View Full Version : Anyone watch the recent MythBusters?



HewenttoJared
09-29-2011, 08:43 AM
http://news.discovery.com/earth/mythbusters-motorcycles-vs-cars-which-is-better-for-the-environment-110928.html

Apparently it was their first episode that led to actual scientific published results. Did anyone catch it? What was their conclusion?

venture
09-29-2011, 10:20 AM
It was actually pretty interesting. Cars made in the 1980s actually had BETTER gas mileage and a lower carbon output than they do today. They showed a very progressive trend where things were getting worse over the last 20-30 years instead of what we are lead to believe. Of course it is just one study, but still found it interesting. Granted anyone with half a brain would still think it is odd to see all these TV commercials proclaim amazing gas mileage...at 20-30 mpg.

Thunder
09-29-2011, 07:43 PM
I have seen a few episodes of MythBusters, but since then...never. I will never watch it ever again. Not now, not ever! They are flawed in so many different ways. There was an episode where they tested an airplane on the ground, pressurized it, and started shooting holes on the inside to see if what we see in the movies was real or not (everything flying around, things get sucked out, people get sucked out, etc). When they did that, nothing happened. So the moronic guys on that show said what we see in movies are fake and that nothing really ever happen. Umm... WTF?! The airplane was on the ground... Duh! And the holes they made were small... Duh! Those guys are pure idiots. So, I don't watch it, because they just make things up and pretend that results and their opinions are to be fact. Its a bunch of pathetic joke.

RadicalModerate
09-29-2011, 08:19 PM
They are flawed in so many different ways.

Good reason not to watch.
Yet, somehow, I have the feeling that they are awaiting your forgiveness.

Thunder
09-29-2011, 08:22 PM
They are flawed in so many different ways.

Good reason not to watch.
Yet, somehow, I have the feeling that they are awaiting your forgiveness.

I will not forgive them. LOL!!! Why should I forgive them? I don't care about them making themselves look stupid in front of millions of people.

SkyWestOKC
09-29-2011, 08:31 PM
Well that experiment was flawed. In order for it to be a good representation of true conditions, you'd need an air pressure on the outside of the airframe to be similar to that at 30-35k feet. You would also need to pressurize the cabin to an altitude of 6,000 feet, give or take. Decompression is a real phenomena, although not as dramatic as the movies display.

RadicalModerate
09-29-2011, 08:31 PM
Yeah . . . They are so stupid they don't know what a lot of nines are . . .
Like the nines in front of all the zeros on their sponsors' checks.
To them. For the show . . .
For millions of people.

Thunder
09-29-2011, 08:34 PM
Yeah . . . They are so stupid they don't know what a lot of nines are . . .
Like the nines in front of all the zeros on their sponsors' checks.
To them. For the show . . .
For millions of people.

What ya think? Stupid people = Stupid country. Look who is our President now...

MDot
09-29-2011, 09:17 PM
What ya think? Stupid people = Stupid country. Look who is our President now...

Thunder's gettin political. You tell em' chiefy!

venture
09-29-2011, 09:22 PM
Not even going to start. LOL

OKCisOK4me
09-29-2011, 09:25 PM
Don't have cable but id like to dress as the one guy for Halloween who wears the hat and has the twisted mustache.

chuck johnson
09-29-2011, 11:04 PM
I have seen a few episodes of MythBusters, but since then...never. I will never watch it ever again. Not now, not ever! They are flawed in so many different ways. There was an episode where they tested an airplane on the ground, pressurized it, and started shooting holes on the inside to see if what we see in the movies was real or not (everything flying around, things get sucked out, people get sucked out, etc). When they did that, nothing happened. So the moronic guys on that show said what we see in movies are fake and that nothing really ever happen. Umm... WTF?! The airplane was on the ground... Duh! And the holes they made were small... Duh! Those guys are pure idiots. So, I don't watch it, because they just make things up and pretend that results and their opinions are to be fact. Its a bunch of pathetic joke.

The question was whether or not something as simple as a gunshot would be enough to cause a plane to rip apart. In particular, will the pressure on the inside (which is much higher than the ambient air pressure) be sufficient to cause enough catastrophic failure or at the very least cause everything to get sucked through that hole. They found that explosive decompression only occurred with sufficient damage. A single bullet hole is not enough, despite what Hollywood movies show (no surprise there). Whether the plane is on the ground or at high altitude is irrelevant as long as the pressure on the inside is greater than what is outside. Decompression can happen on the ground or at high altitude. After they hit the plane with an explosive charge, the plane rapidly decompressed and its contents flew out and caused further damage. They covered this subject twice.

full disclaimer, I used to work by their studio M5 and with some of their former employees. I am well acquainted with Kari and Grant. Jamie Hyneman, the guy with the cap and stache, is one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. They've made some mistakes in their experiments, but have always revisited and revised any conclusions at the behest of their fans. Keep in mind, this is all filmed in the Bay Area which is home to Lockheed Martin, Stanford Particle Accelerator, NASA Ames, Lawrence Livermore labs, and virtually every technology company. It's nerd heaven and they are very quick to point out any scientific or technological misconceptions.

Thunder
09-29-2011, 11:33 PM
Thanks for your input, Chuck Johnson.

So, how and why did you get from California to Oklahoma?

chuck johnson
09-29-2011, 11:39 PM
Thanks for your input, Chuck Johnson.

So, how and why did you get from California to Oklahoma?

I grew up here, went to OU, and moved to San Francisco. I worked in the Architecture field for awhile and then spent a good while working at a modelmaking/rapid prototyping company that happened to be near the Mythbusters crew. My company laid people off during the downturn and I decided to come back to spend time with my family and regroup. I currently work as a high end furniture designer for a company in the city while I plot my next move.

Thunder
09-29-2011, 11:51 PM
Congratulations! The owner of this site, Pete, grew up here and moved to California. He hasn't quite made it back yet. I don't know if he will ever come back. lol

Snowman
09-30-2011, 12:11 AM
It was actually pretty interesting. Cars made in the 1980s actually had BETTER gas mileage and a lower carbon output than they do today. They showed a very progressive trend where things were getting worse over the last 20-30 years instead of what we are lead to believe. Of course it is just one study, but still found it interesting. Granted anyone with half a brain would still think it is odd to see all these TV commercials proclaim amazing gas mileage...at 20-30 mpg.

In the 80's manufactures were still reacting to relatively new laws taking effect. Anytime manufactures have years to find loop holes to clam in efficiency they take every inch they can if they are actively trying, though the average weight and volume of passenger vehicles increasing in that time has had a lot to do with that as well. Plus the way gas mileage was estimated for many years was a joke, while slightly more accurate today, it is still an overly optimistic model for how most Americans drive.

chuck johnson
09-30-2011, 12:16 AM
Congratulations! The owner of this site, Pete, grew up here and moved to California. He hasn't quite made it back yet. I don't know if he will ever come back. lol

Thanks, it's been almost 10 years since I left. A lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same.

Thunder
09-30-2011, 12:34 AM
Thunder's gettin political. You tell em' chiefy!


Not even going to start. LOL

:LolLolLol http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=23390

HewenttoJared
09-30-2011, 06:46 AM
Well that experiment was flawed. In order for it to be a good representation of true conditions, you'd need an air pressure on the outside of the airframe to be similar to that at 30-35k feet. You would also need to pressurize the cabin to an altitude of 6,000 feet, give or take. Decompression is a real phenomena, although not as dramatic as the movies display.

Also air streaming by at cruising speed has to have some effect...

Roadhawg
09-30-2011, 07:36 AM
Thanks for your input, Chuck Johnson.

So, how and why did you get from California to Oklahoma?

Probably by airplane but I bet he didn't shoot holes in it on the way lol