Microwave Heaters

["William G. Nabor" <wgnabor@uci.edu>]

Regarding the recent posting of an article in Popular Science
advocating the use of microwaves in place of regular furnaces for
keeping people warm, did anyone consider the possibility of metal
(wedding rings, furniture, window blinds, etc.) rectifying the RF
energy back into electrical energy and creating a spark that sets
off a fire?  Eyeglasses that zap a cornea or two?  Is the current
crop of pacemakers immune to direct irradiation as opposed to stray
stuff?

     Are microwaves safe for long term exposure to corneas?

     What safeguards would there be to prevent the exposure rate
from accidentally increasing to 1,000's of mW/cm-2 in case of a
malfunction?

     What about pets?  Fish in a tank in a continuously occupied
room?

     What about moisture in, say, wood furniture, absorbing enough
energy to boil and explode?

     This sounds like a crazy idea to me.
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William G. Nabor
University of California, Irvine
EH&S Office
Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
WGNABOR@UCI.EDU
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