There's only one way to prove it and that's to do it! Time to gather up all my old phones...

There are loads of other clips on youtube of this effect...


In reply to this comment by theaceofclubz:
A microwave can range between 500-1000 watts and is specifically designed to transfer as much energy as possible onto a target. It still takes minutes to make a kernel pop. These cell phones are making it happen in about 5 seconds using antennas. They would practically have to be alien death rays for that to be possible.
In reply to this comment by Irishman:
The supernerd hasn't taken the amplitude increase that occurs between waves of the same frequency into account. The amplitude increase can be as much as ten-fold for most standing wave (harmonic) solutions...

I'm pretty certain that this video is geniune... which is a bit scary

In reply to this comment by theaceofclubz:
Choggie's insightful analysis aside, a supernerd at http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=423337 has already applied the science required to debunk it - "Popcorn pops because the water in it turns to steam and a kernel is about 14% water. So, if we assume a kernel of popcorn weighs 1 gram, it has 0.13 grams of water. Heat that water from 30�C to 100�C would take:

(0.14g)*(100�C-3 to turn the water to steam requires he latent heat of vaporization, which is 2259J/g.

2259J*0.14g= 316J for a total of 316J 41J = 357J.

Wattage = Joules/seconds. If it took about 5 seconds to turn the water in the popcorn kernel to steam, then the wattage required was:

357J/5sec = 71W assuming all power from the cell phone transmitter went into the kernel.

Cell phones typically have 0.75W-1W transmitters in them. With a 1W transmitter, it would take,

334J/1W = 334secs, if all power is transfered to the kernel.

Conclusion: since the corn is popping in 5 seconds... completely fake.

edit - as pointed out, corn kernels weigh about 0.25g and there are 4 phones which could be up to 2W each. Therefore, the energy hitting the corn could be 16 times greater. But the other assumption (that all the power is focussed into the water content of just 1 kernel) is most likely wrong by a factor of 100 or more." - NOBODY PANIC

A microwave can range between 500-1000 watts and is specifically designed to transfer as much energy as possible onto a target. It still takes minutes to make a kernel pop. These cell phones are making it happen in about 5 seconds using antennas. They would practically have to be alien death rays for that to be possible.
In reply to this comment by Irishman:
The supernerd hasn't taken the amplitude increase that occurs between waves of the same frequency into account. The amplitude increase can be as much as ten-fold for most standing wave (harmonic) solutions...

I'm pretty certain that this video is geniune... which is a bit scary

In reply to this comment by theaceofclubz:
Choggie's insightful analysis aside, a supernerd at http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=423337 has already applied the science required to debunk it - "Popcorn pops because the water in it turns to steam and a kernel is about 14% water. So, if we assume a kernel of popcorn weighs 1 gram, it has 0.13 grams of water. Heat that water from 30�C to 100�C would take:

(0.14g)*(100�C-3 to turn the water to steam requires he latent heat of vaporization, which is 2259J/g.

2259J*0.14g= 316J for a total of 316J 41J = 357J.

Wattage = Joules/seconds. If it took about 5 seconds to turn the water in the popcorn kernel to steam, then the wattage required was:

357J/5sec = 71W assuming all power from the cell phone transmitter went into the kernel.

Cell phones typically have 0.75W-1W transmitters in them. With a 1W transmitter, it would take,

334J/1W = 334secs, if all power is transfered to the kernel.

Conclusion: since the corn is popping in 5 seconds... completely fake.

edit - as pointed out, corn kernels weigh about 0.25g and there are 4 phones which could be up to 2W each. Therefore, the energy hitting the corn could be 16 times greater. But the other assumption (that all the power is focussed into the water content of just 1 kernel) is most likely wrong by a factor of 100 or more." - NOBODY PANIC

The supernerd hasn't taken the amplitude increase that occurs between waves of the same frequency into account. The amplitude increase can be as much as ten-fold for most standing wave (harmonic) solutions...

I'm pretty certain that this video is geniune... which is a bit scary

In reply to this comment by theaceofclubz:
Choggie's insightful analysis aside, a supernerd at http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=423337 has already applied the science required to debunk it - "Popcorn pops because the water in it turns to steam and a kernel is about 14% water. So, if we assume a kernel of popcorn weighs 1 gram, it has 0.13 grams of water. Heat that water from 30�C to 100�C would take:

(0.14g)*(100�C-3 to turn the water to steam requires he latent heat of vaporization, which is 2259J/g.

2259J*0.14g= 316J for a total of 316J 41J = 357J.

Wattage = Joules/seconds. If it took about 5 seconds to turn the water in the popcorn kernel to steam, then the wattage required was:

357J/5sec = 71W assuming all power from the cell phone transmitter went into the kernel.

Cell phones typically have 0.75W-1W transmitters in them. With a 1W transmitter, it would take,

334J/1W = 334secs, if all power is transfered to the kernel.

Conclusion: since the corn is popping in 5 seconds... completely fake.

edit - as pointed out, corn kernels weigh about 0.25g and there are 4 phones which could be up to 2W each. Therefore, the energy hitting the corn could be 16 times greater. But the other assumption (that all the power is focussed into the water content of just 1 kernel) is most likely wrong by a factor of 100 or more." - NOBODY PANIC

Choggie's insightful analysis aside, a supernerd at http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=423337 has already applied the science required to debunk it - "Popcorn pops because the water in it turns to steam and a kernel is about 14% water. So, if we assume a kernel of popcorn weighs 1 gram, it has 0.13 grams of water. Heat that water from 30�C to 100�C would take:

(0.14g)*(100�C-3 to turn the water to steam requires he latent heat of vaporization, which is 2259J/g.

2259J*0.14g= 316J for a total of 316J 41J = 357J.

Wattage = Joules/seconds. If it took about 5 seconds to turn the water in the popcorn kernel to steam, then the wattage required was:

357J/5sec = 71W assuming all power from the cell phone transmitter went into the kernel.

Cell phones typically have 0.75W-1W transmitters in them. With a 1W transmitter, it would take,

334J/1W = 334secs, if all power is transfered to the kernel.

Conclusion: since the corn is popping in 5 seconds... completely fake.

edit - as pointed out, corn kernels weigh about 0.25g and there are 4 phones which could be up to 2W each. Therefore, the energy hitting the corn could be 16 times greater. But the other assumption (that all the power is focussed into the water content of just 1 kernel) is most likely wrong by a factor of 100 or more." - NOBODY PANIC