Microwave a CD

What do you do with obsolete CD-ROM's? You can cook them in a microwave oven.

Steps

Take a CD or CD-R which is defunct or useless and place it in a microwave oven, standing up in the middle against a glass or paper cup. Do not use metal materials as a holder.
Set the microwave for high on five seconds. Close the door completely shut and start cooking.
Be prepared to stop the microwave when the CD starts smoking. These fumes are unhealthy when inhaled. A well-aired room beforehand, such as an open window near the oven, will help eliminate the smoke effectively.
Enjoy the show. The heated aluminum of the CD creates a very small electrical storm complete with lightning and sparks. You can observe all this activity through the oven door, though normal precautions have to be taken.
Wait for a few seconds before retrieving the CD. Even after just five seconds the disc can be conducting electrical currents. Touching a freshly-destroyed CD with bare hands could burn you. Do not inhale the air outside the oven just after a session. Let the microwave cool and air the room out by opening windows.
Observe the layers of the CD. Notice the different patterns and paths etched over the material creating tiny metallic "islands".
Finished.

Turn out the lights and draw the curtains for best visual effects. Take along the Care for Your Camera if you'd like to photograph or film the experiment. When using a camera in darker conditions remember to use a reliable balancing tool such as a tripod. Taking handheld photographs in any dark room will cause unwanted blurry effects from camera shake.
For an extra thrill from photographing the lightning storm, position the camera securely on a tripod and enable a slow shutter speed.
As an alternative to handing the CD into a recycling department, you could find another use for it. Any expired CD's are useful as coasters, for instance. Or you could collect several microwaved discs and craft them into a mobile. On a bright day the sun will catch and etchings on the aluminum
A fire extinguisher is optional. A CD baked for five seconds is unlikely to burst into flame, but if you wish to give it an extra cooking it may.

Inhaling the smoke erupting from a freshly-burnt CD is dangerous and is unhealthy when inhaled. Do not breathe in the fumes, or air in the immediate area of the microwave oven after the experiment completion.
Choose only CD's which are already wrecked, such as heavy scratching. Alternatively you can give up discs that you have bought specially for the event (i.e. blank) or music albums you have tired of. Know that microwave effects are permanent and recovering any of the information on the disc requires significant expertise combined with sophisticated hardware and software. In other words, do not just use any CD.
Do not microwave your CD for extended periods of time. Five seconds is the recommended period for a spectacular experience, but any longer than 10 or 20 the CD may ignite. This could cause damage to your microwave and your home, if not properly attended or prepared for
Do not try this in an old microwave oven. As well as not working as best as a modern range would perform, the oven may have operational difficulties afterward. An older microwave is more susceptible to damage.
If you are a minor, make sure to obtain parental consent. A slight overdose in the time microwaved can trigger the CD to ignite and damage the microwave. If not properly looked after this can spread throughout the house.