Help us with an upcoming video!

is it possible to cover just a teensy bit of physics about microwaves? how do they shoot out enough EMR to heat up my food? why microwaves specifically? what's a faraday cage - and is it dangerous to press my face against the window? thanks!

stolenshortsword

Why do some foods bloop/splatter so easily in the microwave? Thinking of the times I had to clean leftovers from the ceiling of the microwave. Soups make sense, they also bloop on the stove. But hard boiled eggs or stir fried proteins are harder to explain

Heli

These are all GREAT questions - thanks, and keep them coming if you think of anything else!

whenever I need to heat something in the microwave I will create a doughnut hole in the center, so there is more surface area to heat up and less internal area the heat needs to transfer through. I manage to avoid the cold center 90% of the time.

Mirriky

Is there a good way to heat a thick soup in a microwave? It seems to always heat up extremely unevenly.

Tomer

I would love to know why the frequency of microwaves specifically are good for heating up food. Why not radio waves, infrared, ultraviolet, etc. Additionally, why is it that food absorbs most of the energy from those microwaves and not the container that the food is in? Obviously, as Mateen says above, ceramic bowls can get pretty hot, but why can I boil water in a plastic bowl when making ramen without melting the plastic? Finally, I always forget why you can't put metal in the microwave, so that would be cool to learn more about.

My understanding is that microwaves excite water molecules in food, and that’s what heats up everything else. I’ve noticed bread heats up crazy fast crazy hot — is bread really that wet? And meat often takes time to heat up, so is meat really that dry? Is this an effective gauge of water content? Also, why are my ceramic bowls getting so hot in there?

Mateen Kasim

I find it extremely hard to set the timer right. Presumably it strongly depends on the type of food, amount, and temperature. Is there an easy way to find a time? Looking forward to the video! 🤩

gschwaer

I've noticed that adding water to the system somehow (moistened paper towel or a little water in the middle of the plate/bowl) helps most of the time, but not always. (Please explain the nuances). I also can't tell if the arrangement of food on the plate/in the bowl affects the evenness of heat distribution. Good video idea~

DSCota

* There are so many different presets on microwaves—are they worth using? * Does putting a moistened paper towel on top of a plate of food really help? * What are some foods that you can cook/reheat in a microwave that you wouldn’t expect?

Hazel Bachrach