Testing Out Earthquake Fables! | MythBusters | Season 9 Episode 14 | Full Episode

What is the best place to stand during an earthquake? Using a custom-made rig, will the MythBusters be able to find the optimal place to stand?

Using science as a tool, Hollywood special effects experts attempt to debunk rumours, urban legends and popular myths that have captivated the minds of many individuals.

#MythBusters #FactOrFiction

[henriquesouza]

"Can we borrow your earthquake machine?"
"Nope, make your own."
"Ok, so how does it work?"
"It shakes from side to side."

[zbigniewrichard]

In the USA, "modern building" means wood frames and drywall walls. Matchboxes.

[MWSCologne]

A couple of years later and the funny airdrier myth is a worldwide scary reality.

[kazekamiha]

I grew up in an Earthquake prone area. We were taught to get under a table/desk. If you were by a door you should brace in the doorway as opposed to dive for a table. The door was a case of 'better then nothing'.

[roserichardson]

The thing with air dryers is that the truly old-fashioned way to dry hands in a public restroom were continuous cotton towels, feeding out of and back into a dispenser. While most machines used a very long towel which did not actually feed back out until it was removed, washed, and reloaded, most people assumed the used towel just fed right back out, which seemed very unsanitary (and they could be pretty nasty if you came in behind a particular slob who didn't advance the roll properly). Air dryers did not have to work very hard to convince people they were the hygienic option (not to mention the evident wastefulness of paper towels).

[DeGovAus]

I love how this episode made air dryers take down their false claims

[Magmafrost]

Ive honestly been grossed out by air dryers ever since this episode, I just can't bring myself to use them anymore. Though I wish they'd tested not drying your hands as a control, because that's what this episode resulted in me doing when paper towel isn't available

[SatoriHaddad]

48:10 I never lived in the US, but I lived in Japan for a year. They would always tell us not to go outside in case of earthquake. The buildings can handle most earthquakes and it is much more likely you'll get hit by something when trying to get out. Better to duck under a table.

[rhictor-]

Grant was such a good engineer … rest in peace, taken too soon 🥺

[ficalex]

10:48 They have some very interesting things in storage on the shelves (behind Grant) 😆

[bigmock]

Hollow blocks house in our country have horizontal rebars and filled with concrete

[micha]

The wooden thingi wasn´t a "house", it was just a hut.

[adam]

gotta remember that their conclusion about air-dryers and towels are ONLY if you don't use soap when you wash your hands... also don't lick public (or even your own really) bathroom walls.

[labhusky]

Something I've been wondering about their scale testing. Wouldn't the square cube law effect even their large scale tests? A full sized house made of masonry or wood will be much "weaker" than their scale tests wouldn't it? I know their point usually gets across just fine but in a perfect world I think full sized testing would be better for the earthquake testing

[mycroftsanchez]

For the hand drying myth surely they correct test would be to wash the hands after each time they had a 'Brad Pitt' (excuse the Cockney rhyming slang) to test the possibility of maximum contamination?

[acmelka]

Anyone else remember the dryers that had instructions that were always defaced to say 'push butt... Etc

[richbuilds_com]

Test two: The guy under the table got a bookcase to the head. Meanwhile the guy in the door just admired the view.

[calumsanderson]

"A full two-minutes of spanking later, and the house is still standing strong" I mean, yeah, that's usually how it goes at play parties.

[vitorsoares]

Mithybusters can totally works on youtube nowadays, they were what youtube becomes

[wijjit]

7:10 should go down in the annuals of funny