Why did my Dishcloth Detonate?

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

Natural Sciences, Science, Science Radio, Naked Scientists, Health & Fitness, Engineering, Medicine, Technology, Life Sciences

4.6 • 958 Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2012

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why does sunlight make me sneeze? What causes air turbulence? Why do energy-saving lights take time to warm up? In this week's question and answer show we also investigate why microwaving a dishcloth causes it catch fire, whether mining could change the Earth's orbit and why streetlights shine with an orange glow. In the news, meanwhile, how electrical brain stimulation can make impossible problems tractible, a pint-sized rocket to take spacecraft to the moon and a tornado spotted on the surface of the Sun... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	Stripping down science, the naked scientists.
0:07.0	The Naked Scientists. Now here's a question why did my dishcloth detonate in my microwave? That is indeed one of the
0:26.6	questions we will be answering for you this week, as well as finding out how wind and turbulence
0:31.4	rise and whether mining can alter the Earth's orbit.
0:34.6	Hello, it's Sunday the 1st of April 2012, no fault here on the naked scientist because
0:39.2	it's our science phone-in show.
0:41.6	I'm Chris Smith and with me this week our physics guru Dave
0:44.6	Ansel, hello Dave! Hello and also our naked astronomer Dominic Ford. Hi Dominic
0:49.2	Hello yes and also coming up a new breed of mini rocket engines that could take probes to the moon
0:55.8	and Mars for a fraction of the current cost, and how pesticides are poisoning bumblebees.
1:01.6	And I'll be heading outside with a microwave and a dishcloth to see if I can
1:05.2	recreate the accidental scour-powered mini-inferno reported by one of our listeners.
1:10.0	And he has really got a microwave on a trolley outside. I can see it through the window.
1:14.5	If you have any questions or comments for us, here's how you can get in touch.
1:18.4	Write on our Facebook page, that's at Facebook.com slash The Naked Scientists or drop us an email. Our email
1:25.0	addresses Chris at the Naked Scientists.com.
1:28.6	The Naked Scientists Podcast is powered by UK Fast. The UK's best hosting provider on the web at UK Fast.
1:35.0	on the web at UKfast.co. UK. UK. Now I'm going to kick off with a challenge for everybody so Dominic you can help me out too.
1:48.0	Do you know Dominic what the nine dot problem is.
1:52.8	nine dot problem not so I've heard of it now.
1:54.8	Okay well Oliver is also on the phone and I'm gonna ask him to hello Oliver
1:58.2	hi Chris are you acquainted with the nine dot problem?
	...

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