zador-anthony@CS.YALE.EDU (tony zador) (07/11/90)
I recently had the unfortunate experience of discovering an earwig (a revolting beetle-like creature with pincers on its back end) crawling under the rotating tray of my microwave. I watched it continue to crawl happily, even as my oatmeal bioled vigorously (needless to say, i lost my appetite and went out for dinner). I removed the oatmeal and blasted the bug at high for a while longer. It didnt seem at all bothered. I finally disposed of it by hand. So the question is, Why are bugs microwave-proof? Tony Zador
eesnyder@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Eric E. Snyder) (07/11/90)
In article <25531@cs.yale.edu> zador-anthony@CS.YALE.EDU (tony zador) writes: > >So the question is, Why are bugs microwave-proof? This went around alt.folklore.urban a while back. I am not sure a definative answer came from that discussion but, here is my $0.02. It has a lot to do with moisture content. Bugs such as gnats or flies are killed by microwaves fairly quickly. Apparently (I haven't tried), roaches and now...oops, I deleted your bug of interest... other crunchy bugs appear resistant. Try microwaving dry oat meal; it doesn't heat up much. Thus, relatively dry bugs are more resistant an us mortals... ahem, mammals. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TTGATTGCTAAACACTGGGCGGCGAATCAGGGTTGGGATCTGAACAAAGACGGTCAGATTCAGTTCGTACTGCTG Eric E. Snyder Department of Biochemistry Proctoscopy recapitulates University of Colorado, Boulder hagiography. Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215 LeuIleAlaLysHisTrpAlaAlaAsnGlnGlyTrpAspLeuAsnLysAspGlyGlnIleGlnPheValLeuLeu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
frist@ccu.umanitoba.ca (07/11/90)
In a recent posting to Sci.bio you write: >From: zador-anthony@CS.YALE.EDU (tony zador) >Subject: Bugs are microwave-proof >Date: 11 Jul 90 03:04:30 GMT >Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept, New Haven CT 06520-2158 >I recently had the unfortunate experience of discovering an >earwig (a revolting beetle-like creature with pincers on its back >end) crawling under the rotating tray of my microwave. I watched >it continue to crawl happily, even as my oatmeal bioled vigorously >(needless to say, i lost my appetite and went out for dinner). > >I removed the oatmeal and blasted the bug at high for a while longer. >It didnt seem at all bothered. I finally disposed of it by hand. > >So the question is, Why are bugs microwave-proof? > >Tony Zador In the manual for my Litton microwave, they state that microwaves don't reach the flooor of the oven, and advise having food raised up (eg. on the rack provided, or in your case, the carousel) in order to cook. They even go so far as to say that food may be cooked in a shallow foil pie pan, but I haven't had the nerve to try this myself. Anyway, the answer is: bugs are NOT microwave-proof. =============================================================================== Brian Fristensky frist@ccu.umanitoba.ca Assistant Professor Dept. of Plant Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 CANADA Office phone: 204-474-6085 FAX: 204-275-5128 ===============================================================================
jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) (07/12/90)
zador-anthony@CS.YALE.EDU (tony zador) wrote: > I recently had the unfortunate experience of discovering an > earwig (a revolting beetle-like creature with pincers on its back > end) crawling under the rotating tray of my microwave. I watched > it continue to crawl happily, even as my oatmeal boiled vigorously... Someone once told me about a follicle mite that got dunked in glutaraldehyde, sprayed with gold in a vacuum, cooled with liquid nitrogen and put in an electron microscope. The electron beam warmed it up and got it crawling around. -- -- Jack Campin Computing Science Department, Glasgow University, 17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland 041 339 8855 x6044 work 041 556 1878 home JANET: jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk BANG!net: via mcsun and ukc FAX: 041 330 4913 INTERNET: via nsfnet-relay.ac.uk BITNET: via UKACRL UUCP: jack@glasgow.uucp