Mythbusters investigate Titanic Aussies please note

[Dave Gittins]

On Monday night at 7-30pm, SBS will show a Mythbusters episode in which the crazy pair investigate a Titanic Myth. I've no idea which myth it will be, but it should be fun, especially if it involves blowing things up.

If you miss it, it will probably be replayed next Monday at 5-00pm.

If you don't know the Mythbusters, shame on you!

 

[Joshua Gulch]

The Titanic myth episode involves testing to determine whether or not a sinking ship will suck everything down around it. They accomplished this by repeatedly sinking a fair-sized tugboat while they stood atop it.

The tugboat (renamed Mythtanic) didn't produce much suction going down.

 

[Fiona Nitschke]

Groovy. Mythbusters is a riot of a show, so I'll have to make sure the VCR's set up to cope with this one. Thanks for the heads up, Dave.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I've seen this one several times and found it well worthwhile. Mythbusters does quite a service in nuking some real whoppers in the realm of fish stories. On the question of suction, it's a good idea to remember that a ship sinking has a lot of dynamics at work. The sheer mass of the hull going down may not generate suction, but if you're a swimmer near some vents or open portholes and doors with water rushing in, you could be in for some real problems getting away from that.

 

[Pat Winship]

As C.H. Lightoller was, pinned on an airshaft grating by water rushing down it into the boiler room.

Pat W.

 

[Dave Gittins]

After seeing the show, it occurred to me that a very bad place to be in the last minutes would have been the entrance to the third class staircase. The inflow down it would have been enormous, like a waterfall. On the other hand, Charles Joughin, on the outside of the stern, away from any openings, was able to ride the hull down safely. It appears from the Mythbusters' fairly crude tests that much depends on the speed with which the ship sinks. Probably few go down anywhere near as fast as the box that took Adam to Davy Jones so quickly.

Another thing to notice is that the little tug they sank rolled over. This points to the good design of Titanic, which sank almost on a even keel, unlike so many ships.

 

[Phil Fazzini]

So that was what the Mythbusters were testing for!
Missed first part.

 

[Jeremy Aufderheide]

They also tested the theory a while back of filling a wrecked ship with ping pong balls to raise it (a theory that was, er, floated around as a means of raising the Titanic). I think it worked (raising the small tug on the show...not raising the real Titanic, that is).