SCARIEST Myth From MythBusters

Which myth was SO dangerous, a live stream was created so MythBusters' longtime show runner Dan Tapster could watch from the UK? Dan and Adam Savage answer Tested member David Sanchez's question, "What was the myth that you were concerned about the safety for the cast and crew?" (Spoiler alert: It's the same myth that gave Adam GREAT pleasure.)

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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

Thanks for watching!

[sarahcollins]

The underwater car episode saved my life. From IL, in Feb 2014, went into a flooded ditch upside down (rolled my car), would have died if I’d panicked but your first episode helped me stay calm, get my seatbelt off, find upwards and get to an air pocket, and then escape through a smashed window. I wrote in to thank you, and am nearly to ten years alive since then. Thank you.

[katbairwell]

Underwater Car remains, to my mind, the single greatest gift that Mythbusters gave the world. There's been a lot of hugely interesting myths (being into Ethology, the Elephants Afraid of Mice is a big favourite) but it is no surprise that lives have been saved by Underwater Car, and it is because Adam sat in that seat, against every ounce of self-preservation, that made the knowledge gained so impactful. No amount of PSAs would have ever grabbed the public attention in the same way. If it were remembered for nothing else, Mythbusters deserves a place in educational entertainment for that story alone.

[candamorgan]

Honestly i believe underwater car saved my and my daughters lives too, not because we were in a crashed car sinking into water, but because she had been caught in a rip tide on her boogie board and i swam out to get her, not being at *all* a strong swimmer. I remember quite clearly thinking "calm people live, tense people die" as i caught up to her and swam parallel to the rip. If i was in full on "dad-hero" mode, i truly believe one or both of us would not be here today, .

[ocularnervosa]

After your exploding water heater I went and checked out my mother's and someone had plugged the blow out. I got a plumber to come in, replace the water heater and put a pressure control valve on the inflow. I can't say you saved her house but the possibility exists.

[shadowgattler]

I think a myth people take for granted that also helped a ton was the germ spreading myth. As you mentioned before, at the beginning of the pandemic, Discovery played that episode as a form of PSA for the public and it most definitely helped some people understand the dangers of the virus.

[Differentthings]

The fact that a MythBusters episode saved lives is awesome! Turns out it wasn't just good entertainment.

[awilliams]

I almost died from my car being under water. I rolled down an embankment into a creek that was deep enough to mostly submerge the car. Pretty much just the tires were sticking up. This was before mythbusters. I remember thinking I'm going to die. I remember the freezing water (it was cold enough that there was ice on the road) rushing down my body. I thought to myself. Don't panic. If you panic you're dead. Just trying to remove my seatbelt was a difficult challenge. Trying to figure out how to unlock my door was also super difficult. I ran out of breath. I found an air pocket in the floor that hadn't filled up yet. One extra breath was all I got. I couldn't go back. I couldn't try again. I barely managed to get the door open and even then just a couple inches. Thankfully I was skinny as hell. I ratted myself through the door and thankfully someone saw my accident and took care of me. I had hypothermia for like 4 hours after that.

[stealth]

Adam's phrase Calm people live panicked people die as got me through alot

[DuncanJimmy]

Not exactly a humble brag to say at least 6 people credit you with saving their lives because of an episode you did. What still haunts me about that underwater upside-down car story that devotees will recall is how the diver who was supposed to give Adam the respirator once he signaled that he was out of breath accidentally gave it to him upside-down, which means he inhaled some water and started choking before he somehow managed to clear it and get a breath. As someone who has scuba-dived, the idea of that happening is absolutely terrifying.

[rodchallis]

The Underwater Car episodes taught me to always carry a folding Buck Knife when I drive. I figure if I ever went into the water, it would be freezing cold and dark and I'd be upside down, and the Buck Knife would be a nice keep sake for whoever had to drag my stupid dead ass out of the water.

[catastropheoverclock]

I remember an episode where Grant says the cardiac arrest electric paddles he built had replaced the machete ceiling fan as the most dangerous thing he built for the show

[codemonkeyk]

The story where you drove a semi through everything including the kitchen sink is the one that stands out to me.

[collectpanda]

This has introduced the phrase “squeaky bum time“ to me. Thank you for the service

[RolomirFenrir]

It's odd, the bomb episodes felt safer then some of the more "mundane" myths, like the ones involving cars, or them being submerged.

[tyranneous]

I've literally told everyone who will listen about the whole - equalize the damn pressure by getting the windows down! - thing from Mythbusters. Because even second hand, you never know when it'll save someone's life.

[torstikinnunen]

Two great things in this video. First, that the underwater car myth has actually helped to save peoples lives from the situation. And second that apparently everybody in the production crew jokes about Jamie doing a thing hundreds of years ago.

[LicheLordofUndead]

The underwater car videos are why I keep a glass breaker with me at all times

[mariosbrother]

i never fail to tear up hearing stories about the underwater car myth saving people's lives

[waynestock]

I think MythBusters was the pinnacle of educational TV, or "Edutainment". I learned so much about the scientific process watching back in the day. It's wild that the show has actually saved lives as well.

[kriscook]

Underwater Car was iconic. When I got my first car I put a hammer and a pair of heavy duty sissors in the center console until I was able to get one of those hammer/belt cutter combos, and I still carry all three just in case. The amount of anxiety I had when they kept putting the car in with Adam was astronomical. No amount of reminders that he had several people ready with air masks could convince me he was safe until they ended the tests.

I find it very interesting that the production crew had to keep tight reins on everything with experts on the set. It really makes sense though. Would you allow a doctor to give orders to firefighters at a fire? They may be an expert at medicine but know nothing about firefighting. That one's getting filed away in my brain along with calm people survive.