A Problem Squared 131 = Microwave Conventions and Pythagoral Dimensions
Mar 30, 2026
They debate whether to place food in the centre or off to the side of a microwave and explore how standing waves create hot and cold spots. A popcorn-style experiment with poppadoms brings the theory to life. They also unpack diagonals in higher dimensions and show why a unit hypercube’s longest diagonal scales with the square root of the dimension.
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Calculating Pi Using Moon Rover Sensor Noise
- Matt will calculate π on the Moon by using sensor noise from a real lunar rover as a source of randomness.
- He runs a virtual rover simulation on the actual rover, uses sensor decimal noise like dice, and averages distances on a sphere to derive π×4.
Standing Waves Create Microwave Hotspots
- Microwaves produce standing waves inside the metal box, creating persistent hot and cold spots from constructive and destructive interference.
- The Faraday cage mesh blocks radiation while internal reflections form 3D standing-wave intensity patterns affecting where food heats.
Test Your Microwave To Find Hotspots
- Find your microwave's hot and cold spots by running a simple experiment with marshmallows, poppadoms, or a thin layer of cheese.
- Use a rotating plate or thermal paper to map hotspots then adjust placement or stir food during heating.