A few years ago, all of the moms, grandmas, and aunts joined together in an email-forward-driven campaign to warn anyone who would listen about the danger of boiling water in a microwave. The email began, as mom forwards do, with an anecdote: “A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee.” It went on to tell the improbably dramatic story of the probably one person ever who happened to boil water in the microwave, immediately stick his face in the cup, and get badly burned. I would go so far as to say that this email forward rivaled only the Bill Gates Will Give You Money If You Forward This Even Though That Doesn’t Make Sense email of the mid-90s in mom-driven ubiquity and urgency. I still talk about that email forward all the time, and finally, a non-my-mom friend sent video proof of exactly what happens when you boil water in a microwave the wrong way:

See? It kind of sizzles a little bit, so continue to not stick your hand or face in it.