MythBusters Season 4 Episode 16 Earthquake Machine

Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman are at it again in Mythbusters season 4 episode 16 titled "Earthquake Machine." The duo is all set to tackle yet another myth related to natural disasters - can a machine be created that can generate an earthquake?

The episode kicks off with Adam and Jamie researching earthquakes in general. They learn about tectonic plates and how they can shift, causing an earthquake. They also talk about the Richter scale and how it measures the magnitude of an earthquake.

After their research, they decide to experiment with creating their own earthquake with a machine. They create a wooden box with weights, which they believe will simulate the movement of tectonic plates. They test it out and are disappointed with the results as it does not generate any significant vibrations.

Undeterred, Adam and Jamie decide to seek out expert help and visit the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center. They meet with Dr. Jack Moehle, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, who tells them that to create an earthquake machine, they’d need to generate massive amounts of force.

Taking the expert's advice into consideration, Adam and Jamie team up with the Navy, who have a vibration testing machine that can test large objects, like ship engines, for vibrations. They get access to this machine and build a new earthquake simulator using hydraulic pistons.

The duo tests their machine on a small model house and generate a mild earthquake without any damage. Encouraged with their initial success, they decide to take things up a notch and attempt to create a higher magnitude earthquake.

To do this, they build a platform with a motor and weights that can generate a force of 30,000 pounds. With this new machine, they simulate the movement of tectonic plates which generates a powerful earthquake - their machine generates even more force than the Northridge earthquake in 1994!

Amidst all the chaos, viewers get to see Jamie and Adam having a lot of fun during their playful banter and jokes. They also include several slow-motion shots and capture the vibrations from different angles to give viewers an almost cinematic experience.

In the final segment of the episode, Adam and Jamie set out to tackle a side myth - can a person escape a building during an earthquake? They create a few scenarios where someone is stuck in a building during an earthquake and attempt to escape through a door, window, and elevator.

They learn that an elevator won't work during an earthquake and that the best option is to go under a sturdy piece of furniture like a desk. Viewers get to see the duo experiment with their escape scenarios and how they can successfully escape each time.

The episode concludes with Adam and Jamie reflecting on their success in creating an earthquake machine and how they were able to learn so much about how earthquakes work. They finalize their findings and wrap up the episode but not before showcasing some amazing behind-the-scenes footage of the myth they busted.

The "Earthquake Machine" episode of Mythbusters is an action-packed one that is perfect for anyone who loves science, experimentation, and exploration. Adam and Jamie's dedication to busting the myth of creating an earthquake machine is admirable, and their playful banter adds an entertaining element to their scientific approach. The episode effectively showcases the power and unpredictability of an earthquake and the importance of earthquake safety measures. Overall, the episode is an example of Mythbusters at its best, and viewers are guaranteed a thrilling and educational experience.