81–90 of 101 posts
Oddly enough, the microwave is the least used appliance in our kitchen. If it weren't for the fact that they are so cheap now as to be virtually free we probably wouldn't have one. When the iPad gets to that same price point we'll probably get one as well.
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I don't know how far the analogy holds up. After all, microwave is not very programmable(in the computing sense) nor so restrictive. Did the microwave only cook food that was specially labeled microwaveable(and food grocers had to pay 30% of the price of food to the microwave manufacturer to get that special label) ? Isn't that what happens with the iPad? Eg. The free Sony e-reader app was rejected, Readability was r…
Did the microwave only cook food that was specially labeled microwaveable Yes. It's mostly mediocre at cooking traditional recipes, but great with foods that are specially designed for it, some of which wouldn't otherwise be feasible. and food grocers had to pay 30% of the price of food to the microwave manufacturer to get that special label If there were legal and technical means to license microwaveable food, I'm s…
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Stretching the metaphor even farther off-topic, Mummy's boob has proven itself an even more impressive invention for this particular problem in our house. :) No (extra) sterilization, no manual refilling, no going to the store to get formula, etc. I don't expect we'll evolve an embedded display that can run Flipboard anytime soon, however.
There's gotta be a joke in here about "the only intuitive user interface is the nipple", but it's too early in the morning for me to make it...
People who argue that microwaves has/had no clear use have clearly not worshiped their microwave for sterilizing baby bottles in no time at 2am with a screaming baby at hand. Therein lies the interesting fact: The new, "in the middle" device may trigger new approaches and ways of life that may indispensable. The baby bottle sterilizer is an unexpected but vital byproduct of the microwave.
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Heating up water for tea?! I recommend never suggesting this if you ever visit England.
I have a kettle, and it is just as quick, but is there a fundamental difference? Does the microwave "scorch" the water? Whatever that might be (ie, make it hotter than it needs to be, manipulate the minerals in the water in a way that affects taste?)
"One or two Americans have asked me why it is that the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to know how to make it properly.
There is a very simple principle to the making of tea and it's this - to get the proper flavour of tea, the water has to be boiling (not boiled) when it hits the tea leaves. If it's merely hot then the tea will be insipid. That's why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as not to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot). And that's why the American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag and a pot of hot water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a thin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink. The Americans are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea because most Americans have never had a good cup of tea. That's why they don't understand. In fact the truth of the matter is that most English people don't know how to make tea any more either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants. "
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I have a kettle, and it is just as quick, but is there a fundamental difference? Does the microwave "scorch" the water? Whatever that might be (ie, make it hotter than it needs to be, manipulate the minerals in the water in a way that affects taste?)
Water should be boiling, not just hot. When you say 'heat up water', it suggests it's not at the point of vigorous boil to really extract the flavour. Allow me to quote Douglas Adams: "One or two Americans have asked me why it is that the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to know how to make it properly. There is a very simple principle to the making…
http://www.booksatoz.com/witsend/tea/orwell.htm
Thanks again!
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"Most doctors now recommend honey for babies (older than one) as it actually appears to be as effective. " Here's something I don't understand. In some cultures, honey is the _first_ thing they give to a newborn. Out of the womb, into the doctor's hand, and the first thing they give the newborn is honey. I don't know why in the US they prohibit honey.
I don't know why in the US they prohibit honey. Because unpasteurized honey can contain botulism spores. It's a small enough quantity not to bother an older stomach, but infants can die from it. I guess pasteurized honey is safe, but doesn't taste very good. My question is: why in the world would you give a newborn infant honey? I can't imagine the logic that says, "hey, a baby just popped out of a vagina, let's get…
Look at the population of India. Do you think the "botulism spores" have caused any damage?
Compare the rates of allergy in the US (for instance) and India. When I was in India, I hadn't even heard of something called "allergy". And in the US, it's all around.
Great article. It really explains to me the success of the iPad, which from my geeky, feature-centered, cheapskate perspective made little sense. I bought a netbook one year after the iPad came out, which seemed to correspond more to my use of a lightweight computer. Incidentally, I stopped using microwaves a few years ago. I wonder what that means my future relationship with tablets will be.
I don't know how far the analogy holds up. After all, microwave is not very programmable(in the computing sense) nor so restrictive. Did the microwave only cook food that was specially labeled microwaveable(and food grocers had to pay 30% of the price of food to the microwave manufacturer to get that special label) ? Isn't that what happens with the iPad? Eg. The free Sony e-reader app was rejected, Readability was r…
No, but it's a bad idea to use dishes that aren't specially labeled microwaveable. And, with older microwaves, metal was right out. (Apparently things are better these days?)
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Now they generally recommend not using a microwave for baby food, because people too often would forget to stir it before feeding the baby.
That's a good warning. My wife always did a quick spoon-to-her-lips check on the food temperature as precaution. Similar idea to squirting the milk on your wrist. As always, pay attention to how the child reacts, too.
You still need to stir, because microwaves can heat unevenly.
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The problem with parenting is sleep deprivation. And honestly, having a high IQ isn't sufficient for attention to detail, like stirring food. I know it sounds dumb, but I know prominent physics professor personally who had made a cake without eggs... and even when it came out looking funny served it and wasn't until people started eating it did they realize, "Wait... I didn't use the eggs on the counter!" Regarding c…
"And honestly, having a high IQ isn't sufficient for attention to detail, like stirring food." Part of the problem here is that if you type it all out it sounds horrible. In reality, the world is not as dangerous as an Internet debate can make it sound. Type out the full description of what's involved in walking down the stairs and you'll make an emotionally-appealing for banning them ("my god, any one muscle fails t…
Hear, hear. There's a highly effective headache medicine called Midrin which has been pulled from the market because the FDA demanded proof that it was effective, and it wasn't profitable enough to be worth doing the studies. It predates the law that required medicines be proven effective (as opposed to just safe), so it was grandfathered...for about four decades. Four decades of patient experience (plus however long it was on the market before that) ought to be enough to say, yes, this stuff does work.
>the real world trumps it (which is actually a core tenant of any decent theory of science,
"Tenet".