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What the Eff ?????
Gotta be fake. Do the math. How much energy does it take to pop popcorn? How efficient is the energy transfer to the popcorn kernel? How long would cell phone batteries last at that rate of power output (even allowing for multiple phones)? How long do they actually last?
BS
This can’t be real. Popcorn pops at around 350 degrees. Even if it were in a Microwave it wouldn’t heat up as fast as it was in the videos.
Additionally, if your brain was heating up to 350 degrees from cell phone usage, no one who’s used a cell phone would be able to talk about it.
How is it done? Microwave under the table? These are three different videos from different parts of the world. WTF?
(Oops, I screwed up. NOW the last two videos aren’t the same.)
Here’s the math saying there is not enough energy output:
http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=423337
I just put 8 kernels in my 700w microwave and ran it on high for a full minute. Not one popped.
Seth, don’t be so logical. Why not just believe everything you see? haha
So gullible… No wonder we invaded Iraq.
what makes me suspicious is all the videos have the same setup – phones on top of a table. Let’s see it done on top of a tile floor.
>>I just put 8 kernels in my 700w microwave
Maybe you need to upgrade the microwave:
http://tinyurl.com/67zjf3
Just figured it out. heat a small batch of corn until some of it starts to pop. Remove some of the unpopped kernels and quickly set the phone trick up. Is there enough energy then bobbo?
#11, Mr. Mustard, it’s 18 years old and never had a problem. Boils a cup of water in 3 min, 4 cups in 7 min. Good enough for me.
Doesn’t matter.
Americans will not give up their cell phones, even if it meant 50,000 deaths a year from brain tumors.
We have about that death rate for our cars, and nobody would ever consider giving those up.
However, the government DOES need to make a law where the phone’s antenna radiates AWAY from the phone, instead of resting right against your head.
But, that will never happen as long as we have all those damn obstructionist Republicans in congress.
Here’s something else, notice how many “extra” phones are being used to call the ones on the table? the last 2 videos seemed like there were 10 phones among 5 people (including camera man).
… as for real or not? Seems real.
It’s hard to imagine this being faked accross three language groups.
It seems easy to check-out for yourself.
Anyone here live in a dorm? Go get six or eight phones from your buddies and do it right now.
Tell us if it works.
“authentic” shaky cam + melodramatic staging + overly enthusiastic participants = fake fake fake
Fake, just for the fact that all the kernels appear to jump straight up. I’m pretty sure corn tends to pop at relatively random angles.
One UK TV show (Brainiac) did an experiment with an egg, and something like 100 cellphones. The egg didn’t even get slightly warm. Phones don’t even operate at the right frequencies for this to possibly work – not all microwaves are equally effective at heating water.
Note also that a cellphone’s power output varies, depending on how good the signal is. This is why plans to allow cellphone use on a plane require a transceiver on the plane; because the cellphone would operate at its lowest power – not at max power, possibly disrupting instruments in the process.
I looked up the frequencies for microwave ovens and cell phones expecting to prove that they’re different. What I found was that microwaves operate at either 2.45 GHz or 915 MHz, and that GSM phones uplink at 890-915 MHz. I gotta say I’m surprised at that.
I still don’t know if I believe there’s enough power. Maybe the kernels are preheated as suggested above, combined with delayed popping.
Why don’t you guys just try it.
The popcorn may pop from the interference of the signals creating a condition that pops popcorn. It may not involve heat or the output of energy from the phone.
If it is a hoax and we all try it, it is even funnier.
@#21
It’s funnier maybe but then the joke is on us.
Anyone notice that all the tables have table clothes? That you can’t see any heating plate under them?
Do a video of this on a glass table top.
Here’s what I know, courtesy of the history channel and a ‘how it’s made’ kind of show: there is a thin sheet of metal on the bottom of a bag of microwave to generate the heat to pop the popcorn – not enough metal to be dangerous, though.
Even with microwaves and cell phones operating on the same frequency, given that kernels of popcorn in the microwave aren’t popping by themselves, then I’m leaning toward this being a hoax.
Ron,
My “clue” that this is a fake, is the bad acting in the English version.
But, you’ve got a point about the table cloths. Most tables don’t have them. That a little fishy. It couldn’t be a heating plate though, right? (unless the table cloth was made of asbestos fiber?)
It this is a fake, it needs to be some simple thing like a bar trick. It would be easy to fake with stop action but you’d need a tripod and these clips seem hand held.
I googled “popcorn cell mobile phone trick” and didn’t come up with anything helpful.
… I just watched the Arabic one again. It seems like no table cloth.
From what I understand the power and frequencies that cell phones use isn’t enough to cause any damage to your body’s cells. The heat you feel from a cell phone isn’t from the transmitter but the rechargeable battery in the phones. Also the backlit LCD may also contribute to a phones heat as well.
I thought this was going to be a funny video where the objects in the center of the phones would start “dancing” around from the 4 phones vibrating.
Another thing is there were at least three phones on the table but no more than 2 phones being used to CALL those phones on the table. Conference calling I guess.. but why would there be up to 6 cell phones when there’s only 4 people at the table, and possibly a 5th person holding the camera.
It looks fake, room looks very similar in all videos and 2 videos were uploaded by same person. I think it is a hoax.
But it certainly is fun.
#6 – bobbo
Good link.
Pop corn popper take a long time to pop kernels.. and its extremely hot at time of popping.