Why Pickles Light Up When You Electrocute Them

An electrical engineer at Portland State University is investigating quite the pickle. Literally.

When you skewer a pickle on two metal forks and plug it into a socket, one end of the vegetable glows orange. While it’s a typical science demonstration in schools, experts don’t actually know exactly what’s going on. According to electrical engineer Josh Méndez, it seems like the answer is a combination of two competing theories, as reported in the university statement announcing his discovery yesterday.

Pickles…