One netizen in Japan created quite a pickle recently, after posting these photos online in an internet chat forum. The accompanying thread, titled “the pickled cucumbers my mum made are glowing in the dark”, caught the attention of hundreds of users, who began discussing possible causes for the mysterious luminescence. Speculation ranged from light-hearted banter, questioning whether the dawn of cognitive vegetables had finally arrived, to more serious concerns about radiation. What do you think caused the unique phenomenon?
A look at reader reactions unearthed some gems, including:
“This is simply the sign of a good pickle. It’s a well-known fact that good quality pickles glow in the dark.”
“LED cucumbers!”
“Could it be a result of pesticides?”
“Looks like you’ve discovered STAP cells!”
“These are some awesome quantum pickles.”
“Beware! RADIATION!”
“Do your mum and dad glow in the dark too? (Ouch!)”
▼ The glow was evident in both light and dark environments
The day after posting the photos, the pickle owner noticed the light was beginning to fade. In an attempt to get to the bottom of the story, he made calls to various research institutes and visited the Public Health Service to get some testing done on the vegetable. Unfortunately for us, he opted for the cheapest test possible, which, as it turns out, tested only for the presence of mould and not for the presence of metals or microbes. While the results confirmed the presence of mould, satisfying a number of readers who had argued for the presence of luminescent bacteria, the real reason for the glow cannot be confirmed.
Interestingly, none of the commenters mentioned the fact that pickles are full of salt water, essentially a lot of sodium ions, which act as a conductor if an electric current is applied. Even a microwave can cause a pickle to glow. Check out the video below to see just how bright a pickle can get!
Why do you think the Japanese pickle glowed in the dark? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Source: ハム速
Images: imgurKGTBaTE