Thursday, January 24, 2008

Slingshots

Mythbusters can be a very engaging show. It covers everything from myths about lead balloons to illegal immigrants from Mexico using slingshots to cross the Untied States border. Last night, I watched the one titled Border Slingshots. A myth is going around that illegal immigrants are being catapulted across the border in an effort to get across a fence.

This myth was busted! While the slingshot is actually capable of catapulting someone across a 200 ft high fence, the landing proved to be somewhat problematic. Part of the myth included the person landing on a mattress. Even if the person were to land on the mattress, the impact would disastrous. If the person survived, he would face serious injuries.

Another problem with the slingshots is the size. The tops of the slingshots would be clearly visible from the United States side of the border and Border Control officials could just wait until the hapless person was flung across.

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