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Episode: Ping Pong Rescue Original Air Date: November 3, 2004 Myths: Ping Pong Rescue, Carried Away
Ping Pong Ball Salvage
The Myth: Can you use ping pong balls to raise a sunken ship?
The Experts: Robert Flores(professional salvage diver): I've heard of it, but I've never seen it happen before!
Rachel Saunders(from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary)just wants to make sure that the sea lions are safe.
Memorable/Quotable Moments:
Jamie: Adam needs a cookie!
Adam: I'm totally pumped on adrenaline - I think I need a cookie!
Jamie fluffing up his mustache so that he looks like a sea lion in his wet suit!
The Action/Results: First, Adam does a few tests to see if this myth is even feasible. He finds out that fifteen ping pong balls will lift one pound of weight, and that the packing efficiency of ping pong balls is, in his own words, "crappy"! After a few calculations, they decide that the original Mythtanic is too heavy to lift in this way, and so they go for a small sailboat instead. Even so, they calculate that they will need 60,000 ping pong balls to raise this boat. Next, Jamie comes up with a quick and easy way to get the ping pong balls into the boat, using water and gravity. After a bit of fussing, the guys decide that this system will work. Finally, they take their newly acquired boat - the Jalapeno - and rename it Mythtanic II. Then they sink it with water. They start pumping ping pong balls into it, and after a few minor tweaks, everything is running well. After only about half of the 60,000 balls are pumped into it, it starts to rise, and then heads straight for the surface! The boys and Christine rule this one plausible, but totally impractical!
Carried Away!
The Myth: Can you lose your kid at the fair if you buy him too many balloons?
The Experts: The build team are their own experts on this one.
Quotable/Memorable Moments:
Kari: I ain't never been much fer book larnin'!
The Action/Results: The build team and four-year-old Maddie set out to find out if the old story of the kid carried away by balloons is possible or not. First Tory, Kari, and Scottie figure out how many paper clips can ten balloons lift. Then they do a few calculations and decide that 2,070 balloons will be needed to take Maddie on the ride of her life. They go off to SF Party, and after a quick balloon-tying lesson, they are ready to go.
At the launch field, they start tying balloons and building them into columns. At 1900 balloons, they think they might be close, so they test it with a dummy that weighs the same as Maddie. They are shocked to see that 1900 balloons only lifts half of the weight. So, it's back to tying balloons into columns, as Maddie waits patiently. Finally, at 3,500 balloons, they have the lift they need. Maddie goes up, up, and away, and everyone is smiling. Then they have to get rid of all the balloons! They pop quickly under the assault of the claw-like blades that Kari has brought along, and the sharp knife that Tory is swinging. However, the most effective way to pop balloons belongs to Scottie, and her "breath of fire"! End result? Myth Busted! |
Episode Descriptions 
