit the ground running means that you’re already up to speed and need no training or time to learn or adjust to the task at hand.
December 25, 2009 at 10:24 PMWatching “hit the ground running” and I think they missed the point. Its not about going faster, its about not breaking your leg when you’re jumping from a moving object like a car or a train. Think like a hobo jumping off a moving freight train. You’ve got all this forward momentum and you want to spread out the shock of stopping by running with it instead of just planting your feet on the ground. Since this is tricky, its smarter to deliberately tumble (rather than the inevitable tumble).
Even the test for which is faster wasn’t very good. What they were really testing was how hard it is to run off a swinging zip-line. A valid control would have shown this. Compare running off a swinging zip-line with dropping off a swinging zip line and then running.
I was kind of hoping for some sort of clever running robot with impact sensors.
January 8, 2010 at 6:15 PMmovie myth: lets say that a nuke explosion happens and your only safe haven was a lead lined refriguater. would the person A, survive the blast and B, survive the massive launch into the air and hit the ground.
June 12, 2010 at 11:11 PMwith polishing poo say a cow would you still be able to do it
July 18, 2010 at 1:12 AMMy favorite bang was the Piano Concerto in C4. However, for a non-bang I would choose the coffee creamer cannon. But better to end with a bang than not. The noise definitely attracts your attention.
July 31, 2010 at 8:19 PM