MythBusters (2003 season)

The cast of the television series MythBusters perform experiments to verify or debunk urban legends, old wives' tales, and the like. This is a list of the various myths tested on the show as well as the results of the experiments (the myth is busted, plausible, or confirmed).

The show's first season used "True" instead of "Confirmed"; for the sake of consistency, "Confirmed" will be used on this page.

Episode 1 – "Exploding Toilet"

 * Original air date: September 23, 2003

Exploding Toilet
This experiment formally introduced Buster the crash test dummy.

Magic Bullet
This myth tested the feasibility of magic bullets that can be used to assassinate without leaving evidence, used as a plot device or otherwise mentioned in many movies, such as Most Wanted and Three Days of the Condor. A request for information to the Central Intelligence Agency was declined. Due to the myth's inclusion in many Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories, Adam and Jamie chose to use a Carcano rifle similar to the assassination weapon for testing.

Episode 2 – "Cell Phone Destroys Gas Station"

 * Original air date: October 3, 2003

Cell Phone Destruction
This myth was inspired by e-mails leading to some gas stations discouraging cell phone use during refueling, and also because at the time of the episode, there were 150 gas station fires annually in America.

This is also known as the myth that birthed two memorable MythBusters one-liners—Jamie's "Jamie wants big boom" and Adam's "Am I missing an eyebrow?"

Episode 3 – "Barrel of Bricks"

 * Original air date: October 10, 2003

Peeing on the Third Rail
While the MythBusters were testing the myth at a train yard, the yard's operators gave Adam permission to test a "mini-myth" with one of their engines:

Episode 4 – "Penny Drop"

 * Original air date: October 17, 2003

Microwave Madness
Despite mid-episode teasers, the MythBusters refused to microwave a live poodle, and they were thus unable to test the myth that a microwave can dry a wet dog.

Episode 5 – "Buried Alive"

 * Original air date: October 24, 2003

101 Uses For Cola
Cola is able to...

Episode 6 – "Lightning Strikes/Tongue Piercings"

 * Original air date: November 11, 2003

Lightning Strikes Tongue Piercing
This myth was inspired by 17-year-old Matthew Thomsen being hit by lightning near Denver in August 2003, which knocked his tongue piercing out of his mouth.

Beat the Breath Test
A BACtrack B70 breathalyzer owned and operated by the San Francisco Police Department Crime Lab was used to test Adam's and Jamie's blood alcohol levels to ensure they were intoxicated. They then experimented to see if it is possible to pass a field sobriety test despite being over the limit, by...

Episode 7 – "Stinky Car"

 * Original air date: December 5, 2003

Stinky Car
This myth was inspired by a story of an attractive sports car being available at a very low price but with a catch: Someone had died in the car, and even despite cleaning attempts, the smell had persisted, meaning that the owner was finding it very tough to sell the car. To test this, Jamie and Adam procured a 1987 Chevrolet Corvette and placed two fresh pig corpses in it, which was sealed with tape and placed in a shipping container for two months.

If a decomposing body is left in a car long enough...

Episode 8 – "Alcatraz Escape"

 * Original air date: December 12, 2003

Does a Duck's Quack Echo?
This myth originated in lists of "Random Facts" distributed over the Internet.