20 Myths That Were Busted By The “MythBusters”

Snipers Can Shoot Each Other by Aiming for Their Scopes

Ruining everyone’s James Bond dreams, the MythBusters debunked this sniper myth when the bullet they fired was either stopped or deflected by the multiple layers of lenses in the scope.

A Skydiver Can Land on a Seesaw and Bounce a Child Into the Air

Even though this myth seemed implausible to begin with, we were holding out hope. But when the team tried to replicate the experiment, everyone ended up dying.

Yodeling Can Cause an Avalanche

Apparently no amount of yodeling can spark an avalanche no matter how hard we try

It’s Possible to Make a “Magic Bullet” From Ice

Unfortunately for all you would-be untraceable killers out there, there’s no way that you could shave a bullet out of ice and shoot someone with it to destroy any evidence. The bullet would melt before it even left the barrel.

You Cause a Shotgun to Backfire by Plugging it With Your Finger

In their experiment to try plugging up a shotgun with a human finger, the test hands they used were both completely destroyed by a shotgun blast. We can’t all be Bugs Bunny.

There’s a Frequency That Can Make People Lose Control of Their Bowels

Despite feeling some discomfort in his chest after being subjected to multiple low-frequency tones, Adam never lost control of his bowels. Back to the drawing board.

You Can Catch a Bullet in Your Teeth

Adam and Jamie debunked the myth of a human being able to catch a bullet in their teeth by simulating firing the bullet into a pig’s teeth (which are much stronger than human teeth), and every time it shattered the animal’s chompers.

You Can Shoot the Hat Off a Cowboy Without Harming Him

Sorry For a Few Dollars More fans, but you can’t shoot the hat off a cowboy with just a pistol. In fact, you’d have to use a shotgun to have enough force to make the hat fly, and by that time the guy you were shooting at would be mostly dead.

The 5-Second Rule

This one’s a heartbreaker. As firm believers of the five-second rule, it’s truly horrific that the amount of time that a piece of food spends on the ground has no basis on the amount of germs it picks up.

People Can Slip on a Banana Peel

While bananas may be slippery, they’re not slippery enough to cause a person to slip and fall like they were in a Jerry Lewis movie.

A Person Can Sink in Quicksand

Adam and Jamie did a test to see if someone could actually drown in quicksand. They discovered that quicksand is actually denser than water and that anyone who died in quicksand probably died from exposure or dehydration.

Shooting a Scuba Tank Will Blow it Up Real Good

When the guys punctured the tank it just flew around like an air rocket and didn’t explode. Jaws lied to us all.

You Can Use a Rowboat as a Submarine

Sorry guys, but the next time you’re playing pirate you can forget about sneaking up on your friends under an overturned rowboat. The human body is just too darn buoyant.

People Can Build Cannons Out of Bamboo

Much to the chagrin of all the Trekkies out there, Kirk never would have been able to defeat the Gorn captain by making a bamboo cannon. It’s more likely that he would have blown himself to Star Trek heaven if he’d tried that option.

You Can Build a Death Ray Out of a Mirror

Adam and Jamie tried to construct a death ray from mirrors that could harness the energy of the sun. They decided that the mirror would have to be impractically large, and even then, the temperature of their target was only raised a few degrees.

Pirates Can Safely Slow a Fall by Using a Knife to Cut a Sail

When the crew attempted a full-scale version of the myth, the guys decided it would be impossible for a pirate’s knife to be at the perfect balance between dullness and sharpness to safely cut through a sail.

A Bowler Hat With a Metal Lining Can Knock the Head Off a Statue

Sorry Bond fans, but Oddjob’s metal-lined bowler hat just wouldn’t be that effective as a tool of intimidation seeing as how the most it can cut through is a plaster statue.

A Trombone Can Shoot a Firecracker

The guys tried to shoot a firecracker out of the horn while simultaneously blowing up the bell. However, the guys weren’t able to make the horn explode until they attached it to model rocket engines.

Dropping a Penny Off the Empire State Building Can Kill Someone

The guys debunked the myth that someone can drop a penny off the top of the Empire State Building and kill someone, as the penny would be traveling at terminal velocity (65 mph) as if fired from a rifle, so please folks, stop trying.

It’s Easy to Take Candy From a Baby

Sorry all you would-be candy stealing jerks out there, but according to Adam and Jamie’s calculations, it’s actually harder to take candy from a baby than to procure it in the normal, everyday way: stealing it from a grocery store