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Start seeing magnetic fields

evilmadscientist.com

20 pointsmuon7 comments

I was hoping for something more extreme, maybe along the lines of the finger implant that lets you feel the fields in your fingertip? http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mods/news/2006/06/71087

I had a magnet implanted in my right ring finger a little over two years ago and I can answer any questions if any of you are interested.

The basics though are: it doesn't affect hard drives, credits cards or (surprisingly) CRTs. I can feel AC-DC converters and motors though I can't feel current. The implant has a small degree of mobility so it will flip over when exposed to a magnet (which is unfortunate, it means I can determine the polarity by feel).

Where did you get it done? And costs/aftercare? And any particular reason you chose that finger?

I've wanted to get it done since I found out about them a year or so ago. Love the idea of adding another whole sense to my collection, even if its a bit of a hack.

I have some friends in the body modification industry including a NY-based practitioner who happened to have silicon-coated magnets. He has a habit of discounting everything for his friends so he only charged me the cost of the magnet ($50-60).

Aftercare was very minimal - once implanted your left with a sutured incision to take care of. I just kept it clean and tried not to use that finger much (which made typing very hard). The incision was completely healed in a couple of weeks.

I chose that finger because I'm left-handed and figured that was my least used finger.

I first heard of them in 2004 (I think) and was set to get one around 2005. However at that point most of the people with magnet implants started having complications due to the silicon coating getting damaged. I mostly forgot about it until 2008 when I read that the coating process had been greatly improved (the first generation implants were dipped in silicon, the newer ones are injection-molded).

At this point the novelty has worn off and for the most part I don't even notice it or mention it (although people who know I have it love showing it off). However I still think it's amazing and have no regrets. And it comes in handy whenever I drop a pin or paperclip.

EDIT: If you want to experience it temporarily, tape a small rare-earth magnet to the tip of your finger. I recommend putting your hand close to a motor (like in a fan) and putting it close to an AC-adapter that's plugged in.

I guess the earths magnetic field is too weak to pick up?

Yeah, I can't feel it. In general I have to be really close to the source to feel any field.

Now that's cool.

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