The folks at Perception Builder reconstructed the path of the Mythbusters cannonball misfire from last week on this map. You can clearly see the area that was intended to contain the firing, and the incredible distance it actually went. See a larger map at the website. Link -via Fark

“This cannonball was supposed to go through several barrels of water and through a cinder block, and then ultimately into the side of the hill,” said J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

Instead the cannonball flew over the foothills surrounding Camp Parks Military Firing Reservation, before spiraling back toward Dublin like a cruise missile.

It flew straight though the front door of a home on Cassata Place, and bounced around like a pinball, flying up to the second floor before blasting through a back bedroom wall.

The wayward cannonball then blasted across a busy road and through a second home some 50 yards away, demolishing roof tiles.

The story doesn’t stop there, and neither did the cannonball. It finally came to rest inside a minivan. The driver had just left the vehicle minutes before. Incredibly, no one was injured in the incident. Ta da! Link -via reddit

Who knew that Grant from Mythbusters is actually a Doctor Who nut? Hopefully this means fans of the Time Lord can hope for a Doctor Who Mythbusters episode at some point.

Link Via The Mary Sue

What kind of entertainment would you expect at Maker Faire? Arc Attack performing the Dr. Who theme on Tesla coils as Adam Savage of Mythbusters dances in a Faraday cage. Of course. -via Buzzfeed

Adam Savage of the TV show Mythbusters explains an experiment that the Discovery Channel rejected. Did your mother ever say “The box is more nutritious!” when you asked for sugary cereal? Adam and Jamie set up a test to find out if that’s true, which turned out completely different from anything they expected. This is an excerpt from Savage’s speech at Maker Faire. Subject matter may be disturbing to some viewers. You can watch the entire speech at FORA.tv. Link -via Digg

For a full-scale test, Adam and Jamie put a layer of clay on a car and did two more sets of runs on their track – one with a smooth clay surface, the other with dimples pressed into it. The respective fuel efficiencies were calculated as 26 and 29 miles per gallon. Although the original myth was invalid, the theory behind it was sound, leading to a final judgment of “Busted, Concept Plausible”.

Discussion threads on several auto forums discussing the Mythbusters episode note that “shark skin” textures on military fighter aircraft (and on America’s Cup yachts) serve the same purpose, that dimpling on the undercarriage of some Lexus cars reduces noise (by reducing friction), and that textured paint is banned on professional race cars.

Mythbusters achieved the dimpled effect using modeling clay applied to the surface of a Ford Taurus.  It’s not clear whether the same effect could be achieved with a ball-peen hammer.

Screencap credit.  A brief YouTube video of the car (not the full episode) is here.

Most people know that inhaling helium will make your voice sound like Donald Duck, but what gas will make you sound like Darth Vader? 

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.