BRIAN BRUSHWOOD: The following program contains secret hacks.
Attempting some of these shortcuts
can be dangerous and is ill-advised.
-[cheering] -[whistling]
Holidays can be a lot of fun.
In fact, 96% of people in one study said they enjoy them,
but they could be stressful too.
From finding a date for Valentine's Day...
What's your phone number?
...to entertaining on the Fourth of July...
MAN: Go, go, you got it, you got it, yeah. [laughs]
...or getting rid of a New Year's hangover.
You're gonna eat an egg.
Make you a man!
[laughing]
I've got some tricks up my sleeve
to make your celebrations this year
just a little bit easier.
So let's hack the holidays.
I'm Brian Brushwood
and I've picked up tools of scientists and spies,
of criminals and con artists.
I'’ve mastered incredible tricks and dangerous stunts
as a professional magician.
Now, I have an encyclopedia of shortcuts, secret data,
and helpful hacks designed to help you make life easier,
and give you the upper hand.
This isHacking the System.
New Year's Eve,
one of the biggest celebrations of the year
and there's no shortage of drinks going around.
We've all seen people use flashy moves
to pop open the cork,
but imagine putting them to shame as you use a saber.
According to legend, this was made popular
by none other than Napoleon after the French Revolution.
To do this right, you need a younger vintage
that's been chilled.
Chilling it will compress the bubbles.
Check this out.
Where the seam meets the lip,
that's the universal weak point on all bottles.
Here we go. Ready, one, two.
Whoo-hoo!
[laughs]
That is a perfectly clean seal there.
The burst should shoot all of the glass out,
so make sure to inspect all of your glasses
before you serve 'em out.
But even if you can't drink it, you'll look like a badass.
So you impressed everyone on New Year's with that trick,
but Valentine's Day is just around the corner.
The exact origins of Valentine's Day aren't clear,
but some believe it's a combination of holidays.
A Roman fertility feast,
the Catholic Church honoring St. Valentine,
and a French celebration of lovers called Galatin's Day.
Now if you're single, you might dread Valentine's Day.
But don't worry, I got a hack for ya.
Time to bust out a top secret weapon
that never fails to open hearts and doors.
Man's best friend.
Women love dogs.
It's a scientific fact.
One study found that a man with a dog
was three times more likely to get a girl's phone number
than if he didn't have the dog.
So if you're having trouble meeting women,
it's time to release the hounds.
[barking]
One of the reasons many women like men with dogs
is because it signals that they're capable
of loving some other being than themselves.
They're capable of commitment.
According to one poll, women prefer big dogs,
but if all you have access to is your friend's dachshund,
don't worry.
I'm banking on the cute factor here.
Armed with a man's best friend,
a hidden camera, and an air of dependability,
I'm gonna see if I could convince
a total stranger to give me her phone number
just in time for Valentine's Day.
Hey, could I borrow you for a second?
Sure.
I need to get a selfie with me and Mary Todd Lincoln here.
Aw.
Otherwise my mom's gonna think I didn't actually take her out.
Here. Say hi.
WOMAN: One, two, three, ready, smile.
-[camera shutter clicks] -WOMAN: Aw. Perfect.
-There you go. -Super cute.
Thank you. I'm Brian. What's your name?
-Brian? Annelise. -Annelise?
I asked Annelise to take a photo
as a way to break the ice and give us a reason to talk.
-And who's this? -This is Harland.
-Harland, come here. -Harland.
Is he a labradoodle?
-Yes. -Oh, my God.
And I'm showing interest in her dog.
Paying attention to what's important
to her signals that I value what she values
and it highlights our mutual interest, dogs.
You know, they're doing like a Frisbee dog competition
here next week.
-Really? -Did you know about that?
No. What day?
Yeah. No, no, no, it's next Thursday.
Yeah. Here. Hang on.
I actually got the email. I'll forward it over to you.
Oh, that'd be awesome.
What's your, uh, what's your phone number?
I'll text you.
Although I'm asking for a phone number,
I'm making it hard for her to say no,
because I'm ending my question with a command,
telling her what I'll do.
This also signals confidence,
and confidence is always attractive.
-9-7-0... -Doo, doo, doo.
[beep]
Boop, boop, boop.
[beep]
Well, right on. Well, hopefully I'll see you there.
Yeah, definitely.
-Good seeing you. -Come on.
Looks like man's best friend
just solved my Valentine's Day blues.
Roses are often associated with Valentine's Day,
but this wasn't always the case.
What was one of the earlier known symbols
of Valentine's Day?
Was it a tomato, a blood tipped arrow,
or a red cloak?
The answer is...
a tomato.
Originally known as love apples in France,
some of the earliest Valentine's cards
featured tomatoes.
Picture that nowadays. "Hey, baby, I love you.
Here, have a tomato."
Just to prove it wasn't a fluke,
let's try the dog hack again but with a different person.
-Hi there. What a cutie you are. -Oh.
Are you coming out to the Frisbee thing on Thursday?
They're doing a whole Frisbee course and--
I-I saw the sign. I think we're gonna come.
She's pretty hot with the Frisbee.
-Yeah? -Yeah!
You know, I don't know if this is too weird,
but you seem like a really neat person.
Can I get your phone number?
-Yeah. Sure. -Right on.
Here. Just go and pop that in.
It's a nice, uh, to have somebody be so direct.
[laughing]
Like I said, confidence is attractive
and so is being direct.
Once you've established a connection,
don't waste time playing games.
Ask for what you want.
-She's such a cutie. -Right on.
-Nice to meet you, Brian. -It was good meeting you.
Hopefully I'll see you next Thursday.
Yeah. Yeah. That'd be cool.
BRIAN: I'm on a roll.
Now I'm kinda curious how long this can work.
What, wait, wait. What, what, what, what?
The dogs give us an excuse to talk and a mutual interest.
Is a big softy is what you are.
But how do you tell if that interest
extends beyond your cute pet?
Do you mind if I get your number?
I can call you the next time I'm coming out to the area.
Only because Diesel likes you so much.
-Oh, no, no! -Uh-oh.
BRIAN: Hey, Todd Lincoln! Hold on.
-I'll be back. -Okay.
No!
Well, Mary Todd Lincoln wasn't feeling that one,
but I think it's safe to say that if you need a date
for Valentine's Day,
offer to walk your friend's dog and you might get lucky.
And speaking of luck,
that brings us to St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick's Day is March 17th.
And legend has it that St. Patty used the three-leaf shamrock
to explain the Holy Trinity
while converting the pagan Irish to Christianity.
Did you ever find a four-leaf clover?
-No. -How long did you spend looking?
Um, not very long. I'm a very impatient man.
[laughs] I believe it.
What if I told you it was possible to find
a four-leaf clover in about a minute?
I would say you're full of blarney.
What if I told you there was a hack for it?
-That I would believe. -[laughs]
Get this. There are 10,000 three-leaf clovers
for every one four-leaf clover.
Which means for every 13 square feet of clover,
you should have one four-leaf clover, right?
Yeah, but that's still 10,000 clovers.
It's all about perspective.
Here. Give me one minute.
All right. Go.
How far along am I?
-Uh, you're about 30 seconds. -All right.
Maybe this was not the smartest claim
I've ever made.
-JASON: You don't say. -[laughs]
While I'm looking for the clover, check this out.
I'll bet you didn't know that St. Patrick wasn't even Irish.
So where did he come from originally?
Was it France, Scotland, or England?
The answer is...
England.
Patrick was actually kidnapped, taken to Ireland,
and enslaved by Irish raiders.
JASON: Five seconds.
Three, two, one...
-[beeps] -And you're out of time.
All right, you should have bet me. Hold on.
Bingo. Guess whose lucky day it is.
-Get out. How? -[laughing]
Turns out our brains aren't wired to count very quickly,
but we're great at recognizing patterns.
Here. You see in the middle, there's like this,
I don't know, carrot-like ring in there?
-JASON: Yeah. -BRIAN: A little white thing goes around.
When there are three leaves, it makes a triangle,
but a four-leaf clover, it makes a square.
So you're not counting anything.
You're looking for the one square
in 10,000 triangles.
-Huh. -Here, you find one.
Yeah. Uh, do you have a hack for finding a pot of gold?
-Not yet. -Okay.
You're not impr... It's a four-leaf clover.
You're Irish!
From green beer to green berets,
Memorial Day was established as a national holiday
to honor our military in 1971.
With the arrival of Memorial Day,
it means it's finally time for summer barbecue season,
but it's not all sunshine and picnics.
How's it going over there, Jason?
It's not.
We've all been there.
A bunch of hungry people standing around.
You're trying to get the fire lit.
Let me show you my favorite one-two punch
to get your charcoal started.
All you need is one of America's favorite snacks,
cheesy tortilla chips and a hairdryer.
Yes, I'm serious.
Man, it could be incredibly frustrating
to try to light charcoal.
But amazingly, one of the best types
of kindling I've found,
cheesy tortilla chips.
Any kind of chip will work for this,
so maybe grab the least popular chips on hand
and let the coal burning begin.
You can even use 'em to light each other.
Your favorite chips easily ignite
because they're made of hydrocarbons and fat.
Once we got a few of these going,
we can kick things into overdrive
by using a hair dryer.
This thing's like a bellows.
It's gonna shove oxygen right in there.
[whirring]
Yeah. Now we're talking.
Now it's a freaking furnace.
The hair dryer allows for a rush of oxygen to get to the coals
at the bottom of the pile making it possible for them
to catch fire faster.
Murphy, look at this.
That my friend is an inferno and that is a genius solution.
Nicely done.
That's sanitary, right?
Sure.
BRIAN: America loves the hot dog.
Let's see if you can figure this one out.
How many hot dogs do Americans consume
between Memorial Day and Labor Day?
Is it 500,000, 26 million,
1.4 billion, or 7 billion?
The answer...
7 billion hot dogs.
Holy heart attack, America.
That means that every second, 818 hot dogs are being consumed.
Ugh, I'm full just thinking about it.
So, the guests have arrived, the food's on the grill.
Your job is to keep everybody happy and hydrated.
I'm gonna teach you guys how to keep all your guests
hydrated using a floating beverage cooler.
All you need is a couple of pool noodles,
a plastic tub, and some thin rope.
Start by cutting the pool noodles into four sections
to create two short and two long pieces.
Of course make sure that they match the lengths
of the plastic tub.
Next run the string through each of the pieces,
going long, short, long, short.
So now we're gonna line everything up.
You're gonna wanna tie this super tight.
And just like that, you got yourself a floating cooler.
Memorial Day is just the beginning
of your backyard summer holiday hacks.
Here's some ideas for one of America's favorite holidays,
Independence Day.
Fourth of July is known for parties, swimming,
entertaining, and more outdoor grilling.
In fact, Fourth of July is the most popular day
of the year to spend time at the grill
with over 75% of us indulging in a backyard feast.
But if you're like me, you haven't checked your propane tank
since the last time you used it.
If you wanna know how much propane is left in your tank,
get yourself some hot water, pour it down the side,
and the propane will absorb the heat from the water quickly
and you can actually feel the exact line,
where it goes from cool back to warm.
That's how much propane is left.
Quick quiz,
what awesome outdoor activity can you make
using blow up mattresses and painters plastic?
Think about it.
Is it a trampoline, a water slide, or a surf board?
The answer is...
a water slide.
Here, let me show ya.
Take a bunch of inflatable mattresses,
cover 'em up with painters plastic.
-Here's some for you guys. -Ahh!
Add water and go for it.
[yelling]
But if it's the Fourth of July and you don't have a pool...
Whoo!
...here's how to beat the heat
by making a poor man's air conditioner.
All you need is a cooler filled with ice, an old fan,
and some water bottles you don't mind sacrificing.
Start by cutting a round hole on the top of the cooler.
Make sure the hole is slightly smaller
than the size of the fan.
Next, cut the tops and bottoms off the two water bottles,
then cut two small holes in the front of the cooler.
Finally, you just need a few pounds of ice.
And just like that...
That is astonishingly cool and refreshing.
[sighs]
Quick quiz.
Drinking is associated with many holidays
in hundreds of countries throughout the world,
but do you know which country
consumes the most beer per capita?
Is it Germany, Ireland, or the Czech Republic?
The answer is...
the Czech Republic.
You might think Ireland would be close behind,
but the Czechs drink almost 20 liters
more per person than the Irish.
The Czechs also established the first beer museum
and the beer brewing textbook.
Who knew?
All right, Mr. Murphy, it's the holidays,
-people are drinking. -Yes.
And I need you to be my guinea pig.
I don't like where this is going already.
Yeah. I think you will like it because I need you to drink.
Oh, well, twist my arm.
Here's the thing, of course nobody should drink to excess.
Of course you shouldn't drink and drive,
but some jackasses get behind the wheel
and they think there are hacks that will allow them
to beat a breathalyzer.
I need you to get a little bit of booze in you
because I got a hold of a breathalyzer
and we're gonna see if there's any merit
to any of these hacks.
I'm good at this. I can out-hack you.
[Brian laughing]
BRIAN: Jason's slinging back a few whiskey shots
so we can finally put to rest insidious rumors
that there's any way to hack a breathalyzer.
All right, buddy, let's get a baseline on you.
Blow, blow, blow, blow, blow.
[steady beeping]
JASON: 0.11.
All right, so we got our baseline.
Now I need you to take a mouthful of these.
-What? -Take a handful of pennies,
throw 'em in your mouth.
[laughing]
The idea is that the copper
somehow interferes with the breathalyzer.
Now keep in mind, pennies are made mostly out of zinc
ever since 1982.
They're only coated in copper, but who knows?
Maybe there's something to it. Give it a blow.
Go, buddy. Go, buddy. Go, buddy, go!
[steady beeping]
JASON: 0.11.
[laughing]
All right, so that was a fail,
but at least you had pennies in your mouth.
True or false:
Using mouthwash can help you beat a breathalyzer.
The answer is...
false.
In fact, many brands of mouthwash contain alcohol.
You could be stone sober and actually fail a breathalyzer
if you have mouthwash right beforehand.
All right, so there's one more we got to try.
I want you to hyperventilate.
Why?
The thinking is, is that all of your alcohol soaked breath
will be in your lungs and you'll be blowing fresh air
into the breathalyzer.
You good? You feel like you're having a baby?
And push, and breathe.
There you go, there you go, there you go.
Keep going, keep going, keep going, and...
-[steady beeping] -[coughs]
JASON: 0.11.
[laughing]
Well, at least now you're drunk and annoyed.
[sighs]
Well, I think the takeaway is clear,
that the only way you're gonna beat a breathalyzer
is by not drinking before you get behind the wheel.
If you are somebody who thinks one of these is gonna save you,
you are sadly mistaken.
Do yourself a favor, man. Don't drink and drive.
Yeah. I'm not gonna drive. I'm not...
I don't even think I can walk right now.
[laughs] But you can go and sleep it off.
Yeah, I hope you have a hangover hack.
I do. I'll tell you in the morning.
Think you know this one?
What is the most dangerous holiday in America?
Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving,
New Year's Eve, or St. Patrick's Day?
The answer is...
Thanksgiving.
More people on the road coupled with alcohol consumption
explains why there are nearly
five times as many vehicular deaths on Thanksgiving
than on an average day.
We celebrate lots of different holidays in the winter,
including Christmas.
It's actually the most popular holiday of the year.
According to one poll,
people send over one and a half billion Christmas cards
in the US.
More than any other holiday.
Unfortunately, it's also the season of the ugly sweater.
I don't have any hacks for those,
but I do have some other ideas.
If you wanna add some rhythm to your Christmas lights,
I have an unbelievably easy hack for you.
All you need is lights, some wire cutters or scissors,
and a receiver.
Take your string of lights
and after carefully reading the warning labels,
start by cutting off the male plug,
then you're gonna strip off the ends,
like so, and then hook the exposed wires up
just like it was another speaker.
The receiver will power the lights
and it'll match the music.
And, boom, you've got dancing lights.
Hey, buddy. How you feeling?
I feel horrible.
All in the name of science, right?
I hope you have a hangover hack
that would be good around the holidays
and right about now.
-Ready? -Okay.
All right, you're gonna eat an egg.
JASON: Oh.
Eggs are heavy in cysteine,
an amino acid that actively breaks down alcohol.
Come on, man.
You're like a big, tough boxer.
You're drinking down your protein,
a little bit of orange juice in there.
A big glass of fruit juice will also help
as fructose speeds the rate
at which toxins are expelled from the body.
Put a little bit of turmeric.
Turmeric serves as an antioxidant
as well as an antiseptic.
And, of course, some coconut water.
Coconut water helps too,
since it's chock-full of potassium and electrolytes.
A little bit of the Worcestershire sauce for flavor.
This isn't a hangover cure. This is a dare.
[laughing]
Come on, man. This thing's packed with electrolytes.
You're gonna feel great.
It's gonna handle your dehydration.
Now, of course, the best advice is prevention.
Make sure you have a full stomach,
make sure you stay hydrated, but if it's too late...
Come on, buddy.
Make you a man!
Keep going, keep going, keep going!
[laughing]
How was it?
It tasted like sadness.
I'm sure that's the cysteine,
which is gonna break down that alcohol for you.
During the holidays,
you're bound to run across alcohol.
And of course, the best advice is
to exercise restraint and self-control.
But if you find yourself in this position,
just know you can mix up one of these drinks
to get you back on track.
Happy holiday hacking, everyone.
Oh, that was a mistake.
Captioned by Point.360