Behind the MythBusters Cement Truck Explosion

[@tested]

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[@Great_Sandwich]

What I love best is that you're never, ever, aloof about your time at Mythbusters. It's the show we all know you from, and although your time is done there, you never hesitate to revel in the experience. Like any personality from a favourite show, be it sci-fi, or anything else, it's so unbelievably satisfying to the fans that they not only still talk about it, but ENJOY it with us. Thank you for every one of these vids, Adam.

[@overthinkingisbad]

what is it adam is always drinking during these streams? I've tried looking but got nowhere it looks so interesting

[@Great_Sandwich]

@@overthinkingisbad Either cream soda, or spruce beer. (He mentioned it once, and I always interchange these two in my mind, though they are nothing alike.)

[@Drakith90]

@@overthinkingisbad Bundaberg Ginger Beer. It's an Australian root beer. Think he drinks the diet kind.

[@aaronl_trains_and_planes]

Yes! Another one of my questions. I love you guys and gals!

[@thegentlemanpirate13]

Honestly, the lack of a high speed shot made that explosion even better. Because one second, there's a cement truck. The next, there isn't.

[@CerealKiller187]

What a lovely way of looking at it. Yes, I think I tend to agree with you.

[@romywhite290]

Which is one of the reasons it's my favorite. the sound it made was like PINK

[@sourcererseven3858]

Yes, exactly the reason it's my favourite as well!

[@_Jester_]

That's exactly how I remember that, the truck was just gone from one frame to the next. That still is the most memorable scene from Mythbusters for me. That high pitched noise and the thing was gone from the face of the earth.

[@vnigallahoir3523]

I remember it shattering the hollywood notion of what an explosion looked like to me. The abject violence of the force against what used to be that truck, and importantly the sound it made, still sticks with me to this day.

[@W00FLES]

Can we take a moment to acknowledge how amazing of a man Adam is. They way he tells the story about the high speed camera operator and ACKNOWLEDGES empathy towards him even in a situation like that- shows how amazing of a boss and person Adam really is. I feel like anyone else would have just unhinged not taking a moment to empathize on what the operator was probably feeling. Top notch, man.

[@Moose92411]

I could not agree more. Instead of berating the guy and expressing his disappointment, he chooses compassion. His empathy is life-affirming.

[@chumon1992]

It's true and it's so important for jobs like that because a lot of the time it's out of the operators control because things like that are so volatile that you don't always know how they're gonna go down.

[@MrInvinciblewarrior]

Somehow i believe jamie did the job.

[@BananaMana69]

​@@MrInvinciblewarriorHigh speed cameras are extremely expensive, they most likely hired a company to do it..

[@uniqueone2731]

You are 100% on the money with your comment. I feel the exact same way. Really impressive man

[@malusignatius]

The water heater emerging out of the shack and ascending to the heavens like a water-powered Saturn 5 rocket is probably my favourite mythbusters moment... It was just so majestic and ridiculous at the same time.

[@walnutsandbeastiality866]

,,How about... buy a new hot water heater. How's that idea? _For the _*_millionth, billionth_*_ time."_ (Walter White Jr., Breaking Bad Season 1 Episode 1, 2008)

[@steveschainost7590]

I remember that show and noting that they had their blast shield set up for a horizontal explosion. But the water heater went up like a rocket. They had no overhead protection for a water heater coming down vertically.

[@hellomark1]

It was great just how much that floored them, they did not see that coming at all.

[@Rockmaster867]

I was always wondee what would have happend to an european built house. Bricks, mortar, concrete

[@Shooter-1924]

I agree 100%!

[@refsmithy]

The fact that it was the production company asking them to blow up the cement truck, and not actually Adam and Jamie deciding to do it, somehow makes me love that episode even more. It's not just "Jamie wants big boom"... it's "Beyond wants big boom!" 🤣

[@rogerszmodis]

He’s why they went with 5000 lbs of ANFO. Probably negotiated it up from 1000.

[@zevo9314]

that episode really set the tone for the rest of the show. that was the first time the formula was test the myth, prove the myth impossible, then go over the top to see what it would take to make the myth possible, then go even further over the top for a big finish worst case scenario style

[@regould221]

I'm sure the person at the production company didn't really understand what was needed to blow up a truck safely.

[@briansavage932]

The fact that you don't have a high speed shot of the cement truck is a big reason it was a hit. There was no slowing down and dissecting it. All you had was the rapid chaotic disassembly of something we all considered to be a semi-indestructable object. In an instant we bore witness and were awestruck by the sheer power of that explosion! It was simultaneously exciting and terrifying. It reminds me of a famous line a bomb technician once said about his job. "If I do it wrong, I'll never know it".

[@jakehanczar856]

Rapid chaotic disassembly may be my new favorite euphemism which will be promptly put into the forefront of my vocab.

[@Jake-bt3fc]

The thing some people don't get about slow motion is that you should show the real time shot first, _then_ you show it slowed down. A lot of people don't like slow-mo because of this, but if they just did it properly it would in fact be better.

[@ethang6735]

.... its called pink mist for a reason

[@adams3627]

One of my favorite lines in Disco Elysium, re: a dead man “he will never know he is dead. Death comes faster than the realization.”

[@coryman125]

"What makes me a good Demoman? If I were a bad Demoman, I wouldn't be sittin' here, discussin' it with you now would I?"

[@robertcope9494]

In Iraq I was 150 feet from a garbage truck loaded with 2,000 pounds of explosives. I was behind an armored Chevy Suburban when the explosion occurred. I felt the blast wave and it broke the crystal of my watch.

[@cleverusername9369]

I love how Adam remembers the name of everyone he's ever worked with no matter how tangentially and happily name drops them to give them credit, but always refers to his wife as "Mrs Don't Try This" out of what I assume is respect for her privacy. 👏

[@diggysoze2897]

Which is equal parts awesome and hilarious - because it took three seconds to google and now I know her name and what she looks like, and her height, and what she ate for breakfast last wednesday, and her preference of footwear

[@diggysoze2897]

Damn the internet is creepy af

[@paisley4092]

@@diggysoze2897 did you Google yourself haha

[@diggysoze2897]

@@paisley4092 I did not - but I earnestly hope you’ll all do so. Also, I swear, I chose the name WEEKS before the Spacey stuff came out lmfao

[@kennethjohnson4280]

I think you may find out that she is Mrs. Don't Try This because she is the voice of reason in his head and probably why he still has all his extremities attached.

[@williamjones7163]

I am impressed about your empathy for the camera operator that missed the high speed shot. Instead of getting all bent out of shape and screaming and yelling you felt for him. That is a class act. Thank you for sharing. You show how the correct human reaction should be.

[@rhombo323]

As a Plumber, I loved watching the Water heater videos. You took enough time to show just how much you had to do to cause the explosion to happen. Overriding multiple safety mechanisms in order to even get close to causing the explosion. I actually showed a few scared customers those videos, to show how safe they really are, and how much you have to do to put them in a position to fail.

[@krkhns]

I was a commercial and industrial plumber for 35 years. The exploding water heater thing is a relic of bygone days. Its like any other safety-related regulation, sh*t has to go wrong before they make a rule. It was common in the early 70s to have electric models blow through the roof if the thermostat on either element gave out and the t&p was old. Its why they have limit switches now. Its also why most states require a pan and a relief line to a drain or outdoors now. For some reason, though, exploding tanks were usually associated with gas models, which were actually safer than the electric models.

[@easternwoods4378]

A water heater would only explode if water can't exit the tank while heating. Is there a check valve on the inflow or is it open back to the supply?

[@krkhns]

​@@easternwoods4378 There is a temperature and pressure relief (t&p) valve on the side of every gas and top of every electric tank that opens at 210F or 150PSI. The issues happen if the spring in the t&p gets clogged or stuck from sediment or rust. Its why you should open it for a second or two every few months. By the nature of how they operate, gas heaters rarely blow. The regulator "should" automatically cut the flow of gas if the thermostat failst or if the part that feeds gas to the pilot goes out. Electric water heater have an upper and lower heating element. Originally, they had no way of cutting power to the elements if either thermostat went out. Now, they have temperature limit switches that cut the power if the temp exceeds 200-210F. Also, its usually older tanks that blow. The tanks are designed to expand as the water heats. As the tank gets older and weakens, the expansion seam on the bottom tends to give out. its why your supposed to have a metal pan under the tank that discharges into a drain. If you have a runaway electric element, its possible for the bottom of an old tank to blow out before the temp or pressure is high enough to open the t&p. But, you would have water pouring out the bottom before that happened.

[@dorhocyn3]

Those tanks are a lot thicker than I thought they were, I was going to use one to make a fire pit and cut it open only to find out. It’s almost quarter inch thick steel with a ceramic coated interior pretty tough metal.

[@charlienyc1]

​@@dorhocyn3 Are there other ways to reuse them?

[@JonathanHarvell]

I can still hear that truck exploding in my mind to this day, and I haven't seen that episode in over a decade. Truly awe inspiring. Your team has likely inspired thousands of people to enter STEAM careers based solely on that show. Bravo!

[@SBEARD12345]

The first water heater explosion was epic, and the child like glee on both your faces as you realised you could do so much with it.. Thank you

[@tomhorsley6566]

The thing I always loved about the water heater was the explosion followed by fantastic amounts of time before it falls back down.

[@LeftCoastStephen]

@@evensgrey Thanks for correcting your calculations. But it is a long time. It’s by far my favourite episode. Using such a mundane item to cause such destruction is truly awesome. Using it to putout the fire that causes the explosion would be as effective as most fire departments, seeing as they usually only save the foundation at a major house fire

[@LeftCoastStephen]

@@evensgrey “Saving another foundation” is a euphemism I got from firefighter friends for a total loss. KZbin really needs a sarcasm font.

[@dfglandon]

Loved and learned about how science is cool! The cement mixer exploding was on of my most favorite. And Jamie’s quote “ Well there’s your problem” as he picks up a chunk of mixer, still gets pulled out to this day.

[@sfdntk]

Adam is the one who says that line, and also the iconic "I swear I parked the truck RIGHT HERE!"

[@aaronklein1490]

I was just a child when you guys blew up that cement truck. The sound is still etched into my mind today. There were episodes that did have more information but that explosion was truly violent.

[@cleverusername9369]

It was a most glorious "kaFOOM"

[@jimcappa6815]

Of all the things they blew up, that was far and away my favorite!

[@ScottChristianSimmons]

I was watching that episode with my young sons while my wife made dinner. "OK, guys, time to eat!" "Just a minute, Adam and Jamie are about to blow up a cement truck." " ... Why?" (All three of us in unison) "WHO CARES?"

[@Gibson99]

@@ScottChristianSimmons SCIENCE!!!

[@aaronnonymous3669]

@@cleverusername9369 the cement truck evaporation was more of a "BIIEEW!!!". It was the water heater bleve that was the "KaFOOM!".

[@michaelmaltzer5426]

Adam, I remember you and Jamie came to Georgia state university in I think 2011. I was a student there. I love mythbusters so I made sure to attend your presentation. You both were exactly as we saw you in tv. And then at the end, you gave us a 5 minute montage of every explosion over the years of the show… with the cement truck as the finale. It was awesome!

[@Cmoore718]

As a child and into my teens, this was hands down my favourite show. Every time there was a new episode, it was like getting a birthday gift haha. Thank you Adam, and everyone else who produced this phenomenal show for us

[@zplates]

Thank you for confirming the missing high-speed shot of the cement truck. We will forever wonder what this would have looked like in high speed. I'd lobby and crowdfund-contribute to re-shooting this with the latest in high-speed technology now available. I suspect the results would scare the pants off of us even more.

[@ciphercast]

I wonder what the budget was to do it ;-)

[@tiladx]

Hello from the future. I would also help fund this, but it has to be The Slow-Mo Guys getting the shot.

[@CodeKujo]

“We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” ― Kurt Vonnegut

[@Richard_Nickerson]

I love Vonnegut

[@HariSeldon913]

Kurt Vonnegut's last major work was Rodney Dangerfield's English paper (where he showed that he didn't know anything about himself).

[@robertrouse4503]

I grew up in Indianapolis and we used to go to Kurt Vonnegut's family business, Vonnegut's Hardware.

[@Masada1911]

That’s lovely

[@ziggypop123]

I will never forget watching the cement truck episode with my kids and jumping off the couch and yelling it’s gone, it’s gone! Lol what an amazing show! I literally cried at the final episode because it was so fun to watch with my family.

[@johnreynolds5594]

I think it says a lot about Adam as a producer and as a person that his first thought is to feel sorry for the high-speed camera operator, not to lament the missed shot.

[@numbr17]

Mythbusters was easily one of my favorite shows in my entire life, and I was pretty sad when it was over. That's why I love this channel, because we get to relive some of the greatest moments, and hear about some of the things that went through your head about the how, and the why. Such great memories!

[@gamerkingdom1442]

These are amongst the most iconic moments in all of Mythbusters. I still remember them…. GOSH DARN IT I MISS MYTHBUSTERS…. 😅

[@Jeikobu]

What I loved about the cement truck was really the sound it gave. I always loved every explosion on Mythbusters, but that was my favorite sound on the whole show

[@DouglasHampton]

If I ever get to own a chunk of land, I'm totally naming it the "Savage-Hyneman National Ballistic Water Heater Range".

[@malusignatius]

That's great.

[@borntoclimb7116]

You can start tests

[@Jcush21]

Feel like you should add "& Nature Preserve" or something at the end. 😀

[@custardbaby4]

@@Jcush21 “& Sashimi Restaurant”

[@Plumbbrookpines]

As a steam boiler design engineer I’ve seen some really big “water heater” factory explosions that launched boilers the size of semi truck hundreds of yards. Sudden expansion of water into vapor has more explosive potential than tnt

[@stThicket]

Adam is such a great communicator. The enthusiasm and excitement he shows, and the words he choose is so down to earth. It's always a pleasure to hear him talk.

[@teakkaye5364]

Must disagree . He could say everything he wants to with about 1/3 of the words . It's like he enjoys talking . And talking . And talking

[@the_minimalistic_adventure]

@@teakkaye5364 He’s a freethinker. Nothing wrong with that. It shows intelligence.

[@garysmcdermott]

That said, the two types of explosion that he was looking for were 'Detonation' ,which expands fater than the speed of sound and is seen with High Explosives like C4 and dynamite, and 'Deflagration', which is a subsonic burn that is seen in BLEVEs and gas explosions (what is usually shown on tv and movies). ANFO, as was used in the cement truck, can undergo a deflagration to detonation transition under correct circumstances. I suspect that the concrete truck explosion was in fact a detonation since it was in a relatively enclosed container

[@a.n.7863]

One of the few people who correctly call the appliance a “water heater” rather than a “hot water heater.”

[@matthewryan647]

Living in QLD I have had lightning hit withing 30m many times. It is a very sharp crack. You feel the shockwave. It shakes the hell out of windows. The closest strike was a tree in the neighbouring property. I was looking directly at it. It was intense!

[@nothanksguy]

Once on a vacation, a tree 5m from our RV window was struck. The lightning was such a sharp crack, but i remember the noise that tree made splitting apart and immidrately falling (away from us) was ungodly ad well

[@Xktree72]

I definitely remember sitting there for a moment in stunned silence after watching the cement truck disappear in a split second.

[@PaulZielke]

Yep, same. My mind was blown. I expected there to be something visible left. Nope, just removed from existence

[@irwinisidro]

Especially knowing it was filled to the brim with concrete.

[@sandwiched]

I think my favorite MB moment was the rocket sled. The sheer velocity when that second stage went off is something you NEVER see in Hollywood.

[@scaneagle62]

Yeah I loved that also, it took Adam's breath completely and I will never forget!

[@heathernicol3026]

I genuinely love how much Adam enjoys the science behind everything. Like; “Explosions are cool! This is why! And EACH PART of the why is SO COOL!!” xD

[@cleverusername9369]

He's not wrong

[@KeksimusMaximus]

That cement mixer explosion is one of my most vivid memories of the show. I remember that episode to this day, that was AWESOME

[@K0Kaz]

The cement truck was for sure my most memorable MB explosion. Specifically, the 'ptooo' sound it made as it disappeared is a singular sound I just can never get enough of.

[@kenbrown2808]

agreed. the cement truck explosion was one of the best explosion sounds of the whole series.

[@formulized94]

The dump truck episode blew my mind. I will never forget watching how quick it disappeared and watching that shock wave. My all time favorite show and I appreciate you refreshing it on youtube.

[@rsalbreiter]

I recently saw a celebrity Q&A with a reality TV star and they got mad at fans for the questions they were asked. "I've heard that question 100 times. Next question!". Now I see Adam thanking fans for their questions, some of these he's probably been asked 100 times but he treats it like the first time. I had the pleasure of meeting Adam and Jamie on their tour like 10 years ago and both were an absolute delight on stage and off

[@marceld6061]

Adam Savage. One of the most brilliant, articulate and *lucky* people of which I can think. The right man for the job. A job we all wanted!

[@jd52wtf]

The cement truck... and the rocket sled.... Both "HOLY S%$T" moments that stick in my head. Your reaction when the second stage of the rocket sled kicked in was something else. Keep up the amazing content!

[@wingsounds13]

Agreed, their rocket sled "experiments" were amazing.

[@TreyVaswal]

Yes, the first full-blown sled run! At that point after years of witnessing all novel forms of kinetic violence, and you were both struck dumb, barely able to process what you had just witnessed.

[@markfryer9880]

I found the Rocket Sled explosion to be more shocking than the concrete mixer. Not 100% sure as to why?

[@StasherDragon]

First it was there, then it was there!

[@richc9890]

I could seriously listen to you all day. Have always enjoined your enthusiasm and excitement, even while telling stories over and over.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

Before I even watch this, I just have to say that the cement truck is still my favorite explosion. Not just of the show, but ever. The sound it makes is just perfect, and everyone's reactions are perfect. I remember watching that episode brand new as it aired with my then girlfriend on the phone and we were both just in awe.

[@Atlessa]

"everyone's reactions are perfect" Oh boy...

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@Atlessa Their first interaction with a genuine shockwave like that, the genuine surprise of the truck just disappearing. Adam's "I swear I left it RIGHT HERE". All gold. What's your problem with it?

[@Atlessa]

​@@Richard_Nickerson you might wanna listen to Adam when he describes how those shots were taken... starting at about 10:30

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@Atlessa So, convincing acting is bad? We'd better let TV shows and movies know.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@Atlessa Also, note that 2 of the 3 things I listed in my examples of their reactions are NOT from that part. Should make one wonder why you kept going with your unsolicited Debbie Downer routine.

[@GeorgeCMcRae]

The Kurt Vonnegut recollection was gold. As an actor, in training decades ago, I learned that when on camera you direct to someone real who needs to hear what you have to say. Now I work with a team of brilliant writers. Ill pop this question to them.Thank you!!!

[@Torpedomtb]

I really wish Jamie would agree to do an interview with questions you have about the early days and mid life of mythbusters.. He has went dark but he has so much inside him that would be good story

[@MrCoolAttitude]

Ikr. Everytime Adam talk about myth busters old episodes, I always think of Jamie.

[@djsomeguy]

Can we not get Jamie on here for at least one Q&A?

[@tested]

@@djsomeguy No, unfortunately, Jamie is completely uninterested in appearing on camera for anything, including this.

[@B0bLeeSw4gger]

@@tested You always speak so highly of Jamie but I can't help but feel that there's bad blood between you two. I know the rumors. I know you refute them, but I still think there's something there.

[@3p1cand3rs0n]

it’s my understanding that they were never “friends”. they were essentially business partners, with diverging opinions on how things should be. i imagine both of them can be a lot to handle.

[@Weisz]

Detonation = explosion faster than sound Deflagration = explosion slower than sound (learned this from y’all on mythbusters, and I’ve never forgotten it)

[@DinJaevel]

Every time I watch you telling us stories I am struck by how polite you are, how aware you are, how present and always, always, humble and grateful. I wish there were more people like you, you are my humble hero and with that I thank you for giving me hope. Thank you!

[@omalexcini9564]

When I was a young tween, I tried to blow up my bike tube tire up on my own. Not knowing how to do it properly or safely. Trying to be a young independent person. It popped on me, might of just been how loud it was, but it knocked me back a bit, but it was LOUD! I was deaf in one ear for a day or so. Been forever paranoid of filling air in tires since. Side note I grew up watching Mythbusters and I think the Cement Truck episode is up there as one of my favorites. I loved almost every episode just to say that, I think another close one is the Jason Bourne episode, and the ancient death laser, where Jamie stood in front of the mirror dish and said well, I'm not dead so yea.... Been a long time fan, was happy you started this channel to see more of the behind the scenes explanations and your take on busting myths.

[@masonsmith5635]

My father, who ran a hardware store in western Kentucky for 50 years, told me once about a customer who'd had his house destroyed by a ballistic hot water heater. Apparently the man became angry that the pop-off valve on the unit was popping off, and he replaced the safety valve with a 1/2-inch galvanized pipe cap. Anyway, I doubted my father's story, but I had to apologize to Dad after the episode aired because, clearly, it actually WAS possible for a hot water heater to blast off like a NASA rocket right through a house! As far as I know, no one was injured in the Kentucky incident, and the man remained "difficult customer" of Dad's store for many years thereafter.

[@patheddles4004]

I still love how that water heater went straight through a floor and a roof like they weren't there. The sheer amount of energy is just absurd.

[@kingawsume]

As someone who lives near an Army base, the best sounds from explosions happen around 10 miles away, because then they aren't deafeningly loud, but still have the subfrequencies to jiggle you a little bit. Makes you giggly when you hear a loud but dull thud, and the boat rocks a little.

[@ksparks689]

It’s truly wonderful to have more from Adam post-Mythbusters.

[@LazrCat0]

I love that the production company was actually the one that was like "hey y'all gotta blow this up" and not you or Jamie. AND had already done the footwork with discovery to make it happen.

[@GGNatalie]

What Adam said about his partner made me smile. It might just be the biproduct of chemicals in our lizard brains but there is something really special about the fact that we can find someone we are comfortable with who makes us feel whole.

[@dashsrandomautomotive]

I completely concur

[@zoinomiko]

That answer definitely activated those lizard-brain chemicals for me in such a lovely way

[@ramrod132]

Yep. That was a really good question and a very insightful answer. It looked like something Adam had considered before.

[@turntsnaco824]

Too bad that isn't a joy everyone gets to experience. Just some people.

[@vincedibona4687]

Not everyone gets to find their special someone. 🫤

[@sgfx]

I think it is so cool that you have had such a good job/experience and are so keen to share it with us. Unlike most TV Characters, especially sci-fi, who don't know the difference between a phaser and a photon torpedo. You lived this show, and still live and re-live it with such enthusiasm, that we get to re-live and sometimes experience anew, each little story or fact. You have been(are) a great resource and mentor to the makers, effects, story telling, and many other groups. Furthermore, you stretch our imaginations and challenge our skills. I have an entire wood/work shop with many tools I would not have even tried, (and with a list of many more I wish I had). Because you encouraged me to try new things and not give up when I failed. So for all this I(and I speak for many others) THANK YOU. And your crews for giving us something special over the years, and I hope for many more.

[@jimcappa6815]

The cement truck was the best! One minute there’s a truck , then there’s an earth shattering kaboom, then the whole truck is just…gone. It was amazing!

[@scaneagle62]

My favorite reaction that I'm pretty sure wasn't acting was when that second stage fired on the rocket sled , Adam's reaction priceless! It took his breath away I will never forget that!

[@UsaSatsui]

The cement truck explosion is probably my favorite thing I have ever seen on television because it was the only thing I can think of that left me in a state of terrified awe. That truck was literally gone in a split second with a fwoom. Will never get tired of seeing it.

[@idiotsinc2241]

I'm the guy that told you about the explosion in Minnesota. Love the concrete truck explosion.

[@BlueDually4x4]

I think the cement truck and the water heater rocketing through the roof of the shack are kind of the two most memorable and iconic scenes from the show. Everyone has seen a cement truck so seeing something that big and heavy just disappear in an instant is kind of alarming and amazing. And the water heater in its slow-motion destruction of the roof as it takes flight is kind of elegant and artful. I gotta say for me, seeing the lead balloon floating and that little plane taking off the treadmill are some of the coolest an awe-inspiring moments.

[@jasondanner6630]

I love your humanness Adam! Appreciated hearing your compassion for the rough day the high speed operator felt missing the shot of the cement truck. Thank you so much for sharing

[@russellmillett5642]

This explosion was an integral part of my childhood

[@anitaswart.]

Adam I'm a 72 year old lady and when you tell these stories, I miss my brothers, one who has passed away and growing up in South Africa, we didn't see all this, because I was the small sister who wanted to do all the crazy things they did, and I had to bribe them. Thank you

[@randycarter2001]

The water heater has more active mass than C4. With C4 you have a shock wave rapidly expanding through a few ounces of air. The water heater has 400 pounds of water in action. You're going to get a bigger more drawn out shock wave.

[@jettbrains]

because of.... more volume?

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

@@jettbrains The water heater becomes a pressure vessel as the content expands as it's heated. In the end that water is well beyond the boiling point but still in liquid form due to the pressure. This means that as the tank ruptures and the pressure go down the water will go from liquid to vapor in what's often called a flash conversion. If I remember correctly it's considered to be bypassing the boiling state when doing so. This is a very fast reaction, but still far slower than something like C4, so the expansion will continue for a relatively long time compared to high speed explosives.

[@nothanksguy]

​@@jettbrains more about the mass than volume. also, air is compressible but water isnt, so the explosion is pushing the water out of the way, not compressing it.

[@blenhinton7566]

Mythbusters was a favorite of mine. It appealed to me on two different levels. On intellectual level, I enjoyed the science of how things work. Sometimes when you withheld certain information such as the "secret sauce " in the episode about acids, I knew what it was. Don't worry I won't tell because I agree that it would be extremely dangerous for the general public to know. The second way the show appealed to me was it engaged me inner child. Who doesn't like watching things getting destroyed? The explosive episodes were especially awesome. My all time favorite was when you collapsed the tanker car using vacuum. I will never forget that sound. Thanks for a bunch of great memories, and for teaching me some things from time to time.

[@RB-bd5tz]

That episode is uploaded now, and there are many comments identifying it as H2O2.

[@shadoube_likes_games1879]

Man with watching the SloMo Guys film something at a Million frames per second makes me want to see a redo of some of these myths in such higher resolution and speed. it would be amazing

[@abdulmuhaimin5274]

You mean this kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJjNqoOje7Crebc

[@BDCMatt]

Gavin and Adam together would be amazing.

[@chadhardwick9214]

1 of my favorite episodes... Had no idea that a concrete truck could be blown into such small bits.... Impressive for sure.

[@alwaysfallingshort]

Kurt Vonnegut being one of Adam's fundamental authors is so telling. I grew up on Vonnegut, just recently bought every single one of his books in my favorite prints. That's why Adam feels like a member of my community, even if we're not that alike.

[@OutletVibes]

4:24 actually really moved me and shined a light on what I need to work on as a person. Thank you for that.

[@deltatango5765]

The best explosion I ever saw was at the White Sands Missile Range in NM. I believe it was a Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) demonstration for dignitaries from several countries. We were on a mountain top several miles away and it looked exactly like the old films of nuclear explosions, with an enormous mushroom cloud. Being that far away, it was impressive, but not overwhelmingly so, as I expected, until the sound reached us about 40 seconds later. It sounded exactly like someone had placed an M-80 about 3 feet in front of us. I think everyone jumped back about 3 feet. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures or videos.

[@ericmcconnaughey2782]

MOAB = Massive Ordnance Air Burst.

[@mickpatterson6402]

You are so real and down to earth. You don't mince words, you stick to facts, you correct yourself on your own. You don't let your precepts determine your interpretation of the outcome. People like you are rare and we need more.

[@jennifercramp3542]

The cement truck obliteration has always been my absolute favorite.

[@jscan]

Between the Vonnegut confession (to which I can REALLY relate!) and your explaining your partnership communication, I've only rarely heard such genuine sharing - thanks a lot Adam!

[@f1matt]

I'm still amazed by the sound and speed of the cement truck explosion.

[@fcodxdart1083]

If there was ever a way I could just sit with Adam and have him tell me stories of the mythbuster years I'd give up many hours to do it. He tells these stories with such detail like they happened yesterday and its so fun to hear his perspective after the fact.

[@tward7332]

I can remember that reaction in my head. Jamie’s mustache twirling. The look of the thud hitting into him. The shock that overtook his usually stoic demeanor. Only now to be told it was an act. Lol. Well done Sir. Well done.

[@longboweod]

Ex-military bomb technician here! 2 things about the first 3 minutes of the vid: 1) What you're saying about an explosion going supersonic specifically refers to "detonation," where a material decomposes at a rate faster than the speed of sound through that material. It is what causes the very specific "CRACK" of high explosive explosions. The opposite is "deflagration," where the material decomposes at a subsonic rate. 2) We once got called out to a suspected rocket impact on-base at Kandahar Airfield in 2005, and found a building blown apart. Oddly, we couldn't find any fragmentation or other parts of the rocket we assumed had hit this building. When the sun rose, we eventually located the culprit: the building's water heater, which had blown out exactly as Adam described, crumbling the part of the building it was in, and coming to rest several hundred feet away in a ditch.

[@shelbowski]

So someone intentionally disabled the multiple safety features of a military water tank??

[@DenisRyan]

Let's be honest, the cement truck episode is so memorable and hilarious BECAUSE there is no slo-mo! It's just *pop**phwoom* done! Spectacular!

[@ksparks689]

You have a good point. The truck just disappeared with a boom and a poof!

[@TheDellaniOakes]

My children and I loved watching Myth Busters together. When they ran marathons, we'd park ourselves in front of the TV with snacks and watch as long as we could. There are still things we remember, talk about and experience all over again. Thank you, Jamie and everyone involved, because it really was a great bonding time for us.

[@Chuck2k6]

I absolutely love how you, Adam, can be so eloquent with your words one moment and struggle to find words the next. ... And I love these videos.

[@MrLesonfireforGod]

What made the cement truck explosion so iconic for us fans was because it was instantaneous. As you said here Adam, who among us have heard a real explosion? So it's for the best the high speed camera got nothing that day. But I did like when you wound up the series and did it again, with one more stick of dynamite.

[@madcapmagician6018]

lol adam, i worked at the explosives company that provided anfo for that quarry that you blew up the cement truck at

[@Urkstore]

10:10 And that's why television needs more producers like you.

[@aw3man_]

my favorite part of that explosion was how surprised they all were at how BIG the explosion ended up being

[@peterjansen7929]

Well, they must have been surprised, because all except Frank Doyle would have settled for a MUCH smaller exclusion zone … He was proven right, and that surprised me, too.

[@Wreckerrick201]

we towed ALOT of these vehicles for them in the bay area... the cement truck, the speed bus, among others... was always fun getting to see them every few months for something we'd eventually see on TV. on top of getting to see the rest of the crew... always friendly, joking around, yet professional at the same time. it was definitely a BLAST! (pun intended).

[@MarkWarbington]

I live about a mile away from a cement plant. Although very rare, whenever I see a cement truck broken down on the side of the road, I think of Mythbusters.

[@onelegstudios]

The cement truck explosion was what not only got me in to Mythbusters, but by proxy most if not all of the STEM field. I was around 6 or 7 and we had just gotten satellite TV so Discovery was a new channel for us, and we decided to watch it randomly. When that truck exploded me and my dad were laughing so much, and continued watching up until the series ended.

[@drcuffman]

Came for the cement truck, but really enjoyed your comment on who you picture behind the camera.

[@sound_photos]

Adam is always so cognizant of using inclusive language. It really is awesome to hear and it makes me even more happy to have watched him for so many years.

[@JRufu]

That truck.. The sound it made when it ceased to exist anymore is lodged in my brain for life..

[@GrowthCurveMarketing]

"Deflagration" is burning below the speed of sound, in a "detonation" the pressure wave front propagates faster than the the speed of sound. An exploding water heater is, technically, a "BLEVE", though this refers more often to the considerably more spectacular event in which the expanding gas is flammable.

[@axelBr1]

As a Chemical Engineer, learned about BLEVE's at Uni, mainly in the context of LPG spheres, which as you say make a spectacular event. I was struggling with classing an exploding water heater as a BLEVE, due to the inflammability of water, but learned that "An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extremely vigorous outward release of energy, ..." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosion , so combustion isn't required for it to be an explosion.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

The sound of explosions is facinating and I'm glad he brought it up. I recently say a legitimate 1863 Cannon fired off, and 3 things stood out to me, 1 it wasn't actually THAT loud, I too was expecting a deep BOOM but it was a medium-pitched crack, like a gunshot, and the 3rd thing was, the ball was moving fast, yes, but not THAT fast. You can clearly see the ball the entire time and you could see as soon as it left the barrel of the gun it was going to miss left just slightly of the target, and you could watch it clear as day the whole time. If you've ever been near the PA System at a major Rock concert, it's like the snare drum hit, it's not like a bass drum like you might think.

[@garydavo07]

Ps . It’s a concrete truck. Cement is used to make concrete. Cement trucks are totally different

[@HortBlam]

I loved your explanation about how you’re speaking ”to your wife” on camera. Having been married for 4 years, I haven’t yet learned properly what you were talking about; telling her about the experiences throughout the day is much more meaningful to her than all the facts and events.

[@airwindows]

Wow. I know exactly the reaction shot you mean, it's burned into my brain and part of every replay of the cement truck explosion. And now I know that, very likely, the both of you in reality reacted mentally INSTEAD of making a big telegenic jump for the camera. An amazing revelation

[@TreyVaswal]

The best explosion _with_ high speed footage is for me the 'making diamonds' blast with the stack of ANFO as wide around as a highway overpass column. It has this amazing 'blowing a hole in universe' look to it that never gets old

[@cassandranoice1563]

I had a similar experience with the seeing the explosion before hearing it. I was in Afghanistan and during a promotion ceremony, we all see a controlled detonation of captured HME about a mile in the distance. You see the plume of dust go up. You see the shockwave travel through the dust it kicks up. And then, the pressure wave smacks you in the chest. Pretty friggin amazing experience.

[@VAXHeadroom]

Same with the Antares rocket that exploded at Wallops Island VA in 2014. Video on my channel - we were about 9 seconds out...

[@SakraIgor0qNomoko]

The cement truck explosion is one of the best of the series. It had a certain sharp *crack* that most of the other beautiful explosions lacked.

[@markdavich5829]

I remember the first time you guys set of a water heater - I was shocked to see it blast thru the roof and into the air. I was sure, absolutely positive, that I could have went to the kitchen to make a sandwich and been back in front of the TV before it came back down. :))

[@peterjansen7929]

Well, it didn't take that long, but it took long enough that I was relieved that it came down all by itself, not embedded in the cockpit of a wrecked 747 …

[@chaos_omega]

The sound of the cement truck exploding has to be one of my favourite sounds, right up there with seismic charges.

[@stevenkobb156]

You guys all were awesome together, and I feel that your work was quite important. My favorite episode is the moon landing. You methodically bust every aspect of that using carefully thought-out and executed science. We live in a world where it seems that the most ignorant have the strongest opinions. It is a huge service to illustrate how critical thinking works, and that it's ok to say ,"I don't know" and ask a physicist or other expert, rather than use home-grown "logic" to invent answers.

[@mattbundy4900]

I remember this episode. My god I would’ve loved to be there for this , just the power behind it was insane

[@stevenduering7155]

As an adult, being on Mythbusters is still one of my dreams.

[@seanrumler]

Your explanation on how to communicate in relationships is amazing. It exposes the heart of what people need to communicate in a relationship for it to work, bravo!

[@juricarmichael2534]

That's, why i believe, Jamie and Adam are better magicians than Siegfried and Roy were! They made the cement truck disappear! Abracadabra: plopp! 🤣🤣

[@E1337Jerk]

It really was there, gone. Just rember folks it took 5000 lbs 2100kg of explosives but u too can be a magician and make anything that fits into a 10×20×30 foot square gone with a flash un an instant.

[@E1337Jerk]

Edited for grammar

[@daver7465]

I'll never forget the sound of that cement truck being destroyed. A special kind of explosive sound and my favourite mythbusters episode.