Posted 07.15.2009 at 11:55 am
2 Comments
A video shot on the floor of a subway car in Kobe, Japan, shows paperclips standing on end whenever the train accelerates or decelerates. The electromagnetism that drives the train's motors leaks through the floor and excites the clips. While the magnetism is completely safe for humans, it isn't for any electronics (cell phones, thumb drives, even credit cards) that might come near the motors.
In response to this video, the Kobe New Transit Company has promised to install more shielding in the floors of all its train lines. No word on whether any other trains in Japan are subject to dancing paperclips, but it makes one wonder how many of the older transit trains around the world would do the same thing.
[via Pink Tentacle]
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Apparently the electromagnetism doesn't affect cameras...
Interesting that the claim is that it's completely safe for humans.
There is quite a bit of controversy about the level of magnetism that is safe for us simple humans. I used to work on products that generated magnetic fields, and Europe, in particular, had standards for the levels allowed.