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Lasers and popcorn kernels?

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Mar 15, 2012
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Could a 1W or thereabouts pop a corn kernel into a popcorn? I'll leave it to someone else to try this idea. :yh:
 





I would assume so, but a blue ~445/450nm is next on my shopping list so I can't test it. Maybe a 200-300mW Red single mode would work just as well though.
 
Mythbusters used 10W NIR and foil if I remember correctly. Someone here did it with a blue. He spun the kernel on a motor. (edit: see link above) I've done it with foil and a CO2 laser myself. It needs to be heated evenly and slowly, or you just end up burning it.
 
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^ Like Cyparagon said, it can be done. The tricky part is actually heating it evenly without just burning it.
 
The real trick would be getting the popped corn back inside the kernel.
Still waiting for that video ����
 
LOL, this is funny I was bored and did tried this last night with my 2W 445nm. I knew about the even heating but I was lazy and just hit the thing with an unfocused beam. Well, it went up in smoke in less than 2 seconds and my room smelled like burnt popcorn for the rest of the night XD

Next time around I'm going to drop it on top of a very slowly rotating computer fan in foil and see if I can get the sucker to pop :P
 
I don't possess a camera that I want to expose to a 2W 445nm dot at close range nor do I have multiple sets of goggles for the camera and for me ... yet. lol
 
I can hear those diode firing up right now.... 445 laser $250.00=worlds most expensive popcorn machine:D
 
When I attempt this I think I'm going to hit it with two 2w+ 445s just for the hell of it LOL

If I'm bored enough I could hit it with my whole line of lasers or at least the burnably strong ones :P
 
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What you should do it put a little bit of oil engulfing the kernel/s and heat the oil not the kernel/s. then it might actually pop and have flavor. Just be cautious of flung boiling oil! That shit hurts!
 
The real trick would be getting the popped corn back inside the kernel.
Still waiting for that video ����

Impossible, or nearly so, due to the 2nd law of thermodynamics/entropy. Cheat by simply playing backwards footage of kernels popping.
 


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