/oss/taxonomy/term/3491/all en /oss/article/health-pseudoscience-history/there-any-validity-claim-some-people-are-human-magnets-their-bodies-able-attract-assortment-objects <p>Leonid Tenkaev and his wife claim that the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine transformed them into human magnets. Pictures of the couple show spoons, keys and even irons sticking to their bodies as if they were glued there. Perhaps they were. From the photos, one cannot tell. The Tenkaevs, however, are not the only ones to claim to have such magnetic powers. Indeed the web is ablaze with pictures and videos of “human magnets” plastered with everything from coins to cell phones. But for these living curiosities, cutlery, especially spoons, seems to have a particular appeal.</p> Fri, 24 Sep 2021 19:12:57 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8862 at /oss /oss/article/technology/no-need-be-dark-about-light-bulb <p>Way back in 1802, Humphrey Davy, one of the most brilliant chemists of all time, became interested in the novel phenomenon of electricity. By this time he had already published a treatise on the pain killing properties of laughing gas and had suggested it's use in surgical operations. As a result of his chemical prowess he was invited to further his career at the Royal Institution in London, which had been established with the object of "combining useful knowledge with the amusement and instruction of the higher ranks."</p> Tue, 06 Nov 2018 20:06:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7434 at /oss