Magnetic field applied to brain increases acceptance of false statements (2008) | Hacker News Reader

Magnetic field applied to brain increases acceptance of false statements (2008)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

40 pointsmonort11 comments

When I saw the title of the post I thought they might be able to explain why everyone puts so much faith in fMRI experiments.

Study finds people willing to be talked into having magnetic field applied to their brain are also willing to accept false statements with little scepticism.

No. There's no mechanism of action. A tens of hertz a nanotesla magnetic field is not doing anything. It is not creating a significate potential anywhere, especially not the brain. The rate of change in the magnetic field is proportional to the induced voltage and here both the rate of change and field strength are tiny. Magnetic fields themselves have no effect.

We are literally always surrounded by such insignificant fields. This paper is akin to someone claiming to be "electrosensitive". It's an extremely bold claim without the evidence to back it up.

Indeed, headphones for example have much, much stronger magnetic fields.

Well, hence the willingness to pay $300 for Beats.

Those must be some strong magnets, effecting people even before getting under it's effects!

The speaker cones are made of resublimated thiotimoline.

Not sure, article is about people who have a brain. Brain usually prevents from buying Beats.

They may say they left the machine on when they wrote the paper, though that would be too funny to be true I hope.

Can't say for sure that all people are not electrosensitive ever. People can be sensitive to the oddest things and react, but for most it has never been an issue.

People have been able to pick up radio signals, was thought impossible or eons and then found out to be true due to fillings. Body does contain iron and other elements which at scale could possible pick up higher frequencies. Bit like wilsons desease in which people have higher than normal iron content.

So can't totaly rule out that some people could be electro sensitive, as to what range and power levels, that would be different.

It is commonly known though that some people get migraines when thunder storms are approaching, though not saying all related to changes in static levels in the air and humidity/pressure equally more relevant.

But yes, clear evidence is needed. Indeed tests with people in faraday cages real and look real but fake ones as a blind test would certainly help as a test for many I feel.

I think you've misread the abstract. My understanding is that the 10nT field was the control. They talk about 1-10 uT fields causing the observed effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_olmdAQx5s

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