# Exploding Jawbreaker Cruely Burns Child? LIKE FUCK IT DOES! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 19, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580 "2003-09-19T12:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/101 "2003-09-22T19:30:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > The Smoking Gun has [police reports](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/jawbreaker1.html) regarding the jawbreaker. And hey, look at the last page there; they seem to be looking at the “superheated then cooled” candy theory too. > [@](#): > > The evidence in this case indicates that the jaw breaker having been put in direct sun light in a clear plastic container could possibly have been super heated and caused the interior contents to explode. They also turned over evidence to an FDA agent to examine. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/102 "2003-09-22T19:41:10Z")
More from page four of the Smoking Gun link: “She set the jawbreaker, still in clear plastic wrapper, on the corner of the computer table. The victim then went to her room to play for an undetermined amount of time. When she returned to get the jawbreaker, she stated the package the jawbreaker was in was quite warm so she put it in the refrigerator again. She then went to the rest room and then came and took the jawbreaker out of the refrigerator and out it of the wrapper. After taking the jawbreaker out of the wrapper she was walking into the yard as she was putting the jawbreaker up to her mouth to lick it when it exploded.” My apologies for the way this is written. 😉 The police report says the computer room faces west, and that the sunlight left the table “warm to the touch.” We also learn, assuming everything in the account is true of course, that while she DID refrigerate the jawbreaker after leaving it in the sun, she only left it in the fridge long enough to go to the bathroom - probably a few minutes at most. That wouldn’t cool it down all that much. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/103 "2003-09-22T22:23:19Z")
If the jawbreaker was _that_ hot, why didn’t the wrapper fuse permanently to the surface of the candy? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/104 "2003-09-22T22:28:41Z")
If the jawbreaker was _that_ hot, why didn’t it burn her little hand whilst raising it to her mouth? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/105 "2003-09-22T22:46:13Z")
It doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that it could be a freak thing, with the outer layer being thermoconductive and the center absorbing huge amounts of heat. It still seemed hot enough that the kid put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to get it “cool enough to eat,” which may have made the outer part contract from the temperature change, building up pressure like a little glazed sugar bomb. Seems less far out than a child-abuse cover-up, to me. ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/106 "2003-09-23T03:45:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*If the jawbreaker was _that_ hot, why didn’t the wrapper fuse permanently to the surface of the candy? :dubious: \*\* I don’t know about jawbreakers, but having worked at a place that produced gumballs I know that they are coated with caranuba wax to prevent heat and humidity from making them stick together. Anybody else think that this link [here](http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/arkiv/?archiveSection=1706&archiveItem=272929) is dubious, seeing as their take on the story was probably translated from English into Scandinavian then back to English (the adverts with the peeing dogs also make me question their journalistic accumen). ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/107 "2005-05-05T15:18:43Z")
Update: I was watching Mythbusters last night and they were successfully able to duplicate the exploding jawbreaker by heating it in a microwave. They were also able to duplicate the effect of keeping the jawbreaker in the sun by heating it in a radiant oven – result was that the outside of the candy was cool enough to touch, the wrapper was not melted, but the inside was molten. If there was any caustic cleaning solution that had managed to contaminate the candy at the factory, that could also have resulted in a fairly spectacular explosion. Their conclusion – it’s totally plausible that a jawbreaker heated in the microwave or left in the sun in the plastic wrapper could, in fact, explode, seriously burning someone. ``` So despite the totally hysterical tone of the OP and not very thinly veiled accusations against the parents, it's very likely that events unfolded pretty much as the news reports would have it. ``` ---
**Author:** ![midget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@midget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midget)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/108 "2005-05-05T15:48:27Z")
I wonder if they ever sued? ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/109 "2005-05-05T16:08:53Z")
Actually, they just did a bit on Mythbusters with exploding candy. I saw the last part of it on TV the other night. When exposed to to heat it does explode. They tested it in a microwave and a toaster oven. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/110 "2005-05-05T16:14:35Z")
Is it bad that I’m extraordinarily amused to see Bosda’s OP dredged up simply to drive home the point that he was very, very wrong? Because I am. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/111 "2005-05-05T16:51:59Z")
Hasn’t “Mythbusters” covered this? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/112 "2005-05-05T16:54:46Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Hasn’t “Mythbusters” covered this? Once, in 1960, for 20 minutes. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/113 "2005-05-05T16:55:19Z")
Just once, in the 1960’s, for 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/114 "2005-05-05T16:56:47Z")
Curse you Marley! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/115 "2005-05-05T16:57:58Z")
Last night’s _Mythbusters_ was actually a rerun. I’m surprised this thread wasn’t bumped ages ago. ---
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/116 "2005-05-05T17:07:59Z")
> [@Taters](#): > > Actually, they just did a bit on Mythbusters with exploding candy. I saw the last part of it on TV the other night. When exposed to to heat it does explode. > > They tested it in a microwave and a toaster oven. I just that last night, too. I’d say there would have to be near perfect conditions, but the jawbreaker can actually be very normal in appearance yet have a molten lava-like center. In their experiment, the first time they got the experiment to work, they burned the shit out of 2 of the people there. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/117 "2005-05-05T17:10:33Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > OK. Who has got an expendable microwave, a big jaw breaker, lots of heat proof protective clothing, and enough gumption to keep themselves from getting burnt (but not enough to avoid doing this test completely)? This sounds like a word-for-word description of Adam and Jamie! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/118 "2005-05-05T17:12:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Is it bad that I’m extraordinarily amused to see Bosda’s OP dredged up simply to drive home the point that he was very, very wrong? Because I am. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/119 "2005-05-05T17:24:39Z")
And you should be. Although I am quite suprised myself. Still, all in all, I was wrong, and I admit it. BTW–I saw Mythbusters myself, & thought: _OMG! I’m gonna get Pitted tomorrow!_ The only thing for it is to take these well-deserved jeers with what good grace I can. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/120 "2005-05-05T18:12:46Z")
Excuse me, but how does a microwave or toaster oven become the equlivalent of sitting in the sun? I won’t say it could not happen, but it still seems like a leap to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580.md?page=7)