Censors, Science, & Bull

I love the Internet. Thanks to this global web of computers, I was able to watch the Superbowl commercials that the CRTC here in Canada won’t let us see in all their wisdom (read: stupidity). And there were some classics too – the touch football game, the “That Killed Him” spot, and the hilarious “Magic Fridge!” By the way, head over to ifilm.com to check them out… I’ve mentioned this before, but I never get tired of the TV show Mythbusters. A whole lot of fun to watch, and I always learn something. On this one show they did, they tested the “driving a pickup truck with the tailgate down will save fuel” myth. Here’s the absolutely surprising part – driving with the tailgate UP actually saves fuel. They did several tests and proved it. They even explained what the vehicle designers know. There is a “pillow” of circulating air that develops behind the cab of the truck that keeps the harder, faster flowing air moving over the vehicle and tailgate. When the tailgate is dropped down, that “pillow” of air is spread out, resulting in the faster moving air to move over the cab and then directly down onto the opened tailgate resulting in more drag and using more fuel. This is totally counter-intuitive and it surprised them as well. They even showed the effect using a model truck, oatmeal, and a water tank. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it… Watched some “plays of the week” highlights here and you’ve heard of basketball players going into the stands and fighting. Well, like they said on the show, it could be worse. They showed a bull jumping the wall and going into a crowd at a bullfight. Some people were bruised, but remarkably no one was seriously hurt. I just couldn’t believe the bull cleared the wall…