About this episodeCarrie and Tori reflect on their time filming Mythbusters, highlighting the evolution of safety protocols and …AI summary
Carrie and Tori reflect on their time filming Mythbusters, highlighting the evolution of safety protocols and the show's shift away from adult humor due to increased popularity. They debunk several Hollywood myths, including curving bullets, instant gas tank explosions, and car flips, while discussing the scientific principles behind these stunts. The conversation also touches on the challenges of modern media sensitivity and the enduring appeal of testing movie logic.
Key takeaways 6
Gun safety protocols on film sets have evolved significantly; Carrie notes that while they followed strict rules (finger off trigger, barrel direction), the 'curving a bullet' experiment involved dangerous swinging motions that would be considered reckless by today's standards.
The 'curving a bullet' myth from the movie Wanted was busted using a simple but elegant method: placing paper sheets spaced six feet apart down the range and using a laser pointer through the holes to prove the bullet traveled in a straight line.
Hollywood myths regarding gasoline explosions are largely busted; a single bullet shot into a gas tank rarely causes an explosion because there isn't enough vaporized gas to ignite, though tracer rounds or sustained fire can make it plausible.
Mythbusters' content became more sanitized as the show grew in popularity, with producers removing 'wink and nod' adult humor and subtle jokes (like implying Jamie and Adam were gay) to maintain a family-friendly image for Discovery Channel.
The 'car flip' myth from Wanted was tested using a tow rig and a steel ramp on a Corvette to launch a Mustang, demonstrating that while the movie's physics were exaggerated, the stunt was achievable with significant engineering.
Modern audiences often cite John Wick's pencil kill or bulletproof suits as myths they wish were tested, highlighting a gap between cinematic action and real-world physics (e.g., pencil penetration into the skull or thin material bulletproofing).
Notable quotes 5AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“We went out, our first experiment was we were just going to go for it... We went out to somebody's ranch and they let us basically just swing our arms and fire a gun into a target... if either of us had over swung and accidentally shot, it could have gone horribly wrong.”
▶ 04:26Carrie reflecting on the lack of safety protocols during the early 'curving a bullet' experiment compared to modern standards.
“The only thing I was upset about is usually when I get to do some sort of play acting on Mythbusters... I was five months pregnant. So I was just a big ball and I couldn't dress like sexy like Angelina.”
▶ 03:49Carrie sharing a humorous personal anecdote about filming the Wanted episode while pregnant.
“It's so hard to light gasoline on fire. We tried it so many times. You have to have so much of the gasoline kind of vapor in the air to actually get anything to light... Just that idea that one single bullet being shot directly into a gas tank blows up the car, that is just it's unlikely. I would say completely busted.”
▶ 17:46Carrie explaining why the common movie trope of shooting a gas tank causing an immediate explosion is scientifically inaccurate.
“As the show got more popular, they kind of took out anything that was a wink and a nod at some adult humor... Like there I remember there was an animation of Jamie and Adam going into the same hotel and they made like a sort of off-handed like, 'Hey, they're going into the hotel together because they're ambiguously gay kind of...'”
▶ 09:35Carrie discussing how the show's tone shifted from Looney Tunes-style adult jokes to more family-friendly content as it gained mainstream popularity.
“If you had a pencil thickness of web... it would be strong enough to hold up an average man's weight... But what he said is if he were to shoot... to stop his fall that the deceleration the G's would be so strong that it would kill a normal man.”
▶ 37:51Tori referencing James Kakios's study on Spider-Man's web strength, highlighting the difference between tensile strength and deceleration physics.
Chapters & Sections (76)▼
00:00Celebrating Podcast Success and Holiday Traditionschapter4
00:00Curving a Bullet: MythBusters Movie Myths
00:59Overcoming Seasonal Blues and Reflection
01:43Debating the Best Christmas Movie
02:13Favorite Christmas Movies and Hollywood Myths
02:59Curving a Bullet: MythBusters Movie Mythchapter2
02:59Curving a Bullet in Movie Myths
04:06Curving Bullets in MythBusters Movie Myths
04:47Gun Safety Protocols on Film Setschapter2
04:47Gun Safety Protocols on Movie Set
05:45Safety Precautions for Pregnant Gun Owners
06:40Managing Holiday Stress with Medical Treatmentschapter2
06:40Managing Holiday Stress and Performance Anxiety
07:35Gun Safety and Mythical Shooting Techniques
08:22MythBusters' Evolution and Censored Contentchapter3
08:22Teaching Gun Safety to Young Children
09:00Censorship of TV Show Content
09:32Tone and Content Evolution in MythBusters
10:15Curving a Bullet with a High-Risk Experimentchapter3
10:15Challenges of Writing for a Popular TV Show
10:53Curving a Bullet with a Robot
11:32Curving a Bullet: Safety Risks and Dangers
12:36Testing Bullet Curvature with Laser Gaugechapter3
12:36Challenges of Creating Modern Myth-Busting Content
13:30Testing Bullet Trajectory and Deflection Methods
14:02Curving a Bullet with Simple Laser Experiment
14:44Curving a Bullet: MythBusting with Sciencechapter3
14:44Curving a Bullet: MythBusting with Science
15:20Curving a Bullet Trajectory with High-Speed Cameras
15:50Life as a Police Woman
16:17Debunking Movie Myths: Gasoline Explosionschapter3
16:17Movie Myths: Curving Bullets in Film
17:07Myth of Gasoline Explosions in Movies
17:50Lighting Gasoline with Tracer Rounds Experiment
18:26Mythbusting Action Film Explosions and Gas Tankschapter2
18:26Debunking Action Film Explosions and Gas Tank Myths
19:17Testing Movie Explosions with Ammunition
20:02Managing Unwanted Subscriptions and Expenseschapter1
20:02Managing Unwanted Subscriptions and Expenses
21:40Debunking Movie Explosions and Survival Mythschapter3
21:40Movie Explosions and Survival Myths Debunked
22:09Debunking MythBusters Movie Myths and Urban Legends
22:53Surviving a Car Explosion in Las Vegas
23:26Disappointment with Franchise Expansion and Format Changeschapter3
23:26Curving a Bullet: MythBusting Movie Myths
23:57Differences Between Mythbusters TV Show and Movie Myths
24:33Rebooting and Reviving a Beloved TV Show
24:56Debunking Movie Myths and Stuntschapter3
24:56Debunking Movie Myths and Mythical Stunts
25:45Creative Car Disposal Methods in Mythology
26:18Movie Stunt: Car Jump and Bullet Shot
27:15Crashing Cars for Movie Myth Effectschapter3
27:15Crashing Cars on a Runway for Movie Myths
27:53Crashing Cars for Special Effects in Movies
28:36Replicating a Movie Car Stunt with a Ramp
29:22Design and Execution of Complex Crash Experimentschapter2
29:22Curving a Bullet MythBusters Movie Myths
29:58Designing and Executing Complex Vehicle Experiments
31:09Behind the Scenes of MythBusters Movie Mythschapter2
31:09Behind the Scenes of Mythbusters Movie Myths
31:50Behind the Scenes of a Science Set
32:41Movie Myths and Product Endorsementschapter1
32:41Product Review and Recommendation
34:22Testing Movie Violence and Pencil Weaponrychapter2
34:22Debunking Movie Myths and Urban Legends
35:05Pencil as a Deadly Weapon in Movie Scenes
36:02Bulletproof Materials and Movie Mythologychapter2
36:02Bullet Penetration and Movie Mythology
36:44Bulletproof Vest Materials and Mythology
37:32Spider-Man Web-Slinging Physics and Feasibilitychapter2
37:32Spider Web Tensile Strength and Swingability
38:25Spider-Man Web Strength and Deceleration Myth
39:30Reflecting on the Year and Podcast Growthchapter3
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