# Sparks from Wintergreen Lifesavers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [November 10, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051 "2004-11-10T18:13:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Engineer1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f19dbf/32.png) [@Engineer1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer1953)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051/1 "2004-11-10T18:13:33Z")

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Not only do Wintergreen Lifesavers cause sparks of visible light when you crunch them in your mouth, they also cause electromagnetic waves that cause perturbations in the image on your monitor if you eat them when seated in front of your computer.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051/2 "2004-11-11T02:29:11Z")

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For those who want to play along at home, Cecil’s original column can be read at [Why do wintergreen Life Savers spark when crunched?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_129.html)

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**Author:** ![grg88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@grg88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grg88)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051/3 "2004-11-11T16:25:56Z")

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“Electromagnetic peturbations?”

If this were true, then other people looking at the monitor, but not chewing on Wintergreen Lifesavers, would see the perturbed image. They don’t.

Cecil has covered this effect in other places, and it has to do with your skull vibrating your eyeballs, not anything electromagnetic.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051/4 "2004-11-11T16:36:54Z")

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> [@grg88](#):
>
> Cecil has covered this effect in other places, and it has to do with your skull vibrating your eyeballs, not anything electromagnetic.

Yep. You can also see it if you blow a raspberry at your screen, too.

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**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sparks-from-wintergreen-lifesavers/274051/5 "2004-11-12T06:35:37Z")

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> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> Yep. You can also see it if you blow a raspberry at your screen, too.

Only if it’s a CRT. Works better if the refresh rate is low. Go figure. Doesn’t work with an LCD.

I’m hoping the OP is not being sarcastic.