Got a Pickle?

[Sinecure]

Anybody home, bored and want to try this and post results. I'm at work so Its not an option. Saw this and wasn't sure whether it was BS or real. Oh, and then try it with bacon, just for the Maggot pork fiends.

Here's a Link to the Site Describing it

Here's a picture:



Here's the details from that site:

The first time I saw this was at an AAPT meeting in Philly PA by Physics Legend, Harry Rheams, currently of Eastern HS in NJ. The procedure is simple:
Get a pickle.
Jam electrical wires into opposite ends of said pickle.
Plug wires into AC socket.
Notice, "Plug in..." comes LAST! Keep in mind, you are dealing with LIVE AC! Use common sense and all possible caution! I grabbed ahold of one of the wires while discussing it infront of a group of Physics Pholks at Rutgers a few years back and got a rude awakening! Made the demo much more interesting for the audience, but ruined my day (not to mention my shorts...).
Lights should be dimmed to see the effect. I use a simple lamp cord ripped from an old lamp, duh... Expose the wiring at the ends of each wire. Wrap the wires around 16d (16 'penny') nails. Either clamp wires onto nails with aligator clips or tape in place. It's that simple.
Now, place the pickle on a non-metal platform. I use a hunk of 12"x12" pine shelving. This insulated the electrical stuff from any nearby metal on the table. Insert one nail into each end of the pickle. HINT: I inset the nails so they are perpendicular to each other. ie So if the pickle rolls, only one of the nails will contact the wood.
Now, step back and plug in the wires. Nothing will be immediately noticeable. About 15 or so seconds later, a loud buzzing sound is heard. Then, suddenly, the pickle lights up like a little green flourescent light bulb! It will also smoke a little and stink. Ignore these effects...
Harry did this with a hot dog and forks instead of a pickle and nails. Use your imagination!
EXPLANATION : For a detailed, much more detailed than I thought, go to Ask A Scientist Site. I removed my meager explanation of this after reading a few 'real' science explanations...

[IHeartWhistler]

I had a couple of buddies when I was living in Germany who did this. The appartment they were renting had live wires coming out above their bathroom mirror, and they got creative one night. They found the breaker switch for the bathroom and started putting random stuff between the live wires. They said the pickle had enough light coming from it to see clearly in the dark bathroom! Yeah, it works. They also tried salt water... beware.

[Sensisnow]

Never tried this with a pickle, but when I was younger I had a contraption that was basically a 2x4 with nails driven through it about the length of a hotdog apart. Split a lamp wire, connect it to the nails, attach the hotdog, and plug it in. It never illuminated the hotdog, but it did cook it pretty well.

I may have to give this one a try later on.