Best and Worst of the Mythbusters

[skathe]

Post your thoughts on the best myths ever busted, the worst myths ever busted, and hypothetical good and bad myths (for their ratings or for entertainment value) you would like to see.

Personally, I think the "steel toe boots are actually less safe than regular boots" myth was a stretch of an episode. So much empirical evidence already exists, which is why so many companies require them.

[*snip* Carry on, folks, nothing to see here. --mods]

 

[quack35]

Best myth(s) yet to be busted: the entire Bible.

Are you looking for a fight, or what?

I really liked the pants explosion episode.

 

[WrongSprite]

Can anyboy say FLAMEBAIT?

Seriously man, I'd remove the bible bit before all hell breaks loose.

 

[Gooble]

Ignoring the glaring flame in your post, I'd say they did an especially crappy job when they were trying to prove whether or not you could set wooden ships alight using shields; this was in fact proved on a programme by a BBC. When the Mythbusters tried to do it they just got glued a load of mirrors onto a circular piece of wood, but they didn't focus the rays; on the BBC programme they did focus the light and actually set a miniature ship alight.

 

[Rednog]

The dumbest myth to me was them trying to test if bullets could be curved like in the movie Wanted. They should've just sat in front of a chalk board and explained that common sense will show that if gravity (an amazingly huge force) doesn't affect the trajectory of a bullet then no way in hell will flicking your wrist affect a bullet. Shame on the viewers who asked them to test that myth and thought it was even possible in the first place.
I really liked the Thermite & Ice one and the car being lifted by water pressure.

 

[Calobi]

The dumbest myth to me was them trying to test if bullets could be curved like in the movie Wanted. They should've just sat in front of a chalk board and explained that common sense will show that if gravity (an amazingly huge force) doesn't affect the trajectory of a bullet then no way in hell will flicking your wrist affect a bullet. Shame on the viewers who asked them to test that myth and thought it was even possible in the first place.

Gravity does affect bullets, it just takes a while for it be noticeable. Although, you're right. Testing that myth was stupid. Takes the cake for worst experiment.

My favorite is probably the chicken cannon or the one where they blow up a cement truck. Haven't seen a lot of the newer ones because my school decided Discovery was a bad investment for college kids to have.

 

[Rednog]

The dumbest myth to me was them trying to test if bullets could be curved like in the movie Wanted. They should've just sat in front of a chalk board and explained that common sense will show that if gravity (an amazingly huge force) doesn't affect the trajectory of a bullet then no way in hell will flicking your wrist affect a bullet. Shame on the viewers who asked them to test that myth and thought it was even possible in the first place.

Gravity does affect bullets, it just takes a while for it be noticeable. Although, you're right. Testing that myth was stupid. Takes the cake for worst experiment.

My favorite is probably the chicken cannon or the one where they blow up a cement truck. Haven't seen a lot of the newer ones because my school decided Discovery was a bad investment for college kids to have.

I meant in terms of an average shot range you're going to notice very little to no change. I mean in terms of the time/distance it takes gravity to affect a bullet, there is no chance in hell a quick flick of the wrist should be entertained as possible.

 

[randommaster]

To me, they seem to do more busting of CGI efects that you see in television/movies instead of urban legends, which is what the show started off as.

My favorite has to be the forzen chicken through the windshield, though, just because they busted the myth, then realised that they did the entire thing wrong anyways.

 

[Motti]

Ignoring the glaring flame in your post, I'd say they did an especially crappy job when they were trying to prove whether or not you could set wooden ships alight using shields; this was in fact proved on a programme by a BBC. When the Mythbusters tried to do it they just got glued a load of mirrors onto a circular piece of wood, but they didn't focus the rays; on the BBC programme they did focus the light and actually set a miniature ship alight.

I'm assuming you're referring to engineering connections (the one with Richard Hammond). If you're not just ignore this. They held it close enough to focus all the rays onto the ship, whereas the mythbusters held it at a vaguely realistic distance (and yes, since it was concave, the light was focused). If you were as close as Hamster was, why can't you just shove a torch in? Also what stops the gladius bum rape at that distance?

 

[woodwalker]

See, the Holocaust has good evidence to support it, whereas the bible says that Caesar Augustus levied a tax on the whole Empire, and forced the Jews to go to their ancestral homes (even if they had lived in a different town their whole lives, and the only connection they had to their ancestral home was an ancestor that lives a THOUSAND YEARS previous)? An Emperor would not wish his subjects to make that trek just to give him money.

Or that when the gospels list Jesus' lineage, one list has more than the other, and they have almost no overlap?

Or what about the bible saying that man is not perfect, but the bible is; even though the bible was written by man, who is not perfect?

Those are just off the top of my head...


Back on topic, though. I can't believe that they did that curving the bullet thing...

 

[ElTigreSantiago]

I liked any myth involving firearms and explosives.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Let's move on from the Bible, Holocaust, etc., please folks.

 

[Agent Larkin]

Best moment (I dont really pay attention to the myths) would be the Cement truck explosion.
The worst moment: *THOSE* pictures.

Also Im a big Mythbusters fan I even have one of the Mythbuster t-shirts.

 

[TheSentinel]

Best was Compact Compact revisited. When they fired the rocket sled, wow. Just, wow.

 

[Gerazzi]

I liked any myth involving firearms and explosives.

this.
Also, I don't think that it can get much better than that.

 

[manaman]

The dumbest myth to me was them trying to test if bullets could be curved like in the movie Wanted. They should've just sat in front of a chalk board and explained that common sense will show that if gravity (an amazingly huge force) doesn't affect the trajectory of a bullet then no way in hell will flicking your wrist affect a bullet. Shame on the viewers who asked them to test that myth and thought it was even possible in the first place.

Gravity does affect bullets, it just takes a while for it be noticeable. Although, you're right. Testing that myth was stupid. Takes the cake for worst experiment.

My favorite is probably the chicken cannon or the one where they blow up a cement truck. Haven't seen a lot of the newer ones because my school decided Discovery was a bad investment for college kids to have.

I meant in terms of an average shot range you're going to notice very little to no change. I mean in terms of the time/distance it takes gravity to affect a bullet, there is no chance in hell a quick flick of the wrist should be entertained as possible.

Actually I had to take gravity, wind, etc into affect for shots I would sometimes make with as simple a weapon as M-16.

Then again I like the show, but I see half the myths as a waste of time as anyone with a internet access and a calculator can see that half of the stuff they make things to test could have been proven wrong with some common sense. The show however is about building and breaking things, often just to see if they can. That is what is entertaining to me.

 

[TaborMallory]

Kari Byron.

Some of the myths can be a bit interesting, but I wouldn't take anything serious.