# Mythbusters: dropping Adam off a building **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780 "2012-06-11T03:05:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/21 "2012-06-11T16:30:07Z")
The part that stood out for me was the addition of the plank Adam was laying on. Where did that ever come in to the calculation of impact? ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/22 "2012-06-11T16:39:16Z")
The thing I noticed was they kept wrapping Buster and Adam in a full 360 degree bubble wrap. Why? The only side that needed to be padded was the bottom. Adam complained that the pressure was getting to be too great inside the roll of bubble wrap. That could have been alleviated by just padding his backside. By the way, are the words “bubble wrap” trademarked? I noticed that they consistently called the material “bubble packaging” or “bubble packing material”. Do people not call it “bubble wrap” in the Bay Area? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/23 "2012-06-11T16:43:54Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > The thing I noticed was they kept wrapping Buster and Adam in a full 360 degree bubble wrap. Why? The only side that needed to be padded was the bottom. Adam complained that the pressure was getting to be too great inside the roll of bubble wrap. That could have been alleviated by just padding his backside. That’s what they did in the video, for one thing. And he could have turned while falling. > [@](#): > > By the way, are the words “bubble wrap” trademarked? Yes. They discussed this in one of the web videos: bubble packaging is the name for this type of product, and Bubble Wrap is the name of the most famous type (it’s made by Sealed Air Corporation). The myth was that you could achieve a safe landing with some type of bubble packaging, not necessarily Bubble Wrap. They said they often had to stop filming because they said Bubble Wrap by accident. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/24 "2012-06-11T16:46:58Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [T]he look on Adam’s face when the release was pulled was genuinely alarming. Yeah, his eyes got REAL big… ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/25 "2012-06-11T16:47:57Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > The thing I noticed was they kept wrapping Buster and Adam in a full 360 degree bubble wrap. Why? The only side that needed to be padded was the bottom. Adam complained that the pressure was getting to be too great inside the roll of bubble wrap. That could have been alleviated by just padding his backside. Because the original video they were trying to bust had the dude fully wrapped. Also, you never know if you’re going to turn slightly on your way down. > [@](#): > > By the way, are the words “bubble wrap” trademarked? I noticed that they consistently called the material “bubble packaging” or “bubble packing material”. Do people not call it “bubble wrap” in the Bay Area? Yeah, it’s trademarked. “Bubble packaging” is the generic term. Although Adam did let “bubble wrap” slip by a few times. There was another episode recently where they were testing SuperGlue myths, and had to keep awkwardly referring to it as “[super adhesive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttruHTvBm2s).” As if nobody knew what they were talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/26 "2012-06-11T16:48:18Z")
> [@thinksnow](#): > > The part that stood out for me was the addition of the plank Adam was laying on. Where did that ever come in to the calculation of impact? They did mention it. It was a spinal protection board. It was part of the safety equipment Adam was using, along with his helmet and neck brace. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/27 "2012-06-11T17:06:21Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Yeah, it’s trademarked. “Bubble packaging” is the generic term. Although Adam did let “bubble wrap” slip by a few times. > > There was another episode recently where they were testing SuperGlue myths, and had to keep awkwardly referring to it as “[super adhesive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttruHTvBm2s).” As if nobody knew what they were talking about. This myth was one where it actually made a difference since they found there were some differences in the protective qualities of the different size bubbles. I’m not sure if they were using actual Bubble Wrap on Adam when they dropped him from the crane. There are powerful adhesives other than Super Glue, but I assume they were using Super Glue for those myths. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/28 "2012-06-11T22:31:04Z")
It also occurs to me that we don’t really know exactly why they chose 10 Gs as the safe limit. I think someone in the episode said something about how this is what Hollywood stunt men “aim for” or something to that effect. My Google fu is failing me and I’m having trouble finding data online about what sorts of injuries you might expect from different G-force levels, but it looks like the threshold for serious injury is a lot higher than 15-20 Gs. So they may have gone ahead because even if they didn’t meet their 10 G goal, Adam was still not going to be in serious trouble. That’s just conjecture though. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/29 "2012-06-11T22:44:51Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > It also occurs to me that we don’t really know exactly why they chose 10 Gs as the safe limit. Now that you have mentioned it, I am curious as well. Where _did_ they get that number? Wikipedia says ["Toleration of g-force also depends on its duration. Shock is a short-term transient exitiation and is often measured as an acceleration. Very short duration shocks of 100 g have been survivable in racing car crashes."](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force#Short_g-force_durations_and_jerk)That’s on the outer edge of survivability of course, but hmmm… I’ll keep looking if I have time. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/30 "2012-06-11T23:20:07Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > It also occurs to me that we don’t really know exactly why they chose 10 Gs as the safe limit. I think someone in the episode said something about how this is what Hollywood stunt men “aim for” or something to that effect. My Google fu is failing me and I’m having trouble finding data online about what sorts of injuries you might expect from different G-force levels, but it looks like the threshold for serious injury is a lot higher than 15-20 Gs. So they may have gone ahead because even if they didn’t meet their 10 G goal, Adam was still not going to be in serious trouble. > > That’s just conjecture though. I thought I heard Adam say that’s what the stunt men that trained them for one thing or another (possibly the other jump they showed over and over) said that’s what _they_ aim for when deciding what’s safe. ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/31 "2012-06-11T23:31:45Z")
Buffer zone. > **[Buffer zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffer_zone)** > > A buffer zone is a neutral zonal area that lies between two or more bodies of land, usually pertaining to countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them. > Common types of buffer zones are demilitarized zones, border zones and certain restrictive easement zones and green belts. Such zones may be comprised by a sovereign state, forming a buffer state. > Buffer zones have various purposes, politically or otherwise. They can be set up for a multitude o... ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/32 "2012-06-12T00:26:58Z")
> [@Mewl\_Dear](#): > > Buffer zone. > [Buffer zone - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffer_zone) No, they are very clearly saying “butter zone.” “Butter” and “buffer” sound very different. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/33 "2012-06-12T01:35:49Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I thought I heard Adam say that’s what the stunt men that trained them for one thing or another (possibly the other jump they showed over and over) said that’s what _they_ aim for when deciding what’s safe. It was from the dumpster diving episode. ---
**Author:** ![Engineerly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9adbd/32.png) [@Engineerly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineerly)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780/34 "2012-06-12T09:27:19Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > It also occurs to me that we don’t really know exactly why they chose 10 Gs as the safe limit. Probably got it from the US OHA guidelines. Recently did my refresher course in NZ for working from heights in industrial settings, and they use 10g (actually 760 kN, which works out at 10g assuming a 75kg person) as the guideline for fall arrestors and general ‘safe’ loading for a human body. I assume that the US is similar to the rest of the work on this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mythbusters-dropping-adam-off-a-building/624780.md?page=1)