As we close out a week of hardware-related posts on this blog, here’s an article from ScienCentral about a 12-year old boy who calls himself “Magneto Man”. Joseph Falciatano III of Richland, NY claims that his mere presence can disrupt electronic devices, including video games and computers. The link above has more details, including a video interview with teachers, the boy and his father.
I’m a bit skeptical about this report, but one detail is interesting: when Joe is grounded, the effect disappears. That actually makes sense. When repairing a computer, it’s a good idea to wear an anti-static wrist strap, and to connect the strap to a fixed piece of metal. Some electronics workbenches include a long metal strip for that purpose.
I have a metal desk in my office, so I touch the desk and ground myself after I walk across the carpet.
Thanks to Engadget for the link.
Tags: electricity, hardware, new-york, power
