MythBusters (2003–…): Season 8, Episode 5 - No Pain, No Gain - full transcript

Ugh!

Narrator: on this episode
of "mythbusters"...

Adam and Jamie bite the bullet
on an all-time classic myth.

I'm told
it's only going to hurt a lot.

Do some people tolerate pain
better than others?

Ow.

From natural redheads...

I am proud
to be one of them.

...to men versus women,

Which group
has the right stuff?

Jamie: those are
some tough mothers.



And is swearing really a cure...

Fudge!!

...or just a curse?

Oh [bleep]
sweet relief.

Meanwhile, tory, grant, and kari

Tackle the myth
of ballistic barbecues...

Let's torch this thing!

...to see if a propane tank
that's feeling the heat...

we have
the best job ever!

...is really a rocket
just biding its time.

3...2...1!

[ laughter ]

Who are the mythbusters?

Adam savage...



Am i missing an eyebrow?

...and jamie hyneman.

Relax.
this won't hurt a bit.

Between them, more than 30 years
of special-effects experience.

I ate a radio for science!

Narrator:
joining them -- tory belleci...

I am ...on fire‚

...grant imahara...

Burn!

...and kari byron.
it's terrifying!

They don't just tell the myths.

They put them to the test.

First up,
a myth for the masochists.

Pain!

Okay, that's creepy.
what are you doing?

Don't you remember when spock
was talking to the lava monster?

Okay, never mind.

We are doing
a whole set of stories

Specifically about pain.

I've got one --
you're a pain in the [bleep]

Okay, no, that's not
one of the ones we're doing.

We got three stories.

One is that women
can stand more pain than men.

Two is that redheads can't stand
very much pain at all,

And the third -- and i think
you're gonna like this --

Is that supposedly cursing

Increases your ability
to withstand pain.

Well,
i bleeping love that.

I thought you would.

Narrator: now, adam has more
than a passing acquaintance

With pain...
ow. ow.

...and here's just a few
of his greatest hits.

But adam himself hasn't a clue

If his tolerance for pain
is any better than the next guy.

Jamie: we're gonna have to
stitch your mouth shut,

I think, for this.

Na-hah, you wish.

So, how's this
gonna work?

Well, clearly we're gonna
have to subject a lot of people

To pain in order to test
these stories.

I can do that.

While i'm sure that you have
some fascinating ideas,

The fact is
that professional scientists

Have been studying this subject
for years,

And i think it would behoove us
to go to them

and ask them what techniques
they'r using

Because, remember,

We've got to do this
without damaging anybody.

Oh.

Okay.

The best man to consult
on the subject

Works at stanford university.

Your aches and spasms
are his bread and butter.

Dr. chu, how is it
you know so much about pain?

Well, i'm an anesthesiologist,
but i'm also a pain researcher.

And i have a lab
here at stanford

Where i work on discovering
new therapies

And treatments for pain.

In order
to do that work,

I need to be able to reliably
induce pain in my patients.

With dr. chu's help,

We'll road-test four kinds
of, uh, clinical torture

To find out the best one
for testing the myths.

First up is heat.

This little black box here

Is actually a precisely
controllable heater,

Which soon we will strap
to jamie's arm,

And increase the heat
until he can't stand it anymore.

What could be better than that?

Hi, jamie.

Hello.

Narrator: jamie's told that
his arm will get steadily hotter

Over the next 60 seconds,

Or until he can't stand it
no more.

So, here's the button
that you'll press.

This goes
in your right hand.

So, either red button will
turn off the heat immediately.

Okay.

Abby also requests
that he speaks out

The instant
he first feels real pain.

And that would qualify
as pain.

Ow!

But this is jamie
we're watching --

A man so tough,
he occasionally rusts.

So, that maxed out.

[ chuckles ]

Well, thank you.
that was fun.

Thank you.

So, here's the question
for our man of steel...

Is this
what we're shopping for?

I have to say
that was quite painful,

And it did leave a mark.

Whether we want to subject
a bunch of people to that,

I'm not so sure at this point.

narrator: next up, we'll change
lab rats an methods.

This one promises pain
like you wouldn't believe.

I am about to have capsaicin,

Which is the primary element
in various spicy peppers,

Injected just under my skin.

I'm told
it's only going to hurt a lot.

Narrator: now, we've already had
an excruciating brush

With capsaicin

When tory, grant, and kari

Bravely set out to find a cure
for hot chili mouth.

If capsaicin
does that to your tongue,

Just imagine the pain
from a hypodermic injection.

Hi, adam.

okay, now what i want you
to do is no move

When i do this, okay?

That'll be your instinct,
but do not move.

Okay, here we go.

Adam: okay.

Ow! oh!

Wow!

On a scale
of zero to 10?

[ groans ]

Oh, god!
okay, maybe a 6.

Ugh, it really feels
like i'm being burnt!

See, i'm not used to
feeling a pain

That's not actually
causing me damage,

So i really want to,
like, move

And run water on it
or something.

Yeah, you want to see
something, too,

To make it worth it,
right?

Oh! whoa!

On a "mythbusters"
pain scale,

This is not quite as bad
as getting my tongue pierced...

Woman: here you go.
little breath in...and out.

...especially the fact that
it goes away after 10 minutes,

But i don't think
i'd want to do this

To a bunch of test subjects
in our shop.

I'd say this is a no-go.

I'm gonna go now.

Narrator:
so, while adam recovers,

It's jamie's turn
back in the hot seat.

Next up is electric pain.

Soon a pair of electrodes
will be strapped to jamie's arm,

Touching his skin, and a current
will be run through them.

This will irritate his nerves
and cause a local pain response,

And then [chuckles]
that's not all --

Then this device,
called a von frey hair,

Will be poked
around the painful area

To map the area of sensitivity.

If jamie has
any facial expressions at all,

This is likely to be thrilling.

Narrator: dr. chu
marks the shape of a star

On jamie's left forearm.

The plan is to prod him
when this is all over

To test his sensitivity.

Now, that's pretty.
okay, jamie.

I'm going to hook you up
to this electrical current

And i'm gonna let it run
for 30 minutes,

And then i'll be back.

That's a long time
for jamie to slowly suffer.

Wow, this is kind of like

Being hooked up to an electric
fence for a half-hour.

It's not excruciating,
but it's not very nice.

In due course, dr. chu returns

To inflict
some scientific stabbing.

Well,
i have a great idea now

Of your overall
electrical-pain threshold

And your area
of sensitivity,

Which was what this test
was designed to measure.

Okay, so that means we can
turn it off now.

So, now to the fourth
and final torment.

We all know
that extreme cold can kill.

It can also hurt like hell.

Jamie: adam's gonna be
putting his hand

All the way down
into this ice bath

Where it's just above freezing.

First he'll feel cold,
then he'll feel pain,

And then when he just
can't stand it anymore,

He'll pull his hand out.

Now, this is called
the cold pressor test,

And it's the oldest
and most well-established

Pain-induction technique
used in pain research.

Narrator: the temperature
is just above freezing,

And the rules are the same
as before --

Just hang on as long as you can.

adam: look, it's one thing
to read about a technique

Like immersing your hand
in ice water

and quite another to do it.

And the most surprising thing --

And i guess this shouldn't
be surprising to me --

Is that it hurts --
it hurts right away,

And it's quite intense.

Narrator: adam would like
to go the distance,

But it's not gonna happen.

No, here we go!

Aaaah.

That's it.

Ow!

That's intense!
yeah. good job.

Adam lasted just 59 seconds,

So we know that it hurts
like the devil.

Aaaah.

After sampling four distinct
kinds of supervised soreness,

All that remains
is to choose their poison.

Do you feel
more manly now?

A little.
a little bit.

Shall we recap
what we learned at stanford?

I think we need to throw out
chili peppers and electricity

Because they're designed
to test sensitivity,

Not how much pain
you can take.

Okay, that leaves
heat and ice.

I'm going with ice

Because it's been around
the longest

And it's
the most widely used.

Ice it is.

Well, let's start by testing
whether or not women

Actually do have a higher
pain tolerance than men.

Okay.

So, it's gloves off
between women and men

To see who can outlast
the deep freeze.

But before we can settle
this test of the toughest,

The boys need to
scratch-build a rig

That can serve up the pain
and cater for comfort.

To make the testing
more tv-friendly,

Adam turns a normal kitchen
clock into a giant stopwatch.

Now, to operate this clock,
i've rigged up

A sort of electronic-armrest
dead man's switch,

So the moment you put your hand
in the ice

And rest your arm
on the armrest,

The clock starts.

Then the second you lift
your arm out, the clock stops.

Narrator:
jamie's recirculating pump

Should ensure the ice water
stays at one degree celsius

For as long
as the testing takes.

The chill chair
is ready for action.

I like it.

Upstairs, 25 men and 25 women

Have no idea
what they're in for.

That could ruin
your next barbecue.

So, you're looking excited.
what's up?
it's our myth.

It's a good one, which kind of
reminds me of my childhood.

Okay, hit me.

All right, imagine a garage
or a shed is on fire.

Inside is a barbecue
with...a propane tank.

It explodes
and turns into a rocket,

Launching 150 feet
into the air.

Oh, i've heard of this one.

It's very similar
to the water-heater rocket.

The heat causes the pressure
inside the tank to build,

Then there's
a catastrophic rupture

And sends the tank
flying up into the sky.

Wait, wait, wait -- this reminds
you of your childhood?

Yeah.
i'd rather not talk about it.

My parents
are still a little upset.

Narrator: like they said,
this isn't the first time

We've, uh, adapted
a pressure vessel...

Or deliberately
set one on fire...

Or even tried to turn a gas tank
into a missile...

But if this myth is true,

Catastrophe could be brewing
in your own backyard.

The story goes
that a propane tank

Once became a rocket,

And its perfect trajectory
hit 150 feet.

Look, i got to say i've got
my doubts about this.

How so?

Propane tanks, just like all
of the pressurized vessels,

Have a pressure-relief valve
built in.

When the pressure gets too high,
they simply vent off the excess,

Thereby averting
the catastrophic failure.

Yeah, but what if the fire
is so intense

That the pressure is building
faster inside the tank

Than the relief valve
can dump out?

I suppose it's possible.

Fun day
at the bomb range!

[ laughter ]

Now, for this myth,
we need a burning garage

With a propane tank
inside of it.

Now, since no one's gonna let us
burn down a garage,

We need to build our own.

But we don't have time
to build a full-sized one,

So we're going to make
a miniature one.

But we're still gonna build it
up to code.

It's gonna have studs
every 16 inches.

It's gonna have three walls,
a driveway, and a roof.

Now, that should be
plenty of material to burn

In order to get this garage
hot enough

To turn this propane tank
into a rocket.

Narrator: here on the show,
we like to say

That every day's a good day
for an explosion.

But some days are definitely
better than others.

I thought
the dangerous part

Was gonna be
the exploding propane tank.

You all right?
oh, no!

It's hardly a firm foundation,

But the guys know that today,

The joys of shed ownership
will be fleeting.

Whoo!

They're now ready to install
the stunt barbecue,

And the star of the show.

Hey, don't forget
the propane.

It came straight
from my garage.

But there's still some fuel
to add to the fire.

Grant: so, this kind of looks
like a lot of firewood, right?

Well, it is,
because what we want

Is for this fire to burn
long and hot.

Narrator: so they stack the shed
with wood and charcoal --

Two common commodities
that should catch fire

And raise the temperature.

Tory: now, this fire
is gonna get so hot

That there is a good chance that
this tank is gonna explode.

Narrator:
but we want a rocket.

And if the relief valve does
its job, this could turn out

To be nothing more
than a backyard bonfire.

Then again, one of the great
things about "mythbusters"

Is that we're so often wrong.

After a liberal splash
of gasoline...

That ought to do it.

...the team shows its flair
[flare]

For setting a fire.

Grant: all right,
you guys ready?

Ready!
let's torch this thing!

In 3, 2, 1.

Kari: whoa!

Run!

Narrator: each passing second
feels like 10

As they hightail it
back to the bunker.

Oh, that thing
is going up!
oh, my god!

Okay.

By the time they arrive,
the shed's an inferno.

Okay, the flir cam
says 302 degrees.

Look at that --
it's just all white.

Narrator: then, with the
temperature passing 800 degrees,

The safety valve
finally kicks in,

Doing exactly
what it's supposed to do.

There it goes!

The relief valve
just broke.

Look at that --
it's like a flame thrower.

So, thar she blows,

And the cylinder
didn't move an inch.

The valve released
the gas pressure

Faster than the tank
could build it up.

Grant: the important thing is
that the tank did not rupture.

There was no explosion.

And we saw a jet of fire,
but no thrust,

Which would make a rocket.

Narrator:
so the shed bites the dust,

But there's room
for improvement.

So this myth is not confirmed
under normal circumstances.

It looks like
we're gonna have to disable

The pressure-relief valve
to get any sort of result.

Maybe we need to go
back to the shop, change
the circumstances

To get one of these tanks
to act more like a rocket.

All right.

Narrator: coming up,
adam and jamie

Finally settle the biggest
gender myth of all.

Can women really take more pain
than men?

Hurts, doesn't it?
yes, it does.

Narrator: this myth is called
"no pain, no gain,"

Though i must admit it's often
hard to see an upside.

Adam and jamie have settled
on their torment of choice,

Which is sticking your arm
in an ice bath

To see who lasts the longest.

And the very first contest
is men versus women.

The volunteers have all been
declared fit and healthy.

None of them know there's
a 3-minute cap on the ice dunk.

In fact, they don't even know
why they're here.

And now it's time
for women versus men,

Specifically the myth

That women have a higher
tolerance for pain than men.

Why is this interesting?

Well, men are viewed as strong,
and women are viewed as weak.

And wouldn't it be lovely
if the reverse were true?

Narrator: it sure would,
and we're about to find out.

Yeah, so, i want you to keep
your fingers apart

So that they get as cold
as possible.

Okay.

And hold your hand still
in the bucket.

You don't have to do this.
are you okay with it?

I'm fine.
okay.

Melissa, commence.

Other than that,

The instructions are much
like the guys got at stanford --

Sing out when it hurts and pull
out when it's all too much.

That's pain.

Jamie: okay.

You got it?

I got it.

Narrator:
as the seconds tick by,

Melissa proves more than a match
for the arm-numbing pain.

Jamie:
and you're done.

You're done. we have
a 3-minute safety cutoff.

[ laughs ]
excellent.

You did amazing!
oh, my gosh!

Narrator: that's a positive
start for girls versus guys,

But the following females fall
way short of that magic mark.

Now, be sure to tell us
whenever you start to feel pain.

All right,
it's starting to hurt.

Okay.

Narrator:
the next four contestants

Are much more like adam --

They all last
less than a minute.

While adam crunches the numbers,

Our paramedic sanjay is on hand
to check their vitals.

You feeling dizzy, light-headed,
anything like that?

Any chest pain,
shortness of breath? okay.

Continue drying your hand
and come with me.

All right.

But how can a simple tub
of cold water

Cause so much discomfort?

So, how does ice water
cause pain?

Well, you have special receptors
in your skin

Called "nociceptors,"

And these are specifically
to sense temperature.

So when your skin temperature
gets low enough,

These send a signal
to your spinal cord

And then to your brain,

And this is what you interpret
as pain.

Now, the goal here is to get you
to remove your hand

Before you receive
any actual damage.

Narrator: so, the tolerance
testing begins for the men,

And just like the women,

They have no idea that this is
a battle of the sexes.

Go ahead.

All right,
keep your fingers spread.

There we go.

And tell us when you first
experience pain.

For the record,
that takes just 15 seconds.

Okay, i've got
some pain now.
okay.

Half a minute later, thomas,
who looks as tough as teak,

Has had enough.

[ clicks tongue ]

All right, then.
whew!

It hurts,
doesn't it?
yes, it does.

Okay.

In the next 60 minutes,

Many more men take
the one-degree plunge into pain.

[ groans ]

Okay, done.
excellent.

and some do beat the clock...

And that's it.
that's 3 minutes.

All right.

You can tell by the ice
that's stuck to your forearm.

Okay.

Narrator: ...while others
just seem doomed from the start.

Okay.

Jamie: excellent.

Adam: nicely done.

Watch your step
coming off here.

Narrator: stephen succumbs
to unbearable pain.

Sanjay will take it
from here.

Okay.
thanks for coming in.

Stephen, thank you.
thank you.

Narrator: thanks to all those
who've rolled up their sleeves

For popular science.

Adam's done the arithmetic,

So we won't keep you waiting
on men versus women.

The final figures

Are the average number
of seconds they lasted.

Adam: ta-da!

We have crunched
the numbers

From all our test subjects.

Would you like to know
the result?

Yes.
okay.

Here it comes.

The result is...

Myth confirmed!

Women did, in fact,

Have a reasonably higher
tolerance for pain

Than men in our study.

I'll be darned!

Hah!
in your face, men!

Oh.

Up next, hopes are sky-high
for a real backyard rocket.

Does it look like
it's getting rounder?

[ explosion ]
whoa! ohh!
aaaah!

Narrator: tory, grant, and kari
are testing the myth

That a superheated propane tank
could rupture

And take off like a rocket
150 feet in the air.

So far, all they've done
is burn down a shed.

Now it's time to disable
that pesky safety-relief valve

From an empty tank.

So, these propane tanks

Have a lot of safety features
built in,

And they don't want you

To be able to go in
and defeat them,

So us professional yahoos
have to grind our own tools

Because this is
a nonstandard bolt.

So i'm gonna take
this perfectly good wrench

And make it
into a custom removal tool.

Narrator: and that's as much as
we're going to show or explain,

Because trying this yourself
is a reall.bad idea.

Suffice it to say
that before long,

Grant's removed the device
and plugged the hole

To simulate an old tank
with a busted valve.

I've got to say,
with this safety valve disabled,

I see a big boom in our future.

Narrator:
back on the range,

Tory reveals the other major
modification in plan "b."

Instead of burning a shed,

They'll heat
their blocked-up tank

With a portable
propane-gas range.

So, we're setting up a burner,

Attaching a 20-foot hard line
to that,

And then to that, we're gonna
attach a 200-foot line

Down the bomb range
to our feed tank.

Narrator: now,
just so we're all crystal-clear,

This feed tank pumps propane
direct to the burner,

So the flames stay lit.

It's in no way hooked up
to our canister rocket.

A pressure-relief valve,

Which we've dismantled
from this particular tank,

Is there to prevent
a key disaster.

It's called a bleve.

Now, that's an acronym

For "boiling liquid
expanding vapor explosion."

A vessel that has a pressurized
liquid inside, when it ruptures,

Can have a catastrophic
explosion.

Narrator:
they should get their bleve,

But grant doubts he'll witness
the launch of a missile.

The problem is we don't know
where it's gonna rupture.

I think it's gonna rupture
probably on this seam

And go wham!

I still don't think
it's gonna be a rocket.

Narrator:
to find out if he's right,

Tory lights up the stovetop...

Here we go.

...while grant pumps the gas.

Grant: come on!

Kari:
this could be big.

Grant:
it could be really big.

Tory: it's gonna be
a huge fireball.

Or a really awesome
rocket!

Look at the bottom.
it's blackening.

And you can see the blurry
heat fog right above it.

Narrator: 10 minutes in,

This modified tank looks like
it's ready to burst.

Is the tank --

Does it look like
it's getting rounder?

It does.
kari:
yeah, it does, right?

Aaah!
whoa! ohh!

Well, that wasn't
necessarily a rocket,

Because pieces went that way,
that way, that way, that way.

Narrator: in fact, they went
every which way but vertical.

[ laughing ]

There's a piece
right there!

That was --

No way!

Glad
you're in the bunker, huh?

Wow!
holy crap!

Narrator:
the actual blast was so strong,

It blew out the flame
from the burner.

Some of the shards
flew 300 feet sideways,

But stray bits of metal
do not make a rocket.

So, this is what's left
of our tank,

And it's pretty much
what i expected to happen.

They rupture -- however,
they rupture in random spots.

Kari:
we definitely achieved a bleve.

Our tank ruptured and lost
all of its energy all at once

Rather than any sort
of nozzle-like activity.

Narrator: what we want is a tiny
hole punched through the base

To release all the force
of the pressurized gas.

And if a tank was part rusted
in just the right spot,

There's a good chance
we'd get our rocket.

Oh, i think we could
definitely do that.

Let's go try it.
all right.

So, we're back to the shop.

Now, before we start
weakening these tanks

As if they were
rusty or old tanks,

I need to find out
exactly what i'm up against.

So what i'm gonna do
is cut one of these in half

Just to find out
how thick the wall is,

'cause we want to cut

Halfway through
the thickness of the wall,

Not all the way through
and puncturing it.

Narrator:
ever so carefully...

[ thunk ]

...tory splits the empty tank
in two,

Then pulls out the calipers.

Knowing that the base of this
tank is .083 inches thick,

This is where we want to
weaken the tank

So that this fails before
the rest of the tank ruptures

And hopefully creates a nozzle
through which we get thrust.

Narrator: so grant sets the
drill to just half that depth,

Boring a divot to approximate
a neglected tank

That's part rusted through.

Now it's on to make a rocket.

Kari: all right!

Narrator:
out on the bomb range...

Well, at least
it's not raining.

Oh, dear.

[ coughs ]

Narrator: if this was nasa,
they'd call off the launch.

But perseverance pays off
as the fog soon lifts,

And hopes are high
for a genuine liftoff.

This should be fun.

For this myth to be confirmed,

We're actually gonna have to
propel that tank

150 feet in the air.

That's a 5-gallon tank.

That is gonna take
so much thrust.

[ zip! ]

[ whistle! ]

That's a lot of thrust.

Narrator: once again,

They'll heat the tank
with a propane burner,

And the pressure-relief valve
is blocked off.

Is it good yet?

This will be the ultimate test
of a compromised container.

Now we're ready to see
if a 5-gallon barbecue gas tank

Can really take flight.

Okay, ready to start!

All right, turn it on.

Good.

[ siren wailing ]

Let's see
if we get a rocket.

Kari: i think
it's gonna work this time.

I'm feeling really good
about this experiment.

Yeah,
i feel confident.

That weakening
right on the bottom,

It's in the perfect place
to form a rocket nozzle.

Whatever happens,
it's gonna be spectacular.

Narrator: but it's clear
that they'll have to be patient.

After almost 4 minutes,

The tank isn't bulging
like the last time.

Then...

Kari: i think --

Oh!
oh! oh!

I don't think
that was a rocket!

That was absolutely
not a rocket.

It just blew up.

Narrator: once again, the blast
extinguished the burner.

It's a splatter spectacular,

But the myth remains
vertically challenged.

Kari: we got a rupture
that started from the bottom.

It peeled apart the tank,

Threw it
in many different directions,

But nothing
looked like a rocket.

Narrator: it's another
disastrous failure to launch,

But the bit that burst first
went exactly to plan.

Tory: and did you notice
where it ruptured?

I mean, exactly where
we weakened the tank.

Still not a rocket,
but you know what?

Before we give up
on this scenario,

We used a full tank
here.

What if the tank in the garage
was almost empty?

Another explosion?
okay, i'm in.

I'm game.

Narrator:
grant's theory that less is more

Might well be the key to
unleashing the power of propane.

And who can say no
to another explosion?

Straight ahead,

Adam's redheaded peeps are
put to the ultimate pain test.

I hate cold.

Oh, good.

Narrator: so far,
kari, grant, and tory

Have totally failed to confirm
the myth

That a barbecue propane tank
could fly like a rocket.

They've blocked off
the relief valve...

Pieces went that way,
that way...

Narrator:
...then drilled out the bottom
to simulate a rusty tank...

I don't think
that was a rocket.

But grant thinks
the key to success

Is to stop way short
of filling the tank.

Grant: now, a nearly empty
propane tank

Might be the key
to creating a rocket.

Let me illustrate
with this water bottle.

Now, the water in here
represents the liquid propane.

It's incompressible.

There's no room for the gas
to expand and build up pressure.

But if we remove
most of that liquid...

Now we have all of this volume

For the gas to expand
and build up pressure.

An.tha might be
what turns this into a rocket.

Kari:
i'm having a hard time believing

That this is gonna happen
after the last few tests,

but since we ar changing
the circumstances just slightly,

Putting less propane in,

We might have
a different conclusion.

Narrator: this time,
kari does the cooking...

And the running.

[ siren wailing ]

No one knows just what's
gonna happen, or when.

It's starting to look like
it's swelling a little bit.

Well, it's turned
almost completely black.

That's when it exploded
last time.

Propane rocket,
here we go!

Narrator:
and sooner than tory expected...

Kari: oh!
hey!

[ all cheering ]

We got a rocket!

Wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.

That was not 150 feet
in the air.

And it didn't go straight up.
it kind of went bink!

All right,
but you have to admit

That is the best thing
we've seen so far.

Narrator: in fact,
it's the first tank they've seen

that shot up like a missile
an stayed intact.

Kari: we're all incredibly
excited right now.

I mean, we actually created
something

That looked like a rocket.

Narrator: a 60-foot launch
is not the 150 they wanted,

But it's promising
and totally spectacular.

You'd be a brave man
to call this one busted.

Grant:
it's totally plausible.

I mean, it didn't make it
to 150 feet,

But it did look
like a rocket.

This is like
a lot of our myths.

I mean, we have a bizarre set
of circumstances

That gives us
a totally wild outcome.

We didn't get that 150 feet.

What can we do
to make that go 150 feet?

Ooh. [ laughs ]
ooh. [ laughs ]

Narrator: laughter like that
can only mean one thing --

They will do whatever it takes
to match the myth.

You want more?
we've got more.

And jump in!

Narrator:
at some point, you've probably
pondered this yourself --

Can some of us tolerate
more pain than others?

[ chuckles ]

Relax. be quiet!

So far, it's hardly been a case
of damsels in distress.

The testing shows women
are clearly more stoic than men.

What's next, adam?

Next is a myth that i take
a little personally,

And it is that redheads

Supposedly have
a lower tolerance for pain

Than regular people.

So, once again,

You get to experience pain
for science, huh?

No. no. no.

I did my duty
walking on hot coals, man.

Phht!

I remember it
like it was yesterday.

This was the time

When the whole team
walked the walk on hot coals,

And the only one to suffer
was our resident redhead.

The rules are exactly the same
as for men versus women,

And it already seems
there's some truth to the rumor.

I hate cold.

[ chuckles ]
oh, good.

[ both laugh ]

Okay.
there we go.

Perfect.

Woman: i've heard that redheads
have a lower tolerance of pain,

But i don't actually know
a large enough sample group

To confirm or deny that,
so we'll see what happens today.

Narrator: we sure will...

Done.

Excellent.

...as two dozen more women...

It's ridiculously
cold.

Isn't it?

...and men...
whenever you're ready.

All right.

...wave the flag
for the redheaded regiment.

Perfect.

Man:
i think it is a myth.

I think we may feel it
faster than other people...

Now it's starting
to hurt.

...but i think we can stand it
just as well, if not better.

And you made it
to 3 minutes.

Out you come.

Narrator:
brian's the first of a small
batch to challenge the myth

That the redheads
can't take it...

You made it 3 minutes.

Done.

Pull your hand out.
excellent work.

Whew!

But they last long enough

To make busting
this part of the myth

A real possibility.

All right, jamie,
it's time for the one

I know that
you've been waiting for --

Redheads
versus non-redheads.

We crunched the numbers.
you want to know the result?

Yes!
okay, here they come.

The myth that redheads have
a lower tolerance for pain is...

Busted -- hugely!

Look at the redheads!

They kicked the butt
of everybody else we tested.

Well, those are your peeps.
are you proud?

I am proud
to be one of them, yes.

Still to come,

Things are looking up
for the propane rocket.

3, 2, 1.

[ explosion ]

And can serious cussing
give sweet relief?

[bleep] [bleep] [bleep]
[bleep] [bleep]

Narrator: the last launch
of the propane-gas tank

Looked close to perfection.

They just couldn't manage
the mythical 150 feet.

So, here's the plan --

To replicate the results
of the myth,

Tory builds a 10-foot
rocket launcher.

He's also come up
with a sure-fire way

To punch out the perfect nozzle.

I've got a 9mm pistol.

It's in a ransom rest,

And it's pointed
at the base of our tank.

Now, that ransom rest
is connected to a window motor.

All i need to do
is run that motor.

It will pull the ransom-rest
lever and fire the gun.

narrator: that's a whole new way
to shoo a rocket.

Back at the range
for the very last time,

Tory's rig is deployed
in a matter of minutes.

But the force of the bullet
remains a concern.

If we shoot all the way through,
making two holes,

All of that pressure is gonna
vent out of the second hole.

So we selected
a small enough caliber handgun

to shoot in,

But it doesn't come out.

Narrator: let's hope
they've guessed right.

Tory: we've taken everything
we've learned

From our previous tests
and applied it to this last one

In order to replicate
the results of the myth.

We got one tank
to go to 60 feet,

But we want our next one
to go to 150 feet.

Narrator: the flares are set
to light the flame

Once grant turns on the gas.

And the gun safely mounted
below the burners

Will eventually be fired
remotely by tory.

This is my favorite part --

Replicating the results.

All right, the gun's live!
the gun's live!

We're on our way.

We have
the best job ever!

[ laughter ]

Narrator: as the flames start
licking the steel,

They figure they've got around
about an 8-minute wait.

Whenever we have to
wait for something to explode,

It seems like time
goes really, really slow.

Tory:
i know, right?

Grant: and hopefully,

That bullet's only gonna
go through the bottom

And give us a nozzle.

Narrator:
so the watch continues

For those telltale signs
of imminent tank failure.

You know what?
i think it's round, dude.

Narrator: if they wait any
longer, the tank might explode,

So it's now or never.

Firing the gun
should breach the bottom

And give them their rocket.

In 3, 2, 1.

[ all cheering ]

It's still spinning!

[ laughter ]

Kari:
that was a brilliant launch,

And the suspense leading up
to it was just a nail-biter.

Narrator: with a perfect
9mm nozzle and a launch tower,

This really was
a proper propane rocket.

And if the tank had fins

To keep its trajectory
straight and true,

Well, who knows?

Kari: when you take it back
to the original myth,

Yes, we did not get
the 150 feet,

But we got something that really
looked like a rocket.

I think
it's still plausible.

I agree -- plausible.

Plausible.

Under the perfect storm
of conditions,

I think you could
get a rocket.

Narrator: adam and jamie have
already taken one for the team,

Then tortured some strangers

To find out if some folk
cope better with pain.

All right.

So what's next?

Well, allow me
to demonstrate.

[bleep] ow!

Question -- did swearing
make that hurt less?

I don't know!

Well,
that's our next myth --

Does swearing increase
your tolerance to pain?

Aah!

It's a fair enough question,

But testing it out
poses obvious problems.

We've cursed on the show
before, plenty.

But what you may not know

Is that not only do they bleep
the sound of our curses,

But often if our mouth
is visible during a curse,

They blur it
so you can't read our lips

And see what nasty things
are coming out of us.

And every time they have to blur
it, it costs a lot of money.

So i figure i'm going to do the
editors a favor for this myth

And actually make a piece
of headgear

Which blurs my mouth for them,

Then all they have to do
is a bleep,

And bleeps are cheap.

All right,
here goes the first test.

Initiating the curse-proof tool.

How about this?

[bleeping]

...eating [bleep]

No blurring for the editors!

[ laughs ]

Given that this setup
is all the same,

How is this test any different
than the others?

For this test,
our sample size will be five,

Except instead of averaging
our data

Across all five test subjects,

In this test, each subject will
be compared to themselves.

In order to isolate the act
of swearing

From the act of speaking,

Our test subjects
are going to be repeating

A number of non-swear words
over and over again

While they're undergoing
the test.

Narrator:
kari, tory, and grant are
sworn in to make up the five.

Now, this is a test
in two parts --

First, the control, where they
preselect ordinary words

To scream out when it hurts.

Okay, there are your words --
five non-swear words.

Narrator: first, grant...

Ohh.

Narrator:
...and then kari...

Ohh!

Oho-ho!

...hang on as long as they can.

Doughnut!

Fudge!

Blueberry!

Sugar.

Schnitzel!

Goodness.

Piston!

But both fall way short
of the 3-minute limit.

I think that's it.
that's -- gah!

Ohh!

Okay, i'm getting
tunnel vision.

I really can't last
that long.

[ sighs ]

Adam's the next one
to chance his arm...

Puppies! kittens!

Babies! ducklings!

Oh, baby hippo!

But again, he can't last
more than a minute.

Puppies! puppies!
kittens! kittens!

Baby hippos!

Babies! ducklings!

Aah!

The next man to try to maintain
some control is tory.

In 3, 2, 1.

Gosh dang it, it's cold!

Cold!

[bleeping]

Tory's jumped the gun
with his potty mouth.

Tory: on a scale of 1 to 10,
i think i peaked out about 15.

Narrator: and then he finds out
he's in double trouble.

Oh, my god,
it's completely numb.

Tory, thanks
for participating,

But unfortunately we have to
disqualify you.

Why?

Number one, you actually swore
during the test,

Which is what the test
is about,

And you weren't
supposed to swear,

So you're out
because of that,

And you also lasted
past the 3 minutes.

It could have been
because of the swearing.

We don't know.

So i'm done
getting tortured

Is basically
what you're telling me?

Yeah.

But can jamie do better?

We're about to find out.

Fudge!

Fish!

Lightning!

Hasenpfeffer!

Sure enough,
he muddies the icy waters

By going the distance.

Jamie:
if you outlast the first test,

That automatically disqualifies
you for the second one

Because there's no improvement
to be made.

I did, and so i'm out.

Narrator: so we need two
replacements for jamie and tory.

Staffers will and yvette
both take the test,

And qualify
to fill out the quorum.

Now for the pg part
of the program,

As adam fits grant
with the swear guard.

That's fantastic!

Yeah.
okay.

Go do the test.
all right.

See you later [bleep]

this will sully grant's image,

But remember --
it's all in the name of science.

[bleeping]

They start to lose meaning
after a while.

Oh [bleeping]

Ow!

Okay. aah!

Aah.

Crap!

Will and yvette
continue the blue streak.

Then sweet kari steps up,

Primed with words that would
shock a longshoreman.

Oh, my god!

[bleeping]

It actually seems to be working

As kari goes on
to beat the clock.

[bleep]

And the last one to hope
that his mother's not watching

Is adam.

All right,
five dirty words.

Here they come.

Now let's see if some cussing
makes adam last longer.

Here we go!

3, 2 [bleep]

1.

All right!

[bleep] [bleep]

Oh, my god!
[bleep]

Hard to say
if the swearing is helping

As adam pulls out
at just under a minute.

[bleep] [bleep]

There we go!

[bleep]

[ laughs ]

Oh!

I got to stop! oh!

[bleep]

Once he's tallied the timings,

Jamie rolls out the stats
on the swearing.

Everybody was
on the plus side.
indeed.

And the average increase
is 30%.

Wow!

It is incredible.

[bleep]
shouting obscenities,

Compared to non-cuss words...

Fish!

...actually increased,
on average,

Their tolerance to pain
by a whopping 30%.

But remember, kids,
like we always say --

Don't try this at home.

[bleep]
oh, sweet relief.

So, where do we stand?

Well, let's go down the list.

Number one, the myth

That women have a higher
pain tolerance than men.

Turns out to be true.
yep.

Number two, the myth
that redheads

Have a lower pain tolerance
than regular people.

Surprisingly,
that's busted.

And finally, the myth

That cursing increases
one's tolerance for pain.

That would be confirmed.

While experiencing some
of that pain may have sucked,

I'm actually quite pleased with
how definitive our results are.

Well, you know
what they say.

What?
no pain, no gain.

[ laughs ]

[ laughs ]