All language subtitles for Mythbusters.S13E03.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-NTb_track3_[eng]

Remember, do not try anything
you are about to see at home.

Ohh!

Narrator: On this episode
of "mythbusters"...

[ laughing ]

...It's automotive mayhem
as the team smash...

Here we go!

...Thrash...

And bash...

...Through a trio
of hollywood crash clichés.

I think
it's truck-hunting season

At new mexico tech.

Narrator: There's
the slapstick slash...

[ shouts ]
uh-oh.

Tory: Fire!

...The hollywood hop...

Whoo-hoo!

...And finally,
a big-rig barge.

Did I ever tell you
how much I hate traffic?

So buckle up, because
it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Oh!

Yeah!

Who are the mythbusters?

Adam savage.

Working on these machines
is great for my skin.

...And jamie hyneman.

Don't call me rose.

Between them, more than 30 years
of special-effects experience.

Together with kari byron...

Kari: Let's do it.

[ alarm ringing ]
narrator: ...Tory belleci...

Isn't that right,
buster?

...And grant imahara.

Save yourselves!

Narrator: 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

Do you go to
the movies often?

No.

All right, but you are aware
that they get made

In a place called
hollywood, right?

Sure.

Okay. I'll proceed.

Hollywood's relationship
to physics

Has provided us with
some of our best episodes,

And this episode
is no exception.

How so?

Well, we have two stories
about cars

And how they crash.

The first one is kind of
an old slapstick routine.

[ projector runs ]

[ upbeat piano music plays ]

Two workmen are carrying

A huge pane of glass
across the street,

And a vehicle driving
down that street

Doesn't see the glass
and drives right through it...

[ shouting ]

Shattering and destroying
all the glass

But leaving the workers
completely unharmed.

[ music concludes ]

You mean they don't bleed.
That's right.

The two guys carrying the glass
are completely unbloodied

At the end of this.

So how do you figure
we should test this?

Well, I think it's
pretty straightforward.

We get several
different types of glass,

We get workers that can bleed
if they've been hit,

And a car, and we're
pretty much ready to go.

Sounds good.
Let's hit the road.

No, you mean
"let's hit the glass."

Narrator: So, to find out
if the window fitters

Would be glazed and confused
or "pane"-fully wounded,

First, adam gets to work
on some bleedin' workmen.

Adam: What I need to make
is a human analog

That can potentially get injured

In the way that the glass
might hurt them --

I.E., getting slashed.

So, that's what I'm about to do.

Narrator: Yep, adam's got

A slashable surrogate
in the pipeline.

All that work to put four pieces
of pipe back together.

Narrator:
By wrapping a foamy layer
of flesh in a plastic skin...

Worst duvet cover ever.

Narrator:
...Binding it in place...

...And then giving it
a transfusion...

[ laughs ]

...It's ready to draw
the first blood.

Okay. Good.

I'm gonna simulate
a glass injury now.

Here we go.

[ laughs ]

Oh!

By now,
it should be pretty obvious

How we intend
this human analog to work.

These are gonna be placed
next to the glass

That we're driving through
in our car.

If any of the glass
slices through

And causes an injury
to our human,

We know that's an injury
you would've sustained

If you were carrying glass
when someone drove through it.

Narrator:
Adam's plastic-wrap design

Mimics the slashability
of human skin,

So now they're ready to cut
to the chase.

This is a perfect street
to make some glass fly.

Step one is to set up
their window workers.

Stand back!
We got a bleeder!

That's perfect.

With the blood pumped
into both pipe people...

Adam: The first hurdle
of the day has been crossed --

That is, no leaks
in my bleeders.

Narrator:
...They each get a pretty face.

And then in rolls
the final ingredient.

Here comes the glass.

[ horn honks ]

But there's more
than one type of glass

On the back of that truck...

Hey.

...For good reason.

Adam: Now, clearly,
our world is full of glass,

But all glass
does not break equally.

In the world, there are
three main types of glass

That we encounter.

The first one is tempered glass.
It's been specially hardened.

That also means
it's especially brittle,

And it breaks into
a million little pieces,

Like the side window
in your car.

The second type
is laminated glass.

This is two regular
sheets of glass

With a gum layer in between,

And when it breaks,
it stays together,

Like the windshield of your car.

The third
is regular window glass.

There's nothing special
about this

Except that it breaks
into bigger chunks.

Of these three kinds,
I have to say, this one --

That doesn't scare me that much.

Little pieces? Not so much.

These big chunks?

They scare the hell out of me.

You ready?
Yeah.

Narrator: And it's those scary,
big chunks that make plate glass

The most obvious choice
to test first.

Whoo! There it is.

Plate glass.
Guaranteed destruction.

Because not only does it have
serious potential for piercing,

It's also the most common.

Adam: This is basic glass,
straightforward glass,

Except this 1/4-inch-thick piece

Is 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall,

And I believe has the most
amount of potential

For rendering
our glass movers dead.

But, we got to drive through it
to find out.

And while adam and I
are going to be

Doing this experiment
from within

The relative safety of the car,

There is a certain element
of risk,

And so, with that in mind,
we're gonna be wearing helmets.

And to make sure no glass
penetrates the cab of our car,

We've covered and protected
our windshield

With a nice, fat sheet
of 1/4-inch-think polycarbonate.

Narrator: That's right,
because this myth all comes down

To the injuries outside the car.

Okay. This is for real.

Plate glass
at 30 miles an hour.

3, 2, 1!
Here we go.

[ chuckles ]

It just sunk in,
what we're actually doing.

Jamie: You're at 30.

I'm at 30. Here we go.

I'm in the slot.
I'm in the slot.

Ramming speed!
Here we go!

Whoa!

Narrator: The guys clearly broke
the [chuckles] "pane" barrier,

Shattering the glass
into thousands of shards.

But the question is,

How did the foam fill-ins
handle the shatter?

Adam:
[ laughing ] oh, no!

[ laughs ]

Oh, dude!
We got a gusher.

Jamie: [ chuckles ]

But then that was
his only purpose in life.

Yeah, he bled out
pretty quickly, didn't he.

Only one spot?
That's all we got?

Only one spot.

This guy is totally fine.

Narrator: Yep, unlike
the slapstick smash cliché,

The glass isn't the only thing

That's worse for wear
after the crash.

But what's surprising
is that one workman

Managed to survive
without a scratch.

I have to admit
I am kind of shocked

By how relatively little damage
our glass movers sustained

From the hitting
of the plate glass.

I mean, look at these chunks.

These things
would take your arm off,

And yet we ended up with

One little, one small,
and one kind of big laceration.

I'm surprised.

Narrator: So there could be
an element of truth

To the slapstick story.

But with two more types
of glass to try,

This myth isn't in
the clear yet.

Adam: Whoa!

Next up,
it's weapons versus wheels.

All right,
so hollywood car carnage --

I know you got
something good.

What is it?

This one is s.U.V.
Versus rpg.

Okay,
now that's a classic.

Yeah, I mean, you've seen this
in so many action films,

Where a black s.U.V.
With tinted windows

Gets hit with an rpg,

But instead of exploding,
it actually flips the vehicle.

Dude, that is awesome.
I love it.

I thought you would.
[ chuckles ]

[ projector runs ]

Narrator: It's classic
action-movie mayhem

When a bad guy's bazooka
takes out the good guy's s.U.V.

The car spins off its wheels.

But could an rpg really
make an s.U.V. Defy grav-I-ty?

Well, I think the plan
is pretty straightforward.

We find an s.U.V.,
we shoot it with an rpg,

And see if it flips
like in the movies.

Sounds good to me,
but you know what?

I got one suggestion.

We shoot two s.U.V.S --

One stationary
and one in motion --

'cause I've seen it both ways
in different movies.

That way,
we cover all our bases.

You just want to shoot
two rpgs.

Yep.

I have no problem
with that.

Me, neither.

Narrator: And where better
to take this myth for a spin

Than the middle of the desert?

I'm ready to shoot an rpg
how about you guys?

I think it's
truck-hunting season

At new mexico tech.

So, we're back here
at new mexico tech --

You know, the school
where you can get a degree

In blowing [bleep] up.

Well, last time we were here,
we made an rpg meet a bullet,

And you all remember
how that went.

Narrator: Yep -- whenever
the mythbusters get to grips

With rocket-propelled grenades,

The results are explosive.

So, first, they prep
their stationary s.U.V.

With the car ready
for the limelight,

It's maneuvered into position,
and then the firepower arrives.

What I have inside this box

Are the actual
rocket-propelled grenades.

These things are capable
of punching a hole

Through 6-inch-thick
steel plate.

They're actually a shaped charge
designed to pierce armor.

Kari: If you remember from
our previous episode,

This is how an rpg,

Or a rocket-propelled grenade,
works.

A primer sets off
the launch motor,

Pushes it out of the tube,

Acceleration arms the rpg,

And on impact, the piezoelectric
switch detonates

And hopefully flips over
an s.U.V.

Narrator: Hopefully.

So, while ordnance tech
john myrkle loads the launcher,

The team goes underground...

Grant:
I love this place.

Narrator:
...And waits for the all-clear.

So, we've retreated
to the bunker

Because it's way too dangerous

For us to be
anywhere near myrkle

While he's loading the rpg

When he's done there,

Then he's gonna come back here,

And we're gonna do our test.

Narrator: And with the grenade
locked and loaded,

They're ready for the flip.

[ siren wails ]

Okay. Here we go.

This is s.U.V. Flip
with rpg

In 3, 2, 1...

Ho ho ho ho!
Oh, wow!

Well, it didn't even come close
to flipping the s.U.V.

What did it do?

It looked like it kind of
blew out the front end.

Yeah, it doesn't look
anything like in hollywood.

Narrator: It was
lights, camera, and action,

But fact fell a long way
short of fiction...

Because despite being hit
by a rocket-propelled grenade,

There was absolutely
no liftoff for the s.U.V.

Kari: [ laughs ]

Well, that was
mighty unimpressive.

It looks cool, though.
Look at that hole.

But look at that.
It just punches a hole.

It didn't
blow it up and flip it.

Narrator: So, although
the rpg shaped charge

Burrowed all the way
into the engine block,

It wasn't enough
to match the movie magic.

So the rpg did exactly
what it was designed to do,

Which is to pierce the car

And penetrate
into the engine block.

What it didn't do was generate
a huge fireball

Like they do in hollywood.

And what's more,
the car didn't move at all.

It's not looking very good
for this myth.

Narrator: Indeed --
so far, they are 0 for 1,

But will that change
when they give this myth

Some forward momentum?

All: Whoa!

Narrator:
Coming up on "mythbusters"...

Did I ever tell you
how much I hate traffic?

Well, now's your chance
to even the score.

Narrator: The mythbusters are
testing this slapstick shatter.

[ shouts ]
uh-oh.

Did you hear something?

No.

And so far,

One workman has been
"pane"-fully wounded.

Oh, dude!
We got a gusher.

But to get all the facts
of the shatter,

They're trying some other
common types of glass.

The next piece of glass
we're gonna be driving through

In full scale
is laminated glass,

Referred to in the industry
as lami.

Now, remember, this is
two panes of regular glass

With a layer in between
of plastic

That keeps
the whole thing together

When you hit it.

Will that happen when we hit it?

That's what we're
about to find out.

Narrator: So this
windshield glass is designed

Not to shatter on impact
but to stay in one piece.

[ laughs ]

However, will that mean
that the workers

Get their slapstick happy ending
and remain unharmed?

Well, this time around,
the hyneman is behind the wheel,

And it's time to test
this hit-and-run.

Adam: Laminated glass.
30 miles an hour.

In 3, 2, 1, go!

Narrator: Jamie puts
the pedal to the metal...

Got to feel it.

...Gets the car up
to 30 miles per hour...

Thread the needle, baby.

...And the guys
brace for impact.

Here we go!

Ah! Whoa!

Adam: [ laughs ]

I'm okay. Are you okay?

I'm totally fine.

This time, it was
more fracture than fragment.

But the laminated glass
did separate more than expected.

Ah.

The laminated glass
did not stay together.

Jamie: It seems like it
more or less stayed in,

What -- a dozen pieces?

Also...

No blood.

No blood at all.

No blood whatsoever!

That was
a bloodless accident.

Yep -- on impact,

The glass cleaved
into large chunks,

Meaning that the bleeders
may have felt "pane,"

But they remained scratch-free.

Adam: I have to say,
from inside the car,

I was prepared
for a much bigger hit

Than we ended up
actually feeling,

But I did have
the distinct impression

Once we touched
the laminated glass

That we were driving through it
like a tunnel,

And here before me
is exactly that story.

Look at this --
a car-shaped hole in the glass.

Narrator:
So, after two shatter tests,

It's one apiece in
the injured-worker stakes.

So, now time for the decider --
the tempered glass.

But, will the so-called
safety glass be the safest yet?

Oh, nice.
I'm happy with that.

Adam gives it a spray

To make it visible
on high-speed,

And then it's make-or-break
for the myth.

Adam: I have a prediction
as to how this is gonna go.

I don't think
any of those little pieces

Are actually gonna harm
our dudes.

I think they're all
gonna fly forward,

And I think our dudes
are gonna be fine.

Narrator: That's adam's theory,
but now to test it.

Adam:
Okay. Here we go.

Tempered glass
at 30 miles an hour

In 3, 2, 1, and go!

[ laughs ]

Oh, this is awesome.

Jamie: You're at 30.
There we go. I'm at 30.

Oh, it's about to happen!

Yeah!
Yeah!

Wow!

[ laughs ]

That was awesome,

Except that I closed my eyes
right when it happened!

He may have closed his eyes,

But as they race back
to the bleeders,

The results
are a real eye-opener.

Holy crap!
Somebody's dead!

Yeah -- it's not in a very nice
place, either, is it?

Oh, man!

[ chuckles ]

Wow! Look at that!

That's tempered glass.

I thought this one
was gonna be the one

That didn't do anything to him,
and this guy is beat up.

And this guy, too.

It seems it's the way it
shatters that matters.

The tempered glass
is designed to break

Into thousands
of tiny pieces on impact,

But because those pieces
are flying through the air

At 30 miles an hour,

That's more than enough to cause

A death-by-a-thousand-cuts
situation.

Adam: Well, I was right
about one thing.

The tempered glass did break
into a million little pieces.

About everything else,
I was pretty off the mark.

The glass did not go forward
from the point of impact.

Well, a good portion of it did,

But about half of it also
went backwards

From the point of impact,
like an explosion.

And our two dudes
did not escape unscathed.

They had puncture wounds
all up and down their bodies.

I have a whole newfound respect
for tempered glass.

Narrator:
A whole newfound respect,

But how does that leave
the myth?

So when it comes to shattering
glass in slapstick movies,

How do we stand?

Well, the idea that
the guys moving the glass

Escape every, single time
completely unharmed,

I believe
that we've pretty much --

I believe that we've shattered
that myth.

You're a "pane."

[ both laugh ]

Let's go.

Oh, hold on a second.

Nice!

[ chuckles ]

Way to make an exit.

According to hollywood,

An rpg can flip an s.U.V.
Clear off its wheels.

But so far,
that hasn't been the case.

In test one, the rpg
did not flip the s.U.V.

So in test two,
it's gonna be moving.

We're going to see
if that momentum

Helps flip the s.U.V.
When it gets hit.

Now, for this test,
it's critically important

That the s.U.V. Be moving
in a straight line

And not connected to anything

That might prevent it
from flipping.

To keep the s.U.V.
Going straight,

We have a pole in front
and a pole in back

That rides in this channel,

And then we have
the s.U.V. Anchored

At the top of a hill by a cable.

When we're ready
to start the test,

We fire a cable cutter
that releases it

And lets it start to roll,
and gravity does the rest.

When the s.U.V.
Reaches the end of the track,

We will remotely fire the rpg
into the front end

To see if we can
flip the vehicle.

Narrator: And with the s.U.V.
Poised at the crest of the hill,

The team hunker in the bunker
once again.

Grant: All right.
Here we go.

Like last time, the rpg
will hit the hood head on,

But will that flip the s.U.V.
Off its wheels?

All right -- s.U.V. Away

In 3, 2, 1, fire!

The s.U.V. Is released...

It's picking up speed.

...And gravity propels it
to its rpg destiny.

All: Oh!
[ laughter ]

Wow! Did you see
the front end?

Looked like it
popped up a bit.

Grant: Yeah, it popped up,
but that's not a flip.

That means this is busted.

It was so cool,
but it's busted.

Totally.
But that was a nice shot.

Narrator: Nice shot.

Still, no flippin' cigar.

In fact, the rpg
didn't even stop the s.U.V.,

And the car
continued to roll up the bank.

Grant:
So, this myth is busted.

Well, when you think about it,
the job of an rpg

Is not to flip vehicles.

It's designed to pierce armor,

And that's exactly what it did.

It punched through
the condenser, the radiator,

All the way into
the engine block,

But it did not flip the vehicle.

[ projector runs ]

Narrator: Yep -- there's
no doubt that the live action

Doesn't match the action film,

But that's never deterred
the mythbusters before.

Tory: This myth is busted,
but we're not gonna stop here.

No, this is my favorite part
of the show,

Where we're gonna
replicate the results.

Oh, this is gonna be fun.

Narrator: Next up,
it's a cinematic solution

To traffic jams.

So what's our next
crash myth?

Well,
it's a common movie trope.

First,
I need you to picture

A couple of lines of cars
sitting in traffic

When another character
in the movie

Is driving a giant truck
at high speed along city streets

When he approaches
these cars standing still.

There's not enough space for him
to get through, but no matter.

He revs his engine
and barrels right up the middle,

Sending cars flying willy-nilly
and continuing on his way.

I don't know whether that
would happen or not,

But sounds like
it's gonna be fun to test it.

Yep --
according to the movies,

A tailback is no match
for a truck.

But could you really keep on
truckin' through traffic

Or is this big-rig barge rigged?

Look, I think
we get a bunch of cars,

Put them out on the tarmac,
get a giant truck,

And see if we can't
plow right through.

And I think I've got
just the truck.

Awesome.

When it comes
to head-on collisions...

Wow!

...This truck has had
its fair share

Of fender benders.

And for jato 3,

It even became
a rocket-proof bunker.

[ laughs ]

So now it's armored, dangerous,

And perfect
for ramming into traffic.

Well, almost.

If our dump truck
is going to survive

Pushing through
two lines of cars,

It's gonna need
a super-powerful bumper.

Okay.

So we're putting on
a much more powerful bumper.

This steel, these tubes,

6x8 inches,
1/2-inch-thick steel.

They are beefy as...

Every word I was thinking of
was a curse,

So they're just beefy.

Yes, to make sure the truck will
survive to drive another day,

Jamie finishes
bolstering the bumper

While adam's
playing in traffic.

This gives a whole new meaning
to driving a car.

If we're gonna drive our truck
into a couple of lines of cars,

We're gonna need --
you guessed it --

A couple of lines of cars.

Did I ever tell you
how much I hate traffic?

Well, now's your chance
to even the score.

[ laughs ]

Narrator:
So, with 10 cars in 2 lines

And a dump truck ready to rage,

Will there be some fact
to the hollywood fiction?

Jamie: This truck weighs
over 30,000 pounds.

Those 10 cars over there
also add up

To somewhere
over 30,000 pounds.

But the thing is,
the truck's gonna be moving

At around 40 miles an hour
when it hits them,

So it's gonna impart
several times its own weight

To those cars.

And that means
the truck is gonna win.

But whether it also means
that it's gonna be able

To move completely
through the cars and keep going,

Like it does in the movies,
or not,

That's another thing,
and that I'm not so sure about.

Narrator:
Well, now to find out

By tackling this
head-on collision head on.

All right. Here we go.

Plowing through traffic

In 3, 2, 1, go!

30,000 pounds of truck
heaves into action

As jamie slowly accelerates
down the runway...

...And once he hits
40 miles an hour...

Go! Go! Go!

...He maintains his speed
until...

Wow!
[ laughs ]

Holy crap!

That lifted up our truck!

Yeah.

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

Wow!

We didn't make it
through it, though.

We didn't make it
through at all.

Wow! That was awesome!

Yep -- "awesome"
just about covers it,

As initially, it looked like
the truck would make it

All the way through the queue,

But eventually,
that 10-car pileup

Proved too much
for the dump truck.

Well, clearly,
the first two cars we hit

Were the worst off
for this impact,

But all of the cars actually got
quite a bit of damage.

This is a pretty impressive
amount of impact

For all of them.

Adam:
So, let me play out for you

What this scene of damage
actually represents.

These two cars here

Have skipped forward
by two full car lengths.

The van here has skipped forward

By one whole times
its own length.

That means
that the truck stopped

At just about where the fourth
cars were in the line.

Narrator: So, although the truck
did a number on the traffic,

It failed to ram the entire jam.

Well, if that truck

With that bumper on it
couldn't do it,

They're not doing it.

No, it's totally,
totally busted.

However...
Uh-oh.

...It does start the wheels
to turning, though, don't it?

Certainly does.

Oh, and [laughs]

Check out how much time
is left in this episode.

We're not even close
to the end.

Let's get to work.
All right.

The team is on the flip side
of the s.U.V. Spin,

And it's clear that this myth
is nothing but hollywood hype.

Well, you know what?

I think we owe it
to our fans

To give them the hollywood-style
flip that they want to see

By any means necessary.

Now that sounds like fun.
I love it.

Narrator:
Yep -- it's time to borrow
some tinseltown tactics...

[ grunts ]

...And finally put the twist
in this tale.

Kari: Now, for that,
we're gonna need three things.

We're gonna need
some sort of dummy rpg

Flying towards an s.U.V.

We're gonna need something
that explodes

And something
that flips the s.U.V.

And that's what we're gonna do.

Narrator: So it's
destination silver screen,

And step one requires something
to flip the s.U.V.

Grant: So, this nitrogen cannon
is gonna give us the punch

We need to actually
do the flipping on the car.

A lot of the weight
has been removed

Here in the engine compartment,
as you can see.

There's a distinct
lack of engine.

All I have to do
is put some supports in here

And then mount the cannon.

Narrator: But despite
the lack of engine...

Bring it in.

...It's still a bit of a squeeze
to pimp his ride.

Grant: All right.
So this is the moment of truth.

The cannon's installed
in the car.

Let's see if it still
looks like an s.U.V.

Awesome.

Bring on the rpg

Narrator:
With the jump in the front,

It's out to the range,

Where the piston
is welded to a trench plate

And the cannon
is carefully lowered onto it.

Grant: Okay, keep coming.
You're good.

Okay. Hold there.

That's a good sign.

All right.
You hit the hole.

Narrator:
So, step two of this stunt

Is a bazooka-toting bad guy
with his charade grenade.

I know what you're thinking.

"how the heck did you guys
get a real rpg?

Aren't those illegal
in california?"

Well, this isn't a real rpg.
It's a prop.

I made it back in the shop
out of plastic.

But the job here
was to get it to fire

Like an actual rpg
for this stunt.

So, I've also made
this fake grenade launcher,

And the way
I'm gonna get this to fly

Is I'm gonna use a model rocket.

Now, the way we're gonna be able
to hit our s.U.V.

Is we're gonna have a guideline
from our hero into the s.U.V.

To start
this whole car flip off.

Narrator: But with only
a fake grenade in the chamber,

They'll need something extra
to create the big-screen boom.

Now for our big hollywood boom.

We don't want the high-velocity
explosive of c-4.

We don't want
the pushing power of anfo.

We want a big fireball.

Okay. Here we go.

Special brew.

So we're gonna just do
a little pyrotechnic trick.

We're going to use some fuel
and get the kind of explosion

That gives us a fireball without
actually a "boom" explosion.

Narrator:
It's the final element

To re-create
this celluloid stunt.

So grant charges the cannon.

Okay. Good to go.

The crew retreats,

And it's quiet on set
as they prepare for launch.

Okay.

All right.
It's the big moment.

Grant: Okay.

All right, this is hollywood
s.U.V. Flip with an rpg

In 3, 2, 1, fire!

Narrator:
Tory releases the dummy grenade,

And then grant
triggers the cannon,

And boom!

But...

Kari:
Wait a minute.

That's not how it happens
in hollywood.

It didn't flip, man.
Aw...

What happened?
I don't know.

Narrator:
The stunt went off with a bang,

But not the kind
they were expecting.

That wasn't
a hollywood ending.

That's more like
just a car-becue.

We better call
the fire department.

[ siren wails ]

Narrator: As the firemen
douse the wreckage,

It's clear that this stunt
was a little more

Classic "mythbusters"
than classic hollywood.

Now, we shot the rpg.

The gas bomb went off,
but for some reason,

The nitrogen piston didn't fire,

And therefore,
the car didn't flip.

If this had happened
in a hollywood movie,

You would never see it --
it would not make the cut.

But here on "mythbusters,"
when something goes wrong...

...It becomes part of our story.

Thank god,
for us on "mythbusters,"

Failure is always an option.

Narrator: Next, the team
is armed and dangerous.

[ british accent ]
don't worry, honey.

I'm not afraid of you.
You're practically armless.

[ laughs ]

Narrator: But can they finally
flip their lid?

Kari: Fire!

Never try anything
you see on the show at home.

The experiments we do
are very dangerous.

And we have experts
to keep us safe.

Narrator: According to
the hollywood highway code,

A truck could ram
through a traffic jam.

But so far,
although it's been smashing,

This trucking tale is busted.

Adam: Wow!

Jamie: We didn't
make it through it, though.

We didn't make it
through at all.

So now the mythbusters
are on a mission

To get a truck through traffic,

And to do that,
back at the shop,

They're taking inspiration
from an old-school source.

We have a method
to do this that,

Even though
it's like 150 years old,

I think it's gonna work
beautifully.

So, we're gonna be welding
some big chunks of steel.

[ projector runs ]

Narrator:
When locomotives of old

Needed to get big things
out of their way fast,

They used
the aptly-named cowcatcher.

And now the mythbusters

Are putting
their own slant on history

For their retro design.

That goes
right through the middle.

First, they weld
a massive steel frame...

This is gonna be
a finger buster.

...Which then gets dressed
in sheets of steel.

We mean business.

But as this steampunk shovel
takes shape,

Just how is it gonna work?

Jamie: What you've got here
is six triangular plates

Attached to
a very strong central frame

That's bolted
to the bumper of the truck.

Now, the idea I have here is

That this semi-conical frame
will come in low on the cars,

And then lift and separate them,

Allowing us to pass between them
the most efficiently

And also be the least likely
to slow us down.

This thing's cool,
isn't it?

Yeah, I can't wait
to see this thing go.

[ chuckles ]
lift and separate.

Yes.
[ laughs ]

Narrator: And now that they've
completed their design,

They're ready to drive a wedge
through this myth.

[ imitates horn honk ]

[ both laugh ]

Nice.

Now, so far in testing
our hollywood-style

S.U.V. Meets rpg myth,

We tried it once hollywood style

And we had a little mishap.

That's not how it happens
in hollywood.

It didn't flip, man.
Aw...

But no worries.

We've got a brand-new s.U.V.,

And I recycled the piston
out of the other s.U.V.

And put it into this one,

And hopefully today we will get
that hollywood-style stunt.

All right.
Come on down.

Looking good.

Narrator: The new s.U.V.
Is lowered onto the piston.

Perfect.

Then the boom gets aboard.

And kari arms the shooter.

[ british accent ]
don't worry, honey.

I'm not afraid of you.
You're practically armless.

[ laughs ]

Narrator:
Grant then primes his cannon,

And finally,
tory wires the fake grenade.

Now, just to remind you,
this is our bad guy --

Or good guy, depending on
which movie you're watching.

He is gonna launch the rpg
down this guide wire.

And when the rpg
hits the grille,

We will set off
the gas explosion

And the air cannon
at the exact same time

So it looks like
an exploding, flipping s.U.V.

From a hollywood movie.

Narrator: The scene is set,

And if everything goes
according to plan...

All right.
Let's flip this thing.

...This time,
their hollywood hop

Should go off without a hitch.

Standing by.

Charging.

All right. Here we go.

This is rpg versus s.U.V.
Hollywood flip.

In 3, 2, 1...

Fire!

Whoo-hoo!

Wow!

Now, that's what I call
doing it hollywood style.

That was
a nice explosion.

Good one.
Whoo!

[ laughs ]

Narrator: Yep -- everything
finally came together...

With the s.U.V.
Leaping into the air

And exploding on cue.

Because sometimes the truth...

...Shouldn't get in the way
of a good story,

Especially
when it comes to explosions.

Kari:
Let's compare high-speeds --

Reality versus hollywood.

Now, in reality, our rpg
hits the front of our s.U.V.,

There's a hole, and then

[scoffs] a little bit
of a poof of color.

Now, in our hollywood version,

Rpg flies towards the s.U.V.

A beautiful plume
of orange and yellow and red

Explode from the car
as it flies through the air.

Reality? Eh.

Hollywood? Yeah!

Narrator: Indeed,
because this is what you get

When you follow
that old hollywood mantra

"fake it till you make it."

Well, I think
the timing was perfect.

Yeah,
and it takes all that

Just to get
a hollywood-style ending.

But as far as a real rpg
hitting an s.U.V...

It'll never flip it,
not in a million years.

This one's busted.

That was cool, though.
Let's watch it again.

Narrator: Next...

Can you imagine
sitting in traffic

And looking in
your rearview mirror

And seeing this thing going
[imitates horn honk]

[ both laugh ]

...The duckbill of death
makes its debut.

Oh, look, I found this camera.

Here we go.

Ohh!

Oh.

Let's try that again.

Oh, here, I found this camera.

I am not going to be beaten
by this window.

Here we go.

What is this?

Is this, like,
a presidential-limousine window?

Here we go.

Ahh!

I don't think we got the shot,
but I feel better, don't you?

Narrator: Down at alameda,

The dump truck is getting
its car-lifting nose job.

Yeah! That's it!

Jamie: [ laughs ]

Can you imagine
sitting in traffic

And looking in
your rearview mirror

And seeing this thing going
[imitates horn honk]

[ both laugh ]

Adam: Nice.

And while jamie
completes the rhinoplasty,

Adam is lining up the cars
for their duckbill of death.

Oh! Whoops!

And for those of you
playing at home,

They've added another six

To put their truck
to the ultimate test.

Hey, adam,
I got a present for you.

What do you got?

Nice, fresh tub of lard.

Awesome! A little lubrication
to slice through our cars.

Yeah.
Excellent.

You got a big brush?
I do.

[ laughs ]

Jamie and his lard.

Narrator:
Yep -- jamie's love of lube

Should give their nose
that extra edge.

Sometimes, a little lubrication
makes all the difference.

The truck-bill is complete,
and the cars are on standby.

But before they get
this nose on the road,

How about a prediction?

Adam:
Will it make it through?

Well, the real question is,

Does the kinetic energy
of this truck

Exceed the amount of mass of
the cars sitting on the runway

As they're being split apart
by this duckbill?

And my intuition says [sighs]

I feel like we're gonna make it
probably all the way

To the end of the line of cars,

But I don't think we'll still
be driving by then.

I think we'll be
coming to a halt.

All of those cars
are gonna go flying.

I'm not just talking
pushing them aside.

They're going flying.

Narrator:
Yep -- the duckbill of death

Should lift and separate.

Coming in.

But will it plow through
all 16 cars?

All right. You ready?

I'm ready.

Here we go.

Adam gets the duck truck
into position,

And the countdown begins.

All right. Here we go.

The duckbill of death
into stationary traffic.

In 3, 2, 1, go!

Mr. Savage accelerates
to 40 miles an hour...

That's second gear.

...And keeps his foot wedged

Until he reaches the cars.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Whoo!

Yeah!

Give me some!

Yeah!

Incredibly,
not only did the truck

Make it all the way
through 16 cars,

Adam and jamie kept on truckin'
down the runway,

Meaning this attempt won
by a nose.

[ laughs ]

That was amazing!

Holy crap!

That was insane!

"insane" is the right word.

[ laughing ]

It just didn't stop.

It didn't stop.

I kept giving it gas,
and it didn't stop.

If anything,
it was self-centering.

That was the most incredible
thing we've ever done.

I've never experienced
anything like that.

It was just -- they were
just kind of, like, flying.

We could've kept going
through 100 cars.

Adam: I really
feel like we could've.

We weren't going
that much slower.

We didn't take nearly
the impact on that run

As we did
on the first run.

I think we just solved
my traffic problem.

[ laughs ]

I'm gonna put one of these
on my car.

Oh, my god.

Narrator: The guys are clearly
duckbillin' delirious.

[ both laughing ]

I'm -- I'm a little drunk
on adrenaline right now.

I believe even though this car
is upright and that one, too,

That they both did
a full roll,

As judging
from the glass here

And all of its contents
being on the road.

This is amazing. It's like
a triangle of pure destruction.

That experience
was almost indescribable.

I mean, it was over in a second,

But these cars are just, like --
I'm speechless.

They're just kind of
going like this.

It worked.
I don't know what else to say.

Adam: Here's a cool way to think
about what you see here.

Imagine that our dump truck
was a boat,

And then these cars
are its wake.

That's right -- not water,

But a wake of 60,000 pounds
of steel.

It's kind of poetic.

Jamie: You know,
you think things through,

And you engineer something,

And you kind of
take your best shot.

I have to say that was
one of our best shots.

That could not
have worked better.

And given the chaos
of this sort of situation,

I'm really proud of that.
That was -- that was cool.

Narrator: Yes, it truly was
something to be proud of,

As the truck cut an epic swathe

Through 60,000 pounds
of steel...

...In an uplifting ode

To the incontrovertible
laws of physics.

Well,
the myth was busted.

Where do we stand on our method
for plowing through traffic?

That thing worked so well,
I'm just waiting for somebody

To steal it
and put it in a movie.

Totally.

Remember, kids, you saw it
on "mythbusters" first.

Did I ever tell you
how much I hate traffic?

[ both laugh ]

We have to find an excuse
to do that again.

Yeah, that was fun.