Remote Arm

The remote arm, patterned after the one used on "Is It A Good Idea To Microwave This?" is used to start the microwave during experiments where the camera has to sit pretty far back to avoid getting hit so that Matt doesn't have to reach in front to start the microwave or be in danger's way in case the explosion happens instantly. While Jon and Jory used their remote arm as a joke during season 1 (and for two episodes in the second season), Matt uses his with a more serious intention. It made its debut in the Season 2 Preview (posted on December 16, 2012) and made its first appearance in an experiment in the Root Beer Can episode (posted on January 13, 2013). Ironically, only a few of the most impressive experiments were started with the remote arm, largely due to them being done in turndial microwaves. The remote arm was only used once on the back porch, during the CO2 cartridges experiment. Regardless, it still makes occasional appearances with its most recent accurate usage coming with the lava lamp explosion (which ironically did not happen until after the microwaving). The usage in the Mr. Clean episode could also be considered appropriate since the explosion would have taken the door off of a smaller microwave.