Market Farming

[Matt Cheselka <cheselka AT theriver.com>]

On Thu, 26 Aug 2004, Marie Kamphefner wrote:

> Is putting food in a microwave the same as irradiation?

"Irradiation" usually means passing things other than photons through food
(and whatever else).  For example, irradiating with alpha particles
(helium atom nuclei) or beta particles (free electrons), is done I'd think
with these kinds of things.  One can also "irradiate" with high-energy
photons, like X-rays or gamma rays.  The difference between the two is
that the alpha and beta particles do what billiard balls do -- they bang
other atoms around and break up molecules.  Photons will add energy to
atoms that can break up molecular structures by something *like* heating
the molecules up until they explode.  Microwave light is actually
long-wavelength light (between infrared and radio) but makes
atoms/molecules resonate, but very rarely break up or explode (an
exploding hot dog in the microwave oven is caused by water turning to
steam -- in fact, usually when you "heat up" something in the microwave,
you're usually just heating up the water in whatever you have in there).  
This resonance we see as heat, which is actually just infrared light.

Irradiating food is advertized as having the ability to bust up all kinds 
of nasty things without creating heat (which generally takes more energy).

Sorry this is not written very well -- does it make sense?

Matt Cheselka
Cosmic Lettuce