MythBusters S05E18 "Myth Evolution"

[LoadStar]

(Guide data has this listed as "Myth Revolution!" but the on-screen "drawing board" title was "Myth Evolution," and that was the theme of the episode. I'm sticking with that as the title of the episode, and assuming the guide data is wrong.)

No thread on this? Has everyone sort of given up on the series or something?

First off: the Ninja Bullet myth - stupid. Whomever the fan was that submitted that was an idiot. That one was a foregone conclusion, and the only real interesting part was the rig that they made... but the fact that they spent so much time building a rig for a dumb myth made it less interesting. I fast forwarded over this.

The breathing from a tire - I'd have called it "plausible," frankly. They didn't seem to spend much time practicing this, or doing some sort of scale test or above water test, or they too probably would've put it at plausible. There was clearly air coming out of the tire, so that part is valid... it's a question of getting yourself positioned to really plant your face on the tire so that you can actually breathe, I think.

Speed Camera - pretty much what I expected, though I liked the reference to "Top Gear" (they mentioned a "UK car show" that tested it - the video can be viewed on YouTube in (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOx8A-TzHoQ) three (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnkp2sT8zkg) parts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-qv4gYAE8)). I guess I was kind of surprised by the Lenticular Lens test - it really seemed like it would work once they showed how much it distorted the text when viewed at an angle. Other than that - yeah, more of the same as before.

Airbag Thumb - they don't teach 10/2 hand position anymore? Really? I'd be surprised if that's true, to be honest. (Granted, most people stop driving that way shortly after driver's ed anyway, so it's kind of pointless, but still.) I do have to admit, they did a pretty good job of testing this one.

RFID vs. MRI - Dudes, stop saying "riffid" - it makes you sound like a moron. It's "r-f-i-d". Do they go around calling an ID card an "Id" card? Or the stuff that a radio picks up "riff"? Anyway. Stupid myth, but this was one of the first times that the show really ever recognized Scotty leaving the show ("Back when Tory was Scotty...") -- previously, when they revisited stuff from that era, they've always re-chopped the footage to cut her out of the scene as much as possible. Interesting that Kari was willing to get an RFID tag in her arm. Sorry, I wouldn't myself.

[Idearat]

(Guide data has this listed as "Myth Revolution!" but the on-screen "drawing board" title was "Myth Evolution," and that was the theme of the episode. I'm sticking with that as the title of the episode, and assuming the guide data is wrong.)

No thread on this? Has everyone sort of given up on the series or something?



I think you summed it up pretty well.

The tire breathing one would have likely worked if they did half the effort the Mythterns did slapping bullets. My first thought was the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs (http://www.weekiwachee.com/) have been doing something similar for decades. They have small bubbling tubes of air the girls breath with so they can continue their shows without surfacing.

Arfid? Even more annoying than the commercials for "voyp" ( VOIP ) a couple years ago.

[Marc]

Airbag Thumb - they don't teach 10/2 hand position anymore? Really? I'd be surprised if that's true, to be honest.
Apparently that is true. I was talking with a coworker who has a 16 year old son and he mentioned that they now teach holding the wheel at 4 and 8.

[mportuesi]

Actually, I have given up on the series. I think they've run out of good urban myths to investigate, and now they're doing stupid stuff like reproducing things from movies and comic books, or things that we know won't work even before they do the experiment.

A lot of Mythbusters now is just excuses to blow stuff up. I like watching stuff blow up, but it's not enough to keep me coming back to the show week after week.

[bareyb]

I enjoyed the show as I usually do, but I have to admit some of the methodology is whack these days. Still good fun and I enjoyed it as per usual. I have NOT given up on Adam and Jaime for the same reasons I will probably never give up on the boys at American Chopper. I watch these shows because I like the people that are in them. I enjoy spending time with Adam and Jaime and the rest of the M5 crew, the same as I do with the Teutuls on American Chopper. I'll likely stick with these shows until the bitter end. :p

[Idearat]

Found a "breathing from a bubbling tube" video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmHBWo0-aBg

[wmcbrine]

It's interesting that Adam & Jamie are doing commercials for The Science Channel, even though their show doesn't air there.

[drumorgan]

What? You mean evolution is a myth? Whoda thunk it?

[alpacaboy]

A lot of Mythbusters now is just excuses to blow stuff up. I like watching stuff blow up, but it's not enough to keep me coming back to the show week after week.
I like watching Kari blow/smash stuff up.

[YCantAngieRead]

I did find myself really paying attention to where my thumbs are in relationship to my airbag this week. :D

I kept wondering what would happen if they used some kind of metal stabbing straw for the tire myth.

[nirisahn]

...
Airbag Thumb - they don't teach 10/2 hand position anymore? Really? I'd be surprised if that's true, to be honest. (Granted, most people stop driving that way shortly after driver's ed anyway, so it's kind of pointless, but still.) I do have to admit, they did a pretty good job of testing this one...
There was an article recently in the AAA magazine about this. They're also apparently suggesting changing from the hand over hand turning method to keeping your hands at the 4 and 8 position and sliding the steering wheel through your hands. It seems that people have had their arms broken by the airbag deploying if they're in an accident while they're turning and their arms are crossed over the steering wheel.

[mrmike]

The breathing from a tire - I'd have called it "plausible," frankly. They didn't seem to spend much time practicing this, or doing some sort of scale test or above water test, or they too probably would've put it at plausible. There was clearly air coming out of the tire, so that part is valid... it's a question of getting yourself positioned to really plant your face on the tire so that you can actually breathe, I think.


He had a knife in the second try. I thought for sure he was going to cut the valve stem off and breathe from that (since that would give a good seal). Maybe the pressure would be too high?

[Idearat]

There was an article recently in the AAA magazine about this. They're also apparently suggesting changing from the hand over hand turning method to keeping your hands at the 4 and 8 position and sliding the steering wheel through your hands. It seems that people have had their arms broken by the airbag deploying if they're in an accident while they're turning and their arms are crossed over the steering wheel.

That sounds like a typically idiotic American view on auto accidents: Concentrate on surviving accidents, not on avoiding them. The proper place to put your hands on a steering wheel is the place that allows you to steer most effectively. Not hitting brick walls or other cars is the real way to avoid being hurt by an airbag.

One steering manner that should be better for steering and airbag safety: Don't sit so close to the steering wheel your arms are bent at less that a 90 degree angle. That's going to get in the way of your steering more than your hand positions at any one moment.

[drumorgan]

Here is an article (http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_seating.shtml) on seating position for best steering. If you are a NASCAR driver, all bets are off...

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_images/seat_dwg.gif

One of the first things to prepare before you even turn the key, is a proper seating position. This is often overlooked, or improperly immitated, resulting in poorer car control and premature fatigue.

[pdhenry]

Interesting that Kari was willing to get an RFID tag in her arm. Sorry, I wouldn't myself.Especially since RFID tags have been linked to cancer (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html) in laboratory rats - as high as 10% of the animals in one study.

[Warren]

Especially since RFID tags have been linked to cancer (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html) in laboratory rats - as high as 10% of the animals in one study.
wonder if how lab rats are different then other rats(pet). Rats in the pet world are known for getting tumors.

[harrinpj]

When Adam was trying to breath from the tire it reminded me of something from when I was a kid. Me and a friend were hanging out in his parent's hot tub and he bet me that he could hold his breath longer than I could. We both went under and I came up about a minute later. I waited for him to come up for at least 4 more minutes. I couldn't believe it. Finally he admitted to breathing from the bubble jets that were coming from the sides of the hot tub. I tried it after that and it was very easy to do. Because of this, I was very surprised that Adam wasn't able to breath from the tire.

[5thcrewman]

Especially since RFID tags have been linked to cancer (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html) in laboratory rats - as high as 10% of the animals in one study.
What about all the chips in dogs?

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Yeah, getting a little tired of the "No way that is plausible" myths like a ninja slapping a bullet. This includes most of the movie myths. Adam (and Grant I believe) worked as special effects Hollywood. Heck, Adam worked at ILM for Pete's sake. You would thing that they would know right away that these things were totally unreal. The comic book myths were interesting just to see what kind of gadgets they could make.

I think breathing from a tire is totally plausible. Especially if you let the air displace any water that you get when you open your mouth. It looked to me that he was trying to get a mouthful of air and then "swallow" it. It would seem to me that you should inhale while you have your lips wrapped around the valve stem or the hole in the tire. I'd be willing to bet that Jamie would be able to do it. Mainly based on him being such an experienced diver.

[wmcbrine]

You would thing that they would know right away that these things were totally unreal.Sure, they know. The point is to prove it to the audience. And preferably to look silly and/or blow stuff up while doing so. :D

[EvilMidniteBombr]

Sure, they know. The point is to prove it to the audience. And preferably to look silly and/or blow stuff up while doing so. :D
Well, you do have a point there.

[pcguru83]

RFID vs. MRI - Dudes, stop saying "riffid" - it makes you sound like a moron. It's "r-f-i-d". Do they go around calling an ID card an "Id" card? Or the stuff that a radio picks up "riff"?
Not exactly. That is very much an accepted pronunciation. See here:

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1819/1/187

[LoadStar]

Not exactly. That is very much an accepted pronunciation. See here:

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1819/1/187
You reading the same thing I'm reading?
The correct, official, socially acceptable way to pronounce the acronym, as decreed by the world's RFID authority, is (drum roll, please): R-F-I-D.
It says some people say it arfid or riffid, but neither are correct. :)

(I won't comment about RFID not actually being an acronym, but an "initialism" instead. Oh, wait, I think I just did. :D)

[wmcbrine]

Pronunciations aren't decreed by authorities; they evolve through common usage. I'd never heard "ar-fid" before this show, but then, I'm not sure I'd ever heard RFID pronounced at all. In my own mind, I'd thought of it (and still do) as "R-F-I-D", but so what? My guess is that someone like Grant has more occasion to pronounce it than I do.

[Bai Shen]

Apparently that is true. I was talking with a coworker who has a 16 year old son and he mentioned that they now teach holding the wheel at 4 and 8.

Eh, I think it changes every couple of years as people come up with new theories.

[pcguru83]

You reading the same thing I'm reading?

It says some people say it arfid or riffid, but neither are correct. :)

(I won't comment about RFID not actually being an acronym, but an "initialism" instead. Oh, wait, I think I just did. :D)
Your totally missing the point of why I posted that. You stated he was a "moron" for pronouncing "RFID" as "arfid". He's quite clearly not, as there are many that deal with them on a daily basis that use pronunciations such as that. That'e evidenced by the fact that a publication such as the "RFID Journal" would even post a blurb about it! Granted, the alleged "official" pronunciation is "R-F-I-D", yet people still don't always refer to them by the initials.

FWIW, I did a very small research project on these when I was in college and ran across all the pronunciations mentioned in that article.

[LoadStar]

Your totally missing the point of why I posted that. You stated he was a "moron" for pronouncing "RFID" as "arfid".
Ah, no. I said it makes him SOUND like one, even though he is clearly not.

There are some initialisms that sound absolutely stupid when one attempts to pronounce them as a word; RFID would be one of them. It might be used by lots of people; that doesn't make it sound any less dumb.

It'd be an interesting linguistic study to determine why some initialisms can be pronounced and sound perfectly natural; others are like nails on chalkboard and are pretty clearly wrong. I'd say it would have something to do with how close they land to a real word in your native tongue; however, SCUBA, LASER, and RADAR are good examples of initialisms that sound right when pronounced, even though they aren't anywhere close to English words.

[modnar]

I still like the show, but I'm really tired of the VEERRYYY cheesy dialogue, especially from Grant. And I would like an episode where Grant doesn't SCREAM "3! 2! 1!" even to countdown to a mundane event, such as a car starting to drive.

I miss the earlier episodes where they really showed them building the various rigs. They just gloss over that now.

[justapixel]

typically idiotic American .

Please refrain from this sort of generalized bashing/name-calling, or your privileges on this forum will be suspended.

[Idearat]

Please refrain from this sort of generalized bashing/name-calling, or your privileges on this forum will be suspended.

Now that was a surprising hand slap. A more polite one might have included my whole comment, and not cut it off mid-sentance to greatly change it's meaning ( including adding a period after "American" where there wasn't one in my comment.)

I'd much rather be chastised for something I really wrote than a three word excerpt of a 19 words sentance.

[billboard_NE]

10 years ago the Skip Barber racing school at CT Lime Rock Park was teaching the 4&8 position with shuffle to stear. If thats dumb American, than I want to be just like Skip.

Bill

[heySkippy]

I'd much rather be chastised for something I really wrote than a three word excerpt of a 19 words sentance.
I don't think the rest of the sentence changed the meaning of those three words at all.

[Idearat]

I don't think the rest of the sentence changed the meaning of those three words at all.

Well, this is the last I'll have to say on the subject. I'm still surprised. I'd think there's a substantial difference between referring to an American, vs an opinion. The entire remainder of the missing sentance referring to that opinion. This is not even taking into consideration that my original comment was referencing ( and quoting ) an article from the AAA and no particular person.

My comment was referring to my being chastised, but editing my comment to do so, especially adding a period to the end to make it appear to be my entire original comment.

When I wrote the original comment the only thing I though might be remotely controversial would be the idea that avoiding accidents is much more important than just surviving them.

[pdhenry]

I'm with Idearat. I had to go back and read his(?) post - thought he was saying that specifically about a person, but I don't read the complete post as insulting a particular person at all. Sorry for the OT, just MHO...

[scottykempf]

I havent enjoyed this season of Mythbusters as much as I did the other seasons. I just lost some interest. The show doesnt seem as good now. Of course, every so often they have a good myth or experiment and those are still interesting.