Comments on: Episode 61: Deadly Straw

By: NOAA

NOAA — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:15:40 +0000

According to the NOAA website this phenomenon does occur. Also a study performed by the University of New York in the 60’s confirmed it using an air cannon and various soft and hard woods. The issue is probably the use of “measured winds” – we know winds in tornadoes often exceed what we can measure, in the lab a speed of 480mph was needed to get total penetration of a toothpick into hardwood and since we know from observation this has occurred the only possible answer is that winds of that speed have been reached in storms. They also found much lower speeds would sometimes work, there must be random trajectory at work as well.

By: Fraser

Fraser — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:35:09 +0000

The straw would have been more effective if it was a single piece of straw rather than a bunch. Are these guys idiots? Why didnt they shoot a bunch of piano wires. Scientists my ass, you should only change one parameter at a time!

By: Mike Henley

Mike Henley — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:12:21 +0000

The piano wire test is interesting. Years ago, I had a blowgun, which was an aluminum tube, 4 feet long, with an inside diameter of .38″ It had a rubber mouth piece at one end. I ordered it from a magazine advertisement. The darts were made from steel rod, about the diameter of a regular pencil lead. To make a dart, you heated one end of the wire, and plunged it into a plastic bead, which was slightly smaller in diameter than the tube.
This setup was powerful and accurate. After practicing regularly, I could hit a postage stamp at 25′ I could hit a human head sized target from about twice that distance. I once set up a heavy winter coat, pressed against a two panel sliding door. I fired a dart, and it penetrated the arm, both sides of the main jacket, the other arm, and both doors.
Sharpening the darts seemed to have no effect on their penetration. I wish I had been able to test the blowgun with a chronograph, as I have no real idea how fast the darts traveled.
My point in writing this is to suggest a segment to bust or confirm my claims. It would use a similar tube, and darts, fired with varying pressures of compressed air. With a chronograph, and high speed video, the tests would establish the base performance level, and maximum effective range and accuracy. And, of course, it could be “super-sized” into a truly MythBusters style weapon!

By: Matt Warren

Matt Warren — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:14:28 +0000

Incorrect data! Although the myth is about a palm tree and straw in a tropical storm. They get the wind speed from Oklahoma City, hardly a tropical location. It is part of “Tornado Alley” in the Midwest. Tropical Hurricane wind speed is 75-150mph. Tornadoes can vary from 40-318+mph

Kansas Resident

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:13:06 +0000

There is confusion on the straw thing, the force of the winds is not what cuases straw to go through trees. Hurricane winds are not the same as a tornado. Tornados have been known to produce results that can no be recreated in a lab.

By: jacque

jacque — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:56:42 +0000

>Polygraph tests indicate that all living things share some form of interconnected consciousness.

the things being tested, have to be living..the eggs…were already dead!

..and, the waves emitted are detectable by poly and not eeg -

By: Liz Ramsey

Liz Ramsey — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:50:34 +0000

If they had tried a Sabal palmetto (common along the SE United States) which is what we deal with during a typical Atlantic hurricane, the outcome may have turned out differently. Since most of the US hurricanes are on the Atlantic coastline, that would have made sense.

By: joshua tinnell you biggest fan

joshua tinnell you biggest fan — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:57:14 +0000

the show was outstanding i loved it you are the best and crazy really crazy i loved the eposode when you took a air tank through the wall.
sep 09,08 10:57 am

By: Seto

Seto — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:35:55 +0000

The legends of straw and other seemingly weak material being imbedded in a tree from strong winds comes from the tornado belt. There are many reported examples of the “wind” blowing straw and sticking it into a tree after a tornado passes. A tornado is a point of extreme low pressure trying to equalize with high pressure. The point of equalization forms a tornado. Not unlike the whirlpool seen when the bathtub is drained.
This low pressure is very significant. Houses are destroyed not only from the wind but also from the differential pressure of the high pressure in the inside of the house verses the low pressure outside the house when the tornado passes. ( you can see house just “blow up” when a tornado pass by on some tornado videos.)
What is really happening with the “straw in the tree” myth is that the extreme low pressure of the tornado is pulling or attempting to pull the bark off of trees. This leaves a gap in the bark where a piece of straw or other weak material gets lodged. Then when the tornado passed the bark collapse back around the tree with straw stuck in the gap. It looks like straw has blown into the tree but the straw was really caught by the bark when the bark was expanded by the low pressure pulling it away from the tree.

By: Buster

Buster — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:10:14 +0000

what type of electronic valve was used to re;lease the compressed gas firing the Straw? Does anyone remember?