# Mythbusters 8/9/2006 **spoilers**



## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

Just am watching this now but I noticed something.

Anyone else notice that Grant's got veneers? His teeth were pretty crooked, and now they look really nice.

And I just realized I pay WAY too much attention to stupid TV.


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

I was distracted by Tori in a bikini.


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## scottykempf (Dec 1, 2004)

Combat Medic said:


> I was distracted by Tori in a bikini.


Next week on Mythbusters:
We test the Myth that Kari in a bikini will make guys horny.


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

scottykempf said:


> Next week on Mythbusters:
> We test the Myth that Tori in a bikini will make guys horny.


How do I sign up to be a test subject?


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## mhalver (Nov 3, 2005)

ummm... are you guys thinking of Kari?


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## scottykempf (Dec 1, 2004)

Yeah, Kari. Tori in a bikini would just be wrong!!!!


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## DreadPirateRob (Nov 12, 2002)




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## KnightShade (Feb 16, 2000)

Kari's FHM video on YouTube


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

I can't believe no one has actually talked about the episode yet! Sorry, Kari doesn't do it for me. In fact, she looked silly on the FHM video. 

Anywho, the end of the episode was great with all those fun experiments with the soap, Pringles, and dry ice. Not that the rest of the episode wasn't fun. It was interesting to see what made the mentos thing work.


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## Warren (Oct 18, 2001)

something my friends and I did as kids.

take a glass apple juice jar (or any glass jug) poke holes in to the metal lid. fill with gasoline. set around sticks and build a small fire (carefull with this)

the gas starts to boil coming out of the holes the gas cacthes on fire shooting a flame 10-15 feet into the air. then the glass explodes.

it was fun


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## SoldOnTiVo (Mar 5, 2003)

The Methane bubbles column was pretty cool to see (setting it on fire wasn't too shaby either)


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## Mike Farrington (Nov 16, 2000)

Did anyone else hear Grant's unbleeped expletive? While the rotors on the model copter were tearing themselves apart, I could have sworn I heard Grant say "F$%ckin' A!".


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Watching them work out the soda and mentos thing was sort of interesting.

It was odd that even though they were referring to Diet Coke by name (heck it was even in the episode title), they still had the "Mythbuster Cola" label covering up the normal label on the soda. (But they did use a picture of a Diet Coke bottle in their little diagram).

But I think they did the nucleation test wrong. The compared the basic rough mentos to a wax coated mentos. But I would expect that the wax would tend to keep the cola totally away from the chemicals in the mentos. 
You might as well test this by putting a mentos into a smooth plastic bag and dropping it in. "Look the mentos in the bag isn't fizzing. It must be because the bag is smooth".

They would have been better off trying to change the surface area and seeing if that had an effect. Maybe by trying to polish a mentos. Or use the separate chemicals and put them in containers of identical volume, but different exposed surface area. For example a tall skinny and a short wide container, where both are only open on the top. The amount of chemical would be the same, but the wide container would have a lot more surface area. Drop each into a soda water bottle and look for difference in foaming.


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## 5thcrewman (Sep 23, 2003)

This episode is now banned for export by Homeland Security!


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

warrenevans said:


> something my friends and I did as kids.
> 
> take a glass apple juice jar (or any glass jug) poke holes in to the metal lid. fill with gasoline. set around sticks and build a small fire (carefull with this)
> 
> ...


hmmm...

Thanks for sharing, warren.


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## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

Yeah, I enjoyed this episode (except the build team crap with the helicopter-what a STUPID idea.)

But figuring out what in the diet coke and mentos worked together was really interesting!


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

This was sent to their web site by a viewer. Do you suppose somewhere there is a group of people submitting ideas that are totally outlandish, giving a prize to the one who submits the dumbest idea that actually makes it to the show? It seems like it lately.

I *KNEW* there was something just *WRONG* with Mentos.

Since they were talking about Coke and Mentos as name-brand products, in this episode, the visual blocking of the product labels seemed unnecessary to me, unless there is some weird legal reason for doing so that covers video but not audio.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

They were inconsistent throughout with the product names. Jamie and Adam consistently said "Soda and candy" and the labels were covered, the Voiceover Guy said "Soda and Mentos" and the cartoons had Mentos and Diet Coke labels.

Last minute Ad money from Mentos?

--Carlos V.


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## 5thcrewman (Sep 23, 2003)

Mentos- It's The Bomb...Maker!


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

They scaled the postage stamp to 1/7 scale by cutting off a piece that weighs 1/7 of a real stamp. 1/7 scale means that _*each*_ dimension is 1/7, so a 1/7 scale postage stamp should weigh 1/(7^^3) or 1/343 of a real postage stamp.


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## appleye1 (Jan 26, 2002)

warrenevans said:


> something my friends and I did as kids.
> 
> take a glass apple juice jar (or any glass jug) poke holes in to the metal lid. fill with gasoline. set around sticks and build a small fire (carefull with this)
> 
> ...


Holy Cow! That sounds so friggin dangerous! Especially the flying glass shards at the end. 

I think I'd want to observe that experiment with a telescope.


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## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

appleye1 said:


> Holy Cow! That sounds so friggin dangerous! Especially the flying glass shards at the end.
> 
> I think I'd want to observe that experiment with a telescope.


Personally, I think it explains a LOT.


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## verdugan (Sep 9, 2003)

Mike Farrington said:


> Did anyone else hear Grant's unbleeped expletive? While the rotors on the model copter were tearing themselves apart, I could have sworn I heard Grant say "F$%ckin' A!".


You are correct. I heard it as well. I watched it a couple of times just to make sure.


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

Jonathan_S said:


> Watching them work out the soda and mentos thing was sort of interesting.
> 
> It was odd that even though they were referring to Diet Coke by name (heck it was even in the episode title), they still had the "Mythbuster Cola" label covering up the normal label on the soda. (But they did use a picture of a Diet Coke bottle in their little diagram).


I thought the point was that they had tried different sodas and the Diet Coke worked the best. Like they might have tried Diet Pepsi and some other diet colas but DC had the biggest impact. That or Diet Coke offered them money to use their name.


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## Hawk1 (Sep 8, 2004)

pdhenry said:


> They scaled the postage stamp to 1/7 scale by cutting off a piece that weighs 1/7 of a real stamp. 1/7 scale means that _*each*_ dimension is 1/7, so a 1/7 scale postage stamp should weigh 1/(7^^3) or 1/343 of a real postage stamp.


Yeah, I was wondering what the heck was going on there! It didn't look like the height and width (and thickness?) of the stamp were each 1/7 of the original.

This show has some serious issues with scaling down. If they go by weight, does that mean the 7:1 scale helicopter model is 1/7 the weight of a full-size helicopter?


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## scottykempf (Dec 1, 2004)

Memo to the Mythbusters: 
Explosions = COOL
Postage stamps on helicopters (and nothing happens) = BORING AS HELL


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

scottykempf said:


> Postage stamps on helicopters (and nothing happens) = BORING AS HELL


But the destroying of the multi-thousand dollar RC helicopter was pretty cool.


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## walkerjs (Sep 22, 2005)

Yes, the Mythbusters have usually been pretty good about 'pixellating' or blurring out brand names on many of their shows, apparently for various unknown reasons.

On the episode where they blew up the cement mixer, however, it was pretty obvious as to why they blurred out the brand name of the high explosive that were used to make 'the biggest explosion in Mythbusters' history.' I would imagine that they wouldn't want everyone to know from where one can purchase explosives powerful enough to disintegrate a cement mixer.

What they forgot was to blur out the brand name of the explosives in the previews of what was coming up. Thanks to the magic of Tivo you could clearly make out the brand, type, and amount of the uh, product used to blow the truck. 

This has probably been covered here before; forgive me if so, I'm new.


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## Bondelev-1 (Nov 27, 2005)

Jonathan_S said:


> It was odd that even though they were referring to Diet Coke by name (heck it was even in the episode title), they still had the "Mythbuster Cola" label covering up the normal label on the soda. (But they did use a picture of a Diet Coke bottle in their little diagram).


The legal department had probably told them that they could not use a trademarked name when they started to shoot. At some time during the course of shooting, they probably received permission from the companies involved.


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## Idearat (Nov 26, 2000)

walkerjs said:


> Yes, the Mythbusters have usually been pretty good about 'pixellating' or blurring out brand names on many of their shows, apparently for various unknown reasons.


It hit a new level of ridiculous when they blacked out the postage stamps! Or is there a current one that looks like nothing but black magic marker?

Maybe they were too cheap to use real postage stamps and just used up a sheet of Easter Seals?

I have to admit, the methane and soap bubbles is one thing I've seen that I really want to try at home. (don't use Propane, it's heavier than air) For a non-explosive version helium might be more suitable. A tower of soap would be cool to see.


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

Idearat said:


> For a non-explosive version helium might be more suitable. A tower of soap would be cool to see.


Helium might be TOO light. The bubbles may not hold together.


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## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

BeanMeScot said:


> I thought the point was that they had tried different sodas and the Diet Coke worked the best. Like they might have tried Diet Pepsi and some other diet colas but DC had the biggest impact. That or Diet Coke offered them money to use their name.


I have been wondering for a while now if Diet Pepsi would work just as well. I should try it, because we have lots of diet pepsi and mentos around our house.


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## Idearat (Nov 26, 2000)

nataylor said:


> Helium might be TOO light. The bubbles may not hold together.


I think an experiment is in order.

It's 1/4 the mass of Methane according to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighter_than_air

Of the choices, Helium is the benign one, if it works.


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## quango (Sep 25, 2005)

KnightShade said:


> Kari's FHM video on YouTube


I prefer Kari the somewhat-awkward cute-but-a-little-dorky artist to Kari the pushup-bra-wearing mad scientist.

In other words, Kari on Letterman > Kari FHM shoot.

As for the episode itself... I liked the Diet Coke + Mentos bits, but the helicopter stuff by and large didn't do much for me.


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## TreborPugly (May 2, 2002)

Jonathan_S said:


> They would have been better off trying to change the surface area and seeing if that had an effect. Maybe by trying to polish a mentos. Or use the separate chemicals and put them in containers of identical volume, but different exposed surface area. For example a tall skinny and a short wide container, where both are only open on the top. The amount of chemical would be the same, but the wide container would have a lot more surface area. Drop each into a soda water bottle and look for difference in foaming.


Surface area is a really cool thing. It is actually much higher than what we can see with our eyes, related to the crystal structure. Polishing it would just reduce the size slightly, but you'd have a new surface exposed, with the same amount of surface area. You could possibly reduce surface area by melting it, but that might also cause some of the chemicals to degrade.

There are methods for measuring true surface area, but that requires actual scientific instruments, but they could do that for the mentos, and some various other sugary or salty things

-Treb


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## gtrogue (Jun 18, 2001)

BeanMeScot said:


> I thought the point was that they had tried different sodas and the Diet Coke worked the best. Like they might have tried Diet Pepsi and some other diet colas but DC had the biggest impact. That or Diet Coke offered them money to use their name.


I've seen this experiment done with regular Pepsi and the height of the column of exploding soda wasn't appreciably different from Diet Coke. The reason it's usually done with diet colas is that they don't make a sticky mess.


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## billboard_NE (May 18, 2005)

The reason they do it with diet soda is because the massive amount of sugar in regular colas hold the molecules together, I am not a scientist nor do I play one on TV.


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## BeanMeScot (Apr 17, 2002)

gtrogue said:


> I've seen this experiment done with regular Pepsi and the height of the column of exploding soda wasn't appreciably different from Diet Coke. The reason it's usually done with diet colas is that they don't make a sticky mess.


I though one of the big points was that the Aspertame aided the reaction


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## sketcher (Mar 3, 2005)

pdhenry said:


> They scaled the postage stamp to 1/7 scale by cutting off a piece that weighs 1/7 of a real stamp. 1/7 scale means that _*each*_ dimension is 1/7, so a 1/7 scale postage stamp should weigh 1/(7^^3) or 1/343 of a real postage stamp.


If their 1/7 weight stamp made no difference, what would have been the point of using one 1/343 of the weight?


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

I want to get some Diet Coke and Mentos.


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

sketcher said:


> If their 1/7 weight stamp made no difference, what would have been the point of using one 1/343 of the weight?


Why indeed? Why not just put a regular stamp on instead of trying to scale it down and botching it?

Sloppy science is sloppy science. If the Interns (the get-a-clue crew, whatever they're called on MB) had thought things through it would have been (for me) a better demonstration.


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## LoadStar (Jul 24, 2001)

pdhenry said:


> Why indeed? Why not just put a regular stamp on instead of trying to scale it down and botching it?
> 
> Sloppy science is sloppy science. If the Interns (the get-a-clue crew, whatever they're called on MB) had thought things through it would have been (for me) a better demonstration.


They're referred to as the "build team." They had Mythterns for a while, likely still do, but they're just not often seen on TV.


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## dtle (Dec 12, 2001)

billboard_NE said:


> The reason they do it with diet soda is because the massive amount of sugar in regular colas hold the molecules together, I am not a scientist nor do I play one on TV.


The two guys doing the chorograph were on G4 Attack of the Show. They said that they use diet because the sugars in the regular can be very sticky afterwards.


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## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

dtle said:


> The two guys doing the chorograph were on G4 Attack of the Show. They said that they use diet because the sugars in the regular can be very sticky afterwards.


Well, and in this episode, they showed that the aspertame ALSO has an effect. So that, I'm sure, plays into it, too.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

My recording cut off at the end just as Jaime said "but we cheated a little bit though". What did he say after that? How did they cheat?


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

BTW, we used to make CO2 bombs all the time in college. We never used that much padding... Adam's a wuss.


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

pdhenry said:


> They scaled the postage stamp to 1/7 scale by cutting off a piece that weighs 1/7 of a real stamp. 1/7 scale means that _*each*_ dimension is 1/7, so a 1/7 scale postage stamp should weigh 1/(7^^3) or 1/343 of a real postage stamp.


You're right. I would have loved to see them trying to come up with a stamp that was 1/7th the thickness of a real stamp! I think the glue on a real stamp is thicker than 1/7 the entire thickness.

By using compressed CO2, you can "dissolve" a lot more gas into Diet Coke than the company puts in there. If they had doubled or tripled the carbonation, they might have gotten their rocket off the ground.

I wonder if crushing or powdering the Mentos would have had a greater or lesser effect. The sinking of the Mentos apparently was crucial to the effect.

I wonder if US airlines are not going to allow Mentos and diet Coke on board together?


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Church AV Guy said:


> I wonder if US airlines are not going to allow Mentos and diet Coke on board together?


Well, since they seem to have banned all liquids (minor exceptions for medical and for babies) I think they've already protected themselves from the deadly diet coke and mentos attack.


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## Church AV Guy (Jan 19, 2005)

But they SERVE diet Coke.


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## nataylor (Apr 26, 2000)

Church AV Guy said:


> But they SERVE diet Coke.


Federal agents are en route to your location. Do not attempt to flee. Thank you.


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