1. Standard memberWoodPush
    Pusher of wood
    Los Gatos, CA
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    16 Sep '11 16:22
    http://news.yahoo.com/serb-cousins-share-same-strange-attraction-100711830.html

    Very strange. Hoax? Thoughts? Is this really magnetism, or some other effect?

    I found it interesting that the boy isn't wearing a shirt - which perhaps would hint that this isn't really magnetism but more of a "sticky skin" effect?

    Can't help but be skeptical, but.. for the scientists to debate 🙂 Hoax or not?
  2. Joined
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    16 Sep '11 16:35
    Hoax. It's a sticky skin effect.

    My bet is if the kids take a freaking shower then it'll magically go away.
  3. Cape Town
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    16 Sep '11 18:06
    Probably hoax.
  4. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
    slatington, pa, usa
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    22 Sep '11 18:30
    Originally posted by twhitehead
    Probably hoax.
    Besides, we don't even know if the stuff they claim to stick is even magnetic. It could be aluminum and if so, back to the hoax idea. I am being generous.
  5. Joined
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    22 Sep '11 19:43
    Originally posted by sonhouse
    Besides, we don't even know if the stuff they claim to stick is even magnetic. It could be aluminum and if so, back to the hoax idea. I am being generous.
    If they were genuinely magnetic you could tell rather trivially with a gauss meter.

    I say Hoax, till proven otherwise.
  6. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
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    23 Sep '11 05:19
    Originally posted by googlefudge
    If they were genuinely magnetic you could tell rather trivially with a gauss meter.

    I say Hoax, till proven otherwise.
    Yes, a gauss meter would settle the question in a hurry. I use hall effect magnetometers to sense the strength of magnetic fields used to steer ion beams in ion implanters and they are pretty sensitive. I think it would take a magnetic field strength of several hundred gauss to hold a magnetic fork to one's body.

    He could have swallowed a magnet.......
  7. Cape Town
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    23 Sep '11 16:26
    Originally posted by sonhouse
    He could have swallowed a magnet.......
    No, a magnet in his stomach would not result in forks sticking to his collar bone.
    If on the other hand he had magnetic blood, one would expect him to be demonstrating lifting coins with his fingers.
    Instead, the photo is indistinguishable from someone who has sticky skin.
  8. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
    slatington, pa, usa
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    23 Sep '11 17:22
    Originally posted by twhitehead
    No, a magnet in his stomach would not result in forks sticking to his collar bone.
    If on the other hand he had magnetic blood, one would expect him to be demonstrating lifting coins with his fingers.
    Instead, the photo is indistinguishable from someone who has sticky skin.
    Agreed. I don't know how this scam even got started, why people would believe such patent nonsense.
  9. Cape Town
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    23 Sep '11 17:31
    Originally posted by sonhouse
    Agreed. I don't know how this scam even got started, why people would believe such patent nonsense.
    Actually things like this spread like wildfire even when nobody believes it. All it takes is lots of people willing to remain agnostic (or at least say they are agnostic to others).
    This happens in religion too where any survey reveals that at least half the 'believers' are in fact agnostic about most of the key doctrines of the religion, and quite a few are in fact leaning towards not believing, but hang on 'just in case' or for social reasons.
  10. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
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    24 Sep '11 02:14
    Originally posted by twhitehead
    Actually things like this spread like wildfire even when nobody believes it. All it takes is lots of people willing to remain agnostic (or at least say they are agnostic to others).
    This happens in religion too where any survey reveals that at least half the 'believers' are in fact agnostic about most of the key doctrines of the religion, and quite a few ...[text shortened]... are in fact leaning towards not believing, but hang on 'just in case' or for social reasons.
    So the gist of that is to shout loudly if you disbelieve!
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