Astrophysicist gets out of his depth and ends up in hospital

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Andy Kev.

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This is from today's Daily Telegraph:

Australian astrophysicist gets four magnets stuck up his nose while trying to create anti-coronavirus device

He was taken to hospital after trying to create a device that would prevent people from touching their faces

There have been many tales of bravery and sacrifice by medical workers fighting Covid-19 around the world, but none quite compares to the Australian astrophysicist who got four magnets stuck up his nose while trying to develop a device to prevent people from touching their faces. Dr Daniel Reardon, a research fellow at Melbourne’s Swinburne University, had to be taken to hospital after his efforts to build a necklace that sounds an alarm on facial contact went awry.

The 27-year-old, who studies pulsars and gravitational waves, said he was trying to combat boredom as well as Covid-19 when he began experimenting with four powerful neodymium magnets. “I thought that if I built a circuit that could detect the magnetic field, and we wore magnets on our wrists, then it could set off an alarm if you brought it too close to your face… I accidentally invented a necklace that buzzes continuously unless you move your hand close to your face,” he told Guardian Australia .

After abandoning the idea, Dr Reardon continued to tinker with the magnets, at one point placing two inside his nostrils and two on the outside. When he removed the outer magnets, the two inside didn’t budge.
“At this point, my partner who works at a hospital was laughing at me… After struggling for 20 minutes, I decided to Google the problem and found an article about an 11-year-old boy who had the same problem. The solution in that was more magnets.”

Dr Reardon then tried to use the outer magnets to extract the inner ones, and all four got stuck.
Before going to hospital, he attempted to use pliers to pull them out, but the pliers themselves became magnetised, causing a fair degree of discomfort. At the hospital, a team of two doctors applied an anaesthetic spray and manually removed the magnets from Dr Reardon’s nose, but the chaos wasn’t over. While three of the magnets came out, the one in his right nostril fell down his throat. Fortunately, he was able to cough it out.

“Needless to say I am not going to play with the magnets any more,” he said.


Now you would think that somebody at sometime in his training would have said to him: "Look mate, you're an astrophysicist, so don't do anything you're not trained for that will be beyond you, like maybe picking up a rugby ball, making a cup of tea, that sort of thing."

This really does beggar belief. Nonetheless let's hope his recovery is quick and complete.
 
I read this earlier. It sounds like nonsense.
He says he invented a device that buzzed constantly unless you touched your face, and what? He couldn't see a way to reverse the logic?
We are not producing astrophysicists of Brian May's calibre any more. He would have made something out of a fireplace mantel.
I tried a few methods of detecting impending face touching a couple of weeks ago, as it happens. I tried a Theremin based device worn as a necklace, but the presence of a big fat lump of meat to the rear, totally swamped the effect of an approaching hand. I tried a PIR detector on the peak of a baseball cap, an optical proximity detector on the baseball cap, and all three attached to spectacle frames.
In the end, I pretty gave up on the idea, but at least I didn't get anything stuck up my nose.
 
The little ball bearing type magnets that all the kids have are really dangerous, think they were banned for a time. There are quite a few reports of kids and animals swallowing them, they become magnetised together either side of tissue in the stomach lining causing all sorts of problems needing operations to sort out.
 
Gotta be careful with powerful magnets, I injured my finger quite badly when two magnets decided they wanted to get together and my finger was in the way.
 
Doug71":iidsqff1 said:
The little ball bearing type magnets that all the kids have are really dangerous, think they were banned for a time. There are quite a few reports of kids and animals swallowing them, they become magnetised together either side of tissue in the stomach lining causing all sorts of problems needing operations to sort out.

The danger of the ball magnets went further up to older kids. At age 9, my sister's kids (twin boys) had already heard this enough times that they knew of it, but they got old enough to become suspicious of adults' tall tales and one of them ate three of those. I've never heard admission to the actual reason (meaning they never came clean about why they did such a stupid thing), but one apparently dared the other and surgical removal in the intestines or somewhere (that would've been terminal if left alone) was the result.

The old "it'll come out the other end" doesn't apply. Once they find each other internally, they pin themselves.

Not surprising with kids age 3, but with my sister's kids (who are stellar academically), the second fit of stupidty.

The first was one daring the other to run a fabric wheel across their fingers after being told about how sharp such devices are.

The instigator and the applicator of the instigation were the same in both cases.
 
John Brown":1cdusp99 said:
I read this earlier. It sounds like nonsense.
He says he invented a device that buzzed constantly unless you touched your face, and what? He couldn't see a way to reverse the logic?
We are not producing astrophysicists of Brian May's calibre any more. He would have made something out of a fireplace mantel.
I tried a few methods of detecting impending face touching a couple of weeks ago, as it happens. I tried a Theremin based device worn as a necklace, but the presence of a big fat lump of meat to the rear, totally swamped the effect of an approaching hand. I tried a PIR detector on the peak of a baseball cap, an optical proximity detector on the baseball cap, and all three attached to spectacle frames.
In the end, I pretty gave up on the idea, but at least I didn't get anything stuck up my nose.
You sound a lot more intelligent than me John. When I was working up to last week I relied on wearing nitrite gloves to not touch my face.
I'm not being facetious and certainly no disrespect meant in any way. It's mere observation that we all approach things differently. I once went to a bbq with some highly intelligent people trying to start a fire with newspaper and logs. Proper logs. And newspaper.
Maybe a balance of all types is needed and all have their advantages and drawbacks.
 
That's fair comment, although my intent was something that would break you of the habit of face touching. As for nitrile gloves, I'm not sure how they'd help, as you could still touch something infected, and then touch your face. Unless nitrile has some special antibacterial property.
 
you're less likely to touch your face wearing nitrile because it feels disgusting. Not exactly a guaranteed method, but I'm sure it helps at least a little.
 
John Brown":2re3g3b1 said:
That's fair comment, although my intent was something that would break you of the habit of face touching. As for nitrile gloves, I'm not sure how they'd help, as you could still touch something infected, and then touch your face. Unless nitrile has some special antibacterial property.
Fwiw, I found either keeping your hands in your pockets, or holding something in each hand gives you a cue. Makes shopping tricky...

My problem is leaning on things when standing around waiting: if you are trying to avoid touching things, then don't lean on the counter top, table, mucus-ridden display cabinet etc. Typical farmer with bad back - always looking for something to ease the pressure.
 
D_W":1h00rdbu said:
you're less likely to touch your face wearing nitrile because it feels disgusting. Not exactly a guaranteed method, but I'm sure it helps at least a little.
Hmmm.... that gives me an idea. Now where did I leave that mole and bluebottle puree?
 
Not a big surprise having worked with Academics.
I worked in (the now world famous) Genetics Department at Leicester University.
We had a senior lecturer there who was a true genius, but he was absolutely crackers with it.
Whilst officially, I was supposed to assist him with experiments my actual task was to ensure he did not hurt himself. It ended up that I did everything that was of a practical nature and he devised the experiments. Some of his theories lead to what are now mainstream stuff.
 
lurker":3ueemm5b said:
Not a big surprise having worked with Academics.
I worked in (the now world famous) Genetics Department at Leicester University.
We had a senior lecturer there who was a true genius, but he was absolutely crackers with it.
Whilst officially, I was supposed to assist him with experiments my actual task was to ensure he did not hurt himself. It ended up that I did everything that was of a practical nature and he devised the experiments. Some of his theories lead to what are now mainstream stuff.


That's a bit like me and my mrs Lurker.

John. The flash of blue is enough for the brain to register.
Trigger discipline.
At least for me.
How I fill up the van with diesel now.
Pull up. Gloves on. Take fuel card in left hand. Exit cab. Right hand opens passenger door to access fuel cap . Right hand gets pump and fills tank. Replace cap shut door. Take off right glove and bin.
Go into garage. Sort duties of payment by card with left hand. Refuse receipt lol. No thanks. Keep that mate.
Exit garage. Bin left glove. Get back in van. Suck fingers clean just in case. Can't be too careful.
What could go wrong?

Tonight I was sorting some stuff by the front door. Saw a couple approach with a big shoulder bag.
Foookin stop it. I think. Really!?
Open door open palm in the universal stop sign. What's up?

No no. Its fine. We are delivering the local parish magazine!

I'm standing there thinking is it just me or is there a hiddenTV crew?

I'll tell you what mate I say. If you are a carrier how many houses have you just infected. I resist the urge to call him a plague dog. Erm.... no we are fine. No symptoms.
I lose my cool a bit. Might have mentioned the child crusades. :oops:
Tbf they were probably CofE.
They realise and back away. Tiny tiny steps.
Idiots!
Enough ignorance.
 
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