Comments on: Episode 16: Ancient Death Ray, Skunk Cleaning, What Is Bulletproof?

By: Space Panda

Space Panda — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:40:24 +0000

For the ancient death ray, what if you had curved mirrors reflecting light into lenses directing the light towards the boat in a more focused beam than when it was used in the test

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:56:00 +0000

I used 32oz Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/4 cup Baking Soda (NOT Baking Power!), 1 table spoon dawn dish soap. Mix the soap and peroxide together, then dump in the baking power all just before washing the dog.

This cleaned the rank skunk off my Mastiff after only 2 washes within 10 minutes or work.

By: blueboy

blueboy — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:05:55 +0000

i’m sorry guys you blew it on the bullet proof thingie. so many variables and all’s you could do was shoot items from point blank range. if your going to be real mythbusters do your homework first, i know grandstanding is a perfered quality for television and you all do that wonderfully but if your going to bust a “myth” get the facts that are available and go by them. i think trying to hit a zippo lighter and 200 yard with a nippo or german made rifle or hand gun would shed more light on the myth.

By: Rhonda9080

Rhonda9080 — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:21:06 +0000

Lighter stopping bullet – not a “myth”. We have the lighter that saved my grandfather’s life in WWII. The lighter was in his front pocket and is bent up. Of course, it didn’t help when the halftrack he was in was subsequently blown up minutes later. He was the only survivor.

By: victor

victor — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:14:15 +0000

After watching the deathray revisited I see a flaw. Soak any wood for years and see how hard it is to ignite. What I’m getting at is the boat was almost completely under water before it was revived. So when MIT focused the ray on the boat, they were focusing the ray on a part of the boat that was a day/s before under water. To be fair the same test would have to be done to a boat that wasn’t almost completely under water the day before. At least a boat that is floating on its own will have a dry hull. A dry hull on the inside of the boat I believe would have created a different outcome. A dry hull on the inside of the boat maybe would have reduced the moisture content significantly thus helping to induce a fire.

By: Phillip

Phillip — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:31:36 +0000

Another clairity needs to be made on the bullet issue. Much of the lore on cards, coins and belt buckles stopping bullets is from the black powder era. Modern smokeless powder cartridges have magnitudes more momentum. The muzzle velocity of a black powder rifle is below 2000 or 2500 fps tops. Whereas a medium powered smokeless rifle is about 2700 fps. My 300 Weatherby Magnum reaches 3600 fps. So a soft lead ball from black powder derringer with a small powder charge could be stopped by a deck of cards. Or a fifty caliber bullet having already traveled 500 yards, near it’s maxium range, hitting a couple of coins or a thick book could be stopped as well. Cole Younger was wounded by gun fire 27 times and lived. It was all black powder rounds. 27 hits from a .223 or my 25.06 would leave something nearly unrecognizable as a body.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:03:47 +0000

I think the bullets being stopped by books needs to be tested not only at different distances, but with wet books as well.

By: Terri Barnhart

Terri Barnhart — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:56:43 +0000

What is the formula for skunk order removal. I can’t find it either. I need it asap!!!

By: maxson stegink

maxson stegink — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:29:46 +0000

1) maybe build the depth gauge a bit larger, and
2) has it ever occurred to you that all three skunks were with humans too long, and got used to them? maybe you could re-visit the myth with untamed skunks? please???
thanks
i am a huge fan.

By: Erynn

Erynn — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:21:46 +0000

Archimedes’ mirror has been shown on other, similar, programs to be entirely plausible – if you don’t use one mirror. an array of mirrors that can be adjusted is both more practical and more plausible given the technology at the time. Mythbuster’s attempts were both laughably ridiculous.