Narrator: On this episode of Mythbusters,
Adam and Jamie make history as they go back in time
to recreate an attempt to assassinate Hitler.
I wouldn't want to be in that room.
Narrator: Was a room change the reason this bomb in a briefcase failed?
Meantime,
Kari, Tory and Grant
take one for the team
as they test out the myth
that you really can slap sense into someone.
This myth sucks.
Narrator: Who are the "Mythbusters"?
Adam,
Jamie,
between them,
more than 30 years of special effects experience.
Joining them,
Tory,
Grant
and Kari.
Science gets more fun when I get a bigger gun.
Narrator: They don't just tell the myths,
they put them to the test.
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In 1944,
a plot was hatched to kill Hitler and the operation was successful enough
to get a briefcase full of explosives into the room
with Hitler and detonate it.
But the operation was a failure because Hitler did not die in that blast.
What went wrong?
The meeting was supposed to happen in a closed,
underground bunker,
but at the last minute,
the meeting was switched to an aboveground room.
Conventional wisdom holds that the same blast
would have killed Hitler if held under ground.
Narrator: The venue was Hitler's East Prussia headquarters.
***
his weapon of choice was a bomb and a briefcase.
But late in the day,
the meeting was moved from a fortified bunker
to a conference room aboveground with conventional coors and windows.
Four were killed in the blast,
but Hitler survived with just minor injuries.
There are dozens of theories about what went wrong,
but the biggest is that it was the change of venue.
***
so this myth is a tale of two roofs.
The question boils down whether or not an explosion in a closed space
is more deadly than one in an open space, right?
Exactly.
Where do you think we should begin?
Let's do some verge,
start small and work our way up.
Perfect.
Narrator: History books are helpful,
but Jamie's gone the extra mile and sourced photos from the blast.
What these photos tell me is that the blast was quite severe.
Given the fact that Hitler was standing here when the bomb was right nearby
and four people actually did die from the blast,
Hitler really narrowly escaped death.
Narrator: While Jamie pours over the details,
Adam pours paint in a tubful of water.
A simple experiment that would show what happens
when shock waves are contained or released.
All he needs now are to two model rooms.
Why is the conventional wisdom,
would have killed him in the bunker?
I'm hoping to tease out the reasons for that thinking with this.
Before me, the four walls of the bunker.
Item going to drop this little weight into the center.
Let's see what happens.
Let's look at the high speed.
Narrator: The idea is that the ripples or waves of water behave
much like a blast through air.
Awesome.
My visualization of waves in a closed loop work room worked just like I hoped.
You can see them hitting the walls and then bouncing back.
They've got nowhere to go.
Narrator: Now, so see if throwing open a few windows
makes much of a difference.
This is my situation room.
Here is my bomb.
Let's see what happens.
Perfect.
Narrator: The high speed confirm what is Adam suspected.
That's so cool.
Narrator: Give a wave half a chance to escape and it takes it.
The waves are contained.
They cannot escape.
In the open room,
the waves get out.
Narrator: So, it looks like there's some science to back up the myth.
At headquarters,
Jamie's now gotten his hands on the official report of the bombing.
Upper pressure would have destroyed the situation room to a larger extent
and exited through windows and doors as well as through partition walls.
Points of impact of metal fragments not detectable,
but spinters of wood and leather fragments are embedded into the woods.
In the immediate vicinity of the center of the explosion.
Narrator: So, the facts and photos are dualy noted for future comparison.
You have to agree that it's high time they blew something up.
This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.
That did hurt.
What was that for?
I'm preparing you for the next myth,
which is that you can slap sense into someone.
***
The idea if that is someone in a state of confusion or shock,
but slapping them,
you can get them to focus,
hone in their focus and perform better.
Narrator: It's a familiar scene from old school Hollywood.
Someone flips out, good, sharp slap brings them back around.
It kind of makes sense what with the shock and the sting,
but does it work?
When I think about this saying,
I think about someone who's hysterical,
on the edge of panic.
How are we going to induce panic in each other?
I'm not sure we have to.
I'd like to talk to a trauma expert.
***
as far as the testing goes,
the preslap and slap test,
they have to be a decision making test.
We're not testing IQ here.
We're testing how you make decisions under pressure.
Narrator: First up,
Kari takes council to see how the body responds to a slap in the chops.
What do you think of the myth that you can slap sense into someone?
A lot of things happen.
You have a signal going from your face to the brain
which then sends a signal to the adrenal gland.
***
Your eyes widely dilate so you get clear and increased vision.
***
You can fight or flee.
Narrator: Is old fight or flight response isn't exactly unknown.
One of my co-workers as a human shield.
Narrator: But how can the guys induce something akin
to a sense of panic in order to test out the myth?
There could be a variety of tests,
so if someone is compromised in some way,
and they can be compromised from a variety of sources,
but to test that,
you'd want to find some fine psycho motor skill.
Narrator: Back at the shop,
Grant and Tory are we woulding up a storm.
They're determined to take the human equation out.
We have a bungee cord attached.
***
Don't want to use motors or pistons
because we're going to be putting our faces in the way of this slapping hand.
Narrator: All this mechanical marvel is missing is a hand to hit with,
so they'll fashion a surrogate forearm from Kari.
Deceivingly hairy.
It's like baby down.
Narrator: The limb gets shaved,
greased and plastered
which sets to make a mold.
In this case,
the mold is filled with silicon and when that sets,
they can arm the robot.
Oh, goodness.
Here, Tory.
Before we do that,
need to find out how hard we slap.
That's where this guy comes in.
We're going slap the plate,
record the data and use that to calibrate our machine.
Narrator: Grant strikes first.
It's going to hurt you more than it hurts me.
Narrator: Then Tory.
That looks more like a spank.
Narrator: Then Kari steps up to the plate.
***
this myth sucks, all right.
Oh, maybe that was too hard.
Narrator: Maybe it was, but Grant's in no mood for a do over.
You hit with 94,
you hit with 116.
Our average is 108 pounds.
It's like I picked my own switch off the tree to get spanked with.
You ready?
I take no pleasure in this whatsoever.
In three, two, one...
Did it hit a little high?
It was the comeback that
***
Narrator: The aim was array,
but so far,
the mechanical slap hits right on the money.
Kari's followed by Grant.
And then Tory.
That is really good.
So, what do you think?
I think it's perfect.
It doesn't knock you out.
That's just what they wanted.
Narrator: One thing we know is there's more pain to come.
After the break,
Adam and Jamie put their theories into practice.
Three, two, one.
Narrator: In valkyrie boom,
we've seen that a sealed room should contain
an explosion better than a room with windows.
Now, they're ready to do it in a room with small scale.
I need two rooms.
One that is scaled exactly correctly in all the details
and another that's scaled to the aboveground room
where the explosion happened.
I'm going to make them out of half inch steel plate.
This way, I won't be blowing them up.
I'll be seeiing the difference of the shock wave between the two.
Narrator: In search of a definitive yes or no,
the focus is on the potential of those explosive shock waves.
***
T I got to tell you,
this is the heaviest scale model I've ever built.
Come on, right here.
Narrator: Now, there's no question that blowing stuff up is best done outdoors
and you know it's a big day on the bomb range
when explosives experts Frank Doyle and j.D.
Nelson are both there to help out.
When we set up an explosion,
the thing we're worried about
a moving wall of
when they're near a blast.
Now, the question we're trying to answer,
when we set off an explosion,
will we contain that blast and see an increase amount of pressure.
***
Narrator: Our testing will be performed by this.
This will be placed at a precise distapt and converts the impulse,
which will allow us to compare the two blasts.
Narrator: Providing the boom for both rooms is a blasting pack.
J.D.
And Frank have chosen two robust number tens.
***
let mark it and tape it.
Narrator: J.D. And Frank set up the same
when the time comes to prime the bunker.
Jamie, the cap's in place.
Narrator: Hopefully, safe behind the screen,
Jamie counts down to the open room blast.
And three, two, one... nice.
Let's go look at the data.
Narrator: The rooms are to scale, but the charge isn't.
We're not looking for damage,
but the measure of pressure induced by the blast.
So, what's the data say?
In the conference room,
a peak pressure of 14 psi.
Excellent.
Let's do the other one.
Narrator: So, it's off to the bunker and just like the first room,
this lodge needs a lid.
Sounds like we're sealing a crypt.
Narrator: That's kind of the whole idea and with the roof welded tight,
Jamie screws in the producer.
This time around,
it's a contained explosion and we should see a higher psi in here.
Here we go.
Narrator: Now, J.D. And Frank ever so carefully insert the explosive.
When we're done,
we're almost ready to blow.
And three, two, one... doink.
Narrator: Just like last time,
the steel shell muffled the blast,
but the drama is all in the data.
What happened in the bunker?
We got a peak pressure 55 psi.
***
That's a result.
It is.
Narrator: As predicted,
this potentially lethal pressure wave.
Would do a lot more damage in the bunker,
which is good news for the myth.
I think there might be something to this one.
Where do you want to go from here?
***
Narrator: Up next, Grant suffers for science,
but not in silence.
On to the test.
Narrator: With the robot primed for action,
the next mist is to run a series of test.
***
First, where the subject is normal,
then impaired in some way,
then impaired,
then slapped.
The man in the hot seat is Greg.
Because this face under pressure was far
and away the funniest and here's what he's going to face.
For a myth experiment,
we have four challenge,
we're going to test reflexes,
coordination and visual skills.
To make sure the slap effect doesn't wear off,
each task will only be about a minute long.
***
Narrator: First up,
Grant attempts all four tasks to give us an unimpaired baseline.
So, this is how the reflex challenge is going to work.
Above him, stars held up by magnets.
His job is to catch stars before they hit the ground.
***
Eight out of eight.
On to the next challenge.
So, for the coordination challenge,
a good, old fashioned shooting gallery
with these air powered rifles firing corks.
60 seconds to load the rifle.
Three.
And shoot all six targets.
Four.
All right.
You shot five out of six.
Well done.
Thank you.
Narrator: Tests three and four are a bit more cerebral.
First, a communication challenge.
As he and a blindfolded Tory trying to make a pattern.
***
For this exercise,
there is a time limit,
which poses no ed ty.
With his brain firing at all cylinders,
Grant scored predictably well.
Now, it's time to dial down his facu faculties.
According to Dr. Sanders,
one of the best and simplest ways is to put him on ice.
We're going to chill you.
We're going to leave you in here for half an hour,
then pull you out and take the test.
***
We have a starting temperature of 97.1.
Chill out.
Oh, very funny.
Narrator: They leave Grant to shiver and speculate.
Now, I've been in really cold temperatures.
The first thing that starts to go is your motor skills,
then your judgment.
Narrator: When the half hour's up,
Grant's lost seven degrees of body temperature.
That's verging on hypothermia area.
***
Ready for this challenge? I'm ready.
Narrator: He starts with the targets.
Last time, he was five from six.
This time, it's three.
Now I'm on the next challenge.
Narrator: Next up is the math test
and those numbers aren't tripping off the tongue like last time.
Like he's been drinking.
210.
Narrator: He scored nothing.
Time's up.
On to the next challenge.
Coordination now?
Narrator: It almost seems cruel,
but that's science for you.
One, two. Two out of eight.
Last time, he got eight out of eight.
Narrator: So, hopes are not high for the last test.
The seconds ticking by.
To the right.
Flip it clockwise.
Clockwise.
Narrator: And there's more than one pattern emerging.
Rotate clockwise and got it.
Time.
All right.
Well, the results of the control test are you're definitely compromised.
Narrator: In fact, impaired Grant was trounced by nonimpaired Grant.
Now, for the fun stuff.
Time to stick you back in the freezer for a half hour,
bring you out,
slap you and do the test again.
Narrator: Grant's warmed up during testing,
so it's back to the freezer to inhibit his brain again.
Row ready for the test?
All right, Grant, have a seat in the slapping machine.
Okay.
Oh, you are cold.
All right, you ready to get some sense slapped into you?
Here we go.
On to the reflexes test.
Narrator: No time to lose as they don't want the close or the slap to wear off.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five. Pretty good.
On to the next test.
Narrator: But first,
it's back in the truck for a tapa.
A method they'll repeat between each test.
First, the rechill, then the slap.
All right. Quick, to the next challenge.
On to math.
Narrator: On the math quiz,
well, it's hard to be sure,
but he does seem more focused.
Times ten is 70,
divided by two is 35.
That's time.
Not as good as the practice,
but better than the control.
Own out of three.
Narrator: It's fun to watch,
but let's spare a thought for the man with his face on the line.
I'm starting to feel bad for him.
....
On to the test.
Let's go.
Narrator: Right about now,
Kari and Tory are thankful the gun only shoots torques.
***
The fight of flight rush you get.
I'm pretty sure that's what I had because when I got slapped,
I was ready to like jump up and hit something.
Narrator: So, with one last and long shiver,
Grant once again consorts with the enemy.
Down to a lot more focus.
Rotate back counterclockwise.
Narrator: But is he on track to beat the last time tryout?
Only Kari knows for sure.
***
Not as good as the practice,
but better than the control.
Narrator: When Grant was part crippled by cold,
his performance fell off across the board.
After the slap, he bounced back,
but not far enough to match his unimpaired baseline.
I have to say that I am starting to believe
there's something to slapping sense into someone.
Narrator: Have we gone far enough to prove the point?
There's still room to ramp this one up
and the bonus for Grant is he'll get his revenge.
Coming up, Adam and Jamie find that building a bunker
might be more dangerous than blowing it up.
So far, so good.
Our small scale test seems to be supporting the theory.
I think it's time to go full scale.
I agree.
I've got an idea about that.
Since the conventional wisdom is all things being equal,
the enclosed explosion is deadlier,
let's make two things equal.
Let's dress two containers the same.
Same explosives,
same table Hitler was at.
In one, we cut windows,
in the other, we bury it underground.
I love it.
Narrator: Back to the bomb range to put this myth of the two rooms
to the ultimate test.
For this test,
the role of our underground bunker and aboveground conference room
will be played by a pair of truck containers.
I've got to take one and put it into position and cut some windows out of it.
Narrator: It's a point of pride on the show that when the going gets tough,
we don't send out for the contractors.
It's agreed the best way to make a shipping container
like an underground bunker
is to slip it tight inside a dirt trench.
Now that we've covered feeding of the hein man,
***
so give... with farm equipment.
***
Narrator: Now, let's see a Savage in his.
***
That container weighs two and a half tons,
but Adam drops it pretty much on a dime.
That doesn't look bad.
Not gorgeous,
but not bad.
Narrator: Well, there's still time enough to spruce up the old place.
Item one is to mark up and carve out some windows.
Oh, that's nice.
Narrator: Okay, so we can all give thanks this this man
never became a dentist,
but you have to admit,
he gets the job done.
Can never tell whether those things open in or out.
Narrator: Back in the trenches,
Jamie measures the depth and breadth of his plot.
Next on the schedule is blazing the windows.
I know what you're saying.
You're saying,
Adam, I'm pretty sure the Germans had more sophisticated window technologies
than duct tape and I agree.
That's not what this test is about though.
This is a purely relative test testing an explosion
in an enclosed space versus an open space.
This is literally window dressing.
Narrator: Over at the hole,
Jamie's been weaving his own kind of magic.
Looks good.
Narrator: It's packed in and covered with earth
to simulate Hitler's bunker in the woods.
With preparations going so well,
you can't help feeling that something,
somewhere, is going to crack.
Surprisingly, it's not Adam's windows,
but Jamie's container.
It's just what you don't want to hear at the end of the long day's labor.
I just heard a crunch.
Oh, no.
Have they opened it up yet?
No. That would suck.
Narrator: And that would be an understatement.
Did you hear that?
I don't want to go in there.
Narrator: Seems the problem stems back to supply
as they discovered this container is part fiberglass
and not as strong as the other one.
Dude.
I know.
What do we do?
Get another one.
Narrator: It's a setback all right
and with the full scale testing set for tomorrow morning,
someone needs to do something and fast.
***
Ahead,
hungry, tired.
Kari and Tory face the ultimate challenge.
Grant's test shows the slapping made a difference.
Zbr I don't think think we were thorough enough.
***
I think we could add a couple more things.
Sleep deprivation or hunger.
And I think there was a consequence to his error.
***
Perfect.
But I have one change.
This time, I administer the test and you two get slapped.
That's a terrible idea.
I think we should take a vote.
In favor of Grant...
***
You two are getting slapped.
Narrator: So they'll go a whole day without food or sleep.
And send time in the deep freeze.
This should inhibit their brain function
***
and taking the test to a shooting range
means they'll be forced to make quick fire decisions
with potentially serious consequences.
Okay, so this is our two-minute shooting drill course.
We're going to be putting,
our frozen, tired and starving.
***
Narrator: They'll have 30 rounds and on Grant's command,
they'll advance twice down the room to complete the test.
These guns are real guns,
but have been specially modified have been specially modified.
With the different barrel
that allows them to fire these rounds,
which are training rounds.
***
They're filled with paint.
Narrator: Kari and Tory are called on to assemble the robot.
***
How many times did I get slapped yesterday?
That looks good.
***
Ice truck for 30 minutes to consolidate their incapacity.
To be scrupulous,
Kari and Tory first ran the course yesterday.
They both fired 30 rounds and missed just once.
So that's our uninhibited baseline.
Now, it's time to find out just how impaired they've become,
starting the Kari.
Eyes on, pick up your firearm.
I am really tired from tensing.
Freezing cold, starving.
Ready.
And begin.
I think I'm getting a headache.
Narrator: So, she's less than our usual bubby self,
but will it impair her performance?
I was shaking so much that I wouldn't hold my gun straight and I was,
it's like I can't concentrate.
Just my head is tired.
I can't focus.
Narrator: At the end of the test,
Kari hasn't shot any good guys.
You fired a total of 19 rounds and eight of them were hits.
It's like an F.
You were tired, hungry and cold.
You were supposed to be impaired.
Mission accomplished.
Let's get to work.
Narrator: Hungry, tired and chilled,
.......
Tory takes up the challenge.
My fingers are getting numb.
I'm starting to shiver.
I can feel my muscles tightening just to stay warm.
If I can't feel my fingers,
how am I going to feel the gun to pull the trigger?
Narrator: He does get to grips with the gun,
but just how many of those paint-filled bullets have hit the targets?
***
How did Tory do?
***
Very well.
Overall course,
how did I do?
Didn't hit any of the good guys,
24 rounds and 21 hits.
Narrator: Just like Kari,
he did worse when affected by hunger and cold and no sleep for a dachlt(?) now,
we're ready to find out once and for all if a slap makes a difference.
Yesterday did not end well for Adam and Jamie,
but with a new,
up to code container,
it's all back on track.
That gives Adam the chance to explain his amazing dine
for the real stars of the show.
In my explosion,
there's two things that are going to kill you.
One, the pressure wave and two, the shrapnel.
***
It will have a pressure trans deucer placed in the center of the chest front
and back to pressure the blast pressures coming off.
It is ideal for measuring the shrapnel injuries because anything
that flies off this explosion
is going to stick in this foam
and give us a good idea of injuries Hitler might have sustained.
***
Narrator: Is wires need protection.
Hence, the two metal plates.
If all goes to plan,
the chest sensor will measure the bomb
and back sensor will register shock waves.
***
It's back to the bomb ranch to hope in some alternative universe,
the bomb in the bunker would have killed Hitler.
They'll begin by blowing up the situation room
and see if the damage matches the event in 1944.
In addition to our electronic data point,
we're grabbing analog data point with this.
.....
This is set at 100 psi and if this bursts, equals death.
Narrator: With all the equipment in place and in check,
they measure a precise chunk.
975 grams.
***
Good to go.
Narrator: Inside the room,
the last act of sedition is to connect the explosive
to a fire mechanism in a safety bunker.
There's a lot riding on the result.
To validate is upcoming test,
they need to blast to be almost identical to the one that killed Hitler.
And three, two, one... boom.
I wouldn't want to be in that room.
Narrator: It's hard to imagine anyone surviving this,
but that's what they're hoping.
We got a new doorway.
It did what it said it would do to the floor.
There's a hole there.
Wow, look at that.
Three rather large chunks.
Burst disked,
absolutely,
look at that.
Totally intact.
Narrator: So, they know the blast was less than 100 psi
and Hitler is a lot healthier than we hooks.
It is clear that while he might have taken a lot of damage from splinters...
***
He had splinters in his legs,
but from the waist up,
he's pretty well in tact.
***
Kudos on a good control.
Narrator: In fact, it looks like a great control.
But will David's figures confirm the nonkill?
We had an average of 18 psi for just over a millisecond,
***
Which is survivable.
Our figures show he could have survived this blast.
***
This couldn't have gone better.
Now, the question is,
what will happen in the underground bunker when we contain that blast?
Narrator: Still to come,
what would have happened with the would have happened
with the bomb and the bunker.
Narrator: A slap in the face can be painful,
surprising and down right disturbing,
but can it be used to focus your brain?
We're about to find out cht.
Sorry, Kari.
Good, good.
How you feeling?
Like I just got smacked.
Narrator: Be will she improve or imploed?
Let's beginning the testing.
And let Kari handle the commentary.
It really focused me,
I feel it was a lot harder than when we calibrated originally.
I don't know if I'm just really cold, irritated, starving.
She did really well.
22 rounds and 16 on target.
A big improvement and no good gu guys.
Narrator: Kari scored well enough to prop up the myth.
Now, it's all down to Tory.
How you feeling?
Cool, disoriented, foggy in the head.
Okay.
Let's do this.
Ready.
Okay.
And begin.
Narrator: Grant starts the test that will hopefully settle this once
and for all.
I am so surprised at how I felt before,
during and after the slap.
Instantly,
I feel awake an alive and like I moved through the course a lot better.
What are the results?
Really good.
Tory got 27 shots,
26 on target.
Narrator: They never got back to their unimpaired bench lines,
but that's not the benchmark.
***
Zpl your results,
mine and his,
I think we can call this confirmed.
All were compromised and had significant improvement after being slapped.
Confirmed.
Has this happened to you?
Are allied farmers interrupting you with pesky meetings?
Have we got a solution for you.
Narrator: After making their five easy payments,
they've gotten the container they want.
It's been partially buried,
but they're careful to make sure the fittings,
props are the same as they were in the last test.
Thank you, sir.
The only thing that is different is the room.
When we see a pressure wave,
it doesn't have anywhere to go.
***
Yes.
Cool.
Let's seal it up.
Narrator: The closest thing they have to a weak point is the front door,
to Jamie,
perhaps recalling his days building the trans continental railroad.
.........
Now, to retread the trail of destruction.
***
A fine explosion would yield a higher blast pressure
and in our full scale baseline,
the attempt and show that it was completely survivable. Would you?
Narrator: But would anyone with stand a ghost of a chance?
***
To confirm, they need to kill Hitler beyond any shadow of a doubt.
In three, two, one... oh!
I think the doors are open.
We've exposed the creamy center.
The bunker looks in tact though.
Narrator: The bomb blew the sleepers 150 feet,
so it's no surprise that inside,
it's a train wreck,
but there's one more shock wave to come.
The first test,
totally intact.
I would not have called it.
Look at this place.
Narrator: It does look like the guys have blown their deposit.
There's nothing left but splinters.
Narrator: But the stats on survey verifiability rest with David.
We got an average just over one millisecond.
That's it?
That's it.
Narrator: It's close to an unbelievable result.
While the pressure wave could be lethal,
it would have to last for at least 30 milliseconds
and this blast didn't come close.
GI people ask us all the time if you come up with results on the show
that surprise us and here is a fantastic example.
We went into this explosion pretty much feeling like Hitler.
Was going to die and all of our data shows the opposite.
That this was the survivalable blast.
That was surprising.
Totally.
I was convinced that Hitler was going to die.
Let's go.
We should have used more explosives.
That's your answer for everything.
I loved these results.
If you were standing where Hitler was in relation to the blast,
you would have survived.
The myth that Hitler only survived because of the change of venue is busted.
Now, if the bomb had been at his feet,
we might have a different story.
Placement of the bomb,
quantity of explosives much more important than the room.
I just love the counterintuitiveness.
I do, too.
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