April 22, 2025
By Ben Carter

I know, I know—it sounds completely ridiculous, but hear me out.

A while ago, someone posted about putting a fork in a microwave, and that took me straight back to a time when I did something equally as dumb: I put a knife in a toaster to see what would happen.

I’m not sure where the idea even came from. Growing up, you somehow just know that certain things are off-limits, things you shouldn’t do. But there’s always this weird urge that comes with knowing something’s dangerous—and the curiosity to see what happens if you break the rules. It was one of those moments where, I guess, I just had to see for myself.

Now, before you start calling me an idiot, let me clarify: I wasn’t completely reckless. I didn’t use an entirely metal knife. I picked one with a plastic end, and to be extra careful, I even wrapped it in a tea towel. Yeah, I thought I was being clever.

To this day, I still don’t know what I expected. I guess I thought it would just buzz or spark a little, but it was worse than that. I don’t even know if it was the right kind of knife or the wrong kind of toaster, but I got the result I probably should’ve anticipated: an actual, real spark that made me wonder what the heck I was thinking.

It’s funny now to look back on it, but in that moment, I could’ve really messed things up. It’s weird how curiosity can push you to do things you know you shouldn’t, and even weirder how we sometimes have to learn the hard way.