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DO NOT TRY ANY OF THE EXPERIMENTS
YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE
AT HOME.
YOU HEARD HIM. DON'T DO IT.
Jamie: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WELCOME TO "BATTLE OF THE SEXES 2,"
WHERE MYTHBUSTERS PIT MEN AGAINST WOMEN...
[ WHOOSH! ]
...TO DETERMINE MYTH FROM FACT.
YOU'LL PROBABLY DISAGREE WITH OUR RESULTS.
SO LET'S GET READY TO GRUMBLE.
[ BABY CRIES ]
Narrator: YEP. ON THIS CONTROVERSIAL EPISODE OF "MYTHBUSTERS"...
I THINK WE MIGHT BE KICKING SOME MALE BUTT.
[ HORN HONKS ]
Narrator: ...THERE'S A CONTENTIOUS COLLECTION
OF CLASSIC CLICHéS.
YOU THROW LIKE A GIRL!
FIRST UP, ARE GUYS REALLY THE FLING KINGS?
SLOW DOWN THERE, COWBOY.
[ CHUCKLES ]
...WILL A MAN EVER ASK FOR HELP?
THIS IS FANTASTIC. [ CHUCKLES ]
Narrator: NEXT, ARE WOMEN REALLY THE MULTITASKING MASTERS?
All: YEAH!
Narrator: AND FINALLY, IN A PARALLEL PARK-OFF,
IT'S...PARKAGEDDON!
DO YOU HAVE A LICENSE?
WHO ARE THE MYTHBUSTERS?
ADAM SAVAGE...
NOW I'M READY.
...AND JAMIE HYNEMAN.
THIS IS GONNA KILL YOU.
BETWEEN THEM, MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF SPECIAL-EFFECTS EXPERIENCE.
TOGETHER WITH TORY BELLECI...
THAT WAS INSANE.
...GRANT IMAHARA...
WHO WANTS SOME?!
...AND KARI BYRON.
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB.
THEY DON'T JUST TELL THE MYTHS.
THEY PUT THEM TO THE TEST.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
DUCK, COVER, AND GET READY TO SLEEP ON THE SOFA,
BECAUSE WAR WILL BE WAGED.
[ BELL DINGS ]
[ GRUNTS ]
THE LAST TIME THE TEAM BATTLED
FOR SUPREMACY OF THE SEXES...
[ Singing ] GO LADIES! GO LADIES!
Narrator: ...THEY DEBUNKED FIVE FRACTIOUS FABLES --
DRIVING, GRILLING,
PACKING THE CAR,
NAVIGATING, AND EMOTIONAL CUES.
IS "FLIRTY" AN EMOTION?
IS "BLUSHING" AN EMOTION?
AND WITH TWO WINS APIECE AND ONE MYTH TIED,
THE MYTHBUSTERS ARE ONCE AGAIN DECLARING A WAR ON ERROR.
Adam: I CAN TELL FROM THE WAY THEY'RE DRIVING
THAT IT'S PROBABLY A WOMAN.
FIRST UP -- A PITCHED BATTLE OF THE SEXES.
HMM. WELL, YOU PROBABLY HEARD IT.
I DEFINITELY HEARD IT WHEN I WAS A KID.
IT IS THE CLASSIC SCHOOLYARD TAUNT,
"YOU THROW LIKE A GIRL!"
I NEVER HEARD IT.
WELL, THAT'S 'CAUSE YOU NEVER TOOK GYM.
I TOOK ART CLASS.
SMART.
AT ANY RATE, IT'S AN INSULT
AND A TERRIBLE THING TO SAY TO SOMEONE,
BUT IT DOES RAISE A GENUINE QUESTION,
AND ONE WE THINK IS WORTH ANSWERING
HERE ON "MYTHBUSTERS."
AND THIS IS THE QUESTION --
IS THERE A MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE WAY A MAN THROWS A BALL
AND A WOMAN THROWS A BALL?
EXACTLY.
I GOT IT!
Narrator: IT'S AN AGE-OLD PLAYGROUND PUT DOWN.
WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYING WITH BALLS --
SPECIFICALLY, TOSSING THEM AROUND --
GIRLS ARE PURPORTEDLY THE PARAGONS OF POOR PITCHING.
TO FIND OUT,
ADAM AND JAMIE ARE INSTIGATING AN INTRASPECIES THROW DOWN.
WE'RE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING ON THIS EPISODE
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE PATH
WE WOULD NORMALLY TAKE.
NORMALLY, WE'D JUST GET 10 MEN, 10 WOMEN,
TAKE THEM OUT ON A BASEBALL DIAMOND,
AND START THEM THROWING -- SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT WE'VE DONE A TON OF RESEARCH INTO THIS STORY,
AND IF IT'S TRUE THAT MEN AND WOMEN THROW DIFFERENTLY,
THERE ARE A MILLION DIFFERENT THEORIES
AND QUESTIONS AROUND THE "WHY."
IS IT CULTURAL? IS IT INNATE?
IS IT GENETIC?
DOES IT SHOW UP AT A CERTAIN AGE?
LET THE THROWING BEGIN.
[ CRASH ]
SORRY.
IT'S A MULTI-FACETED QUESTION.
WHAT IS A GOOD THROW? HOW DO YOU MEASURE IT?
AND WHO DOES IT BETTER?
TO ZONE IN ON THE SCIENCE,
ADAM AND JAMIE HAVE HIT THE GYM
AND SET UP A STATE-OF-THE-SMART LOB LAB.
Adam: SO, HOW DO YOU QUALITATIVELY MEASURE
SOMEONE'S THROWING ABILITY?
IN THE JUNGLE, WHEN YOU WANT TO KILL SOMETHING
IN ORDER TO EAT IT,
YOU'VE GOT TO BE BOTH FAST AND ACCURATE.
SO SPEED AND ACCURACY ARE OUR TWO METRICS.
BUT WHEN WE'VE RESEARCHED OTHER TESTS SIMILAR TO THIS,
IT'S BEEN SAID THAT WHEN YOU STRESS ACCURACY,
PEOPLE SLOW DOWN THEIR PITCH IN ORDER TO HIT THE TARGET.
WE DON'T WANT THAT.
WE WANT THEM [GRUNTS] THROWING AS HARD AS THEY CAN.
SO WHAT WE'RE TELLING THEM IS,
"THROW AS HARD AS YOU CAN AT THE YELLOW BOX."
Narrator: WITH ACCURACY BEST DESCRIBED AS A LOTTERY IN MOTION...
I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU AND I ARE VERY GOOD AT THROWING.
NO, WE'RE NOT.
...AND A LESS-THAN-IMPRESSIVE SLOW BALL,
ADAM AND JAMIE CLEARLY NEED HELP
UNDERSTANDING THE ART OF THROWING.
CUE MAJOR-LEAGUE PITCHER GREG REYNOLDS.
Adam: IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND THE REST OF THIS EPISODE
ASSESSING PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO THROW,
WE NEED A TOP-LEVEL CONTROL TO COMPARE THEM AGAINST.
THAT'S WHERE THE GUY BEHIND ME COMES IN,
AND HE'S GONNA SHOW US HOW IT'S REALLY DONE.
YEAH, LIKE THAT.
Narrator: WITH HIS 90-MILE-AN-HOUR FAST BALL,
GREG NAILS THE CENTER OF THE TARGET EVERY TIME.
AND WHEN IT'S SLOWED DOWN AND ANALYZED,
IT'S CLEAR THAT THE PERFECT PITCH
IS A COMPLICATED BIOPHYSICAL BALLET.
IT'S ALL ABOUT TIMING
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PITCHING,
AND SO, FROM YOUR FEET
ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF YOUR FINGERTIPS,
YOU WANT TO START THAT CHAIN REACTION
AND KEEP THEM ALL ON TIME.
WOW. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A DANCE.
YEAH.
SO, THIS IS THE PERFECT PITCHING TECHNIQUE,
AND IT REQUIRES YEARS OF PRACTICE
AND AN ELITE PHYSICAL ABILITY
TO COMBINE 90-MILES-PER-HOUR SPEED AND PINPOINT ACCURACY.
BUT DO MEN NATURALLY DO IT BETTER?
TO FIND OUT, IT'S TIME TO GET IT ON.
AND SO, NOW WE PIT THE MEN AGAINST THE WOMEN,
BUT NOT IN THE WAY WE NORMALLY WOULD
WHERE WE JUST GATHER A BUNCH
OF RANDOM 20-SOMETHING VOLUNTEERS
OUT OF THE LOCAL PAPER.
THIS TIME, WE ARE PITTING GROUPS OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT AGES
AGAINST EACH OTHER.
THIS WAY, WE CAN COMPARE AND SEE
IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE NOT ONLY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN,
BUT WHETHER THAT EXISTS ACROSS EVERY AGE
OR WHETHER IT HAPPENS
AT CERTAIN STAGES DEVELOPMENTALLY.
Narrator: SO, ADAM AND JAMIE HAVE SELECTED FOUR PAIRS
OF AVERAGE JOES AND JOSEPHINES...
HI, ZOE.
...TO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN A PITCH BATTLE.
WE'LL BE GAUGING THE THROWING ABILITY OF OUR TEST SUBJECTS
ACCORDING TO TWO PRIMARY METRICS.
MINE WILL BE SPEED.
I'LL BE BEHIND THE NET HERE WITH MY SAVAGE RADAR GUN,
LOGGING HOW FAST THEY THROW.
[ ZIP! ]
AND I'LL BE BACK HERE
JUDGING THE ACCURACY OF THE THROW
ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5.
[ ZIP! ]
NOW, WE WON'T BE JUDGING ANYONE ON A SINGLE THROW.
ALL WE WANT YOU TO DO IS TAKE THAT BALL
AND THROW IT RIGHT AT THE YELLOW SQUARE
AS HARD AS YOU CAN.
OKAY.
Adam: NO. WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA LET THEM WARM UP,
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE AVERAGING THEIR ACCURACY
AND CHOOSING THEIR BEST SPEED
FROM THE MULTIPLE THROWS THAT THEY'LL DO.
Narrator: WITH OUR FIRST PINT-SIZED PITCHER WARMED UP
AND RARING TO GO...
OKAY, HOLD ON THERE. SLOW DOWN THERE, COWBOY.
...JAMIE BEGINS OFFICIALLY SCORING
AND AVERAGING ZOE'S ACCURACY ACROSS FIVE THROWS.
A BULLS EYE SCORES 5, THE INNER SQUARE, 4,
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ZERO FOR A COMPLETE MISS,
WHICH ZOE IS NOT DOING.
EXCELLENT.
MEANWHILE, ADAM MONITORS FOR ZOE'S SINGLE FASTEST THROW.
[ SIGHS ] SHE'S GOOD.
WITH THE GIRLS' FIRST IMPRESSIVE SCORE ON THE BOARD,
THOMAS STEPS UP, WINDS UP,
AND GIVES IT HIS BEST SHOT FOR TEAM MEN.
EXCELLENT. THAT'S THE SPIRIT.
BUT WHEN HE'S DONE AND THE NUMBERS ARE IN,
ADAM, FOR ONE, IS SURPRISED.
Adam: I LOVE THIS KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE RESULT.
WE'RE TESTING "THROWS LIKE A GIRL,"
AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SOME KIND OF INSULT --
THAT GIRLS CAN'T THROW AS GOOD AS BOYS.
BUT OUR VERY FIRST TEST SUBJECTS,
WHILE THE BOY THREW A LITTLE BIT FASTER
THAN OUR GIRL,
SHE SMOKED HIM IN TERMS OF ACCURACY.
HE WAS ALL OVER THE MAP.
SHE WAS GOING RIGHT FOR THE CENTER.
IT WAS GREAT.
Narrator: UP NEXT ARE THE 12-YEAR-OLDS,
AND KARA CONTINUES THE IMPRESSIVE START
BY THE LADY LOBBERS.
HER TOP SPEED OF 31 MILES PER HOUR...
SHE THROWS A HEATER.
...AND AN ACCURACY AVERAGE OF 3.75
LAYS DOWN A MEAN MARKER.
NICE.
BUT WHEN AARON STEPS UP
AND FLINGS A FEW FEARSOME FAST BALLS...
WOW.
...IT'S APPARENT THAT A TREND IS EMERGING --
ONE THAT CONTINUES WITH THE REMAINING TWO PAIRS
OF AGE-MATCHED PITCHERS.
THE GUYS ARE THROWING FASTER,
BUT THE GIRLS ARE HITTING THE TARGET MORE ACCURATELY.
BUT ONLY THE FINAL TALLY WILL TELL THE FULL TALE.
THE RESULTS ARE IN, AND THEY'RE REALLY PRETTY INTERESTING.
THE FEMALES, AS IT HAPPENS,
ARE MORE ACCURATE THAN THE MALES BY 17%.
Adam: BUT IN THE SPEED DEPARTMENT,
THE BOYS WERE ABLE TO THROW 15% FASTER THAN THE GIRLS.
I KNOW. IT'S LIKE THESE TWO NUMBERS CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.
BUT WATCHING THEM, IT STRIKES ME
THAT THERE MAY BE MORE THAN SPEED AND ACCURACY
TO HOW PEOPLE THROW.
TO THAT END, BACK WHEN JAMIE AND I WORKED IN SPECIAL EFFECTS...
WE FREQUENTLY UTILIZED A TECHNOLOGY
THAT WE THINK MIGHT GIVE US THE BEST VIEW YET...
OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE WAY MEN THROW AND THE WAY WOMEN THROW.
YOU READY TO GET OUT OF HERE?
ALL RIGHT.
Narrator: NEXT UP, THE CONFLICT CONTINUES WITH AN AGE-OLD ARGUMENT.
ALL RIGHT. FIRST UP FOR US IS A CLASSIC.
WOMEN ARE BETTER MULTITASKERS THAN MEN.
OH. YOU MEAN, LIKE,
JUGGLING MANY DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AT ONCE?
EXACTLY.
Narrator: WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMING SEVERAL TASKS AT ONCE,
THE FAIRER SEX SUPPOSEDLY HAS MORE FLAIR,
BUT IS IT SCIENTIFIC FACT OR URBAN FOLKLORE?
ALL RIGHT. THIS SHOULD BE COOL.
LET'S BUILD THE ULTIMATE MULTITASKING TEST.
WE'LL GET 20 VOLUNTEERS -- 10 MEN, 10 WOMEN --
AND WE'LL HAVE THEM BOTH JUGGLE ALL SORTS
OF ACTIVITIES AT ONCE.
MAYBE WE COULD DO SOMETHING
LIKE GETTING READY FOR WORK --
MAKING THE BED, GETTING DRESSED,
MAKING LUNCH, WATCHING THE KID,
AND GETTING OUT THE DOOR IN TIME TO GET TO WORK.
IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
Narrator: WELCOME TO THE MULTITASK ASSAULT COURSE --
A SET OF SIMULTANEOUS TASKS
THAT WILL TEST THE VOLUNTEERS' CHORE-JUGGLING SKILLS
TO THE LIMIT.
SO, WE'VE SET UP A SCENARIO OF GETTING READY
AND GETTING OUT THE DOOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF BED, MAKE THE BED.
THEN YOU GONNA GRAB YOUR CLOTHES.
YOU'RE GONNA IRON THEM,
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET DRESSED.
YOU'RE GONNA WEAR YOUR SHIRT, YOUR PANTS, AND YOUR SHOES.
THEN IT'S TIME TO MAKE BREAKFAST AND GET LUNCH TO GO.
YOU'VE GOT TO TOAST YOUR TOAST, PUT BUTTER ON IT,
MAKE YOURSELF A CUP OF TEA,
ALL THE WHILE WHILE MAKING YOURSELF A SANDWICH
THAT INCLUDES LETTUCE, TOMATO, HAM, CHEESE,
MUSTARD, AND MAYONNAISE,
PUT IT IN A BAG, GET IT READY TO GO.
[ CELLPHONE RINGS ]
AND WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT,
YOU GOT TO ANSWER THE PHONE,
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE FOR YOU,
AND MAKE SURE BABY BUSTER DOESN'T MAKE IT OUT THE DOOR,
ALL BEFORE THE TIMER RUNS OUT.
Narrator: WITH THE ROOM READY TO ROLL,
THE SUBJECTS ARE INTRODUCED TO THE FORMAT
AND THOROUGHLY BRIEFED.
HELLO, EVERYONE,
AND WELCOME TO THE "MYTHBUSTERS" MORNING CHALLENGE.
BUT CRUCIALLY, THEY'RE KEPT IN THE DARK
ABOUT THE AIM OF THE TEST.
THEY'RE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CHORES
THEY HAVE TO PERFORM AND NOTHING MORE.
HOWEVER, KARI'S IN THE KNOW.
ALL RIGHT, FOR THIS EXPERIMENT, WE HAVE 20 TEST SUBJECTS.
WE HAVE 10 MEN AND 10 WOMEN.
NOW, THEY HAVE TO COMPLETE ALL OF THEIR TASKS
IN A SET AMOUNT OF TIME,
BUT THEY CAN'T DO ALL OF THESE TESTS
ONE AT A TIME.
SOME OF THEM HAVE TO BE DONE SIMULTANEOUSLY,
LIKE YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TOAST TO TOAST,
YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE IRON TO HEAT UP.
THIS SHOULD NOT BE A VERY EASY TASK TO DO.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE TORY.
TO SCORE THE TRICKY TORY-PROOF TEST,
EACH *** STARTS WITH 100
AND IS PENALIZED 10 POINTS
FOR EVERY MULTITASKING INFRACTION.
AND FIRST UP AND OUT OF BED IS LINDA.
Tory: GO.
THERE'S ONLY FIVE MINUTES ON THE CLOCK,
SO MANAGING THE MYRIAD OF TASKS SIMULTANEOUSLY
IS THE ONLY ROUTE TO SUCCESS.
AND BY IMMEDIATELY TURNING ON ALL THE APPLIANCES,
SHE'S OFF TO A GREAT START.
Grant: OH. IT LOOKS LIKE THE BABY'S AWAKE.
Linda: COME HERE, BABY BUSTER. YOU'RE COMING WITH ME.
Narrator: BUT IT'S ABOUT TO GET A LOT TOUGHER.
WHILE ENSURING BABY BUSTER
NEVER LEAVES THE MARKED SAFETY ZONE UNATTENDED,
A SANDWICH LUNCH HAS TO BE MADE,
TOAST AND TEA ATTENDED TO,
AND THEN THERE'S THE FIRST OF THREE CALLS FROM KARI.
HELLO?
10 TIMES 4, DIVIDED BY 2?
Grant: WELL DONE.
THEY'RE NOT DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO DO
WHEN YOU'RE DOING, LIKE, THREE THINGS AT ONCE.
Narrator: YEP. IT'S AN ALL-OUT MENTAL WORKOUT.
Grant: THE THING THAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS TEST
IS IT STIMULATES SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAIN
USING ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
YOU'VE GOT MOTOR SKILLS.
YOU'VE GOT VERBAL SKILLS,
COMMUNICATION, DOING MATH PROBLEMS --
ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAIN.
Narrator: AND AS THE MYTH WOULD SUGGEST,
OUR FIRST LADY, LINDA, IS COPING SPECTACULARLY WELL.
IRONING WHILE TENDING THE BABY AND TACKLING THE TRIVIA
IS JUST ONE OF HER MANY MULTITASKING SUCCESSES.
HELLO?
YOU HAVE RED PAINT. YOU MIX YELLOW AND BLUE PAINT.
WHAT COLOR IS THE PAINT YOU ORIGINALLY HAD?
PERFECT.
AND WITH TIME IN HAND, LINDA CALMLY COMPLETES THE COURSE...
OKAY. COME ON, BABY BUSTER.
TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL.
...GIVING THE GIRLS A GREAT START.
THANK YOU.
YOU HAVE A PERFECT SCORE OF 100 POINTS
WITH THREE SECONDS TO SPARE.
BUT THAT SINGLE DATA POINT ONLY TELLS LINDA'S STORY.
[ BELL DINGS ]
TO COMPARE WOMEN AGAINST MEN...
Tory: START.
...AN AVERAGE ACROSS A LARGER SAMPLE IS NEEDED.
Grant: ALL RIGHT. THAT'S A QUICK START.
MADE THE BED RIGHT AWAY.
Narrator: AND AS THE NINE REMAINING FEMALE VOLUNTEERS
COPE WITH THE CONFUSION OF THE CONCURRENT CHORES...
ONE THING IS CLEAR TO TORY.
I'M STARTING TO THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO THIS MYTH.
SHE GOT HIM. UNBELIEVABLE.
SHE MAKES THE SAVE!
IT WAS SO INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THESE WOMEN TACKLED THE TEST.
YEAH, THERE WERE VARIATIONS IN THEIR ABILITIES
AND HOW MANY MISTAKES THEY MADE...
HELLO?
Kari: WHAT IS 9 TIMES 3, PLUS 3?
I DON'T KNOW.
BUT OVERWHELMINGLY,
THE WOMEN WERE ABLE TO FOCUS WHILE MULTITASKING.
I'M IMPRESSED.
Narrator: YEP. WITH ALL THE WOMEN SUCCESSFULLY DRESSED,
THE TEAM IS DULY IMPRESSED...
All: YEAH!
[ LAUGHS ]
Narrator: ...WHICH JUST LEAVES ALL 10 OF THE SCORES
TO BE TALLIED AND TOTALED INTO AN IMPOSING AVERAGE OF 72.
I THINK A SCORE OF 72 IS GONNA BE PRETTY TOUGH TO BEAT.
I MEAN, I SAW A BUNCH OF COMPETENT WOMEN
DOING WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY,
HANDLE A TON OF STUFF ALL AT ONCE,
AND DO IT WITH STYLE.
I THINK WE MIGHT BE KICKING
SOME STUBBORN, DOGMATIC, LINEAR-THINKING MALE BUTT
COMING UP HERE.
I'M NOT BIASED OR ANYTHING.
Narrator: COMING UP ON "MYTHBUSTERS"...
THIS IS THE COOLEST TECHNOLOGY EVER.
ADAM AND JAMIE SHINE SOME INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC
ON THE MYTH OF THE MAN THROW.
Narrator: IF MEN ARE FROM MARS
AND WOMEN FROM VENUS,
THIS EPISODE OF "MYTHBUSTERS"
IS THE WAR OF THE WORLDS,
WHERE ADAM AND JAMIE ARE TESTING THE CONTENTIOUS TAUNT,
"YOU THROW LIKE A GIRL."
AND SO FAR, THE MYTH IS LOOKING LIKE A MISOGYNIST MISNOMER...
EXCELLENT.
...BECAUSE THE GIRLS MAY HAVE LESS POWER,
BUT THEY'RE MORE ACCURATE.
BUT THE MYTHBUSTERS AREN'T DONE
WITH THIS COMPLICATED CONTROVERSY JUST YET.
THEY'RE LOB LABORATORY JUST GOT A DOUBLE-BARREL BLAST
OF MOTION-PICTURE SCIENCE.
Jamie: WE'RE HERE AT INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC --
THE PREEMINENT VISUAL-EFFECTS COMPANY IN THE WORLD.
NOW, OVER THE LAST 37 YEARS,
THEY'VE HAD THEIR HAND IN AROUND 300 FILMS.
NOW, ADAM AND I USED TO WORK HERE, AND WE'VE PULLED A FAVOR.
WE'VE ASKED FOR ACCESS
TO SOME VERY SPECIAL VISUAL-EFFECTS TECHNOLOGY.
Narrator: SPECIAL, INDEED.
IT'S STATE-OF-THE-ART MOTION-PICTURE TECHNOLOGY,
AND THE GUYS WILL USE IT
TO ILLUSTRATE THE MOTION OF PITCHING.
Adam: THIS IS THE INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC MOTION-CAPTURE STAGE.
WHAT IS MOTION CAPTURE, YOU ASK?
WELL, IT IS A TECHNOLOGY
THAT ALLOWS THE DIGITAL ARTISTS HERE AT ILM
TO TAKE A HUMAN'S PERFORMANCE AND RENDER IT DIGITALLY.
ALL I NEED TO DO IS WEAR A CRAZY SUIT...
WOW.
OOH! I'M IRON MAN. [ IMITATES A ROCKET ]
[ GRUNTING ]
...AND THE DOTS ALL OVER THIS SUIT
ARE BEING PICKED UP BY CAMERAS AROUND THIS ROOM
AND TURNING ME INTO A 3-D RENDERED STICK FRAME
RIGHT THERE.
LOOK AT THAT. WHOO, TECHNOLOGY!
I AM MADE OF FULL STICK FRAME.
I LOVE THIS PLACE.
Narrator: A PLACE UNIQUELY GEARED FOR THE NEXT EXPERIMENT --
A VISUAL AND ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS OF MOTION.
[ CHUCKLES ]
LET'S GO.
EACH OF THE THROWERS WILL BE RENDERED
INTO 3-D DIGITAL SKELETONS
FOR AN ACCURATE COMPARISON.
Jamie: WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PUTTING THESE LITTLE REFLECTIVE MARKERS
ALL OVER ZOE,
AND IT GIVES US A VERY CLEAR, GEOMETRICAL UNDERSTANDING
OF THE MOVEMENT OF HER JOINTS,
WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE
TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE HOW SHE'S THROWING.
PERFECT. HIGH FIVE.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
Narrator: ONCE ADAM, JAMIE, AND THE ILM TEAM
CAPTURE THE ACTION FROM THE TWO YOUNGEST PITCHERS,
IT'S THE TURN OF THE 24-YEAR-OLDS.
AND WHEN THEY'RE ALL TRANSFORMED INTO 3-D DIGITAL SKELETONS...
THIS IS THE COOLEST TECHNOLOGY EVER.
...THE COMPARISONS CAN BEGIN, STARTING WITH THE 7-YEAR-OLDS.
Adam: WE'VE ANALYZED THE DATA WE GOT FROM THE MOTION CAPTURE
OF THE 7-YEAR-OLDS,
AND THERE'S ALREADY, EVEN AT THAT AGE,
A PRETTY CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY THROW.
THE BOY IS GOING MORE HORIZONTAL WITH HIS BODY,
WHILE THE GIRL IS STAYING MOSTLY UPRIGHT.
THIS DIFFERENCE IS MUCH MORE CLEARLY EXEMPLIFIED
IN THE 24-YEAR-OLDS.
Narrator: YEP, AND A COMPARISON OF THE ADULTS IN ACTION
SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE IS DOWN TO ROTATION.
THE GIRLS BEND FORWARD AT THE HIPS,
WHEREAS THE GUYS TWIST AGGRESSIVELY
THROUGH THE HIPS AND SHOULDERS.
MECHANICALLY SPEAKING,
IT'S A METHOD THAT DELIVERS MUCH MORE MOMENTUM.
BUT WHERE DOES THE DIFFERENCE COME FROM?
NOW, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THEORIES
AS TO WHY MEN WOULD MOVE DIFFERENTLY THAN THE FEMALE.
ONE IS THAT THEY'RE JUST BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL.
THE OTHER ONE IS THAT FEMALES EVOLVED TO CARRY CHILDREN,
AND SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA MOVE QUITE AS AGGRESSIVELY.
BUT IN ANY CASE, THESE ARE TWO PEOPLE
THAT ARE NOT TRAINED AS BALL PLAYERS,
AND THERE'S A VERY DISTINCT DIFFERENCE
ON HOW THEY'RE MOVING.
Narrator: THAT'S THE CRUCIAL POINT.
OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE HAD NO EXPLICIT TRAINING,
AND YET, WHEN SEEN IN DIGITAL DETAIL,
THE GUYS' TECHNIQUE MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLES
THAT OF OUR PROFESSIONAL PITCHER.
THE QUESTION IS, DO BOYS SIMPLY PICK IT UP
BY BEING EXPOSED TO MORE BALL SPORTS?
ADAM AND JAMIE HAVE ONE MORE TEST TO FIND OUT.
WE GOT TO GO.
THEY'RE SHUTTING THIS BUILDING DOWN.
REALLY?
TOLD YOU.
WOW.
[ CHEERING ]
Narrator: WOMEN, SUPPOSEDLY THE MASTER MULTITASKERS,
HAVE FIRED A FORMIDABLE FIRST SHOT.
All: YEAH!
SO, WE'VE TESTED 10 WOMEN, AND THEY'VE DONE REALLY WELL.
THEY'RE AVERAGE IS 72 POINTS.
WELCOME.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE MEN
TO DO THE SAME CHALLENGE AND SEE HOW WELL THEY DO.
FIGHT.
Narrator: AND FIRST TO FIGHT LIKE A MAN IS MALCOM.
BUT FROM THE GET UP AND GO,
IT'S CLEAR HIS APPROACH IS DISTINCTLY LINEAR.
HE'S WASTING A LOT OF TIME
GOING FROM THE COUNTER TO THE FLOOR.
YEP. HE'S NOT SO MUCH MULTITASKING
AS TACKLING EACH TASK SEQUENTIALLY.
Malcom: HELLO?
Kari: THERE ARE SEVEN COLORS IN THE RAINBOW.
WHAT IS 2 PLUS 2?
4.
IN A TEST DESIGNED TO REWARD MULTITASKING,
STOPPING AND TAKING A PHONE CALL COST PRECIOUS SECONDS,
AS DOES A STOP-AND-START BABYSITTING TECHNIQUE.
DOWN YOU GO.
ALL OF WHICH MEANS HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME
TO FINISH MAKING HIS SANDWICH...
OOPS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
...HIS BREAKFAST, OR GET DRESSED PROPERLY...
All: TWO...ONE...
[ ALL GROAN ]
Narrator: ...A COMBINATION OF MULTIPLE INFRACTIONS
THAT LEAVES HIM WITH A SCORE OF JUST 50 POINTS --
AN OMINOUS SIGN FOR THE MEN.
THEY HAVE TO UP THEIR GAME TO GET IN THE GAME.
[ KARI CHUCKLES ]
Tory: THAT'S THE FARTHEST HE'S GOTTEN.
BUT AS THE CLOCK AND CAMERAS ROLL
FOR THE NINE REMAINING CONTESTANTS,
IT'S CLEAR THE GUYS ARE OUT OF THEIR DEPTH.
[ CELLPHONE RINGS ]
I'M SORRY?
A FEW PERFORM AS WELL AS THE GIRLS,
JUGGLING OBSTACLES LIKE THE PHONE AND BUSTER.
HELLO?
IF "A" SQUARED PLUS "B" SQUARED
EQUALS "C" SQUARED,
HOW DO YOU SPELL "GREEN"?
G-R-E-E-N.
PERFECT. YES! THAT WAS FANTASTIC.
SHOES, PHONE, SAVES THE BABY.
BUT MOST ARE "ONE THING AT A TIME" KIND OF GUYS.
HELLO?
UH...
JOBS THAT CAN BE TACKLED SIMULTANEOUSLY
BECOME A SERIES OF TIME-CONSUMING INTERRUPTIONS.
WHAT IS 2 PLUS 2, TIMES 3?
[ SIGHS ]
AND WITH POINTS DEDUCTED FOR INCOMPLETE TASKS
AND FOR EACH TIME BUSTER ESCAPES HIS SAFE ZONE...
Tory: OH. THAT'S AN INFRACTION.
NO, I DON'T. [ LAUGHS ]
THANK GOD.
...THE POOR SCORES ARE RACKING UP.
AND WITH BUSTER PACKED OFF FOR SCHOOL ONE LAST TIME,
TORY IS READY AND WAITING WITH THE CRUNCH NUMBERS.
[ DRUMROLL ]
SO, THE RESULTS ARE IN.
THE WOMEN CAME AWAY WITH AN AVERAGE OF 72 POINTS,
WHILE THE MEN CAME AWAY WITH AN AVERAGE OF 64 POINTS,
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS MYTH IS CONFIRMED.
OOH. SO WOMEN CAN MULTITASK BETTER THAN MEN.
TOTALLY CONFIRMED.
ALL RIGHT. CONFIRMED.
Narrator: THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE.
THE AVERAGE ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE GIRLS' MULTITASKING MASTERY,
MEANING THIS MYTH, JUST LIKE BABY BUSTER,
HAS BEEN PUT TO BED.
NEXT ON "MYTHBUSTERS"...
I'M SO LOST.
Narrator: ...MEN -- ARE THEY REALLY INCAPABLE
OF ASKING FOR HELP?
[BLEEP]
Narrator: BEFORE ADAM AND JAMIE WRAP UP THEIR HIGH-TECH TOSSING TALE...
THIS IS THE COOLEST TECHNOLOGY EVER.
...THEY'RE GOING TO TACKLE A MARITAL SKIRMISH
THAT NEVER FAILS TO ESCALATE.
WHEN THE MAN OF THE CAR IS LOST AND NOT FOUND,
SUBURBAN FOLKLORE WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE
THAT THERE'S ONE THING HIS PRIDE WILL PREVENT HIM FROM DOING.
[ TIRES SCREECH ]
JAMIE'S LOST, AND HE'S ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS.
THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK
A MAN WOULD DO IN THIS SITUATION.
IN FACT, THERE'S A PREVALENT MYTH
THAT MEN BULLHEADEDLY REFUSE TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS
WHEN THEY GET LOST.
IT'S A MYTH THAT WE ARE GOING TO PUT TO THE TEST
RIGHT IN THIS EPISODE.
THINK YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE?
EXCELLENT.
HERE WE GO.
AND AFTER A QUICK CHANGE
INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE,
THE PLAN TO TEST THIS CONTENTIOUS CLICHé
IS SIMPLE AND SNEAKY.
A BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS,
STRIPPED OF GPS TECHNOLOGY OR MAPS,
WILL BE MISDIRECTED AND LOST,
AND ADAM AND JAMIE WILL MONITOR THEM
TO SEE WHO STOPS FOR HELP.
THE VOLUNTEERS WON'T KNOW THIS,
BUT THE TEST ACTUALLY STARTS RIGHT HERE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO
IS FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS TO GET THERE.
NOW, THE FIRST SET OF INSTRUCTIONS
THEY'LL BE GETTING IS CORRECT.
Adam: BUT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THIS INTERSECTION,
WE'VE GIVEN THEM A LEFT TURN THAT TOTALLY DOESN'T EXIST.
THIS IS GROUND ZERO, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GET LOST,
AND WE HAVE SEEDED THE ENTIRE AREA
[Yelling] WITH VOLUNTEERS.
IF THEY ASK FOR DIRECTIONS,
THESE GUYS ARE GONNA GIVE THEM TO THEM.
Narrator: SO, THE DRIVING DRAFTEES WILL BE ASKED TO FIND THEIR WAY
FROM HERE TO HERE
USING A SERIES OF WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS.
BUT ONE DELIBERATELY FALSE DIRECTIVE --
A NONEXISTENT ALMOND STREET --
WILL ENSURE THAT BY THE TIME THEY HIT THIS INTERSECTION,
THEY'LL BE LOST, AND THAT'S WHERE THE FUN BEGINS.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY START DRIVING,
I'LL BE HIDING IN THIS BLIND CORNER
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
SO I CAN FOLLOW THEM AT A REASONABLE DISTANCE
AND SEE EXACTLY WHEN THEY ASK FOR DIRECTIONS
IF THEY ASK FOR DIRECTIONS.
Narrator: TO FIND OUT, OUR FIRST LADY IS GIVEN HER INSTRUCTIONS.
Adam: AND AWAY WE GO.
AS SHE PULLS AWAY,
ADAM, A DISCREET DISTANCE BEHIND,
DROPS INTO POSITION ON HER TAIL.
Jamie: THE SETUP MIGHT SEEM ELABORATE,
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE DRIVERS DON'T KNOW
THEY'RE BEING TESTED.
WE DON'T WANT TO AFFECT THEIR BEHAVIOR IN ANY WAY.
I'M CHASING OUR VOLUNTEER.
Jamie: ONCE THEY REACH THE NONEXISTENT ALMOND STREET,
WE WANT TO SEE HOW LONG IT WOULD NATURALLY TAKE FOR THEM
TO PULL OVER AND ASK FOR HELP.
Narrator: AND HERE WE GO.
LEFT ON ALMOND.
Narrator: DESPITE DUTIFULLY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS,
OUR WILLING VOLUNTEER IS NOW OFFICIALLY LOST.
ADAM: Subject has just passed the intersection.
SUBJECT HAS PASSED THE INTERSECTION.
WE'RE LIKE SECRET AGENTS.
EMERALD.
WHERE IS ALMOND?
WHAT'S...DARN IT. OKAY
Narrator: AND AFTER A QUICK U-TURN REVEALS SHE REALLY IS LOST
IN DEEPEST, DARKEST SUBURBIA...
UM...LET'S SEE IF IT'S THE OTHER DIRECTION.
Narrator: ...TEST SUBJECT NUMBER ONE DOES THE SENSIBLE THING --
SHE PULLS OVER AND ASKS FOR HELP.
[ CHUCKLES ]
Woman: EXCUSE ME.
HI. I'M SORRY.
CAN YOU HELP ME, PLEASE? I'M LOOKING FOR ALMOND.
Narrator: THAT'S ONE-ZIP TO THE GIRLS.
NOW HOW ABOUT THE GUYS?
ACCORDING TO THE MYTH, THEY DON'T GIVE UP SO EASILY.
Adam: CAT-AND-MOUSE WITH TEST SUBJECTS --
MY FAVORITE SPORT.
Narrator: ONCE AGAIN, THE DRIVER IS THROWN FOR A LOOP.
[ SIGHS DEEPLY ]
AND THE TEAM ON HIS TAIL WAITS TO SEE WHAT HE DOES.
[BLEEP]
Narrator: AND WHAT HE DOES IS GET STRESSED...
OH, MY GOD.
I DEFINITELY NEED TO TURN AROUND.
OH, [BLEEP]
Narrator: ...PERFORM SEVERAL U-TURNS...
Adam: HE'S GOING BACK TO HIS ORIGINAL ROUTE.
[ LAUGHS ]
OKAY, I STARTED OVER.
ON EDGEHILL.
Narrator: ...GETS STRESSED SOME MORE...
[ LAUGHS ] OH, GOD. THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
Narrator: ...AND STUBBORNLY, ADAMANTLY REFUSES TO ASK FOR HELP.
Adam: HE IS INTREPID. THAT'S FOR SURE.
AND HE IS FULFILLING EVERY STEREOTYPE ABOUT A MAN DRIVING.
GOT TO BE -- OH [BLEEP] DID I GET LOST AGAIN?
[ SIGHS ]
HUH.
Adam: [ LAUGHS ]
IT'S NOW BEEN, LIKE, 13, 14 MINUTES.
OKAY, TURNING AROUND.
I AM -- JUST RAN AWAY WITH THE "MYTHBUSTERS" CAR.
AWESOME.
Jamie: THAT WAS A PERFECT EMBODIMENT
OF WHAT THIS STEREOTYPE IS ALL ABOUT.
AGAINST ALL REASON,
THE FIRST GUY KEPT DRIVING AROUND,
TRYING TO FIND A ROAD THAT DIDN'T EXIST,
AND DIDN'T WANT TO STOP AND ASK FOR HELP.
AFTER 20 MINUTES OF THAT,
WE PUT HIM OUT OF HIS MISERY AND CALLED THE TEST.
GOOD.
SO, HOW COME YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR DIRECTIONS?
WELL, THEY SAID FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS TO FIND YOU
TO GET THE TEST, SO I WAS LIKE,
"OH, I GOT TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST GET THE TEST SITES."
LOOK, I HAVE TO ADMIT.
I CAME TO THIS STORY WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BIAS.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S PROBABLY TRUE.
OH, MY GOD. I AM SO LOST.
SO I AM NOT SURPRISED BY THESE INITIAL RESULTS.
BUT THESE ARE NOT THE FINAL RESULTS.
THIS IS JUST ONE GUY AND ONE GIRL.
WE'RE GONNA BUILD OUR CONCLUSION ON TESTING A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
I COULD BE WRONG.
Narrator: COMING UP ON "MYTHBUSTERS"...
Kari: OH!
...IT'S PARKAGEDDON.
THAT DIDN'T SOUND GOOD.
WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE COULD BE DANGEROUS.
WE'RE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS,
SO PLEASE, LEAVE THE MYTHBUSTING TO US.
[ SNIFFS ] I THINK IT'S YOUR TURN TO CHANGE HIM.
[ BELL DINGS ]
[ AUDIENCE CHEERS ]
Narrator: UP NEXT, A DECLARATION OF WAR
THAT WILL SURELY END
IN FENDER BENDERS FOR BOTH GENDERS.
WHAT'S WITH THE GLOVES?
I HEAR WE'RE DOING A BATTLE OF THE SEXES STORY.
WE ARE, HOWEVER, BAD NEWS IS IT INVOLVES YOU PARKING CARS.
WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM?
BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW HOW YOU DRIVE. [ CHUCKLES ]
SO, THE MYTH IS THAT WOMEN ARE BETTER AT PARKING CARS THAN MEN.
[ SCOFFS ] IS THAT RIDICULOUS OR WHAT?
[ GRUNTS ]
AT LEAST WE'RE BETTER AT THE SUCKER PUNCH, HUH?
Narrator: IT'S A CONTROVERSIAL CLAIM
BASED ON AN EXTENSIVE SCIENTIFIC SURVEY.
IT STATES THAT WOMEN MAY TAKE SLIGHTLY LONGER TO PARK,
BUT THEIR CALM, METHODICAL APPROACH
IS MORE ACCURATE
AND THEY'RE MORE ADEPT AT MANEUVERING INTO THE SPACE.
THE TEAM CAN'T WAIT TO TACKLE IT, AND HERE'S HOW.
FOR THE PARALLEL PARKING CHALLENGE,
WE'RE BRINGING IN 20 VOLUNTEERS --
10 MEN AND 10 WOMEN,
AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO SCORE THEM
ON THEIR PARALLEL PARK.
CENTERING --
THE CENTER IN BETWEEN THE FRONT AND THE BACK VEHICLE.
THE CURB DISTANCE -- THEY MUST BE AT A LEGAL CURB DISTANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO DEDUCT
IF THEY SMASH INTO THE CAR [CHUCKLES] BEFORE OR AFTER THEM.
THEY WILL FAIL IF THEY ACTUALLY TAKE OFF A BUMPER
OR SCRAPE THE CAR.
AND HOW MANY TIMES THEY NEED TO CORRECT
TO GET INTO THE SPACE.
TORY AND I ARE BOTH GOING TO BE JUDGES
SO THAT THERE IS NO BIAS.
Narrator: WITH THE RULES REVEALED,
FIRST TO KICK OFF THE PARK-OFF IS FRANK.
I AM AN INCREDIBLE PARALLEL PARKER.
I CAN DO IT FAST. I CAN DO IT ON A DIME.
I LIVE IN THE BIG CITY.
I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING
WHEN IT COMES TO PARALLEL PARKING.
HE'S CONFIDENT, THAT'S FOR SURE.
HE BETTER BE A GOOD PARKER AFTER ALL THAT TALK.
DESPITE THE FACT THERE'S NO TIME LIMIT,
FRANK HEADS FOR THE SPACE LIKE IT'S A RACE.
Tory: WOW, HE IS IN A HURRY.
HE MUST HAVE TO USE THE RESTROOM.
HE'S DEFINITELY SOMEBODY FROM A CITY.
WHOA!
HE'S GOT A GOOD ANGLE,
BUT HIS SPEED AND OVERCONFIDENCE COSTS HIM.
OH!
THAT'S A 10-POINT DEDUCTION...
OKAY, WE GOT A BUMP...
OKAY.
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
...AND AN ALARM.
OH!
...AND THAT'S ANOTHER 10.
AND WITH AN ADDITIONAL FORWARD AND BACK CORRECTION,
THAT'S 10 MORE.
I BET YOU HE THINKS THAT'S AN AMAZING PARK JOB.
[ CHUCKLES ]
PERFECT.
Narrator: WELL, NOT REALLY.
IN ADDITION TO HIS 30-POINT DEDUCTIONS,
HIS CENTERING ISN'T PARTICULARLY CENTERED.
ALL RIGHT. FRONT IS NINE INCHES.
PERFECTLY SQUARE WOULD BE 20 INCHES.
SO, A FURTHER 11-POINT DEDUCTION LEAVES FRANK WITH A TOTAL OF 59.
SO FAR, NOT A GOOD START FOR THE MEN, I'M TELLING YOU.
Narrator: UP STEPS THE STARTING DRIVER FOR TEAM WOMEN, GWEN...
OKAY, GWEN.
HERE WE GO.
...AND SHE'S MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS THAN FRANK.
Kari: SHE'S DOING PRETTY GOOD.
MANEUVERING WITH CAREFUL PRECISION,
GWEN MAKES THE MOST OF THE ANGLE AND SPACE.
SHE ALMOST TOUCHED BUT DIDN'T TOUCH.
LOOK. SHE'S JUST READJUSTED.
THE IMPRESSIVE GWEN COMPLETES THE PARK
WITH A SINGLE 10-POINT CORRECTION PENALTY,
AND THE TALE OF THE TAPE...
Tory: 20 INCHES.
...TELLS US GWEN IS PERFECTLY CENTERED,
SCORING AN IMPRESSIVE 90 POINTS.
IT'S A TOUGH ACT FOR SCOTT TO FOLLOW...
HE'S DRIVING VERY CONFIDENTLY.
...AND HE CARRIES ON WHERE FRANK LEFT OFF.
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
OH, WE GOT A BUMP.
HE'S ALSO RACING TO GET INTO THE SPACE,
AND DOESN'T MIND USING THE CARS ON EITHER SIDE
TO NUDGE HIS WAY IN...
OH, GEEZ.
THAT'S NOT GOOD.
...AND WITH A POOR POSITIONING SCORE...
EIGHT INCHES. YOU IMPRESSED?
...HE POSTS A TOTAL THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO FRANK'S,
MEANING IN THIS BATTLE OF THE SEXES,
THE GUYS ALREADY HAVE THEIR BACKS TO THE WALL.
THE MEN SEEM TO BE GETTING IN THE SPACE
WITH LESS MANEUVERS,
BUT THEY'RE ALSO CRASHING INTO THE CARS AS THEY DO IT,
SO REALLY, WHO'S BETTER AT PARKING SO FAR?
IF I'M ONE OF THE CARS PARKED ON EITHER SIDE,
I'M GOING WITH THE WOMEN.
WELCOME BACK, PASSENGERS.
WE ARE TESTING THE MYTH THAT MEN ARE MORE RELUCTANT
TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS THAN WOMEN,
AND SO FAR, BASED ON OUR SAMPLE SIZE
OF ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN,
IT'S LOOKING PRETTY GOOD FOR THE MYTH...
I'M SO LOST.
Adam: ...BUT SAMPLE SIZE IS EVERYTHING IN SCIENCE.
THE MORE YOU HAVE, THE BETTER YOUR RESULTS,
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA LEAVE IT THERE.
WE'RE GONNA TEST A BUNCH MORE MEN
AND A BUNCH MORE WOMEN.
Narrator: YEP. WITH 12 MORE VOLUNTEERS TO BE LED ASTRAY AND LOST...
HMM.
Narrator: ...THE RESULT IS FAR FROM DECIDED.
SO JAMIE, THE PUPPET MASTER,
REPRISES HIS STRING-PULLING ROLE...
SO, HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS.
...AND ADAM CONTINUES
HIS COMICALLY INEPT SECRET SURVEILLANCE...
[ ADAM WHISTLES ] OH, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
[ CHUCKLES ] DID HE SEE YOU?
Narrator: ...BUT CRUCIALLY, AFTER OUR DRIVING DRAFTEES
HIT THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE...
[ MUMBLES ]
Narrator: ...EVERYONE, GALS AND GUYS ALIKE,
STOP TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS...
EXCUSE ME. DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALMOND IS?
EXCUSE ME.
EXCUSE ME.
IS THERE AN ALMOND STREET AROUND HERE?
Narrator: AND...
There she goes.
Narrator: ...IF OUR LAST FEMALE VOLUNTEER, TAMMY,
STOPS AND SEEKS HELP...
[ MUMBLES ]
Narrator: ...THE GIRLS WILL HAVE A CLEAN RECORD,
THE GUYS WON'T.
AH! I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING.
Narrator: BUT AS THE CLOCK TICKS ON AND TAMMY CIRCLES BACK AGAIN...
OH, YEAH.
Narrator: ...AND AGAIN...
AH, [BLEEP]
OKAY. [BLEEP]
Narrator: ...IT'S CLEAR THAT HER FRUSTRATION...
OH, MY GOD. NO.
Narrator: ...IS NOT GOING TO TURN INTO A PLEA FOR HELP,
BUT A PLEA FOR CANDY.
FUDGE!
Narrator: AND AT THE 20-MINUTE MARK,
THE TEAM TERMINATES TAMMY'S TRAUMA,
AND THE SCORE IS ALL TIED,
BUT JAMIE HAS A SOLUTION.
WITH ONE FAILURE APIECE, WE NEED A TIE BREAKER,
AND TIME MIGHT JUST DO IT.
IF THE MEN HAVE AN AVERSION TO ASKING FOR HELP,
THAT RELUCTANCE MIGHT JUST TRANSLATE
TO THEM TAKING MORE TIME BEFORE THEY STOP.
OVER TO ADAM FOR THE BREAKDOWN.
MEN DROVE FOR AN AVERAGE OF FOUR MINUTES AND 11 SECONDS
BEFORE ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS.
WOMEN DROVE FOR AN AVERAGE OF FIVE MINUTES AND 11 SECONDS
BEFORE ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS.
THAT'S RIGHT.
THE MEN ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS 20% SOONER THAN THE WOMEN.
ALL THAT LEADS US TO CALL THIS MYTH...
THANK YOU, MY SILENT FRIEND.
[ BELL DINGS ]
[ AUDIENCE CHEERS ]
Narrator: KARI AND TORY HAVE BEEN ASKING THE QUESTION,
"WHICH SEX PARKS IN THE PERFECT SPOT?"
AND SO FAR, IT'S LOOKING GOOD FOR THE GALS...
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
OH.
...WITH A COMMANDING LEAD ON THE SCOREBOARD.
BUT WITH JUSTINE BEHIND THE WHEEL...
NOPE. NO. NO.
THIS HAS ALL GONE WRONG. THAT'S A BUMP.
...ALL GOES CURB UP.
OH!
HMM, THAT'S REALLY CLOSE.
SHE BETTER LEAVE A NOTE.
[ CHUCKLES ]
Narrator: THINGS GET SO BAD,
TORY EVEN TRIES HIS HAND AT SOME ENCOURAGEMENT.
YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
YOU ALMOST HAVE IT.
REALLY?
THAT WAS REALLY NICE OF YOU.
YEAH.
OH, MAN.
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
[ Chuckling ] OH.
[ CHUCKLES ]
[ GROANS ]
WOW. THAT'S --
I'M SPEECHLESS. WOW.
YEP. DRIVE UP ON THAT CURB. DO IT.
[ CHUCKLES ]
WHOOPS.
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
[ CHUCKLES ]
[ GROANS ]
YOU ALMOST GOT IT...
[ CHUCKLES ]
...AND BY ALMOST, I MEAN MILES AWAY.
UM, P.S., WE'VE RUN OUT OF POINTS TO TAKE AWAY.
Narrator: YEP, JUSTINE'S LONG LIST OF TRANSGRESSIONS
MEANS SHE SCORED ZERO...
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.
Narrator: ...AND SHE NOT SO MUCH FINISHES
AS GIVES UP.
MIGHT NOT BE CALLED PARALLEL, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY PARKED.
UH...YEAH.
I'M IN THE SPACE, RIGHT? [ CHUCKLES ]
YEAH, YOU'RE IN THE SPACE.
THAT WAS A LICENSE-REVOKING PARKING JOB.
JUSTINE PARKED ON THE CURB
AND MAY HAVE RUINED TWO CARS IN THE PROCESS.
I STOPPED MARKING DOWN HER SCORE WHEN WE GOT TO ZERO.
Narrator: THE WOMEN'S AVERAGE TOOK A HIT, AND SIX TESTS LATER...
17 INCHES.
...THE STATUS QUO IS IN MUCH THE SAME STATE.
THE GUYS AREN'T DOING A WHOLE LOT RIGHT...
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
THAT WAS A BUMP.
...BUT THEY'RE NOT DOING MUCH WRONG, EITHER.
NICE WORK.
AND THE GIRLS?
WELL, THEY VEER AND STEER WILDLY
BETWEEN BRILLIANCE...
THAT WAS AWESOME.
...AND CATASTROPHE.
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
WE HAVE ANOTHER BUMP.
[ CRASHES ]
THAT DIDN'T SOUND GOOD.
WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE TEST,
AND I GOT TO SAY, THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING.
WE HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT SCORES FROM THE WOMEN
AND SOME REALLY BAD SCORES FROM THE WOMEN...
[ CRASHES, CAR ALARM BLARES ]
OH, GOD! REALLY?!
CAN THIS WOMAN SEE?
[ CREAKING ]
DO YOU HAVE A LICENSE?
I DO.
I-I-I'M TERRIBLE AT PARALLEL PARKING.
[ LAUGHING ]
Kari: ...WHEREAS THE MEN ARE KIND OF CONSISTENTLY
STAYING AT THE MIDDLE.
SO, WHEN IT AVERAGES OUT, WE'RE AT A TIE.
Narrator: AFTER 10 PARK JOBS, THE AVERAGE IS INCREDIBLY CLOSE,
BUT THERE'S A CLEAR GENDER-BASED DIFFERENCE IN METHOD.
[ CAR ALARM BLARES ]
[ CHUCKLES ]
Narrator: THE MEN ARE GENERALLY FASTER,
DON'T MIND THE ODD BUMP...
OH.
OOH! THAT WAS A GOOD BUMP.
[ LAUGHS ]
...AND AS A GROUP, THEY SEEM TO HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE...
PERFECT.
...WHILE THE WOMEN ARE MORE CAUTIOUS AND METHODICAL...
WHOO-HOO!
Narrator: THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THEIR HIGHS AND LOWS...
OH, THIS IS A REALLY BAD ANGLE.
...BEING A LACK OF CONFIDENCE.
Woman: I'M USED TO NUDGING MY WAY IN, BUT WHEN THE ALARM WENT OFF,
I WAS A LITTLE... PARANOID, YOU KNOW,
SOMEONE WOULD COME OUT SCREAMING WITH A RAKE OR SOMETHING.
Narrator: THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON SPEEDS BY
IN A BLUR OF CURB CRAWLING,
CAR ALARMS...
SORRY I HIT YOUR CAR. [ CHUCKLES ]
Narrator: ...AND HIGH-FIVIN'...
TEAM MEN.
...LEADING TO A FINAL REVEALING TALLY.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
ALL RIGHT, SO, THE WOMEN CAME OUT WITH AN AVERAGE OF 42.5
AND THE MEN CAME OUT WITH AN AVERAGE OF 43.6 --
A STATISTICAL TIE.
YEP, WITH JUST 1.1% DIFFERENCE, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING,
THERE'S NOTHING IN IT, AND THAT MEANS...
WOMEN BEING BETTER PARKERS THAN MEN -- BUSTED.
ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO.
OH, SHOULD WE LET GRANT OUT OF THE TRUNK?
YEAH.
THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA.
HEY, WAKE UP.
WE'LL LET YOU OUT WHEN WE GET BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO.
[ TIRES SQUEAL ]
YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT FROM 1998 TO 2003,
I ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE MODEL SHOP
HERE AT INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC,
AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE A COMING HOME
FOR ME TO BE HERE TODAY.
YEAH! I BET YOU NEVER SAW A GIANT BABY DO THIS BEFORE!
OH, LOOK! I'M RUNNING!
I'VE RUN INTO A LOT OF OLD FRIENDS,
SEEN A LOT OF STUFF THAT I BUILT,
AND HERE'S ONE OF THEM.
THIS IS A CAROUSEL THAT I ACTUALLY DESIGNED AND BUILT
WITH A CREW FOR THE FILM, "A.I."
YOU MIGHT NOT RECOGNIZE IT 'CAUSE IT IS A SCENE
THAT GOT DELETED FROM THE FINAL FILM,
BUT I GOT ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS
TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THIS ENTIRE THING
AND THEN PREP IT FOR BEING WEATHERED
BY OUR FANTASTIC GROUP OF SCENIC PAINTERS.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE MODELS I GOT TO WORK ON,
AND I JUST RAN INTO IT HERE IN THE HALLWAY.
Narrator: ADAM AND JAMIE ARE BACK AT THE LOB LAB
WITH SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
ALL EPISODE LONG,
WE'VE BEEN TESTING "THROWS LIKE A GIRL."
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIMENTALLY PROVABLE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE WAY THAT MEN THROW AND THE WAY THAT WOMEN THROW.
WE'VE PITTED EIGHT TEST SUBJECTS IN FOUR DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS
AGAINST EACH OTHER,
AND WE'VE ANALYZED THEIR THROWS IN A MOTION-CAPTURE STAGE,
BUT STILL, STILL, WE CAN'T SHAKE THIS CULTURAL GENERALITY
THAT PLAYING CATCH, THROWING A BALL,
IS A BOY'S GAME AND NOT A GIRL'S GAME.
HOW DO YOU CONTROL FOR THAT INHERENT CULTURAL TRAINING?
WITH THIS -- OUR FINAL TEST,
IN WHICH WE ARE MAKING ALL EIGHT OF OUR TEST SUBJECTS
THROW AGAIN,
BUT WITH THEIR LEFT HAND THIS TIME.
YEAH.
OH, IT'S GONNA BE SO AWKWARD.
Narrator: IT MAY BE AWKWARD,
BUT WITH THE SAME SETUP AND SCORING SYSTEM AS BEFORE,
IT WILL GET TO THE HEART OF THIS MYTH.
WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO DO THE SAME THING,
BUT WITH YOUR LEFT HAND.
ALL RIGHT.
AND AS OUR EIGHT VOLUNTEERS ARE PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES,
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WITHOUT PRACTICE,
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TRANSFER A LEARNED ATHLETIC SKILL
TO YOUR NON-PREFERRED HAND...
OH, HEADS UP!
Narrator: ...MEANING THIS TEST
EFFECTIVELY CANCELS OUT ANY SUBTLE CULTURAL TRAINING
THAT MAY GIVE THE BOYS AN ADVANTAGE.
IT'S LIKE THEY'RE THROWING A BALL FOR THE FIRST TIME,
AND THE NUMBERS, WHEN COLLECTED AND COLLATED, ARE CONCLUSIVE.
Jaime: THIS IS INTERESTING.
THE GUYS COMPLETELY REVERSED THE RESULT
FROM THE PREFERRED-HAND TEST.
THEY'RE MORE ACCURATE BY THE GIRLS BY ABOUT 12%,
BUT THE GIRLS ARE FASTER.
IT'S MARGINAL -- 4% -- BUT THEY ARE FASTER.
BUT WHAT ABOUT FORM?
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR MOTION-CAPTURE DATA,
IT DOES SEEM QUITE CLEAR
THAT MEN THROW WITH A BETTER TECHNIQUE.
THEY THROW WITH A TECHNIQUE
THAT LOOKS MUCH MORE LIKE THAT OF THE PRO PITCHER,
AND WHEN WE REMOVED ALL THAT TRAINING
AND HAD OUR "BLANK SLATES" THROW WITH THEIR NON-DOMINANT HAND,
MALES AND FEMALES THREW
WITH ALMOST IDENTICAL TECHNIQUES.
THIS SUGGESTS STRONGLY THAT IT IS CULTURAL --
THAT IT IS TRAINING,
AND THEN, WHEN YOU REMOVE THAT TRAINING,
YOU LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
TO TEST THIS, JAMIE HAS ONE FINAL FLING.
MEET JORDAN TAYLOR.
[ WHOOSHES ]
Narrator: JORDAN IS A GIRL...
[ WHOOSH ]
...A PITCHER FOR THE U.S. SOFTBALL TEAM...
[ WHOOSH ]
...AND JORDAN CAN THROW.
HER 65-MILE-AN-HOUR CANONS
HIT THE TARGET WITH UNFAILING ACCURACY,
AND HER FORM MATCHES THAT OF GREG,
THE MALE PRO PITCHER.
HIS LARGER FRAME DOES MEAN GREATER SPEED,
BUT IN TERMS OF PRECISION AND TECHNIQUE,
JORDAN HAS IT NAILED.
SO, GIVEN THE TRAINING, THERE'S NO REASON
WOMEN CAN'T OVERCOME CULTURAL BIAS
AND THROW AS WELL AS THE GUYS.
NICE.
HOW ARE WE GONNA CALL IT?
WELL, WE SET OUT ON THIS EPISODE
TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND A DISTINCTIVE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE WAY MEN THROW A BALL AND THE WAY WOMEN THROW A BALL.
AND WHAT DID WE FIND?
WELL, WE FOUND THAT THERE IS, IN FACT, A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE.
BOTH OUR DATA SUPPORTED THIS
AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MOTION-CAPTURE DATA.
WE WERE ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE THAT, WHEN THROWING A BALL,
WOMEN TEND TO STAY MORE VERTICAL AND THROW LIKE THIS,
WHEREAS MEN GO MORE HORIZONTAL
AND ROTATE THEIR BODIES MORE AGGRESSIVELY.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE REALLY SHOULD DEAL
WITH "THROWS LIKE A GIRL" AS AN INSULT.
INDEED, WE SHOULD, AND HERE'S THE BIG NEWS --
"THROWS LIKE A GIRL" IS NOT AN INSULT.
WE DID NOT FIND IN ANY OF OUR TESTING
THAT WOMEN THROW MORE POORLY THAN MEN.
MAYBE NOW WE CAN PUT TO BED
"THROWS LIKE A GIRL" AS AN INSULT.
I SURELY HOPE SO.
YOU HEAR THAT?
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
[ CLANKS ]
[ CLUNKS ]