Ep 8. Birds in a Truck

In "Mythbusters" season 5 episode 8, titled "Birds in a Truck," the team tackles the myth that if a bird flies into the cab of a moving truck, it will cause the truck to crash. The team creates a custom truck cab with a bird-dropping mechanism to simulate a bird flying into the vehicle, then drives the truck with and without the "bird" to see if it affects the driver's ability to control the vehicle.

As they test the myth, the team also conducts experiments to determine if birds can cause damage to airplane engines, and if bird poop has enough acidity to damage car paint. They construct an airplane engine with gelatin molds of birds to see if the birds would cause damage, and they cover cars in different types of bird droppings to see which ones cause the most damage to the paint.

Throughout the episode, the team discusses the various reasons why birds may be attracted to trucks and airplanes, including heat, light, and the insects that are attracted to them. They also talk about the risks that bird strikes can pose to pilots, passengers, and drivers, and the ways that different industries are working to prevent these strikes from happening.

As always, the episode is filled with engaging experiments, humorous mishaps, and insightful commentary from the team as they work to determine whether this myth is confirmed, plausible, or busted. And while "Birds in a Truck" may not be the most action-packed episode of the series, it's a fascinating exploration of the science behind a common myth that is sure to appeal to science enthusiasts, transportation buffs, and myth-busting fans alike.