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Physics

Superheated water makes microwaved eggs explode when you dig in

By Leah Crane

6 December 2017

Âé¶¹´«Ã½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Yolks on you

Maarten Wouters/Getty

Your breakfast plate might be more dangerous than you thought. A hard-boiled egg that’s reheated in the microwave could explode when you bite into it or prick it with your fork, and a new study shows that this may happen up to a third of the time.

, a consultant at Charles M. Salter Associates, was hired as an expert witness for a court case after a restaurant patron allegedly burned his face and suffered hearing damage when a hard-boiled egg exploded in his mouth.

The case was settled out of court, but…

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