2006-07-08 11:38:20 · 12 answers · asked by ccdt50 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Cecil Adams attacked this problem in his column, The Straight Dope, some years ago (reference 1). The long and the short of it is that there's not a whole lot of water in a bug, which is what microwaves interact with to form heat. As microwaves do not release ionizing radiation- just microwave radiation- they deliver energy to water, not chitin and other "bug parts." Secondly, insects have a fairly high surface area to mass ratio, allowing them to shed heat efficiently. What heat comes into them is also released into the environment around them.
2006-07-08 11:52:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
Microwave ovens have hot and cold spots all over. The cockroach is aware of the heating effect and tries to stay in the cool spots. Newer microwaves are more even, but I bet they aren't perfect.
2006-07-08 18:44:38 · answer #2 · answered by ¤Forever¤ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How would you know that kind of information? Who would want to put a cockroach in their microwave where they cook food? Yuck!!
2006-07-08 18:41:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it is because roaches are immune to radiation. And microwaves are a form of radiation. For example if a nuclear bomb exploded the radiation would kill most living things after the blast. A roach would be able to survive the harsh environment.
2006-07-09 03:40:26 · answer #4 · answered by jonjon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm quite sure I can blow a cockroach to smithereens in a microwave.
2006-07-08 21:59:27 · answer #5 · answered by soapie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always wondered that too. That reminded me of when I lived in a really crappy apartment. There were cockroaches and one, somehow, crawled infront of the clock digits. It was wierd because they stayed there forever.
2006-07-08 18:49:48 · answer #6 · answered by thesecitiessleep 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My 12 year-old Discovery channel guru says that this is an easy question.
Their exo-skeleton is very thick and they can withstand microwaves.
2006-07-08 18:42:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I heard they can't die... that there are some "electric cockroachs" and they love to be in apliances.
2006-07-08 21:06:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol..who's bright idea was it to put them in a microwave?
2006-07-08 18:42:18 · answer #9 · answered by mrshunter_2002 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol, strange question. Try turning on the mircowave when there in there, 10 mins should do it. Make sure it explodes...lol
http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/cockroach_faq.html
2006-07-08 18:41:05 · answer #10 · answered by TJ 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋