Science reveals the secret of the 2011 viruses in which grapes were burned in the microwave

In 2011, beautiful videos of broken grapes that burned when cooked in the microwave became viral on YouTube. This mysterious phenomenon has finally received a physical explanation.

Researchers from McMaster, Concordia and Trent Universities, in an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, claim that the fireball is not the result of the heat of the day. outside the grapes They are formed in both parts of the grapes.

In viral videos, it was enough to cut a grape in half, to leave the two halves connected by a little skin at the bottom and to heat them in the microwave oven. in a few seconds, a little ball of fire would appear between them. Making things even more exciting was that no one could explain it.

Since then, many scientists have presented possible explanations. One of the most popular was the suggestion that grapes somehow form an antenna that directs the microwaves through the skin bond. In this new effort, physicists have performed several tests on grapes and other similar objects to discover the real reason for the formation of the fireball.

The tests consisted mainly of using thermal cameras to capture the action because the grapes were heated and simulated. They also tried plastic balls and fruits of similar size filled with water.

The researchers discovered that the formation of the fireball resulted from a simple process. When the microwaves enter the grapes, hot spots form on the two pieces at the points where they are closest to each other, because of the link that unites them. As the hot spots get hotter, the surrounding electrolytes become overloaded, resulting in the formation of a plasma explosion in the form of a small fireball.

The researchers point out that the same effect could be produced with fruits of similar size or balls filled with water. They also found that it was not necessary to maintain any type of physical connection between the two rooms; all that is needed is that they are not separated by more than three millimeters.