Comments on: Episode 82: Snow Special

By: When Falls the Coliseum » Lick the pole!

When Falls the Coliseum » Lick the pole! — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:51:00 +0000

[...] Meanwhile, half a dozen boys took turns, pretending to lick the metal stop-sign pole, building up their courage and getting closer and closer until one of them chanced it and touched the pole with his tongue. Nothing happened. It wasn’t that cold this morning. A bit windy, a chill in the air, but not cold enough for instant freezing of a tongue to a pole, which is indeed possible, based on the most reliable source I know of for such subjects. [...]

By: Taxx

Taxx — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:44:53 +0000

If you pee on anything metal it heats it up and will unfreeze any human flesh attached.

By: Josh

Josh — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:22:55 +0000

I also just noticed an earlier post mentioning having more traction in higher gears on snow. I’d like to offer my theory (or what I consider to be fact). When you start off in a higher gear there is less torque on the wheels at takeoff, meaning it’s harder for you to give it enough gas to make the tires spin. So it’s not really that higher gears give more traction (same car, same tires, same motion), it just makes it easier for the driver to not screw up :) Thanks.

By: Josh

Josh — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:13:51 +0000

Hey guys, I just finished watching this episode and I understand that alot of viewers may not be familiar with snow driving (as is the same with some of the myth busters it seems). It seems peculiar to me that nobody happened to mention then main issue in the experiment. First off it’s pretty apparent that neither Tory, Grant or Kary have alot of experience driving in snow (nor driving in reverse on snow it seems). You need to take into account that in all the vehicles you tested you had front engines. When in reverse taking a corner the weight of the engine added with the tires turning in the back of the car adds alot more side force. The whole point of going in reverse on an icy road is to get somewhere that you wouldn’t be able to get to going forward(usually meaning uphill). That being said reverse is far superior to forward because acceleration is adding to the down force of the front tire in reverse. Also the fact that the car is in reverse going uphill also means that more of the cars weight is distrubuted to the front tires. By no means is reverse safer on curved roads going high speeds, but it may just get you where you need to go when forward just won’t work to get you there.

By: Rommel Gagasa

Rommel Gagasa — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Hi Mythbusters..I think driving backwards on an icy road is not safe..but they say it can achieve better traction on the road…Can you try switching the tires so that the usual tire thread when going forward is using the reverse thread..So that you dont have problem driving on reverse..hope u understand my point…THANKS!!:)

By: kcjaph

kcjaph — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:19:19 +0000

With regard to loud noises triggering avalanches, not going to happen. Take a look at http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/ed-faq.htm . This is the Utah Avalanche Center and these people know. Explosives
can trigger slides because the concussive force from the shockwave created from the explosion, not the noise created.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:10:29 +0000

I watch your show a lot an you have inspired me im 12 years old an i now love science thanks to you guys but i still have a lot to learn to know as much as you guys but now i learn from tv lol an Jamie love the hat!!!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:33:03 +0000

Well, if you have no other way, the only way to get off the pole you are stuck to without losing skin is to make out with the pole. You are stuck because the pole is cold and froze you saliva. You need to heat up the area.

By: Christopher Treptow

Christopher Treptow — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:37:17 +0000

H&K MP5s fire 9mm rounds which don’t have alot of knetic energy. They will not start an avilanch. You should have gone with somthing like a Broning Modle 1917 or even an M-240 which fires 7.62mm rifle rounds. And if that does not do it the M-2 will, it fires .50 cal bmg.

By: superinsomniac

superinsomniac — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:20:25 +0000

now they need to try to find out the easiest way to get your tongue off the frozen pole with minimal damage to the tongue IE. avoiding burning it, tearing the skin off of it, etc.