# How does the microwave know the popcorn is ready? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946 "2005-12-09T21:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/21 "2005-12-10T03:58:48Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Are they orange with green hair? It’s hard to tell. They are really, really, really tiny and all wrapped up in foil. And if you ask too many questions and piss them off, they come out at night and swarm your pillow, and crawl into your ear, and…I’d better stop now. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/22 "2005-12-10T07:13:27Z")
A late night snack for cats. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/23 "2005-12-10T07:22:33Z")
They’re similar to the little guys who sit inside the sensors atop commercial toilets and urinals and after you’re done, they flush the flusher. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/24 "2005-12-10T07:24:44Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > They’re similar to the little guys who sit inside the sensors atop commercial toilets and urinals and after you’re done, they flush the flusher. Has anyone done a genetic analysis to determine if those guys are somehow descended from the Tidy Bowl Man? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/25 "2005-12-10T07:30:00Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Has anyone done a genetic analysis to determine if those guys are somehow descended from the Tidy Bowl Man? Dunno. I mentioned this because I heard a guy explaining the sensor that way to his son, and wondered if the lad was traumatized by the thought of little men watching him use the can. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/26 "2005-12-10T07:32:38Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Dunno. I mentioned this because I heard a guy explaining the sensor that way to his son, and wondered if the lad was traumatized by the thought of little men watching him use the can. 😛 Well, good. Those of us of an older generation or two had the same worries about that pervert in the little boat…let this generation have a paranoia worm or two… ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/27 "2005-12-10T07:32:57Z")
Why? He’d probably just pee on them, then. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/28 "2005-12-10T19:53:13Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > There are tiny little men in tin foil suits called “Sensors” who periodically check on the popcorn. They’re related to short order cooks. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946/29 "2005-12-11T23:07:21Z")
Asked and answered. **samclem** GQ moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-microwave-know-the-popcorn-is-ready/334946.md?page=1)