SO, WHAT'S COOKIN'?
WELL, IN THIS FINAL-SEASON EPISODE,
WE'RE PAYING HOMAGE TO OUR FOODIE PAST
WITH A COUPLE OF MYTHS THAT WE COULD COUCH UNDER
THE RUBRIC "COOKING CHAOS."
Narrator: IT'S TIME TO TACKLE ANOTHER CLASSIC
"MYTHBUSTERS" CONUNDRUM --
JUICING THE INSIDE OF FRUIT WITH AN EXPLOSION.
SO, TELL ME ABOUT CREATING SMOOTHIES INSIDE FRUITS
AND VEGETABLES USING EXPLOSIVES.
WELL, YOU PRETTY MUCH OUTLINED THE WHOLE THING RIGHT THERE.
IT IS IN A VIRAL VIDEO WE FOUND WHERE, APPARENTLY,
THE SHOCK WAVE OF AN EXPLOSION CAN BE TUNED PERFECTLY ENOUGH
TO NOT DESTROY THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRUIT
BUT TURN THE INSIDE INTO JUICE
SUCH THAT YOU CAN STICK A STRAW IN [SLURPS]
AND HAVE A REFRESHING DRINK.
HMM.
WELL, I'M DUBIOUS, BUT SOUNDS LIKE FUN.
I AGREE. LET'S DO IT.
Narrator: YEP, THIS TIME THEY WON'T BE DESTROYING
SO MUCH AS CREATING AND CONTAINING.
OKAY.
TO TEST THE PREMISE OF THE VIDEO
AND ITS USE OF SURGICALLY PRECISE HIGH EXPLOSIVES....
I LOVE FILLING WATERPROOF TANKS.
Narrator: ...THEY HAVE TO ACCURATELY RECREATE
ALL OF THE ELEMENTS,
STARTING WITH THE WATER-FILLED, BLAST-PROOF BOX.
NOW THAT OUR TANK IS SET UP AND FILLED WITH WATER,
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PARAMETERS FOR THIS EXPERIMENT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE EXPLOSIVE.
NOW, IN THE VIDEO, THEY SHOW THAT THE EXPLOSIVE
IS 17½ CENTIMETERS FROM THE FRUIT.
THAT'S THE RADIUS OF THE EXPLOSION,
AND THE EXPLOSION GOES TO ABOUT 2½ CENTIMETERS OR 1 INCH AWAY
FROM THE FRUIT.
WE DOUBLE THAT, CALCULATE THE DIAMETER --
IT COMES TO ABOUT A 12- OR 13-INCH CAVITATION
THAT THE EXPLOSIVE CREATES.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE USING ONE OF THESE THINGS.
IT'S A BLASTING CAP,
AND IT'S WHAT WE SAW THEM USE IN THE VIDEO.
NICE. ALL RIGHT.
IT'S EASILY SET OFF BY APPLYING A SMALL AMOUNT
OF ELECTRIC CURRENT TO THESE WIRES.
THAT'S ABOUT AS DEAD CENTER AS WE CAN GET.
Narrator: THE BLASTING CAP HAS 3,640 JOULES OF ENERGY
AND SHOULD MATCH THE EXPLOSIVE BUBBLE IN THE VIDEO.
NOW, FOR THE SHRINK-WRAPPED TOMATO...
THIS IS A POLYOLEFIN BAG, AND I CAN SHRINK IT.
HERE YOU GO.
AH, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
Narrator: THE FRUIT IS SUSPENDED ACCORDING TO THE REFERENCE --
SEVEN INCHES FROM THE BLASTING CAP,
AND THE SETUP IS COMPLETE.
WILL THE BLAST WAVE LEAVE THE EXTERIOR SURFACE INTACT
AND JUICE THE INTERIOR CELLULAR STRUCTURE?
THEY'RE ALL SET TO TAKE THE PLUNGE.
[ ALARM BLARES ]
YOU READY?
I'M READY.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
[ LAUGHS ]
THE WHOLE THING JUMPED.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
ONE!
JUST HOW AWESOME IS ILLUSTRATED ON THE HIGH-SPEED CAMERA.
WHOA. LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL BUBBLE.
WOW!
WE HAVE THIS PERFECT, 12-INCH CAVITATION.
AS PER THE VIDEO, THE TOMATO SKIN IS INTACT,
BUT HAS IT BEEN JUICED?
I'VE GOT SOME STRAWS.
NOW, IF THE VIDEO IS TO BE BELIEVED,
I SHOULD GET TOMATO JUICE OUT OF THIS.
[ SLURPS ]
HERE. DO YOU WANT TO TRY IT?
ALL RIGHT.
THAT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF JUICE.
THAT WAS ALMOST A MOUTHFUL.
-REALLY? -YEAH.
Narrator: YES, USING A PRECISELY CALIBRATED EXPLOSIVE CHARGE,
IT'S POSSIBLE TO JUICE THE INSIDE OF THE TOMATO.
Adam: GIVEN HOW WELL IT WORKED
IN THE SCALE THAT THE VIDEO SHOWS,
I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CALL THIS ONE PLAUSIBLE.
[ SLURPING ]