Did you know carrots spark in the microwave?

Totally crazy...I guess I never microwaved carrots until last night. I was supposed to add minced carrots to something I was cooking but forgot and so I put them in the microwave, thinking I would cook them that way. And then...the sparks started flying! This made me think, hmm...is there metal in my carrots? Are they contaminated? Should I eat them?  A little googling told me that other people have experienced this same phenomenon, and apparently it is because of the iron, magnesium and selenium in the carrots. Supposedly green pepper and green beans do this too...sounds like a fun study! Just don't damage your microwave by letting the sparking go on too long!

My dissertation is taking over my life

It's been a rough few weeks. Writing a dissertation is no walk in the park, I'll say that much. At the beginning of today, I had 18 thesis-related things to do (mostly re-analyzing things and revising/editing). Now I only have six left to do, and they can be done tomorrow. Hurray!