# Dumbest Mythbusters question ever.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 10, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794 "2011-09-10T04:12:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/21 "2011-09-11T01:27:21Z")

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"Dear Mythbusters,

How do I know a drainage grate is safe to walk on?"

Mythbusters: today we’ll drop a dead pig carcass on a drainage grate.

How is that?

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**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/22 "2011-09-12T02:40:46Z")

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> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> I think they’re also pigs that died of natural causes, which generally don’t get eaten.

I don’t think that’s what happens. The pigs they use always look very uniform, like they’re all the same breed, and probably came from the same farm. I’d think that pigs that died of natural causes would be much more “random” in appearance, and would tend to be noticably older and/or sicker looking than the ones you tend to see on Mythbusters.

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**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/23 "2011-09-12T03:09:13Z")

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Here I was thinking this thread would be about the dumbest myth they ever busted…

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/24 "2011-09-12T04:46:51Z")

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Per Mr Hyneman (see above), they’re mostly eaters.

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**Author:** ![Chimi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@Chimi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimi)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/25 "2011-09-12T04:52:04Z")

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I know that Cold Steel, an edged weaponry company, had demonstrations of their swords and stuff using pig carcasses and beef spines. I think they have a disclaimer about donating the leftovers to a local animal shelter.

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**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/26 "2011-09-12T04:55:02Z")

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> [@dropzone](#):
>
> [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20178884\_2,00.html](http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20178884_2,00.html)
> 
> ETA: I knew I’d seen that someplace.

I’m willing to bet they didn’t eat the pigs they used to stink up the sports car. But maybe they didn’t get the carcasses from a butcher.

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**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/27 "2011-09-12T13:01:51Z")

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> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> I wonder what a pig tastes like after it’s been dropped out of a helicopter.

Mushu Pork?

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/28 "2011-09-12T14:58:44Z")

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> [@Odesio](#):
>
> I’m willing to bet they didn’t eat the pigs they used to stink up the sports car. But maybe they didn’t get the carcasses from a butcher.

See post #4.

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**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-mythbusters-question-ever/595794/29 "2011-09-12T15:38:50Z")

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> [@Odesio](#):
>
> I’m willing to bet they didn’t eat the pigs they used to stink up the sports car. But maybe they didn’t get the carcasses from a butcher.

Those particular pigs had died of natural causes and were already starting to putrefy when they arrived, which makes sense, since they wouldn’t want cleaned, butchered carcasses for the experiment. From a [transcript](http://www.livedash.com/transcript/mythbusters-%28stinky_car%29/6222/DSCP/Monday_July_26_2010/385794/) of the episode:

> [@Mythbusters](#):
>
> 00:00:01 Narrator: A week and a half later, the pigs are here.  
> 00:00:05 I’ve got a dead pig in the truck.  
> 00:00:07 They have just died of natural causes on a farm.  
> 00:00:10 The funky phase of this experiment is about to begin.  
> 00:00:14 No, I’m gonna tape these up, man.  
> 00:00:16 I don’t want this touching me anywhere.  
> 00:00:19 I’m ready to put on a second painter’s suit.  
> 00:00:27 We’re also gonna test out how good these actually are.  
> 00:00:31 Therwe go.  
> 00:00:34 I feel ready to tackle the pig.  
> 00:00:39 As the boys struggle to get a grip on their stunt hogs, a nose-withering stench begins to take hold of them, the air, and everything these putrid porkers come near.

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