MythBusters Season 8 Episode 15 Buster's Cut: Knock Your Socks Off

In the eighth season of MythBusters, episode 15 titled "Buster's Cut: Knock Your Socks Off," the hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman take on some popular myths and urban legends to determine their authenticity. The episode begins with the hosts looking into a viral video that shows a woman knocking off a man's socks with a super strong punch. Adam and Jamie wonder if this is even possible and if so, what kind of punch can produce this effect.

To test this myth, Adam and Jamie build a human analog that is similar to Buster, their crash test dummy. They use a mold of Buster's torso, arms, and head, but instead of fiberglass, they use a custom-made ballistics gel that can mimic human tissue. The hosts then place socks on the feet of the dummy and proceed to test different types of punches to see if they can recreate the viral video.

The first type of punch they test is a straight jab. Adam and Jamie set up a punching bag with sensors that can measure the force of the punch. They try different combinations of distance, speed, and stance, but none of them have enough force to knock the socks off. Next, they try a hook punch, where the force is generated from the twisting of the body. Again, they are unable to produce the desired effect. After trying various types of punches, the hosts discover that the viral video is a hoax, and it is not possible to knock someone's socks off with a punch.

In the next segment of the show, Adam and Jamie take on a myth that has been around for centuries. They investigate whether a person can die from suffocation by being buried alive. The hosts research and gather historical accounts of people who were buried alive and survived as well as those who did not make it. They also create a custom-made coffin with a ventilation system that can control the amount of air inside. The hosts then buries Buster inside the coffin and measure the amount of air and carbon dioxide in the enclosure to see how long a person can survive.

As they dig up the coffin, they find that Buster survived for much longer than they expected. The amount of air that they had pumped ensured that there was enough oxygen for him to breathe for more than an hour, which is far longer than the historical accounts of people being buried alive. After analyzing the result, the hosts find that the myth of dying from suffocation after being buried alive is overblown and highly unlikely to happen. The ventilation system in the coffin was able to provide enough air for Buster to survive for a long time, giving some comfort to anyone who might fear being buried alive.

In the last segment of the show, Adam and Jamie attempt to test the myth that claims a single matchstick can ignite an entire room of flammable gas. To conduct this experiment, they set up a room with propane gas, an explosive material that is commonly used as fuel for heating and cooking. To avoid any potential danger, the hosts use a remote-controlled robot to ignite the gas, so they don't have to be inside the room. They then light a matchstick inside the room to see if it can cause a chain reaction.

The experiment fails, and the room does not ignite. The hosts then try to ignite multiple matchsticks to see if it will create enough heat to cause an explosion. Again, the experiment fails, and the matchsticks were unable to ignite the gas. The hosts conclude that while gas is highly flammable, a single matchstick is not enough to cause a chain reaction given its low ignition temperature.

In conclusion, MythBusters season 8 episode 15 "Buster's Cut: Knock Your Socks Off," takes on some popular myths and urban legends that have persisted over the years. With careful research and meticulous testing, Adam and Jamie successfully bust the viral video of knocking off socks with a punch and put to rest the myth of dying from suffocation after being buried alive. The hosts were unable to confirm whether a single matchstick can ignite a room of flammable gas.