Safety of microwave cooking

There is a date plant growing in Jerusalem at Hebrew U. The seed it came from was found recently at Massada

Geoff.

Sigh. That's how seeds work. Try letting them start growing, then dry them out and see what happens.

They develop 'eyes' which feed on the potato or onion to survive.

I know, I know.

But, as with the resurrection fern (which has spores rather than true seeds), the plant is certainly "alive" by a useful definition, even after it has passed the point at which it might conventionally be considered "dead".

My intent was to address the claim that an earlier poster made, that picked vegetables are "dead" because they no longer have a source of water and nutrients.

My point (which I should perhaps have made more explicitly) was that the question of "alive" and "dead" is not so simply defined, even with respect to plants. It isn't even always a clear question with respect to animals... some simple animals can estivate, dehydrating themselves into a low-water state and surviving extensive periods of drought with their metabolisms stopped, and then restarting when rehydrated. Other animals can survive when frozen solid.

Are these plants, and animals "dead", when their metabolisms have been shut down due to dehydration or cold? Are they "alive", or only "potentially alive" based on what happens in the future?

To my mind, an onion or other vegetable which is picked, and sitting in the refrigerator, is usually still alive. Its roots may be gone, it may be slowly dehydrating, but its cells are still metabilizing (respiring), it's still converting stored fuel to energy (albeit at a low rate), and it's often capable of re-sprouting and re-rooting itself if taken out of the fridge and set into soil. Why then would one say that it is "dead"?

Now *that* bit sounds just like me ... :-)

Arfa

Save me some of the hair. In about 10 years, I'll need a toupe.

I do my best to turn them into repeat customers. I usually let them cheat me on the small stuff. However, when it comes time for them to need me for the big stuff (i.e. crash recovery because they were too busy to do backups), I soak them for everything I can get. Think of the small stuff as "bait".

That reminds me... I'll ship your Symbol junk sometime next week. I'm too busy seperating my customers from their money.

Incidentally, something more to worry about: "Why are so many would-be terrorists engineers?"

Jeff 1.0.0 beta

Before I read the essay, my answer was "Because most engineers are political and social conservatives" (in the context of their own societies). His analysis is basically the same thing, but deeper and more nuanced.

Scientists and engineers are often remarkably parochial. Their training doesn't seem to expand their thinking. Rather, it contracts it.

Anti-Cancer Drugs in French Fries: Good Idea?

Most of the links I read quoted the original 2002 study in Sweden that eventually showed *NO* correlation between acrylamide and cancer in rodents.

"Further, the International Journal of Cancer found no link between acrylamide consumption and cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, larynx, large bowel, breast and ovaries."

However, there are plenty of dietary reasons to justify avoiding fried foods.

You hold him down while I feed this stuff to him. Then we'll see if its safe or not. ;-)

Better to feed the fries to the rats and then eat the rats.

I don't know if its still true. but I like to buy Ca. oranges vs Florida since Florida put cancer causing orange dye on the fruit. I sometime eat skins.

Ca. seems knowlegable about that. One of those Ca. things. Ca. did not put any dye on the orange, but I have got some real orange oranges lately.

greg

No need. I have a microwaved bacon and rabbit food omelette, with greasy fries, last night for a combination breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'll let you know if I'm still alive tomorrow.