Boy Gets Zapped by Electricity, Wakes up Magneto - Update

[FalloutJack]

I know y'all need clicks for da' ads but seriously, not coming back here again if this is the future of Escapist news bits.

You get ads on any part of the site for any reason. For what purpose is a new story when the whole site is rigged for it no matter where you are?

OT: I was thinking more along the lines of a series of freaky Japanese horror films called Tetsuo...

 

[Jonluw]

James Randi debunked this magnetic man with a little talcum powder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTVWMY8EZCA

I agree that the boy is probably sticky.

Like all the other skeptics in this thread, I was going to post this.

I mean, the proof that this boy is doint the same trick is right there in the picture. All the metal objects are placed on slightly slanted vertical skin. If the spoons were sticking to the underside of his palms or something, then I'd be impressed. As it stands, that's just a sticky kid.

 

[Caffiene]

It really seems like the site redesign was lacking. It obvious needed a "complete disregard and disdain for science" section, for this and the many other stories Ive been seeing here lately...

I look forward to the similarly believable and authentic, "man kidnapped and probed by aliens, and its totally true because he says so" article that is surely coming soon.

 

[Darks63]

He may not be Magneto, but more like Jim Varney from "Ernest Goes to Jail"

I understand this reference.

Why on Earth do I understand this reference? ;_____;

You saw Ernest goes to Jail?

OT: Magnetic fields need energy to be maintained. Unless he is getting hit daily by arcs of electricity I don't buy it. Or he has way too much Iron in his blood.

 

[Korolev]

Common old carnival trick. This is so old and so common, I cannot believe the writer hasn't heard about it before. You see these "magnetic" people all the time, in carnivals, freak-shows, on side-walks. One of the easiest tricks to do, with minimal effort.

If you run into these folks, take a very small, light metallic object and ask them to hold their hand slightly above it, and see if it moves. If they genuinely were producing a magnetic field, strong enough to stick a spoon to them, they'd be able to move a small bit of metal, just like how a fridge magnet can make metal filings move.

Of course, they cannot, because they aren't producing a magnetic field. They're just sticky. With sweat. Which is gross.

 

[Mortuorum]

Okay, that means it's time to put my finger in the socket in the wall. Wish me luck.

Pro tip: it works better if you lick it.

 

[happyninja42]

If anything, its possible though highly unlikely that the kid has an abnormally high iron content in his blood which after the shock became magnetized enough to attract metal. And its more likely the general consensus of not washing properly since a high iron content like that would be borderline lethal, if not passing out of the body with the passage of time as it is replaced through waste cycles.

I doubt that, considering that high power magnets don't have any effect on iron in the blood. Which is why we can use things like MRI's without ripping people to bits.

IIRC, and please, someone with actual medical knowledge confirm/deny this, but I recall hearing on the podcast Skeptoid, that the type of iron in human blood (and possibly all blood types), isn't actually ferric in nature. It's some other iron variant that has no magnetic properties whatsoever. So no matter how much they might try to say it's because of electromagnetic this or that, it's biologically impossible for the iron in blood to become magnetic, under any circumstances.

 

[jabrwock]

Yeah, this has nothing to do with magnetism. It's basically just greasy skin that objects stick to.

this, many people have claimed to have this power before, take a bath, see how long it lasts

The usual test involves asking them to coat their hand in talcum powder. All have refused, because they know that talcum cannot defeat magnetism, but it can defeat... ick.

 

[Jux]

IIRC, and please, someone with actual medical knowledge confirm/deny this, but I recall hearing on the podcast Skeptoid, that the type of iron in human blood (and possibly all blood types), isn't actually ferric in nature. It's some other iron variant that has no magnetic properties whatsoever. So no matter how much they might try to say it's because of electromagnetic this or that, it's biologically impossible for the iron in blood to become magnetic, under any circumstances.

No medical knowledge beyond the EMR level, but this is correct, blood is not ferromagnetic. A short explanation. [http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/questions/question/2848/]

The fact that blood contains iron is one of the reasons why some people believe magnetic bracelets might have an effect on the human body. However, blood is not magnetic in a conventional sense. In other words, it is not ferromagnetic which is what most people understand as magnetism. If blood was ferromagnetic, then people would bleed to death or explode in MRI scanners which produce much stronger magnetic forces than those of magnetic bracelets. So although deoxygenated haemoglobin is paramagnetic and very slightly attracted to a magnet, and also both oxygenated haemoglobin and plasma are diamagnetic or in other words, slightly repelled by a magnet, in theory, wearing a magnetic bracelet shouldn?t have a physiological effect. Firstly, any influence in the polarity of ions within red blood cells would be lost because blood flows in a pressurised and turbulent way. Secondly, blood is warm, so for any paramagnetic effect to occur it would need to overcome the forces of brownian motion.

Also, huge red flag that the kid was 'blown across the street' touching a lamp post. This is something I can speak about from a position of knowledge. When people are 'thrown back' from electrocution, it's because of the muscles spasming, not because of the electricity throwing him. And I don't know what voltage lamposts in russia run at, but I'm would doubt they're much different than what we run in the US, which ranges from 120-277 for the most part. A kid getting knocked across the street would not only have electrical burns, but also abrasions and contusions, which are strangely absent from this picture.

 

[ryukage_sama]

Just wait. Sony will try to start a movie franchise based on this kid.

 

[happyninja42]

Just wait. Sony will try to start a movie franchise based on this kid.

It's called the inFamous game series. xD

 

[ryukage_sama]

Just wait. Sony will try to start a movie franchise based on this kid.

It's called the inFamous game series. xD

I'm pretty sure Sony only takes non-gritty properties to make gritty movies. Can you imagine what would happen if a movie studio took Cole McGrath and made him even grittier? Of course if you go the Infamous: Second Son route, the protagonist would literally be made out of gravel.

 

[cthulhuspawn82]

James Randi is really good at debunking stuff like this. He is famous for debunking Uri Geller, but he has taken on "Magnet Man" as well.

 

[Major_Tom]

Oh for fuck's sake, look at that uncomfortable pose! Everything is at a fucking angle, anybody can do this.
This is going to end up on Cracked's "5 B.S. News Stories That Fooled Your Friends" next week. Please show more skepticism in the future, and watch that James Randi video already posted (stupid ninjas).

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

If anything, its possible though highly unlikely that the kid has an abnormally high iron content in his blood which after the shock became magnetized enough to attract metal. And its more likely the general consensus of not washing properly since a high iron content like that would be borderline lethal, if not passing out of the body with the passage of time as it is replaced through waste cycles.

I doubt that, considering that high power magnets don't have any effect on iron in the blood. Which is why we can use things like MRI's without ripping people to bits.

IIRC, and please, someone with actual medical knowledge confirm/deny this, but I recall hearing on the podcast Skeptoid, that the type of iron in human blood (and possibly all blood types), isn't actually ferric in nature. It's some other iron variant that has no magnetic properties whatsoever. So no matter how much they might try to say it's because of electromagnetic this or that, it's biologically impossible for the iron in blood to become magnetic, under any circumstances.

Its paramagnetic, because of being in some form of ionic state rather than regular iron. I forget the whole thing but its also due to the blood lacking enough iron in it to become ferromagnetic anyway. My point was rather that it had to be huge gobs of iron in the blood, much too much for a human body to withstand without becoming toxic, for it to be magnetized unless the kid had some sort of high immunity to iron (which is extremely unlikely). Either way its not humanly possible as we currently know.
MRI's do affect the iron in the blood, but not attract it. Deoxygenated blood is paramagnetic (slightly attracted) and oxygenated blood is diamagnetic (slightly repelled). But as I said, not strong enough to do anything lasting or harmful under an MRI and certainly not enough to hold a true magnetic property.
Mostly I was playing the its only possible if the kid is some truly freak of nature, carrying around standard, not ionic, iron.
I would say this though, if the kid did suffer a heavy electrical shock, he may end up with joint issues because electricity does affect other elements in the body, particularly calcium, and can cause bone spur growth in joints. A beneficial thing though, if he had any fractures, the shock could stimulate the regrowth and repair of the fractured bone(s). Other than that, it is most likely bullshit.

 

[happyninja42]

If anything, its possible though highly unlikely that the kid has an abnormally high iron content in his blood which after the shock became magnetized enough to attract metal. And its more likely the general consensus of not washing properly since a high iron content like that would be borderline lethal, if not passing out of the body with the passage of time as it is replaced through waste cycles.

I doubt that, considering that high power magnets don't have any effect on iron in the blood. Which is why we can use things like MRI's without ripping people to bits.

IIRC, and please, someone with actual medical knowledge confirm/deny this, but I recall hearing on the podcast Skeptoid, that the type of iron in human blood (and possibly all blood types), isn't actually ferric in nature. It's some other iron variant that has no magnetic properties whatsoever. So no matter how much they might try to say it's because of electromagnetic this or that, it's biologically impossible for the iron in blood to become magnetic, under any circumstances.

Its paramagnetic, because of being in some form of ionic state rather than regular iron. I forget the whole thing but its also due to the blood lacking enough iron in it to become ferromagnetic anyway. My point was rather that it had to be huge gobs of iron in the blood, much too much for a human body to withstand without becoming toxic, for it to be magnetized unless the kid had some sort of high immunity to iron (which is extremely unlikely). Either way its not humanly possible as we currently know.
MRI's do affect the iron in the blood, but not attract it. Deoxygenated blood is paramagnetic (slightly attracted) and oxygenated blood is diamagnetic (slightly repelled). But as I said, not strong enough to do anything lasting or harmful under an MRI and certainly not enough to hold a true magnetic property.
Mostly I was playing the its only possible if the kid is some truly freak of nature, carrying around standard, not ionic, iron.
I would say this though, if the kid did suffer a heavy electrical shock, he may end up with joint issues because electricity does affect other elements in the body, particularly calcium, and can cause bone spur growth in joints. A beneficial thing though, if he had any fractures, the shock could stimulate the regrowth and repair of the fractured bone(s). Other than that, it is most likely bullshit.

It was the fact that you said it was possible in your first post that I was responding to. The points I bolded were for emphasis.

If a person had iron in the quantities you suggest to even attempt to pull this off, I think they would have the larger problem of probably being dead due to vascular blockage. xD

Regardless, this isn't the first time this has been attempted, and it's been debunked, so, yeah I'm not really holding out hopes for a Russian Magneto xD

 

[Amir Kondori]

So did the original post really believe that the world works like that? Because it should have been OBVIOUS that this was bullshit.

 

[Aerotrain]

Update: Sadly, after some further digging it looks as though this is most likely a hoax. In other words you can sto sticking forks in your electrical sockets as it's not going to do much else besides hurt. A lot. And maybe kill you.

Well, well, well. What a shocker, eh? What an electrifying twist. It was all over in a flash.

I got dozens of these. Dozens! And they're all equally awful.

 

[Razorback0z]

From the looks of him, I'd say he's always had the ability to attract cheeseburgers.

Id say he has his own gravity.

My little brother is soooo fkn fat...... etc