[ ALARM WAILS ]
WARNING. WARNING.
M5 IMMINENT MELTDOWN.
WARNING WARNING M5, IMMINENT MELTDOWN.
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? IT'S THE MAINFRAME.
IT'S THE MAINFRAME!
[ COMPUTER REPEATING "ERROR" ]
WHAT...IS...ERROR?
WHAT...IS...SOLUTION?
REVISIT. REVISIT.
WELL, JAMIE, SINCE 2002,
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD OUR FAIR SHARE
OF MOTTOS THAT HAVE HELPED DEFINE THIS SHOW.
I MEAN, THERE WAS...
WHEN IN DOUBT, C4. [ LAUGHS ]
AND WHO CAN FORGET...
HOLY CRAP! RUN!
Kari: RUN! RUN!
[ LAUGHTER ]
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S THE CLASSIC, ICONIC...
FAILURE IS ALWAYS AN OPTION.
WELL, WE DO SCREW UP A LOT.
YES, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE THAT WE DO ON THIS SHOW
IS IF WE MAKE A MAJOR MISTAKE,
WE ARE WILLING TO TRY A NEW METHODOLOGY
AND TO TEST IT AGAIN.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WHOLE EPISODE IS ABOUT.
WE ARE TACKLING FAN COMPLAINTS, PRETTY MUCH, FOR THE LAST TIME.
WHAT DO WE GOT?
WELL, LATER, WE'RE GONNA TEST TWO "MYTHBUSTER" ICONS
THAT FANS SAID WE GOT WRONG.
ONE IS "WHAT IS BULLETPROOF?"
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
AND "WHAT IS BOMBPROOF?"
HOLY [BLEEP]
BUT FIRST, REMEMBER SAN FRANCISCO DRIFT?
SURE.
YEAH, BABY.
SO IN THAT EPISODE, WE PROVED BEYOND THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT
THAT ON A REGULAR ROAD SURFACE,
DRIFTING IS NOT FASTER THAN REGULAR DRIVING REALLY FAST.
BUT FANS SAID THAT IF WE'D DONE THAT TEST ON DIRT,
WE WOULD HAVE COME TO A COMPLETELY OPPOSITE RESULT.
SO, IT'S TIME TO BREAK OUT OUR DRIFTING MOVES.
YES, IT IS.
OH, HERE WE GO.
Narrator: WHEN ADAM AND JAMIE FIRST SLID FOR SCIENCE...
Jamie: OH, MY GOD!
WHOA!
Narrator: ...THEY PROVED
THAT DRIFTING IS NEVER FASTER THAN REGULAR DRIVING.
WHOO!
BUT BY CONDUCTING ALL OF THEIR TESTS ON TARMAC,
FANS CRIED FOUL.
SO IN A SUITABLY DUSTY DESTINATION,
IT'S ALL SYSTEMS GO ON A FINAL SEASON DRIFTING DO-OVER.
DUDE, THIS LOOKS PERFECT.
YEAH.
LOTS OF SLIPPIN' AND SLIDIN', HUH?
LET'S DO IT.
Adam: I'M STANDING IN A QUARRY IN IONE, CALIFORNIA,
AND BEHIND ME IS A LAKE YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE
BECAUSE WE'VE BLOWN A LOT OF STUFF UP THERE.
WE'VE BLOWN UP BOATS.
WE'VE EVEN BLOWN UP SHARKS.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE NEVER TESTED A DRIVING MYTH UP HERE,
AND THAT ENDS TODAY BECAUSE SURROUNDING
THIS LAKE ARE A BUNCH OF BEAUTIFUL, FLAT CLAY SURFACES
PERFECT FOR DRIFTING ON DIRT.
IF YOU'RE GONNA RACE, YOU'RE GONNA NEED A COURSE.
WE'RE GONNA PUT ONE TOGETHER.
YEE-HAW!
Narrator: YEP. BEFORE DRIVING INTO THE DUST...
THAT IS OUR START LINE.
...THE GUYS MUST FIRST PLOT OUT A PATH...
OKAY. SLOW DOWN.
...THAT'LL LET THEM PUT THIS MYTH TO THE ULTIMATE TEST.
IF WE'RE GONNA TEST DRIFTING VERSUS NOT DRIFTING,
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A COURSE
THAT HAS BOTH CURVES AND STRAIGHTAWAYS
THAT CAN REALLY PUT THE CAR TO THE TEST.
Narrator: IN TOTAL, THEIR COURSE IS NEARLY 2 MILES OF TWISTS
AND TURNS THAT'LL CHALLENGE THEIR DRIVING SKILLS TO THE MAX.
SO, WHAT'S THE PLAN?
NOW, REMEMBER THAT THE LAST TIME WE TESTED DRIFTING,
WE CONCLUDED THAT STRAIGHT DRIVING WAS FASTER.
DUDE, THAT'S A RESULT. THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
PEOPLE KEPT WRITING US AND SAYING,
"ON A DIRT TRACK, DRIFTING WILL BE FASTER."
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TESTING. JAMIE IS THE CONTROL.
HE'S DOING THE STRAIGHT DRIVING,
ATTEMPTING TO MAKE IT AROUND THIS TRACK
AS FAST AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT DRIFTING.
I WILL BE DOING THE OPPOSITE.
I'M GONNA BE DOING THIS ENTIRE FREAKIN' THING
SIDEWAYS IF I CAN.
RIGHT THERE. STOP RIGHT THERE.
Narrator: SO FIRST UP IS THE NON-DRIFTING CONTROL,
A.K.A JAMES FRANKLIN HYNEMAN.
FIRST OFFICIAL TIMING RUN: CONTROL.
FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE.
GO!
Narrator: JAMIE WILL DO TWO PEDAL-TO-THE-METAL LAPS.
[ COUGHS ]
AND HIS BEST TIME
WILL BE THE BENCHMARK THAT ADAM HAS TO BEAT.
Jamie: YEAH, BABY.
Narrator: BUT FOR AN ACCURATE COMPARISON,
IT'S CRUCIAL THAT JAMIE DOESN'T DRIFT AT ALL...
AND THERE HE GOES.
...WHICH, ON DIRT LIKE THIS, IS DOWNRIGHT DIFFICULT.
Jamie: TO NOT DRIFT AT ALL, I'M SIMPLY TAKING THE RACING LINE.
THAT MEANS BREAKING AS LATE AS POSSIBLE
AS I APPROACH A BEND...
YEAH!
...TAKING THAT BEND
AS FAST AS I CAN WITHOUT LOSING TRACTION,
AND THEN ACCELERATING OUT OF IT LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW.
Narrator: REACHING A TOP SPEED OF 52 MILES AN HOUR...
Jamie: YEAH!
Narrator: ...WITHOUT EVER LOSING TRACTION AT A TURN,
JAMIE COMES HOME IN...
2 MINUTES 24 SECONDS.
A QUICK RESET LATER, AND IT'S LAP TWO OF TWO.
THREE, TWO, ONE,
GO!
[ LAUGHS ]
EVERY TIME HE TAKES OFF IT'S LIKE A FILM ABOUT THE DUST BOWL.
Narrator: ONCE AGAIN, JAMIE PUSHES THE CAR TO THE LIMIT
THROUGH TURNS BIG AND SMALL.
LET'S CUT TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR,
SEE IF JAMIE'S HAVING FUN.
Narrator: AND HIS TIME...
OKAY, HERE HE COMES. SEEMS A BIT FASTER.
OKAY. HE'S GOING FOR IT.
AND 2 MINUTES 22.
MAN, THAT IS FAST.
IT'S NOT ONLY FAST, BUT BY NEVER DRIFTING,
JAMIE'S LAP IS THE PERFECT CONTROL.
Jamie: WITH MY SKILL AND WITH THAT CAR,
I'M AS FAST AS I'M GONNA GET.
Narrator: BUT BEFORE ADAM TRIES TO BETTER IT,
THERE'S ANOTHER REVISIT TO REDO.
WELL, JAMIE, IT'S TIME TO GO BACK INTO
SOME VERY FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR YOU AND I.
WHAT IS BULLETPROOF? WHY IS THAT?
WELL, FIRST WE HAVE AN AMAZING FAN SUBMISSION STORY
ABOUT SUPPOSEDLY BULLETPROOF FISH TANKS.
THAT I'VE GOT TO TRY. YEAH.
I TOTALLY AGREE.
BUT FIRST, IT'S A RETURN
TO THE VERY FIRST ITEM WE EVER SHOT AT,
AND THAT IS THIS: A SIMPLE BRASS LIGHTER.
WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE NOT BULLETPROOF AT ALL.
NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT FANS INSIST THAT WE GOT THIS WRONG,
THAT THERE IS A CIRCUMSTANCE
UNDER WHICH A LIGHTER CAN STOP A SLUG.
WELL, I GUESS IT'S NOW OR NEVER.
SHOOTING AT STUFF HAS BEEN OUR BREAD AND BUTTER
ON "MYTHBUSTERS" OVER THE YEARS.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE SHOT HUNDREDS OF OBJECTS
TO FIND OUT AND ANSWER THE QUESTION,
"WHAT IS AND ISN'T BULLETPROOF?"
FROM BELT BUCKLES...
AH, IT WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT IT DID TO THE BUCKLE.
IT CAUGHT IT LIKE A CATCHER'S MITT.
...TO CARS...
THAT DIDN'T SUCK.
...TO PIZZAS...
AH, CHECK OUT MY NEW BULLETPROOF VEST, MAN.
BUT IT ALL BEGAN WITH THIS:
THE HUMBLE...
FLINT-BASED LIGHTER.
AND 12 YEARS AGO, WE FOUND THAT THESE ARE NOT AT ALL BULLETPROOF
BY PUTTING A .22 ROUND CLEANLY THROUGH IT.
WE'RE GOIN' HOT.
Narrator: IT WAS WAY BACK IN 2004
THAT THE GUYS LACERATED A LIGHTER.
LOOKS LIKE YOU HIT IT PRETTY GOOD.
BUT FANS WERE FURIOUS
BECAUSE AN ARTICLE LIKE THIS ALLEGED
THAT A LIGHTER DID STOP A SLUG IN A BOTCHED BURGLARY.
SO IT'S TIME FOR A FINAL SEASON DO-OVER
TO RETEST A DECADE-LONG DISPUTE.
WE'RE USING A .22 CALIBER RIFLE,
FIRING A FULL METAL JACKETED ROUND
WITH A MUZZLE VELOCITY OF 1,440 FEET PER SECOND.
Narrator: BUT WILL THE GUYS REALLY GET A DIFFERENT RESULT?
WHAT'S THAT FOR? YOU'LL LOVE THIS.
THAT IS FOR HOLDIN' OUR LIGHTER. [ CHUCKLES ] ALL RIGHT.
Narrator: TO FIND OUT, THEY'RE CRANKING THE COVERAGE TO THE MAX.
Adam: IN THE EARLY DAYS OF "MYTHBUSTERS,"
IF WE WANTED TO GET A BETTER VIEWPOINT
ON A BULLET GOING THROUGH A LIGHTER, FOR INSTANCE,
ALL WE REALLY HAD AS OUR OPTION
WAS TO JUST FREEZE-FRAME OUR VIDEO.
BUT THE LAST 13 YEARS HAVE SEEN
AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ADVANCEMENT.
THIS IS TODAY'S ULTRA HIGH-SPEED CAMERA.
IT WILL RECORD THIS BULLET SHOT
AT 28,000 FRAMES PER SECOND IN HD.
THIS IS OUR SLOWPOKE HIGH-SPEED CAMERA,
WHICH WILL RECORD IT AT 6,900 FRAMES PER SECOND.
ALL TO GIVE US A BETTER VANTAGE POINT
ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
Narrator: WITH ALL CAMERAS ROLLING, IT'S SHOWTIME.
ALL RIGHT. OUR FIRST SHOT:
GUY WITH A LIGHTER IN HIS POCKET VERSUS A DIRECT SHOT
FROM A .22-CALIBER RIFLE FIRING A FULL METAL JACKETED ROUND.
YOU READY?
FIRING IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
[ GUNSHOTS ]
Narrator: IT'S A BULL'S-EYE ON THE BRASS.
I THINK THAT WAS A PERFECT SHOT.
BUT IT'S BAD NEWS FOR BALLISTICS JAIL BUSTER.
SO, THAT BULLET MADE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
[ LAUGHS ]
THERE'S COTTON FROM THE LIGHTER IN THE WOUND.
I'M GONNA GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY THIS GUY IS DEAD.
[ Gruff voice ] HE'S DEAD, JIM.
SO THAT EXPERIMENT WORKED BEAUTIFULLY.
JAMIE PULLED THE TRIGGER.
THE BULLET EXITED THE RIFLE AT ABOUT 1,400 FEET PER SECOND.
AND DANG, IT HIT THE LIGHTER DEAD CENTER.
BUT THEN, JUST LIKE IN 2004,
THE BULLET KEPT GOING THROUGH BUSTER
AND ALMOST CAME OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF HIM.
HERE WE GO.
I MEAN, THE LIGHTER DID VIRTUALLY NOTHING.
SO HOW COME SO MANY PEOPLE TOLD US WE GOT THIS WRONG?
HOW COME THERE'S A STORY SAYING
THAT SOME GUY'S LIGHTER DID STOP A SLUG?
WELL, WE CAN THINK OF ONLY ONE THING.
I MEAN, THE MYTHICAL SLUG THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
JUST CAN'T HAVE BEEN A DIRECT HIT.
IT HAD TO HAVE BOUNCED OFF SOMETHING ELSE
ON ITS WAY TO THE LIGHTER.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT.
WE ARE ABOUT TO ENLIST THE HELP
OF FAMOUS IRISH BALLISTICS EXPERT RICK O'SHEA.
Narrator: LATER, ON THE GUYS' LAST EVER REVISIT...
Man: FIRE IN THE HOLE!
...ADAM AND JAMIE WANT BIG BOOM.
WOW. HOLY [BLEEP]
BUT NEXT, WILL THE LIGHTER BOUNCE BACK FROM THE BRINK?
Adam: HEY!
Narrator: SINCE 2004...
I CAN SEE YOU.
Narrator: ...THE MYTHBUSTERS HAVE TESTED
THE BULLET-STOPPING CAPABILITIES OF 35 EVERYDAY ITEMS.
HOLY CREMOLI.
BUT DOES INTERNET GOSSIP
LIKE THIS PROVE THEIR VERY FIRST FORAY WAS FALSE?
WELL, NO.
BECAUSE THIS EPISODE'S RETEST REPLICATED THAT FIRST RESULT.
Jamie: RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS HEART.
BUT ALL IS NOT LOST FOR THE LIGHTER.
NOW IT'S TIME TO SET UP A RICOCHETING BULLET.
NOW, WE HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH RICOCHETING BULLETS.
I MEAN, ON PURPOSE.
WE DID AN EPISODE A WHILE BACK
IN WHICH WE FOUND OUT SEVERAL VITAL THINGS ABOUT RICOCHETING.
AND I SEE A HOLE IN ME.
THE BEST MATERIAL TO RICOCHET A BULLET
OFF OF IS THIS: A CONCRETE PAVER.
SO WE'RE GONNA SET THIS UP
AT AN ANGLE THAT HELPS OUR BULLET HIT OUR DUDE.
Narrator: THE THEORY IS THAT BY BOUNCING OFF THE PAVER,
THE BULLET'S SPEED WILL BE SO REDUCED
THAT A LIGHTER MAY THEN STOP IT.
I THINK THAT PUTS US IN THE BALLPARK.
Narrator: BUT BECAUSE RICOCHETS ARE NOTORIOUSLY UNPREDICTABLE,
THEY'RE STARTING WITHOUT THE LIGHTER IN PLACE.
THIS COULD BE A LITTLE TRICKY TO GET THIS ALL DIALED IN,
SO WE'VE COME UP WITH A SETUP
THAT, HOPEFULLY, WILL MAKE IT EASIER,
STARTING WITH A GUN, WHICH IS MOUNTED HERE,
AND IT'S AIMED AT OUR RICOCHET BRICK, HERE.
HOPEFULLY, IT'LL BOUNCE OFF OF THIS AND THEN
INTO THIS PIECE OF CARDBOARD HERE,
LEAVING A MARK,
WHICH WILL TELL US WHERE TO PUT OUR DUMMY
WITH THE LIGHTER ON IT WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT
OF MESSIN' AROUND.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE ALL SET UP FOR THE RICOCHET.
YOU READY TO SHOOT? YEAH.
Narrator: FOR TEST ONE, THE PAVER
IS AT AN ANGLE OF 45 DEGREES RELATIVE TO THE RIFLE.
FIRING IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
BUT THE BULLET'S NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.
IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH OUR CARD.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HIGH SPEED
AND FIND OUT WHERE THAT BULLET WENT.
OKAY.
OH, WOW.
OKAY. THERE IT IS.
IT REFLECTED AT TOO HARD AN ANGLE.
YEAH. SO WE NEED TO SHALLOW THAT OUT.
Jamie: OUR FIRST SHOT INTO THE 45-DEGREE PAVER
ENDED UP BOUNCING THE BULLET
SO MUCH THAT IT FLEW STRAIGHT PAST OUR CARDBOARD TARGET.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA SHALLOW THE ANGLE OF THE BRICK,
TRY IT AGAIN, SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Narrator: YEP. FOR TEST TWO,
ADAM REDUCES THE ANGLE TO 25 DEGREES.
THREE, TWO, ONE.
WOW!
THIS TIME THE BULLET DID HIT THE TARGET,
BUT ONLY AFTER BREAKING TO BITS.
WELL, I COUNT FOUR HOLES.
SO NEXT, THEY SHALLOW THE ANGLE AGAIN TO JUST 15 DEGREES.
Jamie: IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
Narrator: AND JUST LIKE THAT, THEY GET THE RICOCHET
THEY WERE AFTER, A BOUNCE THAT NOT ONLY HITS THE TARGET,
BUT ALSO STAYS IN ONE PIECE.
THAT'S PERFECT.
AND THERE'S ONE GIANT HOLE AND ONE DENT.
THAT MEANS THE GUYS CAN BRING BUSTER BACK.
DON'T OVERSTRESS YOURSELF, OLD MAN.
...AND LINE HIM UP SO THAT HIS LIGHTER IS DIRECTLY
BEHIND THE PREVIOUS RICOCHET'S PATH.
THAT'S ACTUALLY PERFECT.
THEN THE GUYS SUB IN A CLEAN PAVER...
BEAUTY.
...AND THEY'RE ALL SET,
BUT A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE.
AND HERE IT IS, FOR THE MONEY.
HOWEVER UNLIKELY, WE ARE GOING TO BOUNCE
A .22 CALIBER FULL METAL JACKET BULLET
OFF A PAVING STONE INTO A LIGHTER
AND SEE IF IT GOES THROUGH OR BOUNCES OFF.
OKAY. INTO THE LIGHTER, HOPEFULLY,
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
HEY! HEY!
THE LIGHTER BOUNCED OFF THE DUDE,
WHICH MEANS SOMETHIN' HIT THE LIGHTER,
WHICH REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUR BULLET.
Narrator: INCREDIBLY, THEIR BULLET
RICOCHETED INTO THE LIGHTER ON THEIR VERY FIRST TRY.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE KNEW WHAT WE WERE DOING.
BUT DID THE LIGHTER SAVE BUSTER'S LIFE?
HEY! HEY!
DUDE!
IT WAS PRECISELY WHERE WE EXPECTED IT TO HIT,
AND IT DID HIT.
AND CLEARLY, THE BULLET BOUNCED OFF THE LIGHTER.
WELL, THAT IS NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL BUT QUITE DEFINITIVE.
TAKE A STRAIGHT SHOT AT A LIGHTER WITH A .22,
AND IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THAT SUCKER.
BUT LET THAT BULLET BOUNCE OFF SOME CONCRETE
AT EVEN A SHALLOW ANGLE,
AND NO, IT BOUNCES RIGHT OFF.
I WOULD NEVER CHALLENGE THE MAN OR WOMAN
THAT TOLD ME THIS LIGHTER SAVED THEIR LIVES.
AND NOW WE KNOW HOW SUCH A THING MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
Narrator: IT'S A RESULT TO VINDICATE THE VIEWERS.
TEN YEARS ON, AND A LIGHTER CAN STOP A BULLET,
PROVIDED THAT BULLET HAS FIRST BOUNCED.
AND THAT GIVES THIS MYTH A BRAND-NEW CONCLUSION.
WITH ONE MYTH BACK FROM THE DEAD,
IT'S BACK TO DRIFTING ON DIRT,
WHERE JAMIE CLOCKED A SUPER FAST LAP...
Adam: LOOK AT HIM GO.
Narrator: ...WITHOUT EVER LOSING TRACTION.
TWO MINUTES 22 SECONDS.
LOOK, IT'S WORTH RESTATING THAT WE STAND 100%
BEHIND THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST TIME
WE CONDUCTED THIS TEST.
HOLLYWOOD'S ALWAYS LEADING YOU TO BELIEVE
THAT SLIDING AROUND A CORNER
IS FASTER THAN DRIVING AROUND A CORNER.
AND WE FOUND, DEFINITIVELY, THAT DRIVING
IS FASTER ON ASPHALT.
BUT FANS WROTE AND SAID WE WOULD COME
TO A TOTALLY DIFFERENT RESULT IF WE TESTED IT ON DIRT.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE.
WE ARE DRIVING THIS DIRT COURSE
WHILE DRIVING AND ALSO TESTING THAT AGAINST DRIFTING
TO FIND OUT WHICH ONE IS FASTER
AND WHETHER OR NOT THE FANS ARE RIGHT.
Narrator: REMEMBER, JAMIE'S FASTEST NON-DRIFTING LAP
WAS 2 MINUTES 22.
BUT WITH ADAM READY TO DRIFT LIKE A PRO...
OKAY. THREE, TWO, ONE.
GO!
...CAN HE BEAT THAT BENCHMARK?
ADAM'S OFF.
Adam: NOW, THROTTLE.
YEAH! THAT'S IT!
Narrator: AND IMMEDIATELY, HE'S USING A COMPLEX COMBINATION
OF STEERING, THROTTLE AND BRAKE...
YEAH!
...TO LOSE TRACTION WITH THE DIRT AND DRIFT...
I USE THE POWER TO STEER THE CAR!
YEAH, BABY!
...THROUGH EVERY TURN...
YEAH!
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT.
Narrator: BECAUSE THE MYTH IS THAT DRIFTING THROUGH EVERY TURN
IS THE FASTEST WAY TO DRIVE.
OH, YEAH. THAT'S IT.
Narrator: BUT IS IT?
Adam: HERE COMES THE FINISH LINE.
HOW DID I DO THERE?
2:24.
2:24?
THAT'S ALMOST IDENTICAL TO YOUR TIME.
[ LAUGHS ]
ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA TRY AGAIN.
OKAY.
YES.
Narrator: FOR HIS SECOND AND FINAL LAP, ADAM, AGAIN,
PUTS PEDAL TO THE METAL.
Adam: HO-HO!
YEAH!
THIS IS FREAKIN' LIVE!
OH, DUDE!
Narrator: BUT THIS TIME, WILL HE HAMMER THE HYNEMAN?
YEAH! THAT'S IT. YEAH!
COME ON!
Narrator: OR WILL THIS MYTH BE DONE AND DUSTED?
OH, THAT FELT SO GOOD.
THAT FELT SO AWESOME. HOW DID I DO?
2:23.
NO WAY!
THAT IS AWESOME! [ LAUGHS ]
ALL RIGHT. SO, AFTER KICKIN' UP ALL THAT DUST,
WHERE DO WE STAND?
JAMIE'S BEST TIME DRIVING THIS COURSE WITHOUT DRIFTING:
2 MINUTES 22 SECONDS.
MY BEST TIME DRIVING THIS COURSE AND DRIFTING TO HECK AND BACK:
2 MINUTES 23 SECONDS.
THEY'RE FUNCTIONALLY IDENTICAL TIMES.
Narrator: YEP. OVERALL, THE TWO TIMES
FROM TWO EQUALLY SKILLED DRIVERS WERE STATISTICALLY THE SAME.
BUT CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE FOOTAGE REVEALS A WRINKLE.
SO, OVER THE ENTIRE COURSE,
JAMIE'S AND MY LAP TIMES WERE IDENTICAL,
BUT CHECK THIS OUT.
ON THIS GENTLE TURN,
WE'VE SUPERIMPOSED JAMIE'S DRIVING CAR AND MY DRIFTING CAR.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, JAMIE MAKES THE TURN FASTER
BECAUSE I LOSE TRACTION IN THE DRIFT.
BUT NOW LOOK AT THE SHARP TURN.
HERE, I'M FASTER BECAUSE I DON'T LOSE AS MUCH MOMENTUM.
SO YES, THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN DRIFTING ON DIRT IS QUICKER,
BUT THE IDEA THAT IT'S ALWAYS QUICKER,
NO MATTER WHAT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TESTING, WELL,
I GUESS THAT'S FOR THE WRAP-UP.
SO, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A MYTH
THAT DRIFTING WAS FASTER THAN DRIVING,
AND WE TESTED THIS ON ASPHALT
AND FOUND IT TO BE BUSTED.
BUT FANS GAVE US A NEW MYTH.
THEY SAID, "DRIFTING IS FASTER THAN DRIVING IF THE SURFACE
THAT YOU'RE DRIVING ON IS ACTUALLY DIRT LIKE THIS."
WE HAVE TESTED IT. WHAT HAVE WE FOUND?
BUSTED.
LET'S GET OUT OF HERE,
PREFERABLY WITHOUT TOO MUCH DRIFTING.
Narrator: STILL TO COME...
I LOVE THESE ROBOTIC FISH.
Narrator: ...THERE'S FISH IN THE FIRING LINE...
AND A BOOM WITH A VIEW.
Narrator: IN THIS FINAL-SEASON SPECIAL...
REVISIT.
...WHAT'S NEXT?
SO I UNDERSTAND WE'RE ENDING WITH A BANG.
YES, IT'S TIME TO CUE THE EXPLOSIONS
WITH A RETURN TO WHAT IS BOMBPROOF.
WE'VE TESTED THIS IN THE PAST,
AND FANS DIDN'T SAY WE GOT ANY SPECIFIC TEST WRONG.
INSTEAD, THEY HAVE A BRAND-NEW TWIST ON THIS, WHICH I LOVE.
THEY CLAIM THAT THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST A BOMB
IS ANOTHER BOMB,
SPECIFICALLY THAT IF TWO EXPLOSIONS
THAT ARE IDENTICAL IN SIZE GO OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY,
THEIR SHOCKWAVES WILL CANCEL OUT WHERE THEY MEET.
AND IF YOU'RE STANDING IN THAT LOCATION,
YOU'LL BE TOTALLY FINE.
GOOD STORY. I THOUGHT SO.
IT'S TIME TO BLOW SOME STUFF UP.
ONE...
Kari: WHOA!
Narrator: WHAT IS BOMBPROOF...
YOU'RE NOT UP FIRST. WE'RE GOOD.
...HAS BEEN A FAN FAVORITE FOR YEARS.
SO NO FINAL SEASON REVISIT
WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A BOMBPROOF KA-BOOM.
[ LAUGHS ]
MY FAVORITE PLACE TO BLOW STUFF UP.
MINE TOO. LET'S GET SET UP.
NOW, TO TEST THIS MYTH ABOUT EXPLOSIVE CANCELLATION,
WE COULD HAVE JUST GONE TO THE BOMB RANGE
AND SET OFF TWO BLASTS WITHOUT MUCH FUSS.
BUT INSTEAD, WE'VE COME BACK TO IONE,
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO THE TEST ABOVE WATER.
WHY? WELL, THIS MYTH IS ALL ABOUT SHOCKWAVES,
AND WE FOUND IN AN EARLIER EXPERIMENT...
ONE.
...THAT EXPLOSIONS
ABOVE WATER GIVE YOU A GREAT VISUAL IMAGE OF THE SHOCKWAVE.
NOT ONLY IS THE SHOCKWAVE ITSELF MORE VISIBLE IN THE AIR,
BUT IT ALSO LEAVES A REALLY CLEAR PATTERN
IN THE WATER.
Narrator: NOT ONLY SHOULD THE LAKE SHOWCASE THE SHOCKWAVE,
IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR PICTURING THE TWO-BOOM PLAN.
NOW, SOON ENOUGH IN THIS EPISODE YOU ARE GOING TO GET
TO SEE SOME ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS HIGH-SPEED SHOTS
OF THE BLAST PRESSURE WAVES FROM AN EXPLOSION
MOVING OUTWARDS ACROSS THIS BEAUTIFUL LAKE.
BUT UNTIL THEN, LET ME USE THESE STONES
TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE.
THE FIRST EXPLOSION WILL BE A SINGLE 5-POUND BLAST,
AND WE'LL GET TO SEE THE BLAST PRESSURE WAVE
MOVE OUT FROM THAT LIKE THIS.
SEE THOSE RIPPLES MOVING OUTWARDS
FROM WHERE I DROPPED THE PEBBLE?
THAT EQUATES TO OUR BLAST PRESSURE WAVE.
AND OUR PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS
WILL BE READING THE INTENSITY OF THAT PRESSURE FRONT
AS IT MOVES AWAY FROM THE EPICENTER OF THE EXPLOSION.
ONCE WE HAVE THAT DATA IN HAND,
IT WILL BE TIME TO DO TWO SIMULTANEOUS EXPLOSIONS
SYMBOLIZED BY THESE TWO ROCKS.
NOW, WATCH AS THEIR RIPPLES MOVE TOWARDS EACH OTHER
AND THEN COLLIDE.
IT'S THAT COLLISION OF THE TWO BLAST PRESSURE WAVES
THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE DATA.
IF THIS MYTH IS TRUE, WE SHOULD SEE A SIGNIFICANT DROP
IN THE INTENSITY
OF THOSE PRESSURE FRONTS WHEN THEY MEET.
Narrator: WELL, TO FIND OUT, JAMIE'S REPLACING THE ROCKS
WITH SOMETHING ALTOGETHER MORE DANGEROUS.
SO THESE ARE OUR EXPLOSIVES. THAT'S FIVE POUNDS OF TNT.
AND THESE ARE OUR FLOATING PLATFORMS,
WITH A HOLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
THERE WILL A ROD
THAT COMES UP 3 FEET THAT SITS ON TOP OF IT.
BOB'S YOUR UNCLE.
MEANWHILE, ADAM'S BUILDING THE DATA COLLECTION DEVICE...
AWESOME.
...UPON WHICH THE WHOLE EXPERIMENT DEPENDS.
Adam: SO FIRST UP, I'M MAKING AN 8-FOOT BY 1-FOOT PLATFORM
THAT WILL FLOAT ON THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE.
THEN I'M GONNA DRILL SEVEN HOLES AT 1-FOOT INTERVALS
ACROSS THE LENGTH OF THE PLATFORM.
ANOTHER GOOD USE FOR A COWBOY HAT.
INTO EACH OF THOSE HOLES, I AM PUTTING A 6-FOOT LENGTH
OF SCHEDULE 40 PIPE.
AWESOME.
AT THE VERY TOP OF EACH PIECE OF PIPE
WILL SIT PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS
WHICH WILL MEASURE THE EXACT BLAST PRESSURE
OF OUR EXPLOSIONS.
ONE DOWN.
ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE TRANSDUCERS
IS A WIRE THAT WILL EMERGE FROM THE PIPES
CARRYING SOME LOVELY PIECES OF DATA FOR US TO ANALYZE.
Narrator: SO THE RIG IS CERTAINLY COMPLEX...
OH! I THINK WE'RE FINE.
...BUT ITS JOB IS SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE.
ONCE IN POSITION ON THE WATER,
THE GUYS WILL SET OFF A SINGLE BLAST.
THE RIG'S SEVEN PCB TRANSDUCERS
WILL THEN RECORD BASELINE PRESSURE READINGS
AS THE BLAST WAVE PASSES BY.
NEXT COMES BLAST TWO, AN IDENTICAL DOUBLE EXPLOSION,
WHERE THE RIG WILL HELP REVEAL IF THE PRESSURE READINGS
WHERE THE TWO WAVES MEET GOES UP, DOWN,
OR SEES NO CHANGE AT ALL.
WE'RE ON THE MOVE.
AND WITH THE ASSEMBLY AT LAST READY TO ROLL...
COOL.
...THE GUYS MUST NEXT POSITION IT
IN THE LAKE FOR THE SINGLE BLAST CONTROL,
A PROCEDURE THAT'S A VERY DELICATE OPERATION.
Adam: WELL, THAT WAS INTERESTING.
JAMIE AND I ARE OUT SETTING UP FOR THE FIRST EXPERIMENT
WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE WIND PICKS UP.
OH, FOR [BLEEP]
WE ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO HAVE GOTTEN CAUGHT
IN A LITTLE, TINY TORNADO.
YOU ALL RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT WAS -- HO!
FELT LIKE BEING SMACKED WITH A TON OF BRICKS,
AND ALL OF SUDDEN, I KNEW MY HAT WAS ALMOST BLOWING OFF.
JAMIE'S HAT WAS BLOWING OFF.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN HERE
SINCE WE'VE -- ALL THE TIME WE'VE BEEN COMIN' HERE.
YEAH. THAT WAS WEIRD.
Narrator: IT'S NOT WHAT SUCH A DELICATE OPERATION NEEDED.
BUT IT'S NOT LONG BEFORE THE RIG IS IN PLACE.
IT'LL FLOAT.
COOL.
NEXT, IT'S JOINED BY THE CONTROL'S EXPLOSIVE:
5 POUNDS OF TNT
POSITIONED 3 FEET ABOVE THE WATER
AND 5 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RIG.
AWESOME. AWESOME.
AND WITH THAT, IT'S TIME FOR THE SINGLE BOOM BENCHMARK.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO. THIS IS FOR REAL.
CONTROL EXPLOSION, 5 POUNDS IN THREE,
TWO, ONE.
WHOA!
THAT WAS A CRACK!
YES.
DUDE!
WELL, THE SENSOR PLATFORM IS STILL THERE.
AND OUR DRONE IS STILL FLYING.
[ LAUGHS ]
THAT WAS INTENSE.
AS FAR AS CONTROLLED BLASTS GO,
THAT WAS AS NEAT AS YOU PLEASE.
I DON'T MEAN NEAT IN TERMS OF TIDY
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JAMIE IS ACTUALLY OUT THERE PICKIN'
UP THE BIG CHUNKS OF E.P.P. WE LEFT OUT THERE.
BUT THE EXPLOSION WENT OFF PERFECTLY...
...AND WE GOT BEAUTIFUL DATA FROM ALL SEVEN OF OUR SENSORS.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
Narrator: IN THIS FINAL SEASON RETRO-REVISIT,
ADAM AND JAMIE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A LIGHTER CAN STOP A SLUG.
HEY, DUDE!
BUT THE SHOOTING AIN'T DONE YET.
NEXT UP ON "WHAT IS BULLETPROOF,"
AN OFTEN-REQUESTED FAN FAVORITE
THAT WE SOMEHOW HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO YET.
BUT THAT ENDS TODAY.
HERE IS THE STORY.
A MAN SUPPOSEDLY SURVIVED A POINT-BLANK SHOTGUN BLAST
THANKS TO A 30-GALLON FISH TANK
POSITIONED DIRECTLY IN BETWEEN HIM AND THE SHOOTER,
WHICH COMPLETELY STOPPED THE ROUND.
NOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF ROUND
WAS FIRED AT THE FISH TANK,
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIRE MORE THAN ONE.
GET READY. THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET FISHY.
Narrator: STAND BY FOR THE GUYS' LAST EVER
"WHAT IS BULLETPROOF" REVISIT.
AWESOME.
Narrator: REASON ENOUGH FOR ADAM TO GO TO TOWN.
NOW, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA SHOOT
OUR FISH TANK DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T MAKE IT LOOK NICE.
I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF INTERIOR DECORATING.
FIRST UP, SOME GRAVEL.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL!
Narrator: ADAM'S FOLLOWING THAT "MYTHBUSTERS" MANTRA...
I LOVE IT.
...THAT IF IT'S WORTH DOING...
LOOK. THEY'RE TOTALLY WORKIN'.
...IT'S WORTH OVERDOING.
MEANWHILE, JAMIE'S GOT THE BIG GUN.
THIS GUN RIGHT HERE IS WHAT THIS STORY'S ABOUT.
IT'S A STANDARD 12-GAUGE PUMP-ACTION SHOTGUN.
NOW, WE'RE GONNA BE RUNNING THREE SEPARATE EXPERIMENTS
WITH THREE SEPARATE TYPES OF ROUNDS:
BIRDSHOT, BUCKSHOT AND A DEER SLUG.
Narrator: BECAUSE THE GUYS LIKE TO END WITH A BANG,
THEY'RE STARTING WITH THE LEAST ENERGETIC ROUND:
THE BIRDSHOT, WHICH WILL BE FIRED BY ADAM.
Adam: OKAY. HERE WE GO.
THE CLASSIC BATTLE: BIRDSHOT VERSUS FISH TANK.
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, ON THE NEXT SHOT, I AM GOING TO WEAR, UH,
SLEEVES BECAUSE A BUNCH OF STUFF HIT ME.
YEAH, I GOT A LITTLE, UH, LITTLE MARK THERE.
Narrator: IRONICALLY, ADAM'S BEEN HIT.
BUT BUSTER'S NOT.
LOOKS LIKE HE WAS SAFER THAN YOU WERE.
[ LAUGHS ]
THE DUMMY IS COMPLETELY INJURY-FREE,
AND THE HIGH-SPEED SHOWS WHY.
Adam: SO, CHECK THIS OUT.
THE BIRDSHOT BLASTED THROUGH THE TANK
AT 1,300 FEET PER SECOND.
BUT BECAUSE EACH PELLET WEIGHS LESS THAN 1 GRAM,
THEY'RE STOPPED BY THE WATER BEFORE THEY HIT THE BACK GLASS.
THAT GLASS ONLY BREAKS BECAUSE OF THE SHOCKWAVE CAUSED
BY THE BLAST ITSELF.
Narrator: MEANING THAT ADAM
AND THE FISH REALLY DID GET MORE HURT THAN BUSTER.
BUT WITH A BRAND-NEW 30-GALLON TANK
SET UP JUST LIKE BEFORE...
HERE YOU GO, MY PRETTIES. I LOVE THESE ROBOTIC FISH.
...WILL BUSTER BE SAVED AGAIN
WHEN FACING OFF AGAINST BIRDSHOT'S BIGGER BROTHER?
SO, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH BUCKSHOT?
WELL, THE LEAD PELLETS THAT ARE INSIDE BUCKSHOT
ARE THE SIZE OF A 9-MILLIMETER ROUND.
SO FOR MY MONEY, IT'S GONNA MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TANK,
AND IT MAY WELL ACTUALLY PENETRATE OUR DUMMY.
Narrator: WELL, WITH JAMIE DRESSED TO KILL,
IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT.
FIRING IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
THE BACK GLASS DIDN'T EVEN SHATTER.
[ LAUGHS ]
I DON'T EVEN NEED TO WALK OVER THERE
TO TELL THAT OUR GUY'S OKAY.
DESPITE EACH PELLET HAVING MORE THAN 12 TIMES THE ENERGY
OF BIRDSHOT, BUSTER'S EVEN MORE SAFE.
AND ADAM HAS A THEORY AS TO WHY.
Adam: HOW IS POSSIBLE THAT OUR BUCKSHOT
DIDN'T EVEN GET THROUGH THE BACK OF OUR FISH TANK?
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS.
WHAT IS AMMUNITION DESIGNED TO DO?
IT'S DESIGNED TO HARM FLESH.
AND WHAT IS FLESH MADE OF?
WELL, IT'S A BIT OF GRISTLE, BUT MOSTLY WATER.
AND WATER RESISTS AN IMPACT
IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE SPEED OF THAT IMPACT.
THE FASTER THE IMPACT,
THE FASTER WATER REPELS THAT ENERGY.
AND THAT'S WHY OUR BUCKSHOT LOSES ALMOST ALL OF ITS ENERGY
IN THE 12 INCHES OF OUR FISH TANK.
BUT WE'RE NOT DONE YET.
WE HAVE ONE MORE TYPE OF AMMO TO TRY.
Narrator: YEP.
FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL TEST, IT'S THE BIG DADDY:
THE DEER SLUG.
BUT WILL THIS BE STOPPED EVEN QUICKER AGAIN?
ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO.
THIS IS DEER SLUG VERSUS FISH TANK,
THE FINAL CHAPTER.
SAFETY'S OFF.
RANGE IS HOT.
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
[ LAUGHS ]
ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
Narrator: IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS TEST
CAUSED WAY MORE CARNAGE THAN THE BUCKSHOT.
BUT WITH NO SIGN OF THE SLUG IN THE TANK
OR IN BUSTER...
I DON'T SEE A-A SLUG IN HIM.
...IT'S DOWN TO THE SPECTACULAR HIGH-SPEEDS
TO SORT OUT THE SCIENCE.
Adam: SO I FIRED THE DEER SLUG AT THE FISH TANK,
AND JUST LIKE THE OTHER TWO TYPES OF AMMO FROM THE SHOTGUN,
THE INITIAL IMPACT CREATED THIS MAGNIFICENT SHOCKWAVE
INSIDE THE FISH TANK.
BUT UNIQUELY AMONG THE THREE, THE DEER SLUG NOT ONLY BROKE,
BUT ALSO PIERCED THE BACK GLASS OF OUR FISH TANK.
BUT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR ON THE HIGH-SPEED
THAT AS IT DOES, IT LOSES WHATEVER REMAINING ENERGY
IT HAD AND THEN STARTS TO MOVE DOWNWARDS,
INSTEAD OF TOWARDS OUR BALLISTICS GELLED DUDE.
SO I THINK BASED ON THIS, WE'VE GOTTA CONCLUDE THAT,
UH, THE SLUG ALSO
DOES NOT MAKE IT THROUGH A FISH TANK
IN ANY LETHAL FASHION.
Narrator: AND THAT'S A CONCLUSION THAT'S EVEN MORE CONCRETE
WHEN JAMIE DOES FIND THE SLUG.
FOUND IT.
THIS IS THAT BULLET AFTER IT HIT.
IT SPREAD IT, IN THIS CASE, FLAT AS A PANCAKE,
AND THAT SORT OF MEANT THAT IT WAS LIKE A DRAG SHOOT
ON THAT BULLET AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE WATER.
IT DID BREAK THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TANK,
BUT REALLY ONLY JUST.
Adam: ALL RIGHT. TIME TO TALLY UP THE RESULTS.
WHAT IS BULLETPROOF? FISH TANKS.
DID WE PROVE THAT THEY'RE, IN FACT, BULLETPROOF?
IF WE'RE TALKIN' ABOUT SHOTGUNS, PRETTY MUCH.
TOTALLY ASTONISHING, TOO, I MIGHT ADD.
LET'S GET OUT OF HERE. ALL RIGHT.
Narrator: NEXT IN "WHAT IS BOMBPROOF,"
WILL THERE BE FIRE IN THE HOLE?
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
GO!
Narrator: AFTER 14 YEARS OF GUNS AND AMMO,
HERE'S THE FINAL SEASON SHOOTING STATS.
SINCE 2002, THE MYTHBUSTERS
HAVE SHOT OVER 40 TYPES OF GUN...
...AND FIRED MORE THAN 500,000 BULLETS.
[ LAUGHS ]
THEY'VE REVISITED "WHAT IS BULLETPROOF" SIX TIMES...
ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE PEPPERONI PIZZA.
...AND PROVED ONCE THAT WALTER WHITE WAS RIGHT.
THAT WAS AN ADRENALINE RUSH!
ONE.
WHOA!
Narrator: ADAM AND JAMIE ARE ENDING THEIR FINAL EVER REVISIT...
THAT WAS A CRACK.
...WITH A BANG.
THEY'RE TESTING WHETHER TWO SIMULTANEOUS EXPLOSIONS
OF THE SAME SIZE
CAN REALLY CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.
AND AFTER TEST ONE, THE CONTROL DATA IS IN.
SO THE DATA WAS CLEAN.
THE NEAREST SENSOR SHOWED 135 PSI,
AND IT EVENLY LOWERED TO THE LAST SENSOR
AT 25 PSI.
NOW, FOR THE NEXT TEST, INSTEAD OF ONE BLAST,
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO BLASTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES
GOING OFF AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME,
THE SAME DISTANCE, AND THOSE NUMBERS,
THOSE PRESSURE READINGS WILL CHANGE.
HOW EXACTLY? WE DON'T KNOW.
THEY COULD GO DOWN. THEY COULD GO UP.
THEY COULD CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKIN' FOR.
Narrator: TO FIND OUT, THE GUYS
SALVAGE WHAT THEY CAN FROM TEST ONE...
...THREE, FOUR. THAT'S GOOD.
AWESOME!
I LOVE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THIS.
...AND BEGIN TO SET UP FOR TEST TWO.
GOOD.
BUT ADAM'S ALREADY GOT CONCERNS.
Adam: LOOK, WE OFTEN MAKE A JOKE ON THIS SHOW
THAT FAILURE IS ALWAYS AN OPTION.
IN THIS CASE, FOR THIS EXPERIMENT, IT'S NOT.
AND ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN.
WHEN WE SAY FAILURE IS ALWAYS AN OPTION,
WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPLAINING THAT WE HAVE NO BIAS
AS TO HOW SOMETHING TURNS OUT.
SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS A FAILURE
OF OUR EXPECTATIONS IS ALWAYS AN OPTION.
OH!
ANY RESULT'S A RESULT. THAT'S FOR SURE.
BUT WE CAN'T SURVIVE A FAILURE OF OUR METHODOLOGY.
AND IN THIS CASE, THE METHODOLOGY
FOR THIS EXPERIMENT IS EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE TWO EXPLOSIVES
GO OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY
AND PERFECTLY EQUIDISTANT FROM THE CENTER SENSOR
IN ORDER TO GET THE READING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
IF WE DON'T GET THAT,
IT'S GONNA BE A HEAVY-DUTY RESET TO TRY AND GET IT AGAIN.
Narrator: TO TRY TO GET TWO IDENTICAL BOOMS,
THE GUYS ARE USING EXACTLY THE SAME QUANTITY
OF EXPLOSIVE THAT'S POSITIONED PERFECTLY EQUIDISTANT
FROM THEIR DATA RIG.
AND BY USING EXACTLY THE SAME LENGTH
OF DETONATION TUBE,
THEY'RE LEAVING NOTHING TO CHANCE.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
Narrator: BUT WILL THAT BE ENOUGH?
OKAY. DOUBLE EXPLOSION
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
GO!
Adam: WELL, THAT WAS A BIT OF A COLD SHOWER.
I PUSHED THE BUTTON AND NOTHING HAPPENED.
WELL, ALMOST NOTHING.
ACTUALLY, I DID WATCH THE SPARK TRAVEL DOWN THE TUBE.
BUT WHEN IT GOT TO THE WATER'S EDGE,
IT STOPPED, WHICH MEANS THAT WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME WATER.
BUT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS, WHAT IT REALLY MEANS
IS THAT SOMEBODY OWES US A CASE OF BEER
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS IN THE BOMB WORLD.
Narrator: RULES ASIDE, THE GUYS QUICKLY REPLACE THE DET TUBE,
AND THEN IT'S GOOD FOR TAKE TWO.
OKAY. HERE WE GO. COUNT IT IN, MR. HYNEMAN.
OKAY.
TWO BLASTS CANCELING EACH OTHER OUT, MAYBE,
IN THREE...
TWO, ONE.
WOW.
I FELT THAT ONE.
THAT WAS A BONE RATTLER.
HOLY [BLEEP]
Narrator: IN REAL TIME,
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IF THE EXPERIMENT WAS A SUCCESS.
BUT THE HIGH-SPEED SHOWS IT WAS EXACTLY THAT.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
FIRST OF ALL, THIS CAMERA ANGLE SHOOTING
AT 4,000 FRAMES PER SECOND.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE HERE,
FROM ONE FRAME TO THE NEXT, BOOM.
IT'S A PERFECTLY SIMULTANEOUS EXPLOSION.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
NOW, THERE'S SOME COOL STUFF AS YOU ADVANCE THROUGH THE FRAMES.
YOU CAN START TO SEE THE ACTUAL SHOCKWAVES THERE:
THESE TWO BUBBLES.
AND AS THEY INCREASE,
THE GRAY LINE HERE ABOVE THE WATER,
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE CROSS OF THE TWO BUBBLES INTERSECTING.
WE HAVE SENSORS IN PLACE
THAT WILL TELL US WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING THERE!
IS IT INCREASING THE POWER? IS IT DECREASING THE POWER?
I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA.
AND I MIGHT BE OVEREXCITED
BECAUSE I WAS JUST RATTLED BY AN EXPLOSION.
WOW.
BUT I THINK THIS IS PRETTY AWESOME.
Narrator: WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE SENSOR SURVIVED.
GOT THE DATA. YOU DID?
GOT IT. DUDE, THAT'S AWESOME.
AND ONCE DISSECTED, ADAM'S READY TO DIVULGE.
ALL RIGHT, MR. HYNEMAN. WE HAVE ACTUAL DATA
FROM THAT LAST BLAST, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
DO YOU WANT TO HEAR IT? YES.
OKAY. SO IF YOU REMEMBER, RIGHT, WE HAD SEVEN SENSORS
TO CATCH THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE TWO PRESSURE WAVES.
REMEMBER, FOR THE FIRST TEST,
NUMBER FOUR READ 50 PSI.
OKAY.
SECOND TEST, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE ITS READING.
IS IT DOUBLE? 100 PSI.
YES, I WAS RIGHT. WAS THAT YOUR PREDICTION?
WELL, IT'S TWO ENERGIES, AND WHERE THEY INTERSECTED...
DID YOU SAY THAT ON CAMERA?
NO.
OH, WELL, THEN IT DOESN'T COUNT.
I SAID IT JUST NOW. NO.
NO. NO. [ LAUGHS ]
HE NEVER WANTS TO GIVE A PREDICTION
BEFORE THE ACTUAL FACT.
ISN'T THAT AWESOME? YEAH.
IT'S TOTALLY THE OPPOSITE OF CANCELING EACH OTHER OUT.
IT DOUBLED THE POWER.
Jamie: SO WE SET OUT TO TEST THE MYTH
THAT TWO IDENTICAL EXPLOSIONS
SET OFF EQUIDISTANT FROM EACH OTHER
WOULD CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT WHERE THEIR PRESSURE WAVES
INTERSECTED IN THE MIDDLE.
NOW, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
IT ACTUALLY DOUBLED THERE.
A LOT OF PHYSICS IS NOT EXACTLY INTUITIVE.
BUT IN THIS CASE,
I THINK IT IS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TWICE THE EXPLOSIVE POWER
IN THE SAME VICINITY, RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER,
AND IT'S NOT UNLIKE A COUPLE OF HAMMERS HITTING.
ALL THAT ENERGY IMPACTS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE,
AND THAT'S A BAD PLACE TO BE.
THAT ONE'S PRETTY CLEANLY BUSTED.
YEP. BUSTED WITH TNT.
MY EARS ARE STILL RINGING, AND I HAD HEARING PROTECTION.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS