Microwaving Grapes Makes Plasma
Why Hacker News recommends it
Mentioned as a classic physics demo in threads on microwaves and related resonance effects.
What it is
Veritasium explains why a halved grape in a microwave makes plasma: the grape traps microwaves, and the fields of two halves interact to concentrate energy where they touch.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2020 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Cites admiralspoo · 2020-12 · on “'Havana syndrome' likely caused by directed microwaves – US report”
It depends on the frequency. The brain is mostly water, but there are clear differences in the dielectric constant of air, the skull (bone) and the sweet delicious gray matter inside the cavity. By tuning the frequency of the waves, you can set up resonances in the cavity. For a related effect, see [this video]
Cites 1letterunixname · 2024-03 · on “We made a hot dog talk with RF [video]”
Related classics: (2019) BigClive overclocks a 120v Presto hot dogger to 250v [LINK] (2019) Veratasium grape microwave plasma [this video] (2022) BigClive The dangers of microwave transformers [LINK] (2016) BigClive Electrocution risk of cheap USB chargers [LINK] (2020) ElectroBOOM proves 5G isn't going to give you cancer or eat your children [LINK]
Cites gsf_emergency · 2024-12 · on “Coupling nitrogen-vacancy center spins in diamond to a grape dimer”
Pedantry, from a promateur, but also see the Veritasium tube linked elsewhere here: 0. No cutting needed whatsoever, but you do need a watch-glass. (Keeps the grapes in contact) [this video]