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Episode 96: Lead Balloon

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Episode 96: Lead Balloon - MythBusters

EPISODE TITLE: Lead Balloon

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: Jan. 23, 2008

SYNOPSIS:This episode is going down like a lead baloon, or is it? In this episode of Mythbusters, can a lead ballon really float or will Jamie and Adam get this myth get off the ground? Wanna trying surfing an explosion wave? Grant, Tory and Kari test if a couple of sticks of dynamite can create ideal surfing conditions.

Myths Features in This Episode

Myth #1: Lead Balloon
Adam and Jamie test the idiom, "Going down like a lead baloon. Using lead foil, and Adam's oragami skills, they are able to bust this idiom. By going up like a lead balloon.


Myth #2:Surfing with Dynamite
After seeing a video they found on the internet, Kari, Grant, Tori, and their robot analog "Surfer Grant" take off to a quarry lake, with the help of retired F.B.I. agent Fronk Doyle, and put 200 lbs. of TNT 12 feet under. After a ground shaking explosion, the team were unable to copy the the video, busting this myth.
Fan Feedback

Highlights of This Episode:

  • New uses for the 'STACHE'
  • 200Lbs of TNT
  • 'Surfer Grant'
  • Jamie can also speak German

Best Quotes by the MythBusters:

  • I bet there are some ladies out there who would love to be that piece of tape. Raise your hands! Yeah, you!
  • I'm getiing really dizzy right now
  • Is anyone else creeped out about all the robots having to be "Grant -bots?" Its like hes trying to clone himself and build his own little army




Threads

Anonymous  (Get credit for your thread)
Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
Attaway surfing with dynamite??? 6 Sep 22 2008, 5:31 PM EDT by edmcguirk
Attaway
Thread started: Jan 24 2008, 1:23 AM EST  Watch
did the guys ever take the bottom contour of the lake bed into effect? i wave itself never looked like it peaked and not to mention the "surfing Grant" didnt look like it had the speed to match the wave to begin with?
Show Last Reply
thomas.b Lead balloon 4 Jun 10 2008, 3:48 PM EDT by jecepede
Thread started: Jun 4 2008, 2:46 PM EDT  Watch
Hi.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but wouldn't a lead balloon be FILLED with lead?
A hot air balloon is not made of hot air, but filled with it...
A helium balloon is not made up of helium, but filled with it...

Thomas
Show Last Reply
lasertag Does this match the original? 0 Jan 27 2008, 3:28 AM EST by lasertag
Thread started: Jan 27 2008, 3:28 AM EST  Watch
My problem is the the original youtube video this is based off of looks to have been done in an aquaduct or something like it. this has narrow side and a flat bottom, forcing the pressure wave in a mostly fixed direction. Would this not have increased the force and the size of the wave?

If this were ever redone it would need to be in more similar circumstances. also the expert showed why they shouldn't use a person because of the effects of the pressure wave on a person submered in the water but someone who was trying to get up speed to surf would be basically up out of the water on the surf board. So would this result in a dangerous amout of pressure from the initial expolsion?

also I think that the "grant" robot was not close enough to the speed that the wave was traveling at to actually have caught the wave in the first place.

Just my opinion of course.
dupeduperson Lead Balloon - size and more details 0 Jan 25 2008, 2:47 PM EST by dupeduperson
Thread started: Jan 25 2008, 2:47 PM EST  Watch
Because I can't help myself, I calculated the minimum size a lead foil balloon would have to be to float (using the same thickness foil the mythbusters used). If you would like to see all the details (plus detailed explanations of how to calculate this) see:
<a href="http://www.dotphys.net/files/lead_balloon.html">http://www.dotphys.net/files/lead_balloon.html</a>
SumoSuzy Waves generated by explosion 0 Jan 24 2008, 5:09 PM EST by SumoSuzy
Thread started: Jan 24 2008, 5:09 PM EST  Watch
They should have check this books out first...
"Water Waves Generated by Underwater Explosion" by Bernard Le Mehaute

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