Why do eggs explode when microwaved?

Why do eggs explode when microwaved but not when boiled?

There are two fields of science involved thermodynamics (heat transfer) and electromagnetics (radio waves).

Let's deal with the thermodynamics first. Heat transfer happens in three ways by conduction, convection and radiation.

Conduction happens when heat is transferred from one part of a substance to another because of a temperature gradient.

Radiation happens when electromagnetic waves excite molecules inside a substance, causing the temperature to rise.

Convection happens when hot fluid, gas or liquid, moves from one area to another taking heat with it. Convection may be natural, such as hot air rising or forced such as an airconditioner blowing air into a space.

Conduction happens in a solid when there is a temperature gradient between two points. i.e. the heat energy is gradually transferred from the hot point to the cooler point. If there is no outside source of energy the hotter surface gets cooler and the cooler surface gets hotter until they are at equal temperature.

If you apply a constant temperature to the hot surface (through an external heat source) the cooler surface gets hotter until it almost reaches the temperature of the hot surface. It will not exceed that temperature.

When you are boiling an egg, you are heating it by conduction. First you are applying heat to the water. They water then boils at a constant boiling temperature. That temperature is applied to the outside of the egg. The heat of the water is then conducted into the egg cooking it. The temperature inside the egg will never exceed the boiling point of water. You won't get steam inside the egg. It won't explode.

Remember when boiling you are transferring heat to the egg by conduction by maintaining its outside surface at the boiling temperature of water.

When you are microwaving an egg, you are transferring heat directly inside it by RADIATION. The microwaves are heating the water molecules directly inside the egg. Therefore it is possible to heat the molecules to a temperature ABOVE the boiling point of water. Remember the boiling point of water is dependent on pressure (it is 100°C at sea level atmospheric pressure).

Let us also look at the pressure cooker. The pressure cooker cooks food faster by trapping steam inside a confined space thus raising the pressure inside. That raises the boiling temperature of the water inside that confined space. If your pressure cooker does not have very strong walls, it will explode or crack because inside it there is more pressure than the atmosphere outside.

When you are microwaving an egg, you are heating it by radiation from inside. The eggshell acts as a pressure cooker but a rather flimsy one. It will hold some steam inside making the temperature inside rise slightly above the boiling temperature of water. Once the pressure rises high enough it will crack the eggshell. When it cracks because the water inside is slightly above the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure, it will instantly evaporate into steam. That steam explodes the egg.

Also keep in mind that the egg-white is firmer and holds less water than the york when boiled. So the temperature may rise higher in the york before the egg-white builds enough pressure to crack the shell and itself.

My Heritage

People change their minds about their beliefs all the time. Some convert from Islam, Hinduism and so on to become non-religious. In Zimbabwe is not considered good unless they profess some allegiance to Christianity. Never member that most of those 'Christians' still primarily live according to traditions and perform traditional rituals regularly.

I am atheist.

By the way atheism is lack of belief in anything supernatural, be it gods, a god or spirits. Those who believe in something supernatural usually believe everything supernatural with their publicly displayed belief based on what makes them look good to society.

Privately they may follow the belief they think is more powerful or yields better material results. That is why you find priests and preachers visiting n'angas at night!!

Being atheist does not mean you are against religion of belief systems. All it means is that you just don't believe all those things yourself. To me that boils down to not wasting my time and other resources on any of them.

Given that Christianity is a missionary (preaching based) religion, of course lots of people convert to it. Otherwise preachers would not be doing a good job.

Most of the converts are from other belief systems. Most people who go to church every Sabbath or Sunday, perform the rituals of multiple religions regularly. Most of those attacking me for being atheist included!

Some even perform rituals of their own invention. I am talking about people like Robert Gumbura who managed to convince tens of women that having orgies was part of Christianity! And David Koresh who did the same thing in America.

Very few families raise children to be atheists so there a few people who convert from atheism to a religion, but it does happen. However all this does not change that religion, and the various books that come with it, have a history. If you remove the spiritual aspect, that history gives you the physical activities of people of the time.

In short that history gives people living this very day, a heritage. Based on that heritage people can make claims to a whole lot of things including land. As we speak today, a country exists solely on the basis of people making a claim to their heritage, Israel. Israelis are claiming territory on the basis of the activities of their ancestors like Abraham, Moses, Jacob, David, Solomon, Joseph among others.

Let us ask ourselves, can all the bible waving pastors like Makandiwa and  Magaya go and claim even a single square metre of land in the Middle East based on the activities of Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon? No they can't. I there dare claim Israel as theirs because they follow the bible they will be kicked out like dogs by Netanyau and his security. If they dispute what I am saying they can go try it today.

Where can they claim their own space and land? Is it not here in Zimbabwe. Now if I may ask how did they get be present in this part of the world. Is it not because Nehoreka, just like Moses moved with his people. Is it not because Chaminuka, Muguni, Tovera among others moved with their people.

Is it not because Munhumutapa Gatsi Rusere with the help of a warrior general called Nengomasha fought for this territory. The very same way Israelis fought Philistines and others to have the land they claim as theirs today.

Now if I may ask, if you are to claim your heritage which history helps and identifies you, a history of a warriors called Samson, Goliath and David. Rather is it not the history of general Nengomasha, Nehoreka, Tovera and the Munhumutapas. Now if you are being told to call them demons, and you agree, how are you going to claim your living space and land? Others claim that god gave their ancestors promised land. What do you claim god gave you, if your very first act of belief is to deny your own heritage, identity and history.

My pride in my chiKaranga heritage has got nothing to do with spirituality. It has got everything to do with my identity and therefore the claim to the living space that my ancestors created for me. If I am to call myself 'mwana wevhu' I have to know how I came to be entitled to that 'ivhu'. I have to know how vaBarwe of the Makombe clan fought fiercely against the Portuguese to defend this territory for me.

Those who ridicule and insult my heritage, calling it insulting names like ungodly, savage, backward, primitive are doing so for the purpose of claiming my living space for themselves. If I give up my heritage I am eventually going to find myself called a squatter in my own land. I will be called a problem on my soil.

If I go to the land of those claiming mine, they call me an illegal immigrant and a problem. Now if I am a problem everywhere, where do I belong. If I say I belong here in Zimbabwe, what basis do I have for that if not my history and heritage.

It is for this reason that I, mwana wemu Barwe, Humba, Makombe, Nyanguru, Nyakupfuya, Chirimanemuromo, will never ever agree with anyone that my heritage is backward, demonic or whatever other insult they wish to throw.

My heritage, including the activities of my ancestors whatever their beliefs where, is the ultimate source of my identity and pride.

The Import Ban is a Scam

It looks like Zimbabwe is trying to blackmail South Africa into giving it credit lines.

Never mind that, Zimbabwe has got far much more to loose from a trade war with South Africa.

Zimbabweans have little buying power and as such it is not as important a market for South Africa as the Zimbabwean government would like to imagine.

Yes Musina has grown from Zimbabweans buying there but it is still a very small town by South African standards. Louis Trichardt is actually bigger.

The fact that such a small town can serve as the buying centre for almost the entire country of Zimbabwe is testimony of just how much the Zimbabwean economy has shrunk. An entire country should need a very large city to serve it not a small town.

Zimbabwe should not overestimate its hand. South African business can afford to ignore Zimbabwe and concentrate on the much richer mining markets north of Zimbabwe.

The South African businesses making a lot of noise are only the small shops in Musina, not the real big players.

Anyway given the way the import ban harps on about dairy products like yogurt, powdered milk and cheese, that is a very strong indication that the ban may actually be a ruse to try and make Zimbabwe a captive market for a few politically connected companies.

Most of the politicians will not be affected by the import ban as they either just give themselves the licences, or smuggle in the goods.

It is my considered view that the import ban is intended to eliminate competition for the companies of the political connected.

After all politicians using regulatory power to interfere with markets and line their own pockets is not new to Zimbabwe.

The legendary trillion percent inflation was caused by the government printing cash. Politicians had first access to that cash. At one time a woman, who one politician described is his 'casual intimate girlfriend' was found with her car boot full of crisp new notes that had not yet been officially released.

To benefit from printing cash the politicians running Zimbabwe imposed an artificial official exchange rate which they used for government transactions. Foreign currency was strictly allocated and politicians had first access.

Here is how it worked, if the official rate was say US$1 to ZW$30 and the black-market rate was US$1 to ZW$3000. A politically connected person could be easily allocated foreign currency.

Let's work with an amount of US$100. At the government exchange that would be ZW$30000. On the black market you could be bought for just US$10. Thus someone could get US$100 from the reserve bank, take just US$10 of that go to the black market, buy ZW$30000 go and pay it to the reserve bank as the official equivalent of US$100. They would pocket the US$90.

This practice was called 'burning' money and is primarily what caused hyperinflation in Zimbabwe. Politicians used their regulatory authority to force an exchange that they knew was not practical. They then used the disparity between the official exchange rate and the black market rate to skim money out of government coffers.

I think the same thing is happening with the import ban. Politicians are trying to use regulatory authority to create a captive market for themselves, eliminating competition.

They can give themselves the licences ensuring that only their goods reach the market.

It is for this reason that I think the whole import ban thing is a scam.

The Importance of Our Heritage

Would anyone object to naming a child Chaminuka today? Most likely yes. Such a name would be seen as un-Christian and praising a spirit.

Would the same person object to may given name Jupiter? Definitely not. They may actually see my name as being progressive and associated with modern science and astronomy.

The people who claim to be in touch with Jehovah and spiritual world actually know little beyond what they have been carefully fed and brainwashed with in a few scripture texts.

First let me make it clear the purpose of the brainwashing has nothing to do with spirituality or helping anyone find a higher calling. Its simple main purpose is to make people loose their identity by loosing knowledge of their history. History always has two parts, the physical (what actually happened) and the mythological (how people interpreted those happenings as being influenced by divine power).

The physical and mythological history is often intertwined. Both are not entirely accurate by the do help people keep their identity and pride in what is their own.

This is ours. Our forefather nhingi used these magical powers to lead us there. We are proud of it. Our ancestor nhingi was promised this land by that deity Mwari so you guys butt out of our land.

Those who loose their identity end up with nothing they can call theirs. Nothing to be proud of and no claim to a physical presence in any part of the world. A country exists today because people say Jehovah gave it to them. In making that claim they recount the physical history of their fore father's Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Jacob and so on and attach mythology to it.

If you go to the extent of denigrating and insulting your own mythology, it means you have to reject the physical actions of your own forefathers and the land to which they led you.

If you accept that Moses parted water leading people to a promised land then you accept the descendants of Moses claiming that land today.

If at the same time you do not accept that Nehoreka parted rock leading his people to their own promised land, it means that you do not accept the claim of those who are the descendants of Nehoreka to that land.

Now coming to the point of asking about Chaminuka. I wanted to juxtapose it with my own name Jupiter. Most people think it is merely named after a planet.

If anyone finds the name Chaminuka unacceptable for spiritual reasons then they should definitely have even bigger issues with the name Jupiter. It is the name of the king of the Roman gods.

Naming a planet after that god was a way of making sure his name will be called out forever.

While others are denigrating and insulting their heritage, others are naming new discoveries for theirs. That extends to this very day and moment. The NASA probe that is circling Jupiter right now is named Juno. Juno was the queen of the Roman gods.

See what I mean by others expounding their heritage while you insult your own. See how others perpetuate their identity while we are busy burying our own. If we do not want even a road to be named Chaminuka how will we remember how we came to be in this part of the world and therefore can call its soil our soil.

Europeans are naming things after spiritual entities in their history, while we object to the naming of things after our own heritage. Surely if we continue down that path we are well on our way to loosing our heritage and claim to this land.

The Politics of Patronage

For a long time is has been an open secret that the Zimbabwe government has been living hand to mouth using import duties and other taxes collected at Beitbridge, said to be the busiest border in Africa.

Apparently the recent import ban was an attempt to increase the flow of revenue by also charging fines on the import of basic commodities by travellers.

This was like trying to make the goose lay eggs faster by squeezing it around the neck. The import regulations have led to protests that have virtually stopped the revenue stream. And this has happened at a time when the government is seriously strapped for cash, failing to pay civil servants.

While it has managed to pay police and soldiers this month, it would be overly optimistic to think they can pay next month. Especially given that the other revenue stream, collecting spot fines, is facing serious resistance.

At this point my guess is that it is too late for them to save the situation. The only way they could have prevented the crunch from developing was cutting expenses a year or two ago. Even the signs are that they are unwilling to cut expenses.

The Zanu-PF government is a patronage system. In such a system asking anybody to get off the gravy train is treated as a major slight of priviledge, even an insult. Given that the patronage is meant to buy political loyalty, anyone kicked off the gravy train will seek to exact revenge, by showing political disloyalty. That ensures they become immediate political rivals.

This rule of thumb has held true for all expulsions from Zanu-PF. From Didymus Mutasa, Temba Mliswa through Joice Mujuru to even political nonentities like Acie Lumumba, they have become rivals. The only joke being that most of the rivals are also each other's rivals.

Inevitable because no real difference of principles is involved, the political discourse of patronage based rivalry is focused on personal attacks and insults. Those still within the patronage system create a cult around the leader and protector of it.

It is from this sad situation, that we find that Zimbabwe politics of today revolve around attacks on, and defence of Mugabe. There is noone who espouses solid principles that they are prepared to stick to Mugabe or no Mugabe.

Since most ordinary people will not be within reach of the patronage system, they largely loose interest in the politics. This creates apathy. There is no cause for ordinary people to be loyal to.

Engagement with the West Will Not Help

Judging from finance minster Patrick Chinamasa's words the Zimbabwe government is desperate to engage the British. Apparently they believe that will unlock money

That the Zimbabwe politicians think that all that's needed to fix Zimbabwe's economy is engagement with the British, suggests one of two things. Either they don't have they slightest clue what they did wrong in mismanaging the economy. Or they don't want to own up to their mistake and want people to just sweep their thievery under the carpet.

Certainly, They haven't cut down on expenses. The executive is more bloated than ever. They haven't tackled corruption. People who have been dogged by corruption scandals for years still enjoy poltical power.

Instead of holding people to account the government has been 'taking over' debt accumulated from political corruption, a move meant to block creditors from claiming their dues through the courts.

The British right now are too pre-occupied with Brexit to really bother about Zimbabwe.

If they would care to look what they would see is a government that refuses to be accountable for misusing money. A government that focuses on blame shifting.

For example in most countries are announced years in advance, to give businesses the time and opportunity to plan.

What does Zimbabwe do, they draft a statutory instrument overnight on 17 June, by 18 June they are confiscating people's goods.

Can Minister Chinamsa or any other government official who cares, tell us, that does that amount to policy consistency? Shipments that had already been planned before 18 June ended up being stuck at the border for weeks. If the transporters are strict they will be charging demurrage meaning the business person is going to run heavy losses just over the government's policy inconsistencies.

There inconsistencies have driven investors out of Zimbabwe. Companies like Stewart and Lloyds, Biddulphs, Stuttafords to name a few have shifted base to South Africa. Some have closed shop completely.

The policy inconsistencies have also prevented Zimbabwe industries from competing for their fair share of business in the region.

When Zimbabwe Sugar Refineries was opening up export markets for sugar in the mid-2000s what did the government do? They banned exports and introduced price controls to boot. Where is ZSR today?

Yet the simple long term solution sugar shortages would have been increasing production by accelerating production in areas like Muzarabani which already had a nascent sugar industry. Now that too is no more.

The bottom line for Zimbabwe is that engagement with the West without a change in the irrational, haphazard, inconsistent and ignorantly implemented policy framework will not improve Zimbabwe's economy. 

Import ban probably in breach of trade agreements

At the height of the hullabaloo about the import ban, I pointed out that Zimbabwe was a member of SADC and COMESA, and it was unlikely the ban was within the trade agreements of those bodies.

It looks like South Africa thinks SADC protocols have been broken.

One key political development coming out of the ban is that Zimbabwe could see itself loosing the political support of the region that has been key to the survival of the Zanu-PF government.

Everyone in government including Mugabe himself has witnessed the amount of blame and flak that Mbeki has taken over his quiet diplomacy policy. As part of that policy Mbeki is said to have fended off a British idea to invade Zimbabwe (which again has been talked about).

Indeed at one point a SADC troika over Zimbabwe was setup. That Troika's stance was key to moderating international attitude towards Zimbabwe. If the troika had prevaricated or given the go ahead, mark my words the Zanu-PF government would have been deposed just like Gadhafi in no time at all. Believe me Western government have got the money and power to do it any time they wish.

The most resistance that Zanu-PF can give, is probably go back to the bush, but in this era of drones and night-vision such a guerilla war would be impossible. Not to mention that the support of ordinary rural people that was key in the 1970s would not be so forthcoming this time round.

If you call a pungwe today what do you say you are fighting for? Kuti takatadza kutonga saka tiri kuda kudzokera kunotadza kutonga futi? Kkkkkk.

It shows just how key regional support is for Zimbabwe. If the powers in Harare had any sense, they should be treating that support like a very rare egg.

If SADC leaders were fed up with the Zanu-PF government like say Ian Khama, I have no doubt Zanu-PF would have an extremely hard time holding onto power.

It is a sign of the pathetic ignorance, shortsightedness and greed that the Zimbabwe government seem to have embarked on a path to antagonise a key regional supporter and power with a poorly thought out, hasty import ban.

A ban which in its original form even defeated common sense and international standards by banning goods that travellers intend for personal use, something which is absolutely ridiculous.

The situation at Beitbridge: Totally avoidable

One things that is very clear is that the situation at Beitbridge has been caused by the very bad and unreasonable attitude of the Zimbabwe government or whoever is acting its behalf. It could have been avoided completely if the actors in the Zimbabwe government like minister Mike Bimha had been professional and reasonable.

The world over travellers are allowed to carry goods for personal use through borders. That is why borders have got a traveller section and a commercial section.

The simple reason for that is not to inconvenience travellers. Travellers do not need to know the details of statutory instruments, tariff codes, trade agreements and other legal jargon. That is why travellers are not required to make use of clearing agents.

Yet we have been having Zimbabwean officials threatening to impound busses because their passengers should not be carrying goods belonging to this or that tariff code. Really?!!

Despite all the noise about banning certain goods, there is nowhere I have seen a clear and concise list of the goods that are banned or allowed. Not a single newspaper advert listing the products banned, not a single website or even a flyer.

How then, are people expected to know what is banned and what is allowed? When they arrive at the border? Kana ndimiwo, is that reasonable?

I am not a lawyer, but I know that one of the fundamental tenets of law is 'the viewpoint of the reasonable person". Surely it cannot be reasonable to expect someone who wants to buy a few things off a supermarket shelf with the change from the bus-ticket at Park Station to know what is listed on a top secret list of banned goods at Beitbridge.

Moreover as I have always stressed, it is not Mai Chipo with her two cartons of cooking oil from Musina who is destroying the economy. It is people who consider themselves above and not subject to the laws that they themselves make.

Believe me even with this ban in place, a minister several truckloads of the very same goods that the minister decided to ban, will be allowed through the border without even being searched. I have travelled through Beitbridge so many times, and the issue of trucks of the bigwigs is well, well known. They are not searched.

They are not stopped at the umpteen roadblocks inside Zimbabwe as well. Any official who dares do their job properly and inspect such a truck, will get a single threatening phone-call, and they will never do it again. Otherwise they will be indirectly 'disciplined' for doing their job.

Those are the people killing the economy.

I also wonder whether the government officials involved ever properly do their work when come up with some these regulations. Otherwise they would know that Zimbabwe has signed various trade agreements that they need to adhere. You cannot just ban goods from your trade partners ignoring agreements that you have signed. Last time I checked, Zimbabwe was a member of at least SADC and COMESA.

This kind of bumbling happened at the time Zimbabwe introduced road tolling as well. Officials forgot that they were part of agreements by which they tolled trucks by selling route based coupons at the border. Now all foreign trucks do not pay at toll gates because they would have already paid for using that route at the border. Zimbabwe had to back track on that.

Now it looks like they have forgotten that they are part of SADC and COMESA. If they wish to withdraw from those agreements they are very free to do that. But they should do what the British are being asked to do over Brexit - send the proper notifications.

Once you are out the other party does not have to honour the agreement as well. Like the British are finding out, what was a win-win situation may become a lose-lose one. They lose, you lose too.

Given the state of Zimbabwe's economy it much more likely to suffer from not adhering to past agreements than the countries surrounding it.