Ep 2. Salsa Escape

In the third season of the popular TV show Mythbusters, episode two "Salsa Escape" focuses on three different myths. The first myth involves a person being able to escape from being buried alive by eating their way out of a coffin using salsa. The second myth was about a person being able to use their own bodily fluids to put out a fire. The third myth is about whether or not a person can slip past a sniffer dog by simply using a piece of ham.

In the beginning, the show’s hosts, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, take on the first myth. To test the myth, the team constructed a coffin made of steel and then buried it underground. The coffin was then filled with dirt, and the Mythbusters had to determine whether or not it was possible for someone to eat their way through the dirt and escape the coffin using salsa.

The first attempt at the escape proved unsuccessful, as the amount of salsa required to actually eat through soil was much larger than anticipated. The team tested to see if the salsa had any erosive effect on the dirt, but this too proved unsatisfactory. Later on, a more elaborate attempt was made in which the dirt was mixed with a generous amount of salsa and several trial were conducted to eat their way out. However, the team found that there was no way someone could eat their way out of a coffin using salsa.

Next, the team tackled the second myth which involved fighting fire by using human urine. The team conducted various tests to see if urine was an effective tool to put out a fire. They used different types of fire, including a small campfire, a larger bonfire, a simulated gasoline fire, and a grease fire. The team found that urine could be used effectively to put out small fires like those around a campfire but was deemed ineffective in stopping larger fires. Moreover, the simulation of a gasoline fire with petrol proved extremely dangerous as it spread over the place.

Lastly, the Mythbusters focused on the third myth which involved escaping a sniffer dog’s detection with ham. The Mythbusters brought in various canine trainers, sniffer dogs, and an ex-police dog handler to test the myth by laying down a scented path, laying false scent tracks and across different scents on the route. The test found that using a piece of ham or any other food was not sufficient to mask human scent and dogs were still able to detect a person even if ham was used.

The episode 'Salsa Escape' remains both an informative and entertaining watch, providing insights into the science behind it and debunking many of our most deeply ingrained beliefs. The team’s experimentation and methods are grounded in facts and data, making the show a compelling watch that remains relevant even today.