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I just hacked my brain (2015)

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Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#21

Post by antonvs »

torotonnato wrote: post #19

Slightly OT, but since the focus shifted to safety: is that battery really dangerous? I'm really asking. I remember, as a kid, testing for charged 9V batteries touching the bare electrodes with my tongue. It was a funny feeling, but that was way before the "little chemist" became the dumbed down shadow of itself and everyone was screaming "safety". For science, ladies and gentlemen, I'm now measuring the resistance o…

Here's the story of someone else who decided to measure his body's resistance with a 9V battery:

https://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-50.html

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#22

Post by tablespoon »

99_00 wrote: post #20
tablespoon wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's a 9V battery. Relax. That's the kind of thinking that leads to stuff like this: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/jury-rules-radio-station-jennifer... > Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, was among 18 people who entered the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competition. They tried to drink as much water as they could without urinating in a bid to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console.... "It's just water. Relax." >…

Your example doesn't show why a 9v battery used in this way is dangerous.

> Your example doesn't show why a 9v battery used in this way is dangerous.

So? It's part of a more general argument against assuming household items are safe when you're using them in highly unusual ways or far outside of normal parameters.

But if you need a specific example of someone killing themselves with a 9V battery to get the message, a sibling comment actually linked to a Darwin award where someone did just that.

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#24

Post by torotonnato »

antonvs wrote: post #21
torotonnato wrote: post #19

Slightly OT, but since the focus shifted to safety: is that battery really dangerous? I'm really asking. I remember, as a kid, testing for charged 9V batteries touching the bare electrodes with my tongue. It was a funny feeling, but that was way before the "little chemist" became the dumbed down shadow of itself and everyone was screaming "safety". For science, ladies and gentlemen, I'm now measuring the resistance o…

Here's the story of someone else who decided to measure his body's resistance with a 9V battery: https://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-50.html

The poor sailor was a bit more hardcore though. Fascinating story

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#25

Post by 99_00 »

tablespoon wrote: post #22
99_00 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your example doesn't show why a 9v battery used in this way is dangerous.

> Your example doesn't show why a 9v battery used in this way is dangerous. So? It's part of a more general argument against assuming household items are safe when you're using them in highly unusual ways or far outside of normal parameters. But if you need a specific example of someone killing themselves with a 9V battery to get the message, a sibling comment actually linked to a Darwin award where someone did just…

No one is advocating intentionally sticking electrical probes into your body. So, again, it doesn't show that a 9 volt battery used in the way described by the article is dangerous.

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#27

Post by 0xFF0123 »

99_00 wrote: post #26
FartyMcFarter wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A 9V battery is enough to deliver a lethal current under the right conditions. Don't play with electricity unless you know what you are doing.

What are those conditions?

The point is that because something seems innocuous under normal use doesn't mean it is under other conditions.

Since you want a specific example, from further down the comments: https://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-50.html

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#28

Post by tablespoon »

99_00 wrote: post #25
tablespoon wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Your example doesn't show why a 9v battery used in this way is dangerous. So? It's part of a more general argument against assuming household items are safe when you're using them in highly unusual ways or far outside of normal parameters. But if you need a specific example of someone killing themselves with a 9V battery to get the message, a sibling comment actually linked to a Darwin award where someone did just…

No one is advocating intentionally sticking electrical probes into your body. So, again, it doesn't show that a 9 volt battery used in the way described by the article is dangerous.

> No one is advocating intentionally sticking electrical probes into your body. So, again, it doesn't show that a 9 volt battery used in the way described by the article is dangerous.

You're asking the wrong question. If you don't want to be a dumbass, the question that should be asked isn't "has this been shown (to me) to be dangerous?" Answering no then proceeding is a good way to harm yourself out of ignorance.

The right questions are along the lines of "has this been shown to be safe?", "if not, do I have actually have a full enough understanding to find out?", and "if I die doing this, am I in the running for a Darwin award?"

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#29

Post by mastre_ »

Sanzig wrote: post #6
tablespoon wrote: post #5

This is potential Darwin award material: I watched a YouTube video and know about Ohm's law, time to zap my brain! This guy has the right idea: > Dennis Eckmeier > Academic Writing, Science Communication, Neuroscience Consulting, and Advocacy > As a neuroscientist, I want to strongly advice everybody against experimenting with electrical brain stimulation. If you really need to, please follow these steps: 1. get a me…

Yeah... reading it in further detail, he applies current across his head between the mastoid processes. I thought it was local stimulation between two surface electrodes under the ear. A quick look at the literature shows that the targeted structures are too deep for an approach like that, so they have to go across the head. Style points for bravery, I guess, but I certainly wouldn't want to pump over a milliamp of d…

Can someone explain to this non-EE how current alone, as specified in milliamps in the absence of a specified voltage, can be used to specify a lethal condition? In other words, from here and other sources I'm inferring that 100mA can stop the heart, but does it not matter if it's from a (at?) 9V battery vs 1.5V AA battery?

Re: I just hacked my brain (2015)

#30

Post by 99_00 »

tablespoon wrote: post #28
99_00 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one is advocating intentionally sticking electrical probes into your body. So, again, it doesn't show that a 9 volt battery used in the way described by the article is dangerous.

> No one is advocating intentionally sticking electrical probes into your body. So, again, it doesn't show that a 9 volt battery used in the way described by the article is dangerous. You're asking the wrong question. If you don't want to be a dumbass, the question that should be asked isn't "has this been shown (to me) to be dangerous?" Answering no then proceeding is a good way to harm yourself out of ignorance. Th…

I'm not asking a question.
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