MythBusters Episode 116: Banana Slip/Double Dip

A banana peel on the ground is guaranteed to cause the person who steps on it to slip and fall.

busted

In their first test, a blindfolded Jamie (wearing body protection) stepped on a banana peel while walking, but did not slip. In the second test, multiple banana peels were laid down in Jamie’s path, but he did not slip. He then tried running through the banana peels but still failed to slip. They performed further tests by measuring a banana peel’s static friction and kinetic friction and comparing it to lubricant, with the lubricant having far less kinetic friction but the banana peel having somewhat less static friction. In their full scale test, the MythBusters built a race course that had the entire ground covered with banana peels, and later lubricant. They compared how quickly and easily they could negotiate the course with banana peels and the lubricant, doing comically poorly in both cases. In the end, the MythBusters decided that the myth was busted, but just barely: banana peels would not guarantee a fall but could still prove to be very slippery on a smooth enough surface.

It is possible to fabricate diamonds using several chemicals such as graphite and ferric nitrate by combining them in a pressure cooker.

busted

Tory acquiring the chemicals, as well as a diamond seed, and put them all into a pressure cooker, leaving the mix cooking for three days. However, he failed to create any diamonds.

(This myth was inspired from an episode of CSI: Miami.)

It is possible to fabricate diamonds by covering charcoal with peanut butter and putting it in a microwave.

busted

Kari tried this method but failed to create any diamonds, despite managing to destroy two microwaves.

It is possible to fabricate diamonds using molten graphite and iron by rapidly cooling it and soaking the iron in hydrochloric acid.

busted

Grant performed the experiment but could not find any diamonds.

Explosives can compress graphite into diamonds.

confirmed

The Build Team was invited to New Mexico Tech to see the demonstration, which used 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of explosives. This was the largest explosion ever recorded on MythBusters, producing over twelve times the energy of any previous explosion on the show. After a chemical bath and examination of the results, they did discover diamonds. However, the process only produced low-quality industrial diamonds. While still chemically diamonds, the Build Team agreed that this process was too impractical to attempt at home and that any homemade diamond scheme was implausible.

The act of “double dipping” food items will contaminate the dip to the same extent as if all of the dip was put in your mouth.

busted

In their experiment, the MythBusters used chips with regular dip and salsa. In the control test, they put the untouched dip and salsa into petri dishes, and followed with double dipped dip and salsa, and finally dip and salsa that had been put in Adam and Jamie’s mouths. However, when they examined their results, they found that the dip and salsa were already loaded with microbes. For a more accurate experiment, the MythBusters were forced to sterilize all their testing materials with radiation and create a sterile environment. Examining the results, the MythBusters found that double dipping produced less microbes than putting all the dip in your mouth. Also, the amount of microbes present after double dipping was negligible compared to the amount found in regular dip.

(This myth was inspired by the television comedy Seinfeld.)