I’ve spent the last several days slurping down numerous cups of hot green tea with honey. It was suggested that the green tea may help combat the evil dwelling virus that has seemed to camp out in my immune system for the past couple days.

I have been preparing my green tea by ‘nuking’ my cup of water in the microwave. Up until today I can’t say I gave it a second thought.

Then I received the following email:

A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup ‘blew up’ into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.

He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc.., (nothing metal).

General Electric’s Response:

Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.

Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: ‘Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.’

If you pass this on you could very well save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.

I must tell you I was a tad bit disturbed. Not only by the story itself, but from my personal experience over the past few days. I can vividly remember pulling out my freshly microwaved water and the water be bubbling from boiling. I’d add the tea bag and go about my business.

Then there were a handful of times I pulled my fresh cup of ‘nuked’ water out of the microwave and the water would be calm and still. I added my tea bag, and I’d curiously watch the tea bag and the water erupt into a sort of volcanic-like eruption.

Now after reading this email, I must say I got the chills. Thinking that my cup of water was super-heated, and that somehow I have avoided this serious accident.

Of course I read the original email with great skepticism. So I checked out the ‘trusty’ Urban Legends debunk-da-fier website Snopes. And here is what snopes had to say about  Superheated Microwaved Water.

Tell your family, tell your friends. No matter how RARE this occurrence appears, just the fact that it exists is enough.

Please be careful out there.

Carpe Diem

Image Source: Deviant Art

‘A body in motion, stays in motion’

‘A body at rest, stays at rest’

Unless acted on by an unbalanced force.

I remember as a kid playing little league baseball. I played centerfield (and I loved it). The coach always told you to be moving. Moving towards the ball. Moving in the direction of the batter’s stance. You were taught that getting to the ball, catching the ball, retrieving the ground ball was easier, quicker, and more efficient if you moved.Standing still was the worst place to be, because you always got a late start. And late starts almost always caused you to miss the ground ball, or not get to the fly ball in time.

You could tell the difference between the first year players and the 3rd year players by simply watching their offense. A good offense was always moving.

I remember playing volleyball in high school. I was a weak-side hitter for 3 out of 4 years, with my senior year played as a back-row specialist due to an ankle injury. The coach always told you to be moving. Moving forward towards the spike. The dig was never easy and sometimes impossible. The hit was instantaneous from the time the ball left the setter’s hand. You needed to have good intuition skills, you had to learn to read the setter, the hitter and your blocker to accomplish the dig. “On your toes” the coach would bark during practice drills.

Sitting back on your heels was the worst place to be, because you got a late start. Milliseconds counted when digging a spiked ball. Standing still and sitting on your heels provided you with no advantage. You almost always watched the ball hit the court.

Standing still affords you nothing but a birds-eye view and a front row seat for what just happened. Instead of being a player, being a part of the game, you become a spectator.

In this game called life, do you want to be a player or a spectator?

Be afraid of only standing still.

Carpe Diem