Thursday, January 25, 2007

Please Refrain From Tasting the Knob

On Monday, we had this:
WASHINGTON - Two minutes in a microwave oven can sterilize most household sponges, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. A team of engineering researchers at the University of Florida found that two minutes of microwaving a damp sponge on full power killed or inactivated more than 99 percent of bacteria, viruses or parasites, as well as spores.
Today, we have this:
WASHINGTON - Reports about a study that found microwave ovens can be used to sterilize kitchen sponges sent people hurrying to test the idea this week — with sometimes disastrous results. . . . They described how they soaked the sponges in wastewater and then zapped them. But several experimenters evidently left out the crucial step of wetting the sponge.
If ever there was an argument for staying in school, here it is.

6 comments:

teh l4m3 said...

Irradiation: It's the future!

InanimateCarbonRod said...

Why would anyone need to sterilize a dry sponge?

Anonymous said...

Beware the 0.7 percent of bugs that survive two minutes of full-power microwaving.

They must be mighty tough pathogens to begin with. But remember, that which doesn't kill them probably makes them stronger.

The Doc said...

The 0.7 percent that survived two minutes of radiation? Don't get them angry. You wouldn't like them when they're angry.

Thrillhous said...

Nice one, Doc.

I must admit I found a sponge in my microwave yesterday morning. But the wife passed the test, as it was still damp.

Mrs_Thrillhous said...

I didn't take all those biology classes for nothing!