Microwaves dont kill ants?...

[NeoNSX]

This is REALLY offtopic, but weird/funny/practical science.

I went to reheat some food in the Microwave, and there were a couple of ants running around the bottom. Since I lacked the time (and compassion ) to remove them, I nuked the food for 90 seconds (1000w). To my amazement the ants were still running around when I opened the door.

The food wasn't cooked properly, so i cooked for another 60 seconds and the Ants were still fine!!! 150secs of nuke-power should have either killed them, or at least turned them into 18-foot tall man-eating monsters.

I understand the principle of how microwaves work -- radio waves excite water molecules to generate heat (thank you History channel!). But does anybody have a clue how the ants could survive???


Bizzare post, i know, but this is the "off-topic forum".

 

[satan_srv]

no water in the ants? I dunno.

how the heck do you get ants in your microwave?

 

[PAUL M]

maybe the ants were wearing their tinfoil hats

 

[khappucino]

in the microwave cavity, the heating isnt uniform so there might be spots that are null spots and not really effected as greatly as other spots, also if you had food in there, it absorbs most of the energy comparatively

now if you had empty microwave with just ants, it would resonate ALOT and you burnintate them :biggrin:

 

[dave22]

burnintate

Haha!

 

[White92]

First of all, is that from Homestar Runner? :biggrin:

Second of all, I'm with the other guy, how did you get ants in your microwave?

 

[khappucino]

TROGDOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Burninating the country side....
Burninating the peasants...
Trogdor comes out in the nighththhthttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[THE4TH]

maybe the ants were wearing their tinfoil hats

If there was tinfoil in there you would have a whole other problem all together..

And I'm not sure I would put food in the mike knowing there were ants in there to begin with.. did it taste ok ?

 

[ss_md]

Oh great!!! Now you created mutant ants - we are going to be over-taken :frown: :frown:.

 

[White92]

Oh great!!! Now you created mutant ants - we are going to be over-taken :frown: :frown:.

It will be ok. He's on an island.......Unless they can swim!!!!!!
Wait, Neo will be here for NSXPO! :biggrin:

 

[xxx]

TROGDOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Burninating the country side....
Burninating the peasants...
Trogdor comes out in the nighththhthttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bahahahaha...AHAHAHAHAHA

*runs off to the homestarr site! :biggrin:

 

[satan_srv]

LMAO Burninating the countryside

 

[khappucino]

FYI

if you guys don't know what were talking about you have to check this site out

http://www.homestarrunner.com

find your way to the STRONGBAD emails (dragons)
enjoy.... very funny!


I personally like the Japanese Cartoon email as well :biggrin:

 

[White92]

haha I forgot all about Homestar Runner until today. I used to spend quite a bit of time on there. Mostly just reading Strongbad's emails. Those are so funny!

 

[Deuce B]

Microwave ovens operate using standing waves. The waves bombard the turntable in a vertical manner. The turntable rotates because the bombardmant is not uniform. Also, the waves are strongest higher up and directly above the turntable. The bottom of the microwave and along it's sides are the weakest. Ants can just detect where the most heat is generated and walk around from safe zone to safe zone. Ever had food heat unevenly? The cold parts were just in the safe low energy zones longer.

Put an icecube directly in the center and one in the corner. Watch how fast one melts and the other isn't affected much.

Try putting a cupfull of ants on the turntable. You'll fry em.

 

[liftshard]

mmm...ants...

 

[NeoNSX]

In case you guys don't watch the news, the Ants did mutate into a giant intelligent lifeform. Our government is currently negotiating a peace treaty with them. Good news is the Ants will probably do a better job running the country.

Second of all, I'm with the other guy, how did you get ants in your microwave?

I was going to say "you guys have way too much spare time to be wondering that", but then look who started this thread. lol.

We've had bad weather and they seem to come inside looking for food or to escape the storm. Even spraying around the house they still find ways inside. You can literally predict a bad storm from their activity. Somebody left the microwave door open (it was clean inside) and the ants in the microwave must have been a recon unit looking for food.


<B>And I'm not sure I would put food in the mike knowing there were ants in there to begin with.. did it taste ok ?</B>

fine. my food was sealed, and the ants were running around the bottom of the microwave.


<B>Deuce B</B>: thanks... that's interesting. I dont think i'll experiment with more ants... but i might test that theory with microwave-popcorn.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

had a friend at work that put a cockroach in a mircowave and it didn't kill it either. he said they don't have any blood in them so it couldn't cook it????

 

[Klayton]

Pft. Killing ants with the microwave..

This is how its done:

ingredients:
salt (2)
schnapps (3)
little stick (4)
stone (5)
ant (1)

How it works:

Ant sees the salt,thinks its suger and guzzles it.
Now the ant gets thirsty like hell runs to the schnapps, thinks it water and drinks.
After this pub crawl the ant totters around and stumbles over the stick.
Drunk ants got no good sense of balance so it makes a somerset bangs its head at the stone and dies of a fracture at the base of the skull.

 

[NSXTech]

I'm calling PETA, and they'll send Pamela Anderson over for a sensitivity to animals lecture and THEN you'll be sorry.

You'll see.

 

[White92]

I'm calling PETA, and they'll send Pamela Anderson over for a sensitivity to animals lecture and THEN you'll be sorry.

You'll see.

Yes, that would suck if she showed up at your house to teach you a listen if you've been naughty! :smile:

 

[khappucino]

haha if you hook up a waveguide to your microwave as a big barrel i bet you could burninate them from afar :biggrin:

 

[heySkippy]

I for one welcome our super-ant overlords.

someone had to say it...

 

[White92]

I for one welcome our super-ant overlords.

someone had to say it...

haha, sounds like someone is a Simpsons fan too! :smile:

 

[Deuce B]

Actually, the wavelength of a microwave is bigger than you'd think. If you were to rig the microwave to operate with the door open, you could hold it open a little bit and the microwaves wouldn't escape. You could hold your hand over the opening and even the ones that weren't traveling vertically couldn't get out to heat your hand up.

Sucks, cause mutated ants sounds cool.