As temperatures rise in the desert, Arizonans are once again engaging in the summer tradition of baking cookies in their cars. While sustainable and entertaining, the thermodynamics behind the process brings up a conversation about food safety practices. Ariane Middel, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, calculated that on a 100-degree day, the dashboard of a car parked in the sun spiked to 157 degrees Fahrenheit in 60 minutes. Middel says it may take over four hours for cookies to become safe to eat and also advises not to try this with poultry or anything else requiring thorough cooking, just to be safe.