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Narrator: ON THIS EPISODE OF "MYTHBUSTERS"...
THAT WAS SOME NICE FLYING.
...IT'S THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...
ONE OF THE GREAT QUESTIONS OF THE INTERNET.
...AS THE MASSIVE CONTROVERSY OF "PLANE ON A TREADMILL"
FINALLY GETS PUT TO THE TEST.
I'M GOOD TO GO, OVER.
CAN AN AIRPLANE REALLY TAKE OFF
ON A GIANT CONVEYOR BELT?
OH, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!
Narrator: THEN, TORY, GRANT, AND KARI
BUG OUT WITH CREEPY-CRAWLIES...
EWW! OH, THERE'S SO MANY IN THERE. UGH!
...WITH A CLASSIC MYTH.
CAN COCKROACHES SURVIVE THE RADIATION FROM A NUCLEAR BOMB?
FRY THEM.
FINALLY, THE TEAM BLOW AN INTERNET PRANK
OUT OF ALL PROPORTION...
OH, MY GOD! GRANT! GRANT, GET OVER HERE! LOOK AT THIS!
...WHEN THEY FIND OUT IF FOAM CAN REALLY SOIL A SEDAN.
THIS IS MORE THAN A PRANK. THIS IS EVIL.
Narrator: WHO ARE THE MYTHBUSTERS?
[ Imitating pirate ] IT'S TIME TO BLOW SOME STUFF UP.
THIS IS KILLING ME.
THAT WAS FUN.
BETWEEN THEM, MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF SPECIAL-EFFECTS EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS THE KIND OF THING I'D DO ON THE WEEKEND.
JOINING THEM -- KARI BYRON...
COME OVER HERE. YOU SMELL THAT?
...GRANT IMAHARA...
HE'S ALIVE! [ LAUGHING ]
...AND TORY BELLECI.
THIS IS STARTING TO FEEL LIKE A BAD IDEA.
THEY DON'T JUST TELL THE MYTHS.
THEY PUT THEM TO THE TEST.
AND FIRST UP, A MYTH THAT'S CAUSED A FANSITE FRENZY.
I GOT TO TELL YOU, THIS NEXT MYTH, MAN, IS SUPER CONTROVERSIAL.
THERE'S LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PAGES
OF THE MOST VITRIOLIC DISCUSSIONS
ON BOTH THE WORLD WIDE WEB AND THE DISCOVERY FANSITE
ABOUT THIS NEXT MYTH.
SO THAT PROBABLY MEANS
THAT WE'RE DOING "PLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT."
EXACTLY RIGHT. LET ME SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU.
NORMALLY, A PLANE SITS ON A RUNWAY,
SPINS UP ITS ENGINES, MOVES FORWARD,
GETS ENOUGH AIR OVER THE WINGS, AND TAKES OFF.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THE PLANE IS SITTING NOT ON THE RUNWAY,
BUT A HUGE CONVEYOR BELT
THAT IS MATCHING THE PLANE'S FORWARD SPEED IN REVERSE.
AND THE GRAND QUESTION IS "CAN THE PLANE TAKE OFF?"
THE MYTH IS THAT IT CAN'T.
WELL, I KNOW WHAT I THINK.
AH. KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA TEST IT OUT.
IT'S A COMPLEX MYTH THAT'S DRIVEN THE FANSITE WILD,
AND IT'S DEFINITELY ONE TO GET YOU THINKING.
IF AN AIRPLANE IS ON A CONVEYOR BELT
AND BOTH ARE GOING THE PLANE'S TAKEOFF SPEED,
BUT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
SOME SAY THE PLANE WILL TAKE OFF.
OTHERS SAY THE PLANE WILL BE HELD IN PLACE.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK?
HOW ARE WE GONNA TEST THIS?
I FIGURE THE BEST THING IS, AS ALWAYS, TO START SMALL.
LET'S GO GET THE SIMPLEST CONVEYOR BELT WE HAVE ACCESS TO.
THAT'D BE MY TREADMILL.
EXACTLY -- PUT A MODEL PLANE ON IT
AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PUT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER.
I ALSO THINK I KNOW THE EXACT MODEL PLANE I WANT TO USE.
GRANT HAS A TON OF EXPERIENCE FLYING IT
AND MIGHT BE ABLE TO TEACH US.
PERFECT.
SO, TO CURTAIL THIS CONTROVERSY,
THEY NEED A CONVEYOR BELT AND AN AIRPLANE.
AND GRANT'S BEEN DRAFTED IN
TO HELP ADAM AND JAMIE GET THEIR WINGS.
HEY.
CAN YOU TEACH ME HOW TO FLY THIS
TO DO "AIRPLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT"?
ABSOLUTELY.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.
WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE UNDER HIS BELT
AND AN UNHEALTHY INTIMACY WITH REMOTE-CONTROLLED VEHICLES,
GRANT MAKES FLYING LOOK LIKE CHILD'S PLAY.
I'M GETTING DIZZY. I'M GOING TO THROW UP.
I AM, TOO. YEAH.
[ LAUGHTER ]
BUT CAN HE PASS ON HIS FLIGHT SKILLS
SO ADAM AND JAMIE CAN GET THIS CONTENTIOUS MYTH OFF THE GROUND?
OKAY, GUYS, SO, THIS IS A PARK FLYER.
IT'S A VERY SLOW PLANE.
DIRECTIONAL CONTROLS ARE ON THE...
IT'S RATCHETED SO YOU CAN KEEP A POSITION.
ELEVATORS, OKAY.
TRIM IT OUT SO THAT YOU'RE KIND OF...
THAT MAKES IT PERFECT FOR A BEGINNING FLIER.
GRANT MAKES IT ALL SOUND SO EASY.
BUT ALREADY JAMIE HAS SOME GRAVE CONCERNS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN HANDLE THIS, ACTUALLY.
WE'RE USING THIS PARTICULAR ITEM
THE WAY THAT IT WAS INTENDED.
[ LAUGHTER ]
AND LEAVING JAMIE STUNNED,
ADAM'S CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.
GOOD, GOOD. UH-HUH.
Grant: MY PREDICTION FOR ADAM IS
HE'S GOT AN EXUBERANT PERSONALITY.
HE IS LIKELY TO CRASH AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
Adam: [ GASPS ] OHH.
[ LAUGHTER ]
JAMIE, ON THE OTHER HAND,
HAS A VERY CONTROLLED PERSONALITY.
HE IS LIKELY TO FLY A VERY CONTROLLED PATTERN.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Adam: THAT WAS SOME NICE FLYING.
Narrator: IN FACT, THE MAN WITH THE FLYBOY MUSTACHE
PROVES TO BE SOMETHING LIKE THE RED BARON.
WITH ACROBATICS LIKE THAT,
HE'S QUALIFIED AS CHIEF AVIATOR ON THE TEST.
BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO QUELL THE QUARRELLING
CAUSED BY THIS MYTH?
WELL, GENTLEMEN,
LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT THINGS UNDER CONTROL HERE.
REASONABLY. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP, MAN.
THANKS, GRANT.
TAKE CARE. GOOD LUCK.
THANKS. I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED IT.
Narrator: NOW, IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS NEXT MYTH,
YOU MUST LIVE IN A NUCLEAR BUNKER.
THE NEXT MYTH IS A SUPER-CREEPY-CRAWLY ONE,
AND I'M NOT REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
IT'S ABOUT COCKROACHES.
UGH, I HATE COCKROACHES.
ALL RIGHT, SO, WHAT'S THE MYTH?
THE MYTH IS A CLASSIC THAT EVERYONE'S HEARD OF,
THAT COCKROACHES WILL BE THE ONLY THINGS
TO SURVIVE A NUCLEAR BLAST.
WELL, THAT SOUNDS COOL,
BUT HOW ARE WE GONNA TEST THIS WITHOUT KILLING OURSELVES?
Narrator: HERE'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
LIKE IT OR NOT, COCKROACHES ARE EVERYWHERE,
AND SO FAR THEY'VE SURVIVED
300 MILLION YEARS ON THIS PLANET.
BUT CAN THEY REALLY SURVIVE A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION?
SPECIFICALLY, THIS MYTH IS ABOUT THE RADIATION
THAT THE COCKROACHES WOULD GET FROM THE NUCLEAR BLAST
AND NOT THE BLAST ITSELF,
BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE SO HOT, IT'S GONNA FRY ANYTHING ANYWAY.
HOW ARE WE GONNA TEST THIS, GET SOME COCKROACHES AND A BOMB?
YEAH, THE ROACHES ARE GONNA BE THE EASY THING.
THE RADIATION MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARDER.
I THINK FOR COMPLETENESS,
WE SHOULD TRY A FEW OTHER TYPES OF INSECTS
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT COCKROACHES
ARE THE ONLY THING THAT'LL SURVIVE.
WHY DON'T WE DO FRUIT FLIES,
BECAUSE THAT'S A CLASSIC INSECT FOR THESE TYPES OF EXPERIMENTS?
WE'LL ALSO DO FLOUR BEETLES, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY TOUGH.
Narrator: SO IT'S AN ALL-STAR INSECT LINEUP,
INCLUDING FLOUR BEETLES AND FRUIT FLIES.
BUT FIRST UP, THE GUYS GET FACE-TO-ANTENNA
WITH THE PRINCIPAL PARASITE FOR THIS PARABLE.
OKAY, GUYS.
HERE IS A BOX I AM SURE THE DELIVERY GUY
IS VERY EXCITED TO NOT OPEN UP IN HIS TRUCK.
THESE ARE OUR COCKROACHES.
SAY GUTEN TAG TO THE GERMAN COCKROACH.
CUTIE, CUTIE, CUTIE.
THEY CAUSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS IN PEOPLE...
EWW! OH, THERE'S SO MANY IN THERE. UGH!
WE GOT ANOTHER RUNNER.
Narrator: ...AND HAVE EVEN BEEN KNOWN TO FEED
ON HUMAN NIGHTTIME DRIBBLE.
DUDE, THAT IS SO DIRTY.
BUT WILL THE DEADLY RADIATION DESCRIBED IN THE MYTH
GET THE BETTER OF THEM?
Tory: OH, THIS GUY'S LIKE A SPRINTER.
WHERE'D HE GO? OHH! EHH!
WHERE'D HE GO? Where'd he go?
Narrator: BEFORE THE MYTH GETS GOING,
THE GUYS FIRST NEED TO CHECK
THE SPECIMENS ARE IN TIP-TOP CONDITION.
AND WHAT BETTER WAY THAN A ROACH RACE?
Kari: GET TO THE START LINE. READY?
1...2...3.
GO, GRETA! GO, GRETA! GO, GRETA!
Narrator: FAMED, AT LEAST IN THIS MYTH FOR ITS RESILIENCE...
OH, GRETA WINS!
Narrator: ...THERE ARE STILL SOME THINGS
EVEN THE MIGHTY GERMAN COCKROACH CAN'T SURVIVE.
GITA!
YOU LET ME DOWN!
WHOO-WHOO!
INSECTS CAN'T RESIST THAT CALL.
Narrator: SO, WITH MOST OF THE ROACHES RARING TO GO,
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THIS MYTH?
Tory: I'M CALLING INSECTS TO COME TO ME
SO THAT I CAN PUT THEM IN THESE BOXES AND IRRADIATE THEM.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF CRUEL.
THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HIT THEM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SCIENCE IS FUN, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS NICE.
Narrator: IT SEEMS NICE GUY TORY
IS HAVING A CONSCIENCE CRISIS...
Tory: IT'S EXCITING.
Narrator: ...BECAUSE WITH INSECT DEATH A POSSIBILITY,
THIS MYTH IS PRETTY UNUSUAL.
FROM SAVAGE SHARKS...
OH, MY LORD.
...AND ANGRY ARACHNIDS...
OH, THIS IS TERRIBLE.
Narrator: ...TO GNARLING GUARD DOGS.
OH, RUN, RUN, RUN.
...WHERE ANIMALS ARE INVOLVED,
IT'S NORMALLY THE MYTHBUSTERS THAT COME OFF SECOND BEST...
BUT NOT THIS TIME.
THESE COCKROACHES MAY BE ON DEATH ROW,
BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE BRED FOR USE IN A SCIENCE LAB,
THEIR DAYS WERE ALWAYS NUMBERED.
BUT IF THE MYTH IS TRUE, THEN NO HARM WILL COME TO THEM.
Kari: IN THE "COCKROACH SURVIVAL" EXPERIMENT,
I NEED TO MAKE SOME SORT OF COMPARTMENT
THAT'S GONNA HOLD 50 COCKROACHES.
I NEED THEM ALL TO GET EQUAL AMOUNTS OF RADIATION,
MAKING A LITTLE COCKROACH MOTEL OF DEATH,
OR AS I LIKE TO CALL IT, THE HOLIDAY END.
Narrator: WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT'S BETTER
THAN "ROACH-TEL CALIFORNIA."
Kari: [ CHUCKLING ]
Narrator: AND ONCE THE INSECT-CONTAINMENT BOXES
ARE CONJURED UP,
THE GUYS JUST NEED TO GET HOLD OF SOME NUCLEAR RADIATION.
AND THAT SHOULD BE EASY.
IT'S THE ROAD TO NOWHERE.
THE LOWLY CONVEYOR BELT IS MANKIND'S LABOR-SAVING TOOL,
MANUFACTURING AID, AND EVEN AUTOMATED DOG-WALKER.
[ MEOWS ]
BUT IT'S ALSO PART
OF AN INCREDIBLY CONTROVERSIAL CONUNDRUM.
IF A CONVEYOR BELT WAS GOING
THE TAKEOFF SPEED OF AN AIRPLANE IN ONE DIRECTION,
CAN IT STOP THAT AIRPLANE
FROM TAKING OFF IN THE OTHER DIRECTION?
OR WOULD THE PLANE SIMPLY TAKE TO THE SKIES?
SO FAR, ADAM AND JAMIE HAVE GRADUATED FROM FLIGHT SCHOOL.
ALL THEY NEED NOW IS A CONVEYOR BELT,
AND THIS NOT-SO-RUN-OF-THE-MILL HUMAN TREADMILL
SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET THIS MYTH UP AND, UH, RUNNING.
Jamie: WE KNOW WHAT SPEED THE PLANE NEEDS TO TAKE OFF,
SO WE'VE SET THE TREADMILL TO GO THAT SPEED.
WE'RE GONNA PUT THE PLANE ON IT, SEE WHETHER IT TAKES OFF.
Narrator: AND WITH THE AIRPLANE'S TAKEOFF SPEED
BEING 11.3 MILES PER HOUR,
BOTH THE PLANE AND THE BELT ARE SET TO THAT MAGIC NUMBER.
[ LAUGHING ]
THAT'S AWESOME!
Adam: I'VE READ LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PAGES
OF VITRIOLIC COMMENTARY AND ARGUMENT ON THE WEB
ABOUT AIRPLANES ON A CONVEYOR BELT,
BUT NOWHERE DID I FIND ANYONE
WHO HAD PUT AN AIRPLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT.
THAT'S JUST WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO IN SCALE HERE,
AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE ABOUT TO ANSWER
SOME REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
Narrator: IT SOUNDS SIMPLE.
BUT AS ADAM SOON FINDS OUT, IT'S NOT ALL PLAIN SAILING.
Adam: I'M SENSING A PROBLEM.
THOSE WHEELS ARE SO FLIMSY.
THEY ARE SO FLIMSY, AND THEY'RE JUST MOVING AROUND.
THE PLANE'S FLIMSY WHEELS ARE GETTING TRAPPED IN THE BELT,
MAKING TAKEOFF LIKE THIS IMPOSSIBLE.
SO WHAT'S PLAN "B"?
I CAN HELP IT STAY CENTERED WITH MY HANDS
WHILE YOU'RE GOOSING IT.
OKAY. IT CAN GO FORWARD OR UP.
OKAY.
ADAM'S ENGINEERED A FLIGHT PLAN
TO STEER THE PLANE,
AND CAREFULLY MAKING SURE HE'S NOT PUSHING IT FORWARD,
IT'S ALL SYSTEMS GO.
IT'S AN AIRPLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT, DUDE.
IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT QUESTIONS OF THE INTERNET.
AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH? BUT IT'S NOT ANSWERED YET, ADAM.
Jamie: I'LL SET IT TO "FAT BURN."
"FAT BURN." NICE.
SO, WITH THE TREADMILL SET TO "FAT BURN" IN ONE DIRECTION,
JAMIE'S PLANE BURNS RUBBER IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
BUT, HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
ORVILLE AND WILBUR WRIGHT TOOK YEARS
TO PERFECT AIRPLANE STEERING.
BUT ADAM AND JAMIE HAVE ONLY GOT UNTIL THE NEXT COMMERCIAL BREAK.
GO AHEAD AND RAMP IT UP.
LUCKILY, THEY GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER,
BUT IS THAT A RESULT?
AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA DO WHAT?
IT WENT RIGHT OFF THE END OF THE CONVEYOR BELT.
YES.
Narrator: YES.
WITH THE CONVEYOR BELT
GOING 11.3 MILES PER HOUR IN REVERSE,
JAMIE ACCELERATED THE PLANE UP TO MATCH THAT SPEED.
AND -- GET THIS -- THE PLANE MOVED FORWARDS.
HOWEVER, IT DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GET AIRBORNE
BECAUSE THE TREADMILL IS TOO SHORT.
THE QUESTION IS "CAN IT TAKE OFF ON THE TREADMILL?"
THIS ISN'T LONG ENOUGH FOR THIS THING TO GET UP ENOUGH SPEED
TO TAKE OFF.
SO WE NEED A LONGER TREADMILL.
WE NEED A LONGER TREADMILL.
AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN MODIFY THIS TO BE LONG ENOUGH.
THE GUYS ARE INVESTIGATING AN ATOMIC BOMB OF A MYTH.
REPUTED TO SURVIVE THE DEADLY RADIATION
FROM A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION,
APPARENTLY COCKROACHES WILL INHERIT THE EARTH.
BUT WILL THEY BE ALONE?
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FRUIT FLY CONTAINMENT UNIT.
Narrator: KARI, TORY, AND GRANT HAVE THREE SPECIES OF INSECTS
AND SOME HANDY INSECT CONTAINMENT UNITS.
NOW ALL THEY NEED... IS A NUCLEAR BOMB?
I'VE BEEN COMBING THE BLACK MARKET.
I'VE BEEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET.
AND FINDING A NUCLEAR BOMB IS NOT AS EASY AS YOU MIGHT THINK.
BUT FORTUNATELY, OUR RESEARCHERS HAVE MANAGED TO FIND
A LAB THAT'S WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
YEAH, APPARENTLY THEY HAVE A COBALT-60 RADIATION SOURCE
THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO LET US TEST WITH.
AWESOME. I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO THIS MYTH.
Narrator: WELL, BELIEVE IT, KARI,
BECAUSE IT'S ALL GONNA GO DOWN
AT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORY.
INSIDE THE IMPOSING STRUCTURE,
TORY MEETS RADIATION EXPERT MICHELLE JOHNSON.
ALL RIGHT, SO, MICHELLE,
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE IRRADIATING THE INSECTS, RIGHT?
RIGHT -- WE HAVE A COBALT-60 SOURCE IN HERE,
AND IT PRODUCES A RADIATION LEVEL
OF ABOUT 55,000 "R" PER HOUR,
WHICH IS ENOUGH TO KILL YOU IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
ENOUGH TO KILL YOU IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
KILL YOU IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
AS TORY PICKS HIS JAW UP OFF THE FLOOR,
LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT.
THEY'RE NOT USING A NUCLEAR BOMB TO IRRADIATE THE INSECTS,
BUT A HIGHLY DANGEROUS RADIOACTIVE METAL
CALLED COBALT 60.
THEY'LL USE THIS METAL TO IRRADIATE THEIR INSECTS
AT THREE DIFFERENT EXPOSURE SETTINGS CALLED RADS.
TEST ONE WILL BE 1,000 RADS,
TEST TWO, 10,000,
AND TEST THREE, 100,000.
AND ALARMINGLY, EVEN THE LOWEST DOSE
IS REALLY BAD NEWS FOR A HUMAN.
CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME AN IDEA
OF WHAT 1,000 RADS WOULD DO TO A HUMAN BEING?
IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO 1,000 RADS,
IT WOULD KILL YOU.
USUALLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RADIATION EXPOSURE,
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EFFECTS TO THE GUT,
'CAUSE THE FIRST THING TO GO IS YOUR INTESTINES.
AND THEN EVERYTHING YOUR BODY JUST KIND OF DUMPS OUT
THROUGH YOUR BUTT.
[ LAUGHS ]
SO NOT ONLY ARE YOU GONNA DIE,
BUT YOU'RE GONNA DIE IN A REALLY EMBARRASSING WAY.
IN A REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE, EMBARRASSING WAY.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE.
BUT IN TORY'S WORLD,
FACT AND FANTASY ARE HOPELESSLY INTERTWINED.
SO, ONCE THIS MACHINE IS ON,
YOU'D BE STUPID TO WANT TO STICK YOUR HEAD IN HERE.
[ ZAPPING ]
[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]
Narrator: AND WHILE TORY IS TURNING ZOMBIE,
WHAT'S GRANT'S RECKONING ON THE RADIATION?
Grant: WE'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSECTS.
THE LOWLY COCKROACH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW,
THE ONE THAT THE MYTH IS ALL ABOUT.
WE'VE ALSO GOT FLOUR BEETLES...
[ GROWLING ]
...AND FRUIT FLIES.
NOW, MY GUESS IS THAT
THE COCKROACH IS NOT GOING TO DO AS WELL
AS THE OTHER TWO SETS OF BUGS.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SURVIVING RADIATION,
SIMPLER IS BETTER.
Narrator: SO A SIMPLER AND SMALLER BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM
MIGHT BE THE KEY TO SURVIVAL.
AND WITH THE BUGS ALL SET,
IT'S GO TIME FOR THE 1,000-RAD TEST.
Tory: WHAT HAPPENS IS THE RADIATION SOURCE
WILL COME UP TO THE PORTHOLE HERE,
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A BEAM OF RADIATION...
[ IMITATES MACHINERY ]
...THAT WILL BE EXPOSING OUR INSECTS.
Narrator: WITH THE FIRST BUGS IN PLACE,
A PUSH OF A BUTTON REVEALS
THE ALARMINGLY LETHAL RADIATION SOURCE.
[ ALARM BLARES ]
Kari: RIGHT NOW WE'RE IRRADIATING
OUR COCKROACHES, OUR FRUIT FLIES, AND OUR FLOUR BEETLES
AT 1,000 RAD.
NOW, THAT IS THE LETHAL DOSE FOR HUMANS
RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT WALL,
AND TO MAKE IT EVEN SCARIER,
WE'RE TOLD WE CAN'T GO PAST THIS LINE.
SAFE, UNSAFE. SAFE, UNSAFE.
Narrator: IT'S UNDOUBTEDLY
ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS
IN THE HISTORY OF "MYTHBUSTERS."
FOR HUMAN BEINGS, A MERE LINE ON THE FLOOR
SEPARATES LIFE AND DEATH.
BUT AFTER THREE MINUTES IN THE FIRING LINE,
WILL THE INSECTS BE INCINERATED?
FRUIT FLIES ARE GONNA BE FRUIT FRIES.
THE MYTHBUSTERS ARE NO STRANGERS TO CONTROVERSY.
THEY CAMPAIGNED FOR FREE ENERGY...
IT'S BREAKING FREE OF THE BONDS OF THE ENERGY CONGLOMERATES!
...AND TOOK ON THE MAN IN "THE GREAT GAS CONSPIRACY."
OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT TEST.
Narrator: BUT NOW THEY'RE TACKLING THE MOST DEBATED MYTH
IN "MYTHBUSTERS" HISTORY.
IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT QUESTIONS OF THE INTERNET.
IF AN AIRPLANE WAS ON A CONVEYOR BELT
AND BOTH WERE GOING THE SAME SPEED
BUT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS,
WOULD THE PLANE BE HELD IN PLACE, OR WOULD IT TAKE OFF?
SO FAR, IT'S BEEN A TURBULENT RIDE.
THE PLANE'S GONE FORWARD ON THE CONVEYOR BELT,
BUT IT HASN'T TAKEN OFF.
AND THAT MEANS THE BOYS NEED A NEW PLAN.
WE NEED A LONGER TREADMILL,
AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN MODIFY THIS TO BE LONG ENOUGH.
WELL, HOW ABOUT A SHEET OF BUTCHER PAPER --
JUST A LONG ROLL OF IT AND JUST YANK IT?
THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S TERRIFIC.
ALL WE NEED FOR THAT TEST IS TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THE SHORTEST DISTANCE THIS CAN BECOME AIRBORNE IN.
SO A LONG PIECE OF BUTCHER PAPER
WILL ACT AS THE NEW CONVEYOR BELT.
BUT, FIRST, THE BOYS NEED TO FIND OUT
EXACTLY HOW LONG TO MAKE THEIR PAPER TREADMILL.
SO I'M MARKING THIS OUT ON THE FLOOR
SO WE CAN START AT .0
AND KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY FEET
IT TAKES THIS PLANE AT FULL THROTTLE
TO GET AIRBORNE.
ALL RIGHT, THIS IS AIRPLANE-TAKEOFF TEST ONE.
JAMIE, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
[ LAUGHS ] DUDE, THAT TOOK OFF IN LIKE 20 FEET.
WITH THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE SORTED, WHAT'S NEXT?
SO THE MYTH IS THAT AN AIRPLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT
THAT'S MATCHING ITS TAKEOFF SPEED IN REVERSE
CANNOT TAKE OFF.
AND WE'VE DETERMINED THAT THIS PLANE NEEDS
BETWEEN 10 AND 15 FEET TO ACHIEVE TAKEOFF SPEED --
11.3 MILES PER HOUR.
I'M GONNA DRAG 20 FEET OF THIS BUTCHER PAPER
BEHIND MY DEVICE HERE,
WITH THE PLANE FACING IN REVERSE LIKE THIS.
I'M GONNA GET UP TO ABOUT 12 MILES AN HOUR OVER THE TAKEOFF SPEED,
JAMIE'S GONNA KICK THIS PLANE INTO GEAR,
AND IF IT CAN TAKE OFF BEFORE IT LEAVES THE PAPER,
THEN I THINK THIS MYTH IS NOT LOOKING VERY GOOD.
LONG CONVEYOR-BELT TEST IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
OH, STOP.
AH, NO.
Narrator: OH, IT JUST GOES TO SHOW
WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK IN PRACTICE.
NO.
THE PLANE JUST WENT OFF BEFORE I HAD EVEN CONTROLLED IT.
Narrator: STRUGGLING TO KEEP HIS PLANE ON THE RIGHT TRACK...
STUPID [BLEEP]
...AND TO KEEP HIS COOL,
JAMIE IS ONE HELL OF A FRUSTRATED FLYBOY.
Jamie: SORRY.
LOOK, HERE'S THE DEAL.
THIS MYTH IS SO STUPID THAT IT'S EMBARRASSING.
I'M ALMOST ASHAMED TO PUT THIS OUT THERE.
Narrator: WELL, HE'S NOT A HAPPY CAMPER,
BUT MAYBE A LITTLE RUNWAY MAINTENANCE
WILL HELP HIS PILOTING SKILLS
AND SETTLE THIS GLOBAL DISPUTE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
OKAY, I'M READY TO START. YOU ALL READY?
I'M READY.
OKAY, GO.
AFTER SO MANY FALSE STARTS AND SO MUCH CONTROVERSY...
IS THAT A FLYING PLANE?
THAT IS A FLYING PLANE,
AND IT WAS ON THE PAPER WHEN IT TOOK OFF.
EXCELLENT.
CONFOUNDING AND CONFUSING,
THE PLANE DIDN'T STAY WHERE IT WAS.
IT MOVED FORWARD AND TOOK OFF
BEFORE THE END OF THE CONVEYOR BELT.
Adam: MY CHARIOT WAS GOING ABOUT 11 1/2 MILES PER HOUR
AT THE VERY MOMENT THE PLANE REACHED THE END OF THIS RUNWAY.
Jamie: HERE'S THE THING.
IF THE MYTH IS THAT A PLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT CAN'T TAKE OFF,
WE JUST HAD A PLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT, AND IT TOOK OFF.
Narrator: AND, WHAT'S MORE, THEY HAVE A THEORY AS TO WHY.
ARE YOU HAVING FUN?
I AM.
AND...
ALL RIGHT, I'M TRYING TO USE THIS CAR TO DEMONSTRATE
WHERE I THINK PEOPLE GET MIXED UP.
THE FORWARD SPEED OF THE CAR IS EXACTLY THE SAME
AS THE BACKWARD SPEED OF THE CONVEYOR BELT.
THUS THE CAR REMAINS STATIONARY,
AND THIS IS WHY PEOPLE THINK THAT THE PLANE'S NOT TAKING OFF,
BECAUSE THERE IT IS -- IT'S STATIONERY.
YEAH, BUT CARS AND AIRPLANES MOVE BY DIFFERENT MEANS.
THE CAR IS SENDING POWER TO ITS WHEELS.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD
OR KEEP UP WITH THE CONVEYOR BELT.
AIRPLANES HAVE FREE-SPINNING WHEELS,
AND THEY MOVE BECAUSE THERE'S A PROPELLER PUSHING AIR,
WHICH MAKES THE AIRPLANE GO FORWARD.
EXACTLY.
SO IF I REMOVE POWER TO THE WHEELS OF THIS CAR,
THUS TURNING IT INTO A PLANE,
AND THEN MY HAND PUSHING WILL REPRESENT
THE FORCE OF THE PROPELLER PUSHING AGAINST THE AIR,
AND I FEEL ALMOST NO RESISTANCE ON THE CONVEYOR BELT,
SO THE PLANE MOVES FORWARD.
EXACTLY.
SO, LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT.
A CAR GETS ITS THRUST THROUGH ITS WHEELS,
CREATING FORWARD MOTION USING THE GROUND IT'S ON.
BUT A PLANE GETS ITS THRUST THROUGH ITS ENGINES,
WHICH ARE INDEPENDENT OF ITS WHEELS
AND SO IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE GROUND,
OR IN THIS CASE, THE CONVEYOR BELT.
WHEN ENGINES ARE ON, FORWARD MOTION WILL HAPPEN.
THAT'S THE THEORY, BUT TO CEMENT THEIR PLACE IN HISTORY,
THE MYTHBUSTERS ARE GOING FULL-SCALE
WITH A MANNED AIRCRAFT
AND THE MOTHER OF ALL CONVEYOR BELTS.
THE QUESTION IS WILL THEY GET AIRBORNE?
GO.
BACK AT ROACH H.Q.,
THE 1,000-RAD RADIATION TEST IS OVER.
IS IT SAFE TO GO IN?
Man: YES.
Narrator: IT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH TO KILL A HUMAN.
BUT WHAT'S THE COCKROACH CARNAGE?
FRUIT FLIES ARE STILL MOVING.
FLOUR BEETLES STILL MOVING.
COCKROACHES STILL MOVING.
REMARKABLY, ALL THE BUGS SEEM TO BE ALIVE...
WELL, AT LEAST FOR NOW.
THESE GUYS ARE STILL ALIVE.
THEY'RE NOT LOOKING INCREDIBLY ACTIVE.
BECAUSE RADIATION WORKS ON A CELLULAR LEVEL,
EXPOSURE MAY NOT TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
SO EACH SET OF BUGS IS PUT INTO CONTAINERS,
WHICH WILL THEN BE MONITORED OVER A 30-DAY PERIOD.
Kari: WE JUST DID OUR FIRST TEST AT 1,000 RAD.
THE BUGS LOOK ALL RIGHT,
SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE SECOND TEST, WHICH IS 10,000 RAD.
Narrator: SO, IN TEST TWO,
THE DIAL GETS CRANKED UP BY A FACTOR OF 10.
[ ALARM BLARES ]
WE HAVE A FEW CAMERAS INSIDE THE EXPOSURE AREA.
AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW IS INTERFERENCE ON THE PICTURE.
AND THAT'S CAUSED BY THE RADIATION SOURCE.
Narrator: IT'S AFFECTING THE CAMERAS,
BUT LUCKILY, IT ISN'T AFFECTING GRANT.
Grant: I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IT IS A LITTLE FREAKY
TO GO INTO THE ROOM,
BUT I'M STARTING TO UNDERSTAND
THAT JUST BECAUSE WE SUBJECT THE BUGS TO RADIATION
DOESN'T MAKE THEM RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS.
Tory: THEY'RE STILL MOVING.
NICE.
Narrator: JUST LIKE LAST TIME, THEY'RE ALL STILL ALIVE,
EVEN AFTER 10,000 RADS,
BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL HOW LONG THESE BUGS WILL LAST.
Kari: NOW WE'RE GONNA STEP IT UP.
WE'RE GOING TO 100,000 RAD.
THAT IS 100 TIMES THE LETHAL DOSE FOR A HUMAN.
THAT IS "MELTING FACES AT THE END OF 'RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK'" SCARY.
LET'S ZAP THEM.
AND WHILE THE LAST SET OF BUGS
ARE BEING ZAPPED "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK" STYLE,
GRANT'S FOUND OUT THE BACKGROUND TO THIS MYTH.
HEY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND OUT
ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF RADIATION?
NO, WHAT?
WELL, WE KNOW THAT RADIOACTIVITY WAS DISCOVERED
BY HENRI BECQUEREL IN THE LATE 1880s.
BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL MORE RECENTLY
THAT SCIENTISTS FOUND OUT THAT IT'S THE SENSITIVE TISSUES
LIKE THOSE IN OUR BONE MARROW OR INTESTINAL TRACT
THAT MAKE US MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO POISONING BY RADIATION
THAN OTHER SPECIES.
RIGHT. THAT'S WHERE I SUPPOSE THE MYTH COMES FROM
THAT COCKROACHES WOULD OUTSURVIVE HUMANS
AFTER NUCLEAR FALLOUT.
YEAH, EXACTLY.
THE THEORY IS
THAT THE MORE SIMPLE BODY STRUCTURES OF THE INSECTS
SHOULD MAKE THEM
LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO RADIATION THAN US.
WELL, THAT'S THE THEORY.
BUT AFTER THE 100,000-RAD TEST,
THE NEWS AIN'T GOOD FOR THE BUGS.
Tory: OH, MY GOSH.
FROM THE LOOKS OF IT,
THERE MIGHT BE LIKE 10% STILL ALIVE.
THAT'S FRIGHTENING.
Narrator: NEARLY ALL OF TEST THREE'S COCKROACHES HAVE DIED.
BUT FROM THE LOOKS OF THE OTHER BUG BOXES,
THIS TEST AIN'T OVER YET.
Grant: SO, WE'VE GOT ALL OF OUR BUGS HERE
THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF RADIATION --
1,000, 10,000, AND 100,000 RAD.
NOW, WE'VE GOT A FOURTH GROUP, AND THAT IS THE CONTROL SET.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS
THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO ANY RADIATION,
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THAT TO COMPARE
TO THE BUGS THAT HAVE BEEN IRRADIATED AND SEE HOW THEY DO.
Narrator: SO, IT'S BACK TO THE SHOP, BUT THE QUESTION IS
WILL THE BUGS SURVIVE, OR WILL THEY DROP LIKE FLIES?
IT'S THE SUM OF ALL FEARS,
BUT WOULD COCKROACHES
SURVIVE THE RADIATION OF A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION
AND INHERIT THE EARTH?
IN THIS CLASSIC MODERN MYTH, KARI, TORY, AND GRANT
HAVE BLASTED THREE SPECIES OF INSECT
WITH THREE INCREASING LEVELS OF RADIATION.
WILL THE COCKROACH BE THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR?
HOPEFULLY THEY HAVEN'T MUTATED
INTO SOME CRAZY MONSTERS.
BACK AT THE SHOP, WHAT'S THE BUG BULLETIN?
Grant: OKAY, SO, HERE'S THE PLAN.
WE HAVE 12 BOXES OF INSECTS --
4 OF COCKROACHES, 4 OF FLOUR BEETLES,
AND 4 OF FRUIT FLIES.
WE'LL BE MONITORING THEM OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS,
COUNTING HOW MANY DIE.
Narrator: THE JOB OF INSECT CORONER MAY SOUND GRIM.
BUT FOR THE MYTHBUSTERS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP UPBEAT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
WE GOT A BREACH.
AND, WHAT'S MORE, THEY'RE MAKING SURE
THE BUGS ON DEATH ROW ARE BEING WELL LOOKED AFTER.
Grant: THEY'LL BE GIVEN ALL THE FOOD AND WATER THEY NEED,
AND WE'LL CHECK IN ON THE 15-DAY AND 30-DAY INCREMENTS.
AND WE'LL SEE IF THE COCKROACH IS, IN FACT,
THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR.
Narrator: SO, WITH TWO WEEKS TO WAIT
UNTIL THE NEXT DEAD COUNT,
THE TEAM NEEDS SOMETHING ELSE TO DO.
AND THIS IS PERFECT --
A FOAMY FABLE STRAIGHT FROM THE FANSITE.
ONE, TWO, THREE.
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING THIS FOR?
LOOK, THERE IS ACTUALLY A MYTH ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
IF YOU TAKE A CAN OF SHAVING CREAM AND YOU FREEZE IT,
IF YOU TAKE OFF THE OUTSIDE AND PUT IT IN SOMEONE'S CAR,
IT'LL EXPAND TO FILL THE CAR.
SHAVING CREAM IS A PRACTICAL-JOKE STAPLE
FOR ANY FRAT-BOY FUNSTER OR PERKY PRANKSTER.
BUT AS THE INTERNET RUMOR SUGGESTS,
COULD ONE CAN OF FROZEN SHAVING CREAM
REALLY INFLATE TO FILL A CAR?
SO, THE FIRST STEP IN THIS MYTH
IS TO FREEZE THE CAN OF SHAVING CREAM.
I'LL LEAVE IT IN THERE FOR A FEW HOURS,
AND WHILE THAT'S FREEZING, I'M GONNA GO GET CLEANED UP.
ALL RIGHT, I HAVE MY SHAVING CREAM.
IT'S FROZEN SOLID.
NOW ALL I NEED TO DO IS CUT OFF THE CAN.
HOPEFULLY IT WON'T EXPLODE IN MY FACE.
WHAT I SHOULD BE LEFT WITH
IS A CYLINDER OF FROZEN SHAVING CREAM,
AND I'LL STICK THAT INTO THE CAR,
AND HOPEFULLY AS IT STARTS TO THAW,
IT'LL EXPAND AND FILL UP THE WHOLE CAR.
QUICK, CLOSE THE DOOR.
Narrator: THIS CAPER PROMISES A CAR BURSTING WITH BUBBLES.
BUT TORY'S SCORING THIS MYTH LOW ON THE PRANK-O-METER,
LOWER EVEN THAN THE INFAMOUS BISCUIT BULLET.
Tory: THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAMEST PRANK I'VE EVER SEEN.
THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN OF SHAVING CREAM
IS GONNA FILL THE ENTIRE CAR.
Narrator: OBVIOUSLY, TORY THINKS
THIS FANSITE TOILETRY TALE STINKS,
BUT FIVE HOURS LATER...
OH, MY GOD! GRANT! GRANT, GET OVER HERE!
LOOK AT THIS! LOOK!
WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?
NOTHING.
OH. THAT IS SO UNAMAZING.
CLEARLY, THEY'RE UNIMPRESSED
WITH THE FOAM'S LACK OF INFLATION.
BUT THESE MERRY PRANKSTERS AREN'T DONE YET.
THAT WAS A LAME PRANK.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE DID BUY 50 CANS.
YEAH.
SO, IT'S TAKE TWO, AND THIS TIME,
IT'S 50 CANS INTO THE FREEZER.
AND, QUICK AS A FLASH...
ALL RIGHT, WE GOT TO MOVE FAST.
THESE THINGS ARE GONNA START DEFROSTING.
IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME
AS GRANT AND TORY GRIND OPEN ALL 50 FROZEN CANS.
OKAY. [ LAUGHS ]
BUT ONCE THE CAR'S LOADED UP,
THE HOURS PASS IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
WHOA!
HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT?
NOTHING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S EXPANDED A LOT MORE
THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD.
Grant: THIS ISN'T A PRANK. IT'S A MINOR INCONVENIENCE.
WHAT YOU EXPECT WITH A PRANK LIKE THIS
IS SHAVING CREAM JUST BURSTING OUT OF THE WINDOWS.
Narrator: FANS SUGGESTED SHAVING FOAM, AND IT'S A FLOP.
BUT REST ASSURED
THE MYTHBUSTERS HAVE A LAST PLAN UP THEIR SLEEVE.
Grant: THE NEXT STEP IS WE'RE GONNA RAMP IT UP.
WE ARE GOING TO CREATE A SITUATION
WHERE FOAM IS GOING TO COME OUT OF THE WINDOWS,
POSSIBLY EXPLODE THE CAR.
Narrator: IN 1908,
THOUSANDS DOUBTED THE WRIGHT FLIER WOULD SUCCEED.
IN 1968, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ARGUED
THE FIRST 747 WAS TOO BIG TO FLY.
AND IN 2008, MILLIONS ARE CLASHING
OVER THE MYTH OF "PLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT."
Adam: EXCELLENT.
THAT LITTLE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF JUST LIKE I THOUGHT IT WOULD,
SO MYTH BUSTED, RIGHT?
NOT SO FAST, MAN.
YOU KNOW WE CAN'T LEAVE IT THERE.
YOU KNOW THIS DEBATE WOULD NEVER BE QUELLED
UNTIL YOU AND I DID IT FULL-SCALE,
AND THAT'S JUST WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
YES, I DO -- IT MEANS A REAL PLANE
AND IT MEANS A REALLY BIG CONVEYOR BELT.
AND, HEY, PRESTO, THIS SHOULD DO IT --
A 2,000-FOOT LENGTH OF TARPAULIN
WHICH THEY CAN DRAG BEHIND A TRUCK
TO CREATE THE BIGGEST CONVEYOR BELT IN HISTORY.
AND WITH THAT SORTED, THEY CRUISE DOWN TO CASTLE AIRPORT...
I LOVE IT. THAT THING'S GREAT.
Narrator: ...WHERE THEY MEET
THE OTHER INGREDIENT FOR THIS MYTH,
KAMIKAZE ULTRALIGHT PILOT MARK JOHNSON.
IT'S THE CADILLAC OF ULTRALIGHTS.
IT'S 400 POUNDS.
THE ENGINE'S 100, SO THE PLANE ITSELF IS ONLY 300,
AND IT WILL TAKE OFF STRAIGHT UP 1,200 FEET A MINUTE.
IT'S QUITE AMAZING.
IT'S AMAZING, BUT WILL IT TAKE OFF ON THE CONVEYOR BELT?
WELL, I'M EAGER TO GET GOING.
WILL YOU RUN THIS THROUGH ITS PACES
SO WE CAN GET SOME ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS OFF OF IT
BEFORE WE START TESTING?
FANTASTIC.
Narrator: IT'S BIGGER SCALE AND A BIGGER CHALLENGE
WITH MARK'S LIFE ON THE LINE.
JUST LIKE IN SMALL SCALE,
THE MYTHBUSTERS NEED DISTANCE AND SPEED MEASUREMENTS
TO GET THIS MYTH OFF THE GROUND.
ALL RIGHT, DISTANCE TO TAKE OFF. GOOD TO GO.
JAMIE GIVES CLEARANCE,
MARK FLOORS IT, AND IN NO TIME AT ALL...
TAKEOFF DISTANCE -- 85 FEET.
THAT'S FANTASTIC FOR US.
Narrator: FANTASTIC.
NEXT, THE GUYS NEED THE TAKEOFF SPEED.
Adam: WE GOT THE COCKPIT CAMERA
THAT WE PUT ON THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR IN MILES PER HOUR.
LET'S SEE WHAT ITS TAKEOFF SPEED WAS.
YEAH, ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
AND WITH SPEED AND DISTANCE COVERED,
IT'S TIME TO LAUNCH FULL-SCALE.
FIRST UP, MARK'S ULTRALIGHT
WILL BE MOVED ONTO THE TARPAULIN TREADMILL.
THEN JAMIE WILL ATTACH HIS PICKUP TO THE END OF THE TARP.
HE'LL PULL IT AT 25 MILES PER HOUR
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE ULTRALIGHT,
JUST AS MARK TRIES TO TAKE OFF.
THAT'S THE PLAN, SO WHERE'S THE TARP?
WE'VE GOT 2,000 FEET OF 12-FOOT-WIDE TARP
WHICH WE'RE GONNA DRAG BEHIND JAMIE'S PICKUP TRUCK,
EFFECTIVELY MAKING THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CONVEYOR BELT.
Narrator: IT'S THE JUMBO JET OF CONVEYOR BELTS,
AND AN EXCITED ADAM HAS SWAPPED HIS TWO-WHEEL CHARIOT
FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE BIGGER.
[ LAUGHING ]
HERE'S WHAT I'M THINKING OF DOING.
I'M THINKING WE DROP THIS BURRITO OF TARP ON THE GROUND...
...ATTACH IT...
OKAY. GOOD.
AND THEN DRAG IT ALL THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY.
OKAY.
Narrator: IT'S A SIMPLE PLAN WHICH ADAM,
PLAYING THE ROLE OF THE AIRPLANE, DEMONSTRATES.
BUT THERE'S TROUBLE WHEN HE RIPS HOLES IN THE TARP.
SORRY.
AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM.
Adam: SO, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS WE THOUGHT.
THE WIND'S SHIFTING DOWN THE RUNWAY.
IT'S ONLY ABOUT 10 OR 15 DEGREES, BUT EACH TIME IT SHIFTS
IT'S THROWING THIS WHOLE THING IN A TIZZY.
Narrator: IT SEEMS TRADITIONAL "MYTHBUSTER" PATIENCE
HAS GONE WITH THE WIND.
YOU'RE GOING TO -- STOP.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE [BLEEP] YOU'RE GOING.
IF THIS WIND IS HEADING UP THE RUNWAY,
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
IT'S [BLEEP]
Narrator: OH, WELL.
IT'S TIME TO APPLY THE AIR BRAKES,
SO JAMIE CALLS IT QUITS.
Jamie: WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE WIND HAS PICKED UP.
IT'S CAUSING US A BIG PROBLEM, SO WE'RE OUT OF HERE.
WE'RE GONNA BE BACK EARLY IN THE MORNING.
Narrator: IT'S THE MOST REQUESTED FAN MYTH EVER,
SO FAILURE TO LAUNCH IS NOT AN OPTION FOR THE MYTHBUSTERS.
TOMORROW IS THEIR LAST CHANCE TO BLOW AWAY THIS MYTH.
TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
"WILL COCKROACHES INHERIT THE EARTH AFTER A NUCLEAR BLAST?"
KARI, TORY, AND GRANT
HAVE EXPOSED COCKROACHES, FRUIT FLIES, AND FLOUR BEETLES
TO TERRIFYINGLY HIGH LEVELS OF RADIATION.
TRICKY LITTLE [BLEEP]
AND AT THE HALFWAY MARK OF THE EXPERIMENT...
OOH, IT STINKS. UGH.
...THE DEATH TOLL IS MOUNTING.
MOVE YOUR ANTENNA OVER A LITTLE BIT.
JUST A LITTLE. THAT'S GOOD. YEAH.
STRETCH OUT YOUR LEG.
JUST -- NO, THAT SIXTH ONE.
THERE YOU GO. PERFECT. YEP.
Narrator: BUT WITH TWO WEEKS TO GO, IT'S STILL TOO EARLY
TO CALL WHICH BUG WILL BE THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR.
PRACTICAL JOKES ARE GREAT FUN...
AS LONG AS THEY WORK.
BUT AS WE'VE SEEN, THE FOAM FIZZER FROM THE FANSITE
BARELY REGISTERED ON THE PRANK-O-METER.
Tory: THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAMEST PRANK I'VE EVER SEEN.
IT'S OF MICROSCOPIC PROPORTIONS.
Narrator: SO NOW THE TEAM IS TAKING IT TO ABSOLUTE MAX
WITH 25 GALLONS OF SOMETHING CALLED A.B. FOAM.
A.B. FOAM COMES AS A LIQUID. IT'S TWO PARTS.
YOU MIX EQUAL PARTS TOGETHER,
AND THEN YOU HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS OF MIXING TIME
BEFORE IT STARTS EXPANDING AND FOAMING UP.
BUT ONCE IT SETS AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES,
IT'S A HARD, RIGID, DENSE FOAM.
Narrator: IN FACT, IT'S SO QUICK TO EXPAND AND SO COHESIVE
THAT WHEN ADAM AND JAMIE BLEW UP A PLANE,
THEY USED A.B. FOAM TO SEAL THE DEAL.
ADAM: Attention, the plane is live.
BUT WHEN A.B. FOAM IS MIXED,
IT GIVES OFF HEAT IN AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION.
AND WITH 25 GALLONS OF THE STUFF,
THAT'S EVEN GOT TORY WORRIED.
Tory: WE'RE GONNA TAKE SOME SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA EMPTY OUT THE GAS. WE'RE GONNA EMPTY OUT THE OIL.
WE HAVE SOME FIRE EXTINGUISHERS STANDING BY.
IF IT DOES CATCH ON FIRE, IT CAN BURN ITSELF OUT
AND NO STRUCTURES WILL BE IN DANGER.
Narrator: WITH THE CAR SAFELY POSITIONED
AND READY TO BE FOAMED,
THE TEAM PULL ON COVERALLS AND RESPIRATORS
AND BUST SOME BEASTIE BOYS MOVES LIKE IT'S 1998.
[ HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS ]
[ RECORD SCRATCHES ]
WHAT'S THE PLAN, MAN?
THE PLAN IS WE'RE GONNA MIX UP ALL THIS A.B. FOAM
AS FAST AS WE CAN
AND GET IT INTO THE CAR BEFORE IT STARTS EXPANDING.
SO, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
DUDE, I HAVE NO IDEA.
I'VE NEVER MIXED UP THIS MUCH AT ONE TIME.
Narrator: SO IT'S A FIRST FOR TORY
AND POSSIBLY THE WORLD.
25 GALLONS OF LIQUID
IS EQUIVALENT TO AROUND 3.5 CUBIC FEET.
BUT ONCE MIXED, WILL THE CHEMICAL FOAM SWELL UP ENOUGH
TO FILL THE 90 CUBIC FEET OF SPACE INSIDE THE CAR?
ONE THING'S FOR SURE -- THERE'S NO TIME TO CONSIDER DETAILS.
Grant: ONCE YOU START MIXING, THERE'S NO, LIKE, WAITING
AND "OOPS, I DID IT WRONG."
NO, YOU HAVE TO GO, AND YOU HAVE TO GO IMMEDIATELY.
ONCE THIS THING STARTS TO GO,
YOU'VE GOT TO GET AS MANY KITS IN THERE AS POSSIBLE.
Narrator: THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO SECOND CHANCES IN THIS TEST,
BECAUSE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS,
THIS, UH, LUXURY SEDAN IS STUFFED FULL OF FOAM.
Kari: THIS IS MORE THAN A PRANK. THIS IS EVIL.
THIS IS A CAR THAT WILL NEVER, EVER DRIVE AGAIN.
JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW RIGID THIS FOAM IS...
LOOK AT THAT.
SOLID. SOLID.
THAT IS A MEAN, MEAN THING TO DO.
Narrator: IT'S NOT JUST MEAN.
IT'S HORRIFIC.
STRAIGHT FROM A HORROR FLICK,
THE A.B. BLOB CONSUMES ALL IN ITS PATH...
[ WOMAN SCREAMING ]
...MONSTROUSLY GROWING 25 TIMES ITS ORIGINAL SIZE
AND COMPLETELY FILLING THE SPACIOUS INTERIOR OF THE CAR.
YEAH, WE DID IT.
WE FILLED THE CAR UP WITH A.B. FOAM.
MY DREAM'S COME TRUE.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THIS, AND NOW I HAVE.
YOU KNOW, THE SHAVING CREAM WASN'T THAT GREAT OF A JOKE.
SO WE RAMPED IT UP, AND THIS IS WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
I'M TOTALLY SATISFIED.
I KNOW IF I WALKED UP TO MY CAR AND IT LOOKED LIKE THAT,
I'D BE PRETTY UPSET.
IT WOULD RUIN MY DAY, NOT TO MENTION MY CAR.
Narrator: OH, AND ANYBODY THINKING OF PRANKING THE TEAM,
HERE'S SOME TOUGH TALK FOR YOU.
DON'T MESS WITH US.
THAT'S WHAT YOU GET.
KARI, TORY, AND GRANT
HAVE BEEN PLAYING WITH DEADLY RADIATION.
CAPTAIN, I RECOMMEND WE SET ALL PHASERS TO STUN.
Narrator: THEY'VE EXPOSED
COCKROACHES, FRUIT FLIES, AND FLOUR BEETLES
TO THREE LEVELS OF THIS INVISIBLE KILLER.
BUT WHICH ONE WILL BE CROWNED THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR?
THAT WAS A MONTH AGO,
AND EVER SINCE, THEY'VE BEEN COUNTING THE DEAD.
Kari: 10.
UGH, NO HEAD ON THAT ONE.
Narrator: IT'S BEEN A MORBID 30 DAYS,
BUT REMEMBER, THESE INSECTS
WERE ALWAYS BRED FOR DEATH BY SCIENCE.
[ SOBBING ]
Narrator: JUST LIKE TORY, THE INSECTS HAVE BEEN HIT HARD,
BUT THERE ARE SURVIVORS.
Kari: YOU KNOW, THIS IS CRAZY. THIS IS THE 10,000 RAD.
THIS IS 10 TIMES THE LETHAL DOSE FOR HUMANS,
AND LOOK HOW MANY COCKROACHES ARE STILL KICKING.
Narrator: AND THE FLOUR BEETLES HAVE GONE ONE BETTER.
Grant: I HAVE HERE IN MY HAND THE ONLY REMAINING LIFE-FORM
TO HAVE SURVIVED A 100,000-RAD DOSE OF RADIATION,
THE FLOUR BEETLE.
Narrator: SO, IS THIS MYTH BUSTED OR CONFIRMED?
Kari: AND...DONE.
OKAY, SO THE IDEA WAS THAT COCKROACHES WOULD BE
THE ONLY THING TO SURVIVE A NUCLEAR BLAST.
WHAT DID WE GET?
WELL, REMARKABLY, COCKROACHES ARE REALLY GOOD SURVIVORS.
AFTER 30 DAYS, THE ONES EXPOSED TO 10,000 RADS
STILL HAD 30% STILL ALIVE,
AND THE ONES EXPOSED TO 1,000 RAD HAD 50% STILL ALIVE.
IT'S PRETTY AMAZING.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE,
CONSIDERING IF WE WERE EXPOSED TO 1,000 RAD, WE'D BE DEAD.
SO IT'S CONFIRMED.
COCKROACHES OUTSURVIVE HUMANS AFTER A NUCLEAR BLAST.
TRUE, BUT WE TESTED THREE TYPES OF INSECTS,
AND THE OTHER TWO DID MUCH BETTER THAN COCKROACHES.
YEAH, THE FRUIT FLIES DID REALLY WELL
UNTIL THEY DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES.
THEN THE FLOUR BEETLES -- WELL, THEY WERE THE STRONGEST.
AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO 100,000 RAD,
WHICH IS 100 TIMES THE AMOUNT THAT WOULD KILL US,
THERE WERE STILL 10% ALIVE.
THE COCKROACHES -- THERE WAS NONE THAT SURVIVED
AFTER THAT KIND OF EXPOSURE.
SO THE FINAL RESULT IS
THAT ALL THE INSECTS OUTSURVIVE HUMANS,
BUT AS FAR AS INHERITING THE EARTH,
THERE ARE MUCH BETTER CANDIDATES THAN THE COCKROACH.
BUSTED.
JUST LIKE OUR CHANCES OF REPRODUCING.
Narrator: IN 100 YEARS OF FLIGHT,
MAN HAS TRIED TO GET OFF THE GROUND IN SOME INVENTIVE WAYS.
BUT NONE HAVE CAUSED SUCH HEATED PUBLIC DEBATE
AS THIS FLIGHT OF FANCY.
IF A MANNED AIRPLANE IS ON A CONVEYOR BELT
AND BOTH ARE GOING AT THE AIRPLANE'S TAKEOFF SPEED
BUT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS,
WILL THE PLANE BE HELD WHERE IT IS,
OR WILL IT TAKE OFF?
YESTERDAY, BIG-SCALE HIT BIG PROBLEMS.
THE CROSSWIND BLEW AWAY ANY CHANCE OF A TEST.
Adam: IF THIS WIND IS HEADING UP THE RUNWAY,
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
Adam: IT'S DAWN ON THE TARMAC, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE,
BECAUSE THERE'S NO WIND FOR, WE'RE TOLD,
THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS OF THE MORNING.
WE ARE HAULING *** BECAUSE THE TARP IS PERFECT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S LIKE MAKING A VERY BIG BED.
Narrator: WITH LESS THAN A GUFF OF AIR MOVEMENT,
YOU COULD SAY THE MYTHBUSTERS HAVE BROKEN WIND.
THIS IS LOOKING GREAT.
BUT ANOTHER DISCOVERY
COULD SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZE THIS TEST.
Adam: YESTERDAY, WHILE JAMIE WAS DRIVING,
JUST AT A SLOW SPEED, I DECIDED TO RUN ON THE TARP
'CAUSE I THOUGHT IT'D BE FUNNY.
BUT EVERY TIME MY FOOT HIT THE TARP,
IT TORE A HUGE HOLE IN IT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M PICTURING AS THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO,
THAT THE MOMENT THAT PLANE STARTS TO ROLL
AND JAMIE STARTS TO DRIVE IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION,
THE TARP JUST RIPS ALL INTO HELL.
Narrator: EVEN THOUGH HE'S FACING
A BIZARRE CONVEYOR-BELT DEATH,
MARK SEEMS UNFLAPPABLE.
BUT WITH 10 YEARS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE,
WHAT DOES HE THINK OF THE MYTH?
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS CONVEYOR BELT
WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP YOUR PLANE FROM TAKING OFF?
YES -- IF I MATCH MY SPEED
EXACTLY THE SAME SPEED FORWARD AS IT'S GOING BACKWARD,
AND THERE'S NO AIR OVER THE WINGS,
I SHOULD JUST SIT THERE LIKE A BRICK.
HANG ON.
I SHOULD JUST SIT THERE LIKE A BRICK.
SO, THE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES.
PILOT MARK BELIEVES THE MYTH
THAT THE PLANE WILL BE HELD IN PLACE BY THE BELT.
AND IF WE DO TAKE OFF, I'M GONNA BE A SURPRISED INDIVIDUAL.
IT'S SURPRISING, BUT SMALL-SCALE PROVED
THE PLANE GOT ENOUGH LIFT FOR TAKEOFF.
SO THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
TO SETTLE THE ARGUMENT ONCE AND FOR ALL.
YOU GUYS READY TO DO THIS THING?
I'M READY.
LET'S DO IT.
Narrator: IT'S TIME TO GO BIG-SCALE,
AND WITH JAMIE'S PICKUP PULLING A MASSIVE CONVEYOR BELT
IN ONE DIRECTION,
WILL A MANNED AIRCRAFT
GOING THE SAME SPEED IN THE OTHER DIRECTION
HAVE THE LIFT IT NEEDS TO GET AIRBORNE?
MARK DOES HIS FINAL CHECKS.
MAN: Light sport, you're clear to take off.
Mark: COPY THAT.
JAMIE'S ALL SET.
THE TRUCK IS IN GEAR.
I'M GOOD TO GO, OVER.
THIS IS FULL-SIZE "AIRPLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT,"
FOR REAL THIS TIME.
Narrator: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WAIT IN ANTICIPATION.
AND ADAM GIVES THE THUMBS-UP.
Adam: GO, JAMIE, GO.
MARK AND JAMIE ACCELERATE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.
AND IT'S ARGUABLY THE MOST INCREDIBLE SIGHT
SINCE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS GOT AIRBORNE.
[ LAUGHING ]
Narrator: A VERY SURPRISED MARK JOHNSON
TAKES OFF IN HIS PLANE FROM A CONVEYOR BELT.
Adam: THAT WORKED!
OH, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!
GO, JAMIE, GO.
Narrator: A BEAUTIFUL TAKEOFF --
EVEN WITH THE CONVEYOR BELT
MATCHING THE PLANE'S TAKEOFF SPEED,
THE PLANE MOVES FORWARD PAST THE TRAFFIC CONES
AND EASILY TAKES TO THE SKIES.
NICE WORK.
Jamie: ONCE WE STARTED TO ROLL,
I GUNNED IT.
I GOT UP AT A FAIRLY GOOD CLIP.
I WAS TOTALLY EXPECTING TO WATCH THE CLOTH JUST RIP.
AND SAFELY BACK ON THE GROUND,
MARK IS ONE HELL OF A STUNNED PILOT.
THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THAT WORKED LIKE A CHARM.
GOOD JOB.
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL BUSTED ON "MYTHBUSTERS."
SUPERIOR HELP -- THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Mark: THAT'S WHAT I CALL AMAZING.
YES.
I WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT IT JUST TOOK OFF NORMALLY.
I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD JUST SIT HERE LIKE A BRICK.
Adam: IT WAS BEAUTIFUL BEING OVER THERE
AND WATCHING THE TARP MOVING LIKE THIS,
AND YOU JUST TOOK OFF LIKE IT WASN'T EVEN THERE.
YOU HAD NO RELATIONSHIP TO IT.
THAT'S TRUE, AND I'M TOTALLY SURPRISED.
AWESOME. THAT WAS SO GOOD.
BYE.
MAYBE WE CAN SUPER-SIZE THIS WITH A JET NEXT TIME.
[ IMITATES WHOOSHING ]
THIS ONE WAS SO CONTROVERSIAL.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE VERY PILOT WE HIRED TO TEST IT
THOUGHT THAT HIS PLANE WOULD REMAIN STATIONARY.
YEAH, FOR SOME REASON,
PEOPLE JUST CAN'T WRAP THEIR BRAINS AROUND THE FACT
THAT THE PLANE'S ENGINE IS NOT SENDING POWER TO THE WHEELS.
YEAH.
OKAY, LET'S GET OFFICIAL ABOUT THIS.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO CALL IT?
WELL, WE PUT THE PLANE ON A CONVEYOR BELT,
AND THE PLANE TOOK OFF JUST FINE, SO...
I'D SAY THAT'S BUSTED.
BUSTED.
OVER.
THAT SHAVING-FOAM EXPERIMENT WAS REALLY FUN.
YEAH, AND IT CAME FROM A VIEWER.
IT JUST SHOWS THAT EVEN FRAT-BOY PRANKS
CAN BE TESTED AS VIABLE MYTHS.
YEAH, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR MYTHS,
LOG ON TO discovery.com/mythbusters
AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU GOT.
[ LAUGHTER ]