MythBusters Episode 52: "Mind Control"
Air Date: May 3, 2006
A small room can be quickly painted by detonating a stick of dynamite in a bucket of paint.
busted
A stick of dynamite in a bucket of paint cannot distribute the paint evenly enough to fully paint the room; only 40% of the room (around the bottom and part of the ceiling) received paint, and the room took some shrapnel damage (even from a plastic bucket). Furthermore, Adam’s and Jamie’s customized contraptions, designed to help distribute the paint more evenly, failed to produce any successful result.
Remote, nonconsensual mind control can be achieved by a psionic helmet kit.
busted
The test failed to produce any effects.
Remote, nonconsensual mind control can be achieved by pulsed air.
busted
The test failed to produce any effects.
Remote, nonconsensual mind control can be achieved by a spinning magnet.
plausible
While it is plausible that some sort of "mind influence" (determined by looking at EEG recordings) was achieved, there was no actual predictable control of the mind’s state.
Remote, nonconsensual mind control can be achieved by subliminal sound.
busted
The test failed to produce any effects.
Remote, nonconsensual mind control can be achieved by remote hypnosis.
plausible
Enough pre-existing scientific evidence exists regarding hypnosis for the Build Team to call the myth plausible.
Newer: Episode 53: "Exploding Pants"
Older: Episode 51: "Myths Reopened"
I have witnessed a person do something against their will under hypnosis. The hypnotist had the subject shoot a person in our group.
September 12, 2007 at 9:59 PMA small room can be quickly painted by detonating a stick of dynamite in a bucket of paint. Olá este mito foi pouco explorado, era possivel obter um resultado positivo talvez se tentarem com um saco de material explosivo de forma redonda e a volta preso a ele varios outros sacos com uns 100 ml de tinta, a ideia era envolver um nucleo central de explosivos com pequenos sacos de tinta para que ela fique amis bem espalhada. obrigado
September 13, 2007 at 8:30 PMWhat about using balloons instead of a bucket? Fill lots of balloons with paint, pile them up and stick a small amount of explosive in the middle and it might work?
December 20, 2007 at 9:03 PMRoss: That could just mean said person was a pyschopath. Or was confident that the gun would have a non-lethal load.
May 21, 2008 at 4:11 PMI once decorated a whole hallway, walls and ceiling, with a can of guiness much to the annoyance of my in-laws! Merely dropped it by accident and the widget exploded sending guiness over an incomprehensible area. Managed to get one wall in the living room as well since the door was open.
September 23, 2008 at 6:28 AM