15 + 95 points
Light Saber by Augustus deCorbeau
July 14th, 2008 7:15 PM
As a responsible Mad Inventor, I felt it was important to contribute to society, rather than simply using the Untold Power of my creation to level cities. (I mean, that's so cliche...)
So I did some research:
According to Wikipedia,
Hunger is a feeling experienced usually followed by a desire to eat. The often unpleasant feeling originates in the hypothalamus and is released through receptors in the liver. Although an average nourished individual can survive weeks without food intake,[1] the sensation of hunger typically begins after a couple of hours
without eating and is generally considered quite uncomfortable. The
sensation of hunger can often be alleviated and even mitigated entirely
with the consumption of food.
There are many organizations devoted to fighting hunger, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and http://www.freerice.com.
Eureka! I could use the power of SCIENCE! to fight this evil "hunger"!
And thus, behold the Nesbitt Industries' Fusion-Powered* Portable Luncheon Warmifier, Mk. 1:
This beauty of engineering harnesses the power of Duct Tape, Cardboard, Cellophane, and Aluminum Foil (combined with a Form of Fusion*) to generate intense levels of heat. Temperatures in the heart of the Primary Warmification Chamber can reach anywhere between Rather Warm and Mildly Hot -- the optimum range for Luncheon Warmification!
And best of all -- it is fueled entirely by plain, ordinary sunlight!
Marvel at the simple yet elegant operation of the Warmifier:
The center post is anchored to the Convenient Carrying Handle, and mitigates the impact of Bernoulli effects during periods of local atmospheric pressure disturbance.
The leftmost post allows the Adjustable Reflectifier to be repositioned as necessary, in order to achieve the optimum Reflectification Angle.

Full-spectrum electromagnetic emanations from the Sun pass through the transparent Input Window into the Primary Warmification Chamber. There, a portion of the energy is converted to infrared radiation, which cannot escape through the Input Window. The rest of the energy escapes upward to strike the Adjustable Reflectifier, and is redirected back down into the chamber.
This cycle continues, and more and more of the visible light is converted to the infra-red spectrum.
I like to call this process the "Big Glassy Room You Keep Tropical Plants In Effect".
Two experimental subjects were included in this initial test run: a burrito wrapped in clear cellophane, and a burrito wrapped in aluminum foil. Here they are within the Primary Warmification Chamber

And with the Input Window in place.
Funding for the Praxis has been provided by: Sylvania
And by: viewers like you.

After brief** exposure to the device, the burritos were pleasantly warm and tasty. Cellophane proved to be the superior burrito-wrapping material, as it resulted in fully-melted cheese, and better all-around flavor.
Future experiments will focus on different Luncheon Items to Warmify, perhaps some sort of vegetable, such as asparagus.
Tastes like SCIENCE!
Appendix A: Design & Construction

Materials: cardboard boxes, duct tape, kitchen shears, Sharpie
Not Pictured: aluminum foil, cellophane, newspaper, pocket knife
Pictured but not used: potted plant, cell phone, electric guitar
Step 1: The Primary Warmification Chamber
Cover the small cardboard box with foil.
Step 2: The Adjustable Reflectifier
Cut a flap the same size of the Warmification Chamber in the lid of the larger box, and coat the inside with foil.
Step 3: The Input Window
Cut a hole in the spare cardboard piece -- again, the same size as the Warmification Chamber.

Step 3a: Attach cellophane to both sides of the Input Window, to create a thermal buffer zone.

Step 4: Insert crumpled newspaper as insulation around the Warmificaiton Chamber.

Step 5: Align the Input Window

Step 5: Align the Adjustable Reflectifier

Step 5a: Confirm Reflectification Angle

Step 6: Affix appropriate safety warnings.
*via solar transmission
**3-hour
So I did some research:
According to Wikipedia,
Hunger is a feeling experienced usually followed by a desire to eat. The often unpleasant feeling originates in the hypothalamus and is released through receptors in the liver. Although an average nourished individual can survive weeks without food intake,[1] the sensation of hunger typically begins after a couple of hours
without eating and is generally considered quite uncomfortable. The
sensation of hunger can often be alleviated and even mitigated entirely
with the consumption of food.
There are many organizations devoted to fighting hunger, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and http://www.freerice.com.

And thus, behold the Nesbitt Industries' Fusion-Powered* Portable Luncheon Warmifier, Mk. 1:

This beauty of engineering harnesses the power of Duct Tape, Cardboard, Cellophane, and Aluminum Foil (combined with a Form of Fusion*) to generate intense levels of heat. Temperatures in the heart of the Primary Warmification Chamber can reach anywhere between Rather Warm and Mildly Hot -- the optimum range for Luncheon Warmification!
And best of all -- it is fueled entirely by plain, ordinary sunlight!
Marvel at the simple yet elegant operation of the Warmifier:

The center post is anchored to the Convenient Carrying Handle, and mitigates the impact of Bernoulli effects during periods of local atmospheric pressure disturbance.
The leftmost post allows the Adjustable Reflectifier to be repositioned as necessary, in order to achieve the optimum Reflectification Angle.

Full-spectrum electromagnetic emanations from the Sun pass through the transparent Input Window into the Primary Warmification Chamber. There, a portion of the energy is converted to infrared radiation, which cannot escape through the Input Window. The rest of the energy escapes upward to strike the Adjustable Reflectifier, and is redirected back down into the chamber.
This cycle continues, and more and more of the visible light is converted to the infra-red spectrum.
I like to call this process the "Big Glassy Room You Keep Tropical Plants In Effect".

Two experimental subjects were included in this initial test run: a burrito wrapped in clear cellophane, and a burrito wrapped in aluminum foil. Here they are within the Primary Warmification Chamber

And with the Input Window in place.
And by: viewers like you.

After brief** exposure to the device, the burritos were pleasantly warm and tasty. Cellophane proved to be the superior burrito-wrapping material, as it resulted in fully-melted cheese, and better all-around flavor.
Future experiments will focus on different Luncheon Items to Warmify, perhaps some sort of vegetable, such as asparagus.

Appendix A: Design & Construction

Materials: cardboard boxes, duct tape, kitchen shears, Sharpie
Not Pictured: aluminum foil, cellophane, newspaper, pocket knife
Pictured but not used: potted plant, cell phone, electric guitar

Step 1: The Primary Warmification Chamber
Cover the small cardboard box with foil.

Step 2: The Adjustable Reflectifier
Cut a flap the same size of the Warmification Chamber in the lid of the larger box, and coat the inside with foil.

Step 3: The Input Window
Cut a hole in the spare cardboard piece -- again, the same size as the Warmification Chamber.

Step 3a: Attach cellophane to both sides of the Input Window, to create a thermal buffer zone.

Step 4: Insert crumpled newspaper as insulation around the Warmificaiton Chamber.

Step 5: Align the Input Window

Step 5: Align the Adjustable Reflectifier

Step 5a: Confirm Reflectification Angle

Step 6: Affix appropriate safety warnings.
*via solar transmission
**3-hour
19 vote(s)
5




















Scarlett
5
teucer
5
[smedly]
5
Rachel's Reflection
5
Rainy
5
Sparrows Fall
5
Peter Garnett
5
Jellybean of Thark
5
susy derkins
5
zer0gee
5
Lincøln
5
GYØ Ben
5
Crazy Child
5
Optical Dave
5
LittleMonk
5
Lank
5
teh Lolbrarian
5
JJason Recognition
5
Dela Dejavoo
Favorite of:
Terms
(none yet)8 comment(s)
posted by [smedly] on July 14th, 2008 7:39 PM
this certainly would have made re-heating my dumplings energy efficient
posted by Rachel's Reflection on July 14th, 2008 7:42 PM
I especially like the neologisms such as warmification and reflectifier. What would scietific invention be without new vocabulary to go with it?
posted by susy derkins on July 14th, 2008 10:41 PM
If hunger begins after a couple of hours and it takes three hours to warm-up your burrito then...
well, some conclusion must follow, right?
posted by Augustus deCorbeau on July 14th, 2008 10:49 PM
The only solution is to build a Time Machine!!!
Time to start working on the Mk. 2...
Nice work. Very much the HC-meets-Team-SCIENCE! approach.