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Physicists explain fireballs erupting from grapes in microwave oven

Phys.org - Tue 19 Feb 19

A trio of researchers with McMaster, Concordia and Trent Universities has solved the mystery of why pairs of grapes ignite into fireballs when cooked together in a microwave oven. In their paper ...

Revealed: why grapes spark when you microwave them

Cosmos Magazine - Tue 19 Feb 19

When you make a grape flash, does it give a little whine? Natalie Parletta reports.

Physicists Finally Discover Why Grapes Ignite in the Microwave

Discover Magazine - Mon 18 Feb 19

Consider the humble grape. Small, spheroid, with pleasantly taut skin, leaving a burst of sweetness on the tongue. Hardly a fruit you'd need to defend yourself against. Put a gently touching ...

Grapes in a microwave generate a fiery plasma and now we know why

Newscientist - Mon 18 Feb 19

For years people have been uploading videos of the blazing eruption caused by microwaving sliced grapes – but the explanations were all wrong

Microwaved Grapes Spit Plasma, and Scientists Finally Know Why

Livescience - Fri 22 Feb 19

Why do grapes ignite when you microwave them? At long last, science has an answer.

Why grapes create plasma in a microwave: Scientists discover they trap electromagnetic radiation

Daily Mail - Mon 18 Feb 19

The scientists discovered that by simply putting two grapes close to one another, they're the right size and shape to trap microwaves, create a 'hotspot' and generate plasma.

The wrath of grapes: A tale of 12 dead microwaves and plasma-spewing grapes

Ars Technica - Mon 18 Feb 19

Trent University researchers found that the effect is due to "hot spot."

Why a Grape Turns Into a Fireball in a Microwave

Wired Science - Mon 18 Feb 19

Nuking a grape produces sparks of plasma, as plenty of YouTube videos document. Now physicists think they can explain how that energy builds up.