Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!uswat!zeb!timw
From: timw@zeb.USWest.COM
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Microwave Autoclave
Message-ID: <2201@uswat.UUCP>
Date: 25 Apr 89 13:32:19 GMT
Sender: news@uswat.UUCP
Reply-To: timw@zeb.USWest.COM ()
Lines: 26

A few days ago I posted the simple question:

"Can you sterilize glass in a microwave ?"

I got a range of responses, but no general consensus.  The most
defensible posture was that the microwaves would blow up a 
percentage of the offending 'cooties', but that the waves 
do not have adequate percentile coverage to make the technique
work reliably.  In other words, "cold spots" in the oven would 
allow for a percentage of survivors.

One fellow claims that cock-a-roaches can survive the 700 watt
sun tan by scurrying from cold spot to cold spot in the oven. 
I'd like to try this, but I need to wait for my wife to leave 
town for a while :{).

I'm still wondering if it would work, if the glassware was in
motion inside the oven on a 3D gimbel device, and the oven were
of high wattage (>1000).  This way, scientists could sterilize 
their dishes, flasks and beakers quickly, completely and without
cool down periods.

Am I a loon, or what ?

Tim Walker
Littleton, Colorado