Ep 13. Border Slingshot

The show Mythbusters takes on another exciting episode in season 3, episode 13 titled "Border Slingshot". In this episode, the team of expert builders and experimenters, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, take on the task of examining the claims that illegal immigrants cross the Mexican border using a makeshift slingshot.

The episode starts with Jamie and Adam brainstorming ways to recreate a makeshift slingshot that could potentially launch a person over the border fence. They construct various prototypes to test out their ideas, including using giant rubber bands and PVC pipes.

Once they have their slingshot built, the pair heads to a deserted section of the Mexican-American border where they can conduct their experiments without fear of breaking any laws. Here, they set up a safety zone and several cameras to record every single test.

The Mythbusters team starts their investigation by launching a test dummy – nicknamed Buster – over the fence to see if it's possible for someone to travel the distance using only the slingshot. Once they've got the aim and the angles just right, they begin launching Buster with increasing force and speed.

The team is amazed at how far Buster can travel, but they're also quick to notice that he lands quite violently. The impact could cause serious injuries or even death, so they decide to make modifications to their slingshot and experiment with alternative landing strategies.

Over the course of the episode, Jamie and Adam experiment with different designs, and they test various methods of preventing injury from impact. They even go as far as to build a full-scale human-sized slingshot to see how it performs with a real person.

As always, their tests are thorough, and they leave no stone unturned. They use fancy high-speed cameras to capture the slingshot's movements in slow motion, and they bring in experts to help analyze their findings.

Of course, no episode of Mythbusters would be complete without some good old-fashioned explosions, so viewers can expect to see plenty of pyrotechnics. The team demonstrates the power of their slingshot by launching all sorts of objects, including cars and even pianos.

Throughout "Border Slingshot", the team is mindful that their experiments could be misconstrued as encouraging illegal activity. They stress that their only goal is to test the myth and determine whether it has any basis in reality. However, they're also sensitive to the political climate surrounding the topic of immigration, and they take great care not to offend anyone.

The episode concludes with the team sharing their findings and recommendations with the viewers. They've learned a lot about the potential for a border slingshot, but they also recognize how dangerous it can be. In the end, they conclude that it's not a realistic method for attempting to cross the border, and they hope that viewers will learn from their experiments.

Overall, "Border Slingshot" is a thrilling and informative episode that showcases the ingenuity and creativity of the Mythbusters team. It's an excellent example of how the show combines science and entertainment to explore some of the most intriguing myths and rumours in society.