Lab Worker Built A Fake PC To Nuke His Lunch
The Register, Monday, May 11th, 2026
A lab worker disguised a microwave as a PC to hide it from his overzealous manager.
A reader named Ray worked in a research lab repairing nucleonic instruments and dealt with a strict manager who wanted to remove the microwave and coffee machine from the R&D department over unfounded health concerns. To circumvent this rule, Ray created a fake PC by printing a screenshot of his desktop onto A3 paper, laminating it, and affixing it to the front of the microwave, then relocated both appliances to unused offices in the department. The disguise was so effective that both devices remained in use and undetected for the three years until Ray's retirement.