Is a ‘negative microwave’ – a device that quickly cools food and drink – possible?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

I've been grappling for decades about how you'd get a negative
microwave" to work, a device that very quickly cools things such as food or drinks without having to pre-fill it with something that's already cold. I understand many of the reasons why it's near impossible but is it actually impossible? Maybe quantum physics can mysteriously do it. George Stewart

Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published on Sunday.