Packing Metal in Your Body?
You may be the diver in your group who sharks flock to. Martin Sutcliffe, a diver working at the Sea Life Centre in Blackpool, England, was immediately targeted by a bowmouth shark named Betty whenever he entered the predators' tank. She shuns other divers to nibble his hair and rub against him. Staff were baffled until they learned Sutcliffe had a metal rod implanted in his arm after an accident. Because sharks are sensitive to magnetism, detecting electric impulses as tiny as one-billionth of a volt, Betty seems to find the magnetic particles in Sutcliffe's arm irresistible. Sutcliff says, "She only nibbles, but her teeth are so strong it feels like hard scratching and it's impossible to ignore."
Do you have metal in your body?
Started by
Landlocked Dive Nut
, Aug 20 2010 02:36 PM
17 replies to this topic
#1
Landlocked Dive Nut
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 02:36 PM
Taken from the Undercurrent online subscriber update:
#2
lynnlchan
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 04:01 PM
I wonder how much metal a person has to have in their body for sharks to notice. Anyone? And which metals?
Come on and wade way out into the water with me, we're drowning on dry land.
Come on and wade way out into the water with me, jump in and take my hand. --Gaelic Storm, Scalliwag
Come on and wade way out into the water with me, jump in and take my hand. --Gaelic Storm, Scalliwag
#3
peterbj7
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 04:17 PM
I have metal in one wrist, a "Herbert Screw" put in to repair a broken scafoid. I've never noticed it attracting sharks.
Edited by peterbj7, 20 August 2010 - 04:18 PM.
#4
Guest_PlatypusMan_*
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 04:22 PM
Darn. They took out all the metal from OZ, and I was SO hoping to screw with TSA every time I traveled by air.
Now you tell me I don't get to screw around with sharks, either.
There are rare times when my life is a disappointment.
PPM
Now you tell me I don't get to screw around with sharks, either.
There are rare times when my life is a disappointment.
PPM
#5
Diver Ed
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 04:29 PM
I have two titanium cages in my back, and have never noticed any extra attention from sharks.
#6
Racer184
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 04:55 PM
Airport, jail, etc type "metal detectors" can not detect metal inside a human. So if you want to get some metal onto an airplane undetected, just insert it into a body cavity.
#7
scubaski
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 06:21 PM
I'm a vendor for the local Women's prison, when ever a inmate goes to court and returns she needs to sit in a special chair that checks for hidden metal objects.
MADRE FELIZ DIA MAMÁ
#8
Landlocked Dive Nut
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Posted 20 August 2010 - 07:19 PM
I have two titanium cages in my back, and have never noticed any extra attention from sharks.
I'd have to check....but I don't think titanium is magnetic.....and since the shark in the story likes to nibble on the diver in question, I think having titanium is a GOOD THING!
#9
Xcelratr
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Posted 21 August 2010 - 09:11 PM
Airport, jail, etc type "metal detectors" can not detect metal inside a human. So if you want to get some metal onto an airplane undetected, just insert it into a body cavity.
Sounds like a solution waiting to happen, we can hire sharks to work the security lines at the airports. TSA = Transportation Shark Administration.
__________________________________________________
As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man,
I have chalked up many a mile.
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks,
and I've learned much from both of their styles.
As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man,
I have chalked up many a mile.
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks,
and I've learned much from both of their styles.
#10
Hipshot
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Posted 22 August 2010 - 04:30 AM
I have an internal difibillator, which produces an electrical field, and I never noticed any attraction to sharks while I was diving. Nonetheless, sharks are electroreceptive, but we're not the only ones sending out electrical fields - anything with a heart does.
Rick
Rick
#11
Dantheengineer
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Posted 22 August 2010 - 12:21 PM
http://news.bbc.co.u...000/8880620.stm
I was intent in doing a few tests with the reefies out here and trying to figure out if it's the electrical charges or the magnetic flux.
As far as i know any metal exhibiting magnetic qualities must be ferrous (or alloyed). So i was gonna do interesting things with some 6" nails, a bunch of wire and a 9V battery.
Anyway, having read the article above, it seems the bow mouth is probably allot more sensitive than the reefies'll be.
So maybe i'll have to energize something larger.......{Picturing my skeleton flashing on and off?}
Very interesting subject tho Tammy!
I was intent in doing a few tests with the reefies out here and trying to figure out if it's the electrical charges or the magnetic flux.
As far as i know any metal exhibiting magnetic qualities must be ferrous (or alloyed). So i was gonna do interesting things with some 6" nails, a bunch of wire and a 9V battery.
Anyway, having read the article above, it seems the bow mouth is probably allot more sensitive than the reefies'll be.
So maybe i'll have to energize something larger.......{Picturing my skeleton flashing on and off?}
Very interesting subject tho Tammy!
Regards
Dan
Bahamas....Expulsis Piratis - Restituta Commercia
There is no spoon.
Dan
Bahamas....Expulsis Piratis - Restituta Commercia
There is no spoon.
#12
WreckWench
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Posted 22 August 2010 - 03:52 PM
Airport, jail, etc type "metal detectors" can not detect metal inside a human. So if you want to get some metal onto an airplane undetected, just insert it into a body cavity.
Sounds like a solution waiting to happen, we can hire sharks to work the security lines at the airports. TSA = Transportation Shark Administration.
Sweetie...you just ain't right!
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#13
drbill
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Posted 23 August 2010 - 08:25 AM
Well, I don't have any metal in my body yet (other than the naturally occurring ones), but there aren't enough sharks left for any to detect it if I did.
#14
Xcelratr
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Posted 29 August 2010 - 07:41 PM
Sweetie...you just ain't right!
Lovebug, that's one of the milder diagnoses that's been hung on me recently. LOL
__________________________________________________
As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man,
I have chalked up many a mile.
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks,
and I've learned much from both of their styles.
As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man,
I have chalked up many a mile.
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks,
and I've learned much from both of their styles.
#15
Dantheengineer
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Posted 01 September 2010 - 03:57 PM
Well the results from engergizing a foot long piece of 3/4 inch reinforcing steel with a 9v battery showed no noticeable results. (The bar was left with a coil round it over night, it managed to have a noticeable effect on a compass. Far more than before wrapping wire all abouts)
The sharks seemed far more interested in my nervous dive buddy (Possible electrical, possible excrement: first time with sharks)
Next time i'll take a 9v LR6 down in a otter box and open it at depth when surrounded. I'm thinking that the salt water wil imediately cause a short/ciruit and, hopefully, a noticeable effect in behavior.
All in all, a good excuse to dive. AND with sharks too!!
(Sorry for the spelling, etc. Browser problems coupled with a leack of patience.........:-( )
The sharks seemed far more interested in my nervous dive buddy (Possible electrical, possible excrement: first time with sharks)
Next time i'll take a 9v LR6 down in a otter box and open it at depth when surrounded. I'm thinking that the salt water wil imediately cause a short/ciruit and, hopefully, a noticeable effect in behavior.
All in all, a good excuse to dive. AND with sharks too!!
(Sorry for the spelling, etc. Browser problems coupled with a leack of patience.........:-( )
Regards
Dan
Bahamas....Expulsis Piratis - Restituta Commercia
There is no spoon.
Dan
Bahamas....Expulsis Piratis - Restituta Commercia
There is no spoon.
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