Not sure if this would work, your hands could end up looking like Paul Atreidies in the box of pain, but how about a low powered microwave for drying your hands in about 10 seconds flat instead of the traditional hot air blower?
-- simonj, Aug 03 2004

An excellent and practical idea, except that anyone wearing a wedding ring would probably end up with a severed finger.
-- hippo, Aug 03 2004


[simonj] Let me know if you try this. Be sure to have a video tape of it.
-- destructionism, Aug 03 2004


On balance I think its probably better if you don't wash your hands anymore [simonj].
-- dobtabulous, Aug 03 2004


Arn't low-power microwaves used in experimental military pain-beams?
-- my-nep, Aug 03 2004


No cancer, just thermal burns. Still a bad idea. -
-- GutPunchLullabies, Aug 03 2004


Of course, you run the personal risk of being proven 'Not Human' everytime you take a leak!
-- gnomethang, Aug 03 2004


[my-nep], yeah I heard that too.
Microwaves aren't suitable for this, [simonj]. The reason they're good for cooking food is that they penetrate the food, and so can cook it in the middle without having to wait for the heat to conduct through. When you're drying your hands you want the opposite - you want something that will deposit all its energy on the surface and not penetrate at all. Infra-red would be good for this, ie just a plain ordinary heat source. Hot air is even better.
-- spacemoggy, Aug 05 2004


Rather than microwaves, use a few hundred watts of IR in the micron band, perhaps a pulse laser. It could be like the xenon sterilizer from Andromeda Strain. Danger: only insert hands in the hand-dryer holes if they are wet!
-- wbeaty, Aug 05 2004



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