The hand in the microwave bit is an urban legend - long ago debunked. I've had more than one person tell me about it, and I keep saying no, urban legend. Then Snopes arrived, and I was able to just send them there.

There's a couple of popular urban legends - the rat in the Nostrand's bag, the razor blade in the apple, and the hand in the microwave.

My brother believes that food isn't cooked naturally in the microwave and it reduces the nutrients. I don't. If you overcook - yes, you do reduce nutrients - but you can do that in the oven or stove top.

It's also a better source - in that it is electrical and not gas. But there was a time everyone thought gas was better for cooking.

I don't argue with my brother about things - he's even more stubborn than I am. Keep in mind - we argued for three hours about the color of paint.