Revealed: How to pop corn with a cell phone
posted at 10:20 pm on June 18, 2008 by Allahpundit
Via Ace, a belated answer to last week’s exit question. The hoaxster has been revealed but its method has not. Until now. The secret? Exposing yourself and your cell phone to enough radiation to pop a kernel of corn through an inch-thick tabletop.
Is this seriously how they did it? It’s not, right?
Cell Phone Popcorn Hoax Revealed – For more amazing video clips, click here
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Well that settles that.
Maxx on June 18, 2008 at 10:23 PM
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/microwave.htm
Asher on June 18, 2008 at 10:25 PM
And here I thought it was the Lazr phone
Grafted on June 18, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Will this work in a catbox?
Limerick on June 18, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Kids, don’t try this at home.
Rhinoboy on June 18, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Yeah, sure…just like Global Warming is a hoax…
AUINSC on June 18, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Now that would be funny.
p40tiger on June 18, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Does this mean the alien in the window is fake to? I don’t think I could handle it if that is fake as well.
NotCoach on June 18, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Wait till this guy’s mother finds out that
he bolted that do-dad electronic gizmo to
her kitchen table!
And took apart the microwave! haha!
canopfor on June 18, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Seems to me, that Ron Paul popping popcorn in this fashion would explain a lot.
aikidoka on June 18, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Drop one of these into a grain silo and you could bury an entire county.
Limerick on June 18, 2008 at 10:49 PM
What? No flux capacitor?? NOOOOOOooooo!!!
robblefarian on June 18, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Can I marry a corn kernel?
Metro on June 18, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Really, it depends on how good the insurance is, doesn’t it?
AUINSC on June 18, 2008 at 10:56 PM
It isn’t smart to pump out so much microwave energy so close to the human body. This reason there are RF proof screens, seals and interlocks on microwave oven doors.
When I was in the service a radar technician stood in fron of an air search radar feed horn when it was transmitting. It cooked his insides. Ruined his whole day, he died. If you like cataracts, spend your time performing this experiment for your friends.
NOT SMART!!!
Corky Boyd on June 18, 2008 at 11:01 PM
Darwin works in mysterious ways.
Metro on June 18, 2008 at 11:06 PM
Yeah, sure…just like Global Warming is a hoax…
UNESCO on June 18, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Global warming is most assuredly not a hoax. It’s a scam
easy on June 18, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Sorry, time for a pedantic moment……
“Exposing” is not the right term, not in the sense of nuclear radiation sources (e.g., cobalt 60, or polonium).
Microwave ovens produce non-ionizing radiation at within the electromagnetic spectrum, in a fashion identical to radar, and developed from radio technologies. The energy comes from absorption of the signal in materials, whence the increase in temperature.
Microwave transmitters (like any radio or radar) are impacted by the inverse square law, and thus is dissipated by distance, and absorbed by materials. So when the guy placed the magnetron under the table AND sat back a distance, he was relatively safe, although he did that table absolutely no good. Plus the magnetron is focused through wave guides, not an omni-directional broadcast (the microwave wouldn’t work as well on such [relatively] low power). So he took some care not to get close to the “hot spot”, and was not “exposed” as such.
However, it is a pretty stupid stunt, especially if performed by someone who has no respect for that technology. There’s a reason why you can’t use a microwave with the door open; it’s very easy to cook your hand, or other body part.
The_Real_JeffS on June 18, 2008 at 11:20 PM
So those folks sitting around the table in wonder for the trick were actually microwaving themselves to make the gag work? Jokes on them.
BL@KBIRD on June 18, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Man eats goat testicles is the next video.
Am I ever sick now. . ..
Texyank on June 18, 2008 at 11:42 PM
I gotta think the original video(s?) were just some not so clever editing. I would imagine putting a phone that close to the magnetron would fry the innards, try this experiment at home with a CD. You’ll notice that the phone in this video was off.
Jeff_McAwesome on June 18, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Oooooo… informed, accurate commentary on the Internet. Surely one of the signs of the Apocalypse!
ErikTheRed on June 19, 2008 at 12:10 AM
Duh.
Exit question: if enough ringing cell phones are aimed at your brain, will a popcorn-ish fluff pop out of your head? AND IF SO how many will it feed?
A lot, I’m guessing. Greedy American pigs, always selfish with teh brians
Ugly on June 19, 2008 at 12:14 AM
iPhone => iScared
silverfox on June 19, 2008 at 12:16 AM
“Exposing yourself and your cell phone to enough radiation to pop a kernel of corn through an inch-thick tabletop.”
Haha! Microwaves are not ionizing radiation. They don’t hurt you any more than a slightly shorter wave such as a beam of red or blue light would. It’s not ‘nuclear’ or anything, AP :).
This post made my day.
Kevin M on June 19, 2008 at 12:21 AM
There’s one vid on YouTube where someone tried to do this and it set the paper tablecloth on fire. They clearly used a regular heating element in that one.
John on June 19, 2008 at 12:28 AM
Use it in Denver and see what pops.
SouthernGent on June 19, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Fresh from Drudge:
ROSIE ORDERS POPCORN TABLE…developing
Limerick on June 19, 2008 at 12:32 AM
Ugly on June 19, 2008 at 12:43 AM
Not! Non-ionizing microwaves are used by cell phones, microwave ovens use ionizing microwave radiation and are very dangerous.
Enough ionizing microwave energy to pop a kernel of corn is more than enough to fry a cell phone and excite enough human body cells to be more than a little uncomfortable.
Speakup on June 19, 2008 at 12:55 AM
Now this guy needs to expose Obama. Plant a microwave transmitter under him, wait for the pop and see if Soros jumps out.
Bishop on June 19, 2008 at 1:05 AM
Ionizing radiation
Non-ionizing radiation
Dangerous, yes, Speakup, but strictly non-ionizing. Google up “magnetron” (as described in the how-to-hoax video), and see if they produce ionizing radiation.
/second pedantic moment
But I must admit that this:
Use it in Denver and see what pops.
SouthernGent on June 19, 2008 at 12:30 AM
is VERY appealing……
The_Real_JeffS on June 19, 2008 at 2:03 AM
Okau; wird of advuce, Don;t gwt your eyed too clpse/
- The Cat
MirCat on June 19, 2008 at 2:14 AM
A great way to microwave soylent green, while still moving.
Kini on June 19, 2008 at 2:56 AM
Hh!!! t fnn
Ugly on June 19, 2008 at 3:09 AM
I knew a chick who had orgasms like that popcorn kernel.
mylegsareswollen on June 19, 2008 at 3:25 AM
Also, the walls of the microwave reflect the radiation, so you get more radiation for less power than you would from a strict inverse square relation, meaning that the radiation is a lot less powerful than you might guess.
As Troy McClure once said, “And, now that you know how it’s done… DON’T DO IT!”
calbear on June 19, 2008 at 3:26 AM
The fallacy that you “nuke” your food in the traditional understanding of radioactivity (non-ionizing microwave vs ionizing x-ray) is incorrect and is probably where most people got the impression that it was potentially radioactive. The only real danger here is from heating (the same way food would) including dangers to the eye particularly the lens (Microwave).
DKK
LifeTrek on June 19, 2008 at 3:37 AM
“NOW YOU KNOW HOW THIS HOAX IT’S DONE”
The thing that is most pathetic is that this idiot sat there and bathed his gonads is mircowave radiation in order to make a clever YouTube video, and then finished it with an stupid spelling error.
gridlock2 on June 19, 2008 at 6:15 AM
Could be a new Darwin Award winner.
Mr. Bingley on June 19, 2008 at 7:09 AM
Judging by some of the other captions, I’m guessing that English was a second language for this guy.
flipflop on June 19, 2008 at 7:14 AM
You should have prefaced this with “Now this is no sh*t” cause that sea story was around when I was in the canoe club back in the 60s. I heard it many times, usually in conjunction with the Terrier missile guidance radar. Don’t know if it was true or not since I never met anyone who actually “Knew” the guy that got cooked.
Oldnuke on June 19, 2008 at 7:27 AM
Have you noticed invitation to parties diminishing over the years?
eeyore on June 19, 2008 at 8:27 AM
Old Nuke
This was written up in a USAF official publication, not a consumer publication, in the early 60s. I didn’t take is as a “sea story”, but perhaps it was. I was Navy too.
Microwave radiation is non-ionizing. It does it’s damage by heat. There are published articles of it causing cataracts in test animals (rabbits). There is no confirming data for humans I can find, but probably because they haven’t run live tests.
Still, I thinks it is stupid and dangerous to do this. The CPSC requires interlocks, seals and RF screens on microwave ovens. There have been product recalls for bad seals. Manufacturers say not to do what done here.
Corky Boyd on June 19, 2008 at 8:35 AM
I hate to spoil the fun but this is seriously DANGEROUS. A microwave oven has lethal voltages inside, especially those that feed the magnetron. Also, I would not want to be exposed to an improperly shielded working magnetron, if you could get it to work as shown in the video. After all, it is used for cooking meat.
Dumb …
tarpon on June 19, 2008 at 8:49 AM
Darn, the video didn’t say to remember how long you set the timer for. Now someone’s going to sue the poster because he forgot and put his feet up while watching the game, and the metal buckles on his sandals sparked and set his feet on fire.
AverageJoe on June 19, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Kernel Panic!
Jeffster on June 19, 2008 at 9:52 AM
See, you were supposed to poke him a couple of times with a fork to make sure he didn’t get ruined.
James on June 19, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Beni Hana–now with microwave tabletops!
TexasDan on June 19, 2008 at 10:25 AM
I’ll believe when I see it debunked on Mythbusters!
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on June 19, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Now the truth behind this are-you-dumb-enough-to-cook-your-bether-regions? microwave hoax “solution”:
-the originals were all filmed backwards, and then redubbed.
Not as easy as it sounds, but within the skills of drifting nerds.
profitsbeard on June 19, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Well, I was wrong about the ionizing radiation being used in microwave ovens (guess I’ve slept since then) but I’m right about the its very dangerous to expose yourself to enough microwave energy to pop a kernel of corn.
http://avrobeson.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/budding-serial-killers-microwave-cat-during-break-in/
Speakup on June 19, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Nope. Never had any to begin with.
;-p
Speakup — spot on, dude.
The_Real_JeffS on June 19, 2008 at 3:54 PM
The simple way to do it would be Photoshop the tape. When you couple that with their comment, “We want to preserve the integrity of the videos,” it appears to me that is what they did. The simplest explanation is often the correct one as per Occam’s Razor.
Fritz J. on June 19, 2008 at 4:21 PM
Those guys in the hoax sat around the table with their gonads exposed to that?
peacenprosperity on June 19, 2008 at 6:15 PM