MythBusters is a science television program on the Discovery Channel starring Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, two special effect specialists who set out to prove or disprove myths and urban legends of popular culture. Some of the burning questions the show has tried to answer include:
- Do you get wetter running or walking in the rain?
- Can a penny dropped from a skyscraper kill a pedestrian on the sidewalk below?
- Is cola really able to remove bloodstains, clean rust, dissolve your teeth and preserve meat?
- How many party balloons does it take to lift a 4-year-old girl?
- Can you actually use ping-pong balls to raise a sunken ship?
- What REALLY happens when you drop a hair dryer in a bathtub full of water?
- Will Pop Rocks and cola really cause your stomach to explode?
- If you unceremoniously drop a frozen turkey into a deep-fat fryer, will it explode?
- Can an assassin fire an ice bullet to kill someone without leaving a trace?
- Will using your cellphone while pumping gas cause an explosion?
- Do silicone breast implants explode at high altitudes?
- Will CDs shatter if placed in a high-speed (i.e. 40X or faster) CD-ROM drive?
- Can an obese person get stuck on an airline toilet?
- Can a boom lift be turned into a catapult?
- What (if anything) gets rid of skunk stink?
- Can you get electrocuted from urinating on the electric third rail of a train track?
- Does talking help a plant grow?
- Was Jimmy Hoffa really buried in Giants Stadium?
- Does the Brown note really exist?
- Can Chinese water torture make you go crazy?
- Can you be thrown backwards by a bullet?
- Is it more fuel efficient to run a car with air conditioning on or with the windows rolled down?
- Can you drive a boat with the trailer still attached?
- Can you be electrocuted by talking on the phone or using the shower during a lightning storm?
- Did a Civil War soldier impregnate a woman after being shot in the groin and having the bullet continue on into the woman in question?
Adam and Jamie often perform experiments to prove or disprove the myths. They use a variety of means to test the myths, such as specialized technical devices and hand built recreations of certain items. In most cases when a myth involves the human body, they use either Buster - their crash test dummy - or ballistics gelatin, which is used to make a jello-like reproduction of the human body. Usually their favourite experiments are ones where they get to utilise explosives to blow things up, typically with quite destructive results, and there is no shortage of this kind of experiment.
Adam and Jamie are also assisted by a team that often perform experiments on their own. These helpers are either refered to as "Mythterns" or "MythBuilders". As of Season 2, this team is comprised of:
- Kari Byron
- Christine Chamberlain
- Scottie Chapman
- Tory Belleci
Another oft-appearing personality is Heather Joseph-Witham , who explains the origins of many of the urban legends confronted on the show.
The Mythbusters typically perform their experiments in a variety of locations around San Francisco, most often Jamie's M5 Industries or, for experiments requiring extensive safety zones, the decommissioned Naval Air Station Alameda.
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