Maybe EMF?

[ConfusedInFl]

I found JREF on the web when searching for information relating to EMF. I was hoping someone here may beable to shed some light on what is going on. I don't know if it is an EMF or something else.

A "little" about me and what is going on. For years now, electronics do not do well in my presence. I burn out laptops and cpu's, within a 2 year period I am replacing them. They just stop working. Before they completly stop, when they first start acting up, if I trade my laptop with my husband for a few days, it will begin to work fine again and then the one I am using will start to act up. So it's a constant computer shuffle. Toasters do not last a very long time, the elements burn out, typically within a few months they starts to fade and are toast (no pun intended) within 6-12 months. I just purchased another dishwasher, lost count, it's the 3rd or 4th in the past 10 years! This one lasted 2 years before the electronic panel stopped working completely. A while back certain buttons stopped working. TV's - forget it! They also only last a couple of years. I was actually able to get the company who holds the extended warranty to give me a new replacement after 5 repairs in a 2-3 years. These included bulbs blowing, other electronic parts burning out, etc. Stoves are the same story, my last stove, the burners stopped working (electric - no gas here unfortunately) and then when I would touch the stove, only I would get shocked. My husband thought I was crazy. I had my husband touch it where I was getting shocked, nothing, I then put my hand on his elbow, I got shocked, but he didnt feel a thing. My current stove, which is only a couple of years old, is showing signs of fading as well. Microwaves are also desposible items for our household. Cell phones, another big issue. In one year, I had my blackberry replaced 4 times, for several different reasons. I don't even customize the settings anymore, takes too long to just replace it again in a few months. My new droid from Verizon is only a month old and about ready to be replaced as it won't charge properly already sighhhh. Basically anything with electronics in it, failes. I can't even wear a watch, hard to tell time when you look down and the arms are spinning uncontrollably.

I don't know if this is the right area to post this or not. I hope someone can offer me some help. I was completly perplexed and thought initially it was an issue with the wiring in our house. But these things only happen when I am around. I will walk up to a ticket counter at an airport, or cashier at a grocery store and the computer will go down or the card slider will stop working. Not all the time, but enough times to know there is a possible connection between me and the electronics.

I would appreciate any help or suggestions anyone has to offer. This is such an expensive problem to have and I need to find a solution. Hummm, maybe I am the reason why my power bill is 2x what it should be.....:covereyes

[Fiona]

You imagine this is unusual? Seems pretty standard for electrical appliances to me

[ConfusedInFl]

It is when everyone else I know has their dishwashers, tv's, washing machines, micros, etc for more than 2 years. So does your watch spin too?

[Fiona]

I don't wear a watch and I have been lucky with my microwave: but generally electrical stuff just sucks. I think it is do to with a mysterious force called profit

[ConfusedInFl]

I wish I could wear a watch, but that's not possible. I am interested to hear if everyone else has the same experience with all electronics that they come into contact with. I am not just talking one or two, but everything I own that is electronic. My list goes on and on, but I think my initial explanation gives a good representation of what goes on.

[dio]

I can't even wear a watch, hard to tell time when you look down and the arms are spinning uncontrollably.


Did this actually happen or it's just an exaggeration?

I honestly think it's a mechanical impossibility.

[ConfusedInFl]

it actually happened. It worked fine initially and then after a period of wearing it (don't remember the time frame, since it has been a few years. If I had to guess I would say +/- 6 months or so) it started showing the incorrect time and then I would catch the arms spinning, not everytime, but often. I don't recall the name of the watch, or brand, but it is one that sets itself with a tower - or something along those lines.

[Stray Cat]

it actually happened. It worked fine initially and then after a period of wearing it (don't remember the time frame, since it has been a few years. If I had to guess I would say +/- 6 months or so) it started showing the incorrect time and then I would catch the arms spinning, not everytime, but often. I don't recall the name of the watch, or brand, but it is one that sets itself with a tower - or something along those lines.
Where is the watch now?
Surely after only 6 months you could have returned it to the shop and had it examined by someone who knew what they were talking about to find out what the problem was?

[Fiona]

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Clocks-Watches-1747/2008/6/hands-spin-wound-1.htm

Not the same kind of watch but maybe this is relevant?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pallet_fork

[ConfusedInFl]

It's in a box somewhere. I did take it in, several times and they checked it out and said it worked fine and they saw no problem with it. So I gave up.

[ConfusedInFl]

That's interesting. I had it checked by a jewler. Would be interesting to dig it up again and see if this is the problem and he missed it. If so, that would explain one watch at least.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

As far as household appliances it could just be a badly regulated electrical power supply problem. The other things do not seem to be beyond the bounds of probability (a proportion of all electrical devices fail and you just have been unlucky statistically).

However, you appear to be in line for a potential $1,000,000 from the James Randi Foundation if you can demonstrate your abilities under controlled conditions. I suggest you investigate the conditions of the Million Dollar Challenge and see how you can qualify.

Good luck.

We're all waiting eagerly to see "Randi's Money" be taken from him. :)

[Xephyr]

Well it's scientific knowledge that we all radiate energy from our bodies... so this isn't necessarily "woo" as some may be suggesting.

Do you have a high metabolism ?
Do you sweat a lot ?

Perhaps you emit more energy than most ?

I don't know much about this stuff, but you may want to google those areas of science and see what you might be able to dig up. And perhaps that same science may even be able to direct you to some sort of resolution.

The trick is : Stick to actual science and stay away from the "woo" crap. If there is actual scientific grounds to some of this, it'll be out there on the net somewhere.

[ConfusedInFl]

Gord,

I had an electrician come out and check my power lines in the house (or whatever it is they do) He said there was nothing for him to repair as everything was reading properly. I told him SOMETHING was wrong and he was here for quite a while checking and double checking, he said all was ok. I think he thought I was a loon. But I have the pile of broken applicances to prove other!!

No clue what Randi's challenge is. Sounds like a fun read, I'll go check it out. Look at it this way, if I did win, I would at least be set with the ability to replace my applicances for quiet a while ;-) I wouldn't refer to what is going as an abilities, more just an expensive experience lol

[ConfusedInFl]

Do you have a high metabolism ?
Do you sweat a lot ?



I used to have a high metabolism, busy life and not eatting more than 1-2 times a day shut that off a long time ago :mad:

I very rarely sweat, if at all.

I have searched and searched on the web, but I don't know what exactly to search for. I stumbled upon the EMF when someone told me about an article of a little boy who the same thing happened to. Everytime he went into class the class computers would act up. The put a grounding device of some sort (in the form of a wrist band and pad) on him when he sat at the computer, that worked. But that wouldnt' work in my case as I affect all electronics in my house that I come into contact with. What they used for him was a stationary device.

[Xephyr]

I used to have a high metabolism, busy life and not eatting more than 1-2 times a day shut that off a long time ago :mad:

I very rarely sweat, if at all.

I have searched and searched on the web, but I don't know what exactly to search for. I stumbled upon the EMF when someone told me about an article of a little boy who the same thing happened to. Everytime he went into class the class computers would act up. The put a grounding device of some sort (in the form of a wrist band and pad) on him when he sat at the computer, that worked. But that wouldnt' work in my case as I affect all electronics in my house that I come into contact with. What they used for him was a stationary device.

No no... forget the EMF stuff.
Just search for "body radiates energy" or something to that effect.

[ConfusedInFl]

Thanks Xephyr, I will go seach and hopefully come up with something.

[Wolrab]

Over this last summer, I had a watch that started acting weird. I checked the time to see how close it was to an ISS flyover and it said it was 10 minutes or so passed. A few minutes later, I saw the time on my other watch (my cell phone) and realized something was up because it read earlier. I just figured I had accidentally pulled out the little adjustment knob (what used to wind watches) so I set it and pushed it back in. When I woke up the next morning, not only was the time wrong, the date was two days ahead.
Since there were no GAY RODEO blimp sightings and my backside wasn't sore I later looked down and saw the hands spinning wildly. That solved the missing time. I had some fun with the watch; showing people how time flew and any other silly joke I could come up with. So there is precedence with watches going haywire.
As for the rest of the things happening to you, maybe you are just the victim of coincidence or you don't remember exactly how long you have owned a particular appliance. These things may be breaking down well within normal limits, but since you
have had issues in the past, everything seems to suffer an untimely demise.

[Ririon]

Cause and effect is not all that straight forward.

I have a friend who was convinced that any watch she owned would be broken within a few weeks. Since they would break anyway, she would not buy an expensive (quality) watch, but rather one of the cheapest ones she could find. These watches would of course be assembled by overworked children somewhere in Asia on a very tight budget. And guess what: In a couple of days or weeks they would break. Spooooky. :rolleyes:

Mind over matter... Indirectly. :)

[dio]

Oh, I just looked a little into self setting watches.
Those adjust themselves at least 1 time a day (some 6 times). So I understand the arms "spinning uncontrollably" especially if the watch is ahead of the real time, since I doubt the mechanism can go backwards. Normal operation?

For the general electrical problems, I have 2 possible explanations:

1. Too much humidity in your house.

2. Harmonics on your power network.
This is a more complicated subject, here is the short version:
large non-linear loads (like big motors controlled by frequency drives, large UPS systems,
data centers, medical equipment, etc...) can corrupt the quality of the power feed.
And of course electric/electronic devices don't like spikes/drops in voltage.

Any plants with big motors or hospitals in your area?

[ConfusedInFl]

Walrob,

I assure you I have the ability to distinguish a 2 weeks time frame. Or in the case of my dishwasher that it was only 2 years old. Or the extended warranty contract (that was taken out for 5 years) that proved the tv was only a few years old before it was replaced. So I can assure you this is not an issue of me loosing track of time.

As for the watch, I do not see the watch as my primary concern, especially from a cost stand point. That was only one example that everyone seems to be hung up on. Fiona gave a possible explanation for the watch. The watch has been put up for years and doesn't effect my life as much as all the other electronics that cease to work after a short period of time. So can we forget about the watch :-)

[jasonpatterson]

If you want to really find out whether you might have something strange going on, you're going to have to keep records. Get a little notebook, and every time you buy anything electrical, write down its name and the date you bought it. When it goes bad, indicate that as well. If you continue doing this, you will see that one of three things is happening.

1) Your electronics are failing after a longer period of time than you think. That is, the 2 month old Blackberry is actually 8 months old (still young to die, but you see where I'm going with this.)

2) You are only noticing the things that fail. This is known as confirmation bias and it's terribly hard to avoid without documentation. When the coffee pot that you bought 10 years ago doesn't fail, you don't notice it. When you buy something and it breaks quickly, you add it to the list of mysterious electronic failures.

3) You really do have an unusual string of electronics failing. This could be bad luck (actually, it almost certainly would be,) it could be something undetected in your environment (not likely, but possible,) or it could be something paranormal (million dollar challenge-worthy, you'd be the very first person to verify such an effect EVER.)

As far as EMF goes, it's not that. As far as your body "radiating energy," it's not that either. Every person does have an EMF and does radiate energy, of a sort, but the EMF levels are not sufficient to begin messing with household electronics. The energy we radiate is heat, and that's about it.

If you search the internet, you'll find thousands upon thousands of people who kill digital watches, or have street lights turn off when they go by, or a bunch of other seemingly strange phenomena. None of them stand up under scrutiny. The thing is, we're really good at picking out patterns in the world, even when they aren't really there...

[ConfusedInFl]

For the general electrical problems, I have 2 possible explanations:

1. Too much humidity in your house.

2. Harmonics on your power network.
This is a more complicated subject, here is the short version:
large non-linear loads (like big motors controlled by frequency drives, large UPS systems,
data centers, medical equipment, etc...) can corrupt the quality of the power feed.
And of course electric/electronic devices don't like spikes/drops in voltage.

Any plants with big motors or hospitals in your area?

1 - We live in Florida, humidity is a huge issue, but we also have centra a/c and, in my opinion, our humidity level is kept comfortable.

2 - I have NO clue what you are saying :confused: you lost me! :boggled:

We live in a residential area. We do have power lines running along one side of our property, but other than that, there is just a grocery store a few blocks away.

[Fiona]

Surely your a/c fails? Or is it not electrical?

[ConfusedInFl]

If you want to really find out whether you might have something strange going on, you're going to have to keep records. Get a little notebook, and every time you buy anything electrical, write down its name and the date you bought it. When it goes bad, indicate that as well. If you continue doing this, you will see that one of three things is happening.

1) Your electronics are failing after a longer period of time than you think. That is, the 2 month old Blackberry is actually 8 months old (still young to die, but you see where I'm going with this.)

2) You are only noticing the things that fail. This is known as confirmation bias and it's terribly hard to avoid without documentation. When the coffee pot that you bought 10 years ago doesn't fail, you don't notice it. When you buy something and it breaks quickly, you add it to the list of mysterious electronic failures.

3) You really do have an unusual string of electronics failing. This could be bad luck (actually, it almost certainly would be,) it could be something undetected in your environment (not likely, but possible,) or it could be something paranormal (million dollar challenge-worthy, you'd be the very first person to verify such an effect EVER.)

As far as EMF goes, it's not that. As far as your body "radiating energy," it's not that either. Every person does have an EMF and does radiate energy, of a sort, but the EMF levels are not sufficient to begin messing with household electronics. The energy we radiate is heat, and that's about it.

If you search the internet, you'll find thousands upon thousands of people who kill digital watches, or have street lights turn off when they go by, or a bunch of other seemingly strange phenomena. None of them stand up under scrutiny. The thing is, we're really good at picking out patterns in the world, even when they aren't really there...

Jason,

There are a small number of electronics that do "survive". Not many, they are either in another room, such as the washer/dryer in the garage, or not touched, such as celing fans - use light switch to turn them off/on, or not used by me, such as dvd player. The items that "die" the quickest seems to be ones that I come in contact with the most - the fridge is still standing it's own. I am surprised, but thankful! Vacuums used to only last a year - max, we put in wood floors a while back and thankfully don't rely on a vacuum any longer. I am certain of the time frame that these items survive. I could understand if I was attempting to recall an item that lasted 10 years as opposed to 15, but we are talking typically withing a 2 year time frame.

When I got my first blackberry. I left the store, plugged it into my car charger, and within 15 minutes it stopped charging, i attribute that to a bad phone. I went right back to the store, replaced it and within one or two weeks I was going back in for another replacement. Then a few months again after that and so on. I may not recall each time exactly what the issue was, but that is not a difficult time frame to recall.

Even if I had an issue recalling how old something is, it is simple to recall living here since 2000 and having to purchase several dishwashers since then, as an example.

I will begin a journal and have records of how long these items last. Then I can be even more frustrated looking at it in writing how quick things are breaking :eye-poppi

[ConfusedInFl]

Fiona,

Like my washer and dryer that have survived, it to is in the garage. That is the best explanation I have why these items have not yet gone.

[TheDaver]

Do you wear a lot of synthetic fabric, I wonder?

[ConfusedInFl]

Do you wear a lot of synthetic fabric, I wonder?

No, can't stand synthetics. Don't have carpets and since we are in Florida, am barefoot most of the time in the house.

[Ducky]

EMF? You're unbelievable.

I will now celebrate that pun with the following video:

K5kr2OBhh4c

[ConfusedInFl]

EMF? You're unbelievable.

waacof2saZw

Why am I unbelievable? Because I have turned to this form searching for help with an issue I am experiencing from those who have knowledge in this area? EMF is the closest explanation I have found for what I am experiencing, if I had the knowledge to know if it was EMF or not, I would have the knowledge to know why what is happening is happening. So your comment was not necessary.

[Ducky]

Why am I unbelievable? Because I have turned to this form searching for help with an issue I am experiencing from those who have knowledge in this area? EMF is the closest explanation I have found for what I am experiencing, if I had the knowledge to know if it was EMF or not, I would have the knowledge to know why what is happening is happening. So your comment was not necessary.

*facepalm*

Watch the video, get a sense of humor.

[Ziggurat]

When I got my first blackberry. I left the store, plugged it into my car charger, and within 15 minutes it stopped charging, i attribute that to a bad phone. I went right back to the store, replaced it and within one or two weeks I was going back in for another replacement. Then a few months again after that and so on. I may not recall each time exactly what the issue was, but that is not a difficult time frame to recall.

Did you leave your blackberry in your car?

It's also possible that you're abusing these items through rough treatment/misuse without really knowing it.

[ConfusedInFl]

*facepalm*

Watch the video, get a sense of humor.

Sorry, Ducky...:blush:

[ConfusedInFl]

Did you leave your blackberry in your car?

It's also possible that you're abusing these items through rough treatment/misuse without really knowing it.


Not without me in the car. Too hot here in Florida to leave anything in the car.

Misuse is always possible, but not happening in my opinion.

[jasonpatterson]

EMF? You're unbelievable.

I will now celebrate that pun with the following video:

K5kr2OBhh4c

Cruel and unusual punishment Ducky...

Jason,

There are a small number of electronics that do "survive". Not many, they are either in another room, such as the washer/dryer in the garage, or not touched, such as celing fans - use light switch to turn them off/on, or not used by me, such as dvd player. The items that "die" the quickest seems to be ones that I come in contact with the most - the fridge is still standing it's own. I am surprised, but thankful! Vacuums used to only last a year - max, we put in wood floors a while back and thankfully don't rely on a vacuum any longer. I am certain of the time frame that these items survive. I could understand if I was attempting to recall an item that lasted 10 years as opposed to 15, but we are talking typically withing a 2 year time frame.


If this is the case, that is, that objects in your home that you do not interact with directly or regularly tend to survive, why would objects in homes you visit be affected? This seems very very likely to be a great example of confirmation bias. ("Oh, Jane's in the house, she killed the microwave.")


I will begin a journal and have records of how long these items last. Then I can be even more frustrated looking at it in writing how quick things are breaking :eye-poppi

If you do start a journal, be sure to record any purchase that you would consider evidence for this. By this I mean that it wouldn't be proper to write down all of the electronics that you've bought, then find that you had batteries that died well ahead of time and go back to add them to the list after the fact. If you want to keep a good record of it, you'll probably have to simply excuse anything that isn't recorded at the time of purchase (otherwise, again you'd only be recording the hits and not the misses.)

As for the time frame, I'm not saying that you're forgetting the obvious examples like the 15 minute Blackberry death. Instead I mean that perhaps your watch lasted longer than you think, or that the toaster that died a couple of months after you bought it really lasted closer to a year. People aren't as good at remembering details like time as they tend to think they are, thus the documentation.

I know it is true for myself and I suspect for the majority of other forum posters that we would LOVE to see something like what you're describing turn out to be a real, observable phenomenon. It could have the potential to open up new areas of scientific study leading who knows where. The problem is that an awful lot of people come here asking questions very like yours, and not one of them winds up having a problem that is unexplainable in terms of what we know about the world. Again, if that person did, or if there was a person anywhere on the planet who could demonstrate such an affliction in a controlled environment, there are a million dollars sitting in an account simply waiting to be given to them.

Another possibility with the consumer electronics:
Are you the sort of person who goes out to buy some items when they are first released? (Like the Blackberry, I mean.) If so, when new versions of things are first released, there is often an unusually high failure rate due to poor testing and construction on the first batches to come out of the factory. Over times these tend to be corrected (at least by reputable companies) and later production runs are more reliable.

Another possibility:
With all due respect, are you a cheapskate? :) Aside from the Blackberry example, are you buying the cheapest stuff you can get your hands on? It's often much more poorly made and fails more quickly than you'd think it would (or even could...) If you buy a Kitchenaid mixer and it fails in a month, that's somewhat remarkable, as they are known for their reliability and durability. If you buy a Black and Decker mixer and it fails in a month, it's not as remarkable, as they are not known to be either particularly durable or reliable. If you buy a $9 Bubba-co-tronics mixer and it fails in a month, you probably got what you paid for. You can rationalize cheap purchases with "It's going to fail because of me, so there's no use in buying the good stuff."

Start using the DVD player. See if it lives. They're pretty cheap and it would make a decent test. If it dies, replace it and keep using it. (One sudden death doesn't mean much of anything, unfortunately...)

[ConfusedInFl]

Cruel and unusual punishment Ducky...



If this is the case, that is, that objects in your home that you do not interact with directly or regularly tend to survive, why would objects in homes you visit be affected? This seems very very likely to be a great example of confirmation bias. ("Oh, Jane's in the house, she killed the microwave.")

I agree with you on that....

If you do start a journal, be sure to record any purchase that you would consider evidence for this. By this I mean that it wouldn't be proper to write down all of the electronics that you've bought, then find that you had batteries that died well ahead of time and go back to add them to the list after the fact. If you want to keep a good record of it, you'll probably have to simply excuse anything that isn't recorded at the time of purchase (otherwise, again you'd only be recording the hits and not the misses.)


As for the time frame, I'm not saying that you're forgetting the obvious examples like the 15 minute Blackberry death. Instead I mean that perhaps your watch lasted longer than you think, or that the toaster that died a couple of months after you bought it really lasted closer to a year. People aren't as good at remembering details like time as they tend to think they are, thus the documentation.

I am certain that my toasters died quickly, but even it if I was incorrect and it did last a year, in my opinion, they should last longer than that. Or am I expecting too much?

I know it is true for myself and I suspect for the majority of other forum posters that we would LOVE to see something like what you're describing turn out to be a real, observable phenomenon. It could have the potential to open up new areas of scientific study leading who knows where. The problem is that an awful lot of people come here asking questions very like yours, and not one of them winds up having a problem that is unexplainable in terms of what we know about the world. Again, if that person did, or if there was a person anywhere on the planet who could demonstrate such an affliction in a controlled environment, there are a million dollars sitting in an account simply waiting to be given to them.

I don't personally see this as a phenomenon. I honestly think my body is putting "something" out that affects the functionality of electronics. I just need to figure out what this "something" is. I don't know how what is happening could be demonstrated in a controlled enviroment. If it could, I would be game to try it to see if I am crazy :scared: I read the million dollar challenge, and if I am understanding it, I would have to have had what is happening "published" somehow, either in writing or on tv for example. Which hasn't happened, so I don't qualify. Or did I misread? Not really looking to challenge what is happening, just want things to stop breaking!

Another possibility with the consumer electronics:
Are you the sort of person who goes out to buy some items when they are first released? (Like the Blackberry, I mean.) If so, when new versions of things are first released, there is often an unusually high failure rate due to poor testing and construction on the first batches to come out of the factory. Over times these tend to be corrected (at least by reputable companies) and later production runs are more reliable.

I shy away from new things more so than not. ie windows Vista :eye-poppi I also do research and check reviews before buying a new electronic/appliance

Another possibility:
With all due respect, are you a cheapskate? :) Aside from the Blackberry example, are you buying the cheapest stuff you can get your hands on? It's often much more poorly made and fails more quickly than you'd think it would (or even could...) If you buy a Kitchenaid mixer and it fails in a month, that's somewhat remarkable, as they are known for their reliability and durability. If you buy a Black and Decker mixer and it fails in a month, it's not as remarkable, as they are not known to be either particularly durable or reliable. If you buy a $9 Bubba-co-tronics mixer and it fails in a month, you probably got what you paid for. You can rationalize cheap purchases with "It's going to fail because of me, so there's no use in buying the good stuff."

Fair enough question. I have learned long ago to say away from "Bubba-co-tronics". My belief is you get what you pay for. As stated above, I check reviews and ratings to hope to purchase a product that will last. Actually, the toaster I now have, that has lasted longer than usual! Is a spin off cheapo (go figure) that I received from a family member as a Christmas gift. I am known for my toaster deaths. The heating elements are starting to fail, but it has beaten the odds compared to my other "higher end" toasters. Maybe I need to change my thinking and give the "bubba-co-tronics" another go :D

Start using the DVD player. See if it lives. They're pretty cheap and it would make a decent test. If it dies, replace it and keep using it. (One sudden death doesn't mean much of anything, unfortunately...)

I will see if I can figure out the dvd player lol I will ask my kids to show me. I am somewhat electronically challanged and don't know how to switch the tv to get the thing to work... too many buttons to push. :blush:

[Wolrab]

Companies do failure analysis on there products. These are represented on a bell curve and the warranty is definitely based on an amount of time such that the company will not lose money over the long run. These failures would include outliers of products that last a longer time than usual and a shorter time than usual (half of anything is below average!).
There are over six billion people in the world. Some one somewhere is bound to have the misfortune of being the one that has a larger percentage of the shorter outliers.
Perhaps you are that unfortunate one? :)

[Eos of the Eons]

ZOMIGOD, my new expensive fancy Kenmore microwave only lasted a year, but my cheap one lasted 5. I have some effect on expensive microwaves!!

Dude, electronics choke. Maybe from overuse, or some manufacturing fail or lack of upkeep. Unless you know all the variables, then thinking you have some personal thing going on is quite a stretch. There's nothing physiologically about any human that can effect electronics. Consider one of the three options already mentioned in the second sentence of this paragraph?

[TheDaver]

I am somewhat electronically challanged
Well that could explain a few things. How would you know you’re not abusing something if you don’t know how to use it?

[wardenclyffe]

ConfusedInFl,

There are two different paranormal prizes for which you can apply in Florida. One is JREF's Million Dollar Challenge which you can read all about here at the JREF website. The other is the Tampa Bay Skeptics who offer $1000, but their test probably does not have all the same prerequisites that the MDC does. However, if you take their $1000, you will probably get all the prerequisites you need to go for the million. The Tampa Bay Skeptics website is: http://www.tampabayskeptics.org/challenges.html

If you are just interested in having a skeptical investigation of your situation (instead of going for the money), you can probably find a local skeptical organization that would be willing to do an onsite investigation at your home. They might be able to help answer your questions.

Good Luck,
Ward

[Pup]

The quickest way to investigate this would be to find something that's consistently reproduceable, within a short time frame. Otherwise, as everyone has said, it comes down to probabilities and bell curves, with all the problems of confirmation bias, etc.

Can you think of anything that happens reliably, like 70% or 80% of the time, almost immediately? Like, whenever I do X, Y stops working. Or whenever I touch X, it sparks, but it doesn't spark for anyone else. Or anything like that?

I'm wondering about the following:

and then when I would touch the stove, only I would get shocked. My husband thought I was crazy. I had my husband touch it where I was getting shocked, nothing, I then put my hand on his elbow, I got shocked, but he didnt feel a thing.

I don't know enough about electricity to even guess what would cause that, but are there any things where this happens consistently? Somebody on this thread surely could suggest how to test what was going on with a meter of some sort.

I will walk up to a ticket counter at an airport, or cashier at a grocery store and the computer will go down or the card slider will stop working. Not all the time, but enough times to know there is a possible connection between me and the electronics.

Does it happen enough that it could be tested in a few hours? Even one out of ten times when you get X number of feet from a credit card slider, it won't read a card? That would be testable, since it could be compared to how often it quits working when you're not within X number of feet, and it wouldn't be hard to swipe the same card a hundred or more times in a few hours of testing.

[sailingsoul]

I am electronic technician and things break for me to, like with you. Most items I buy don't last many years, I never think twice about it. I have said "One doesn't really buy anything. You pay a rental fee for an item, when the rental time is up, it breaks". :) I'm on my third laptop, not one lasted more than 2 years. This one arrived with a problem, that as fixed an now the keyboard has issues. Sometimes I can fix them and the cause is cheap assembly. The watch hands spinning wildly?? Strange that's a mechanical item. Did you shower or swim with it? They quit calling watches water proof, now there called water resistant. Just like with people, sooner or later it's time to go. Nothing lasts for ever. With me things beak all the time, I think it's normal. SS

[Michael Mozina]

As far as household appliances it could just be a badly regulated electrical power supply problem.

That was my first thought as well. Where do you live? Is it rural or in a city?

[Pup]

Nothing lasts for ever. With me things beak all the time, I think it's normal.

That's a good point. One's perception of "normal" can be biased. I had a computer that lasted twelve years, used every day. It finally got struck by lightning twice in a week and blew out the modem both times. It still worked fine, just wouldn't go online.

I decided it was time to get a new computer anyway after twelve years, but my concept of "normal" is that computers are like refrigerators--they last almost forever.

My wife, on the other hand, kept getting lousy computers, that would break down every couple of years and need major repairs or replaced. We thought she was just unlucky, but now I'm wondering if I was just lucky.

[Fiona]

I also think this is perfectly normal. I note that essential stuff that really annoys people when it breaks tends not to: fridge, for example. We have been making those a long time and they really do need to be reliable: so they are, mostly. Things that are newer, like computers, break all the time as do dishwashers. Things that are cheaper per unit, like toasters, break regularly too.

Like furniture, I do not think most things are built to last the way they once were: that is why we can afford them, really. Nothing mysterious here that I can see: just profit at work.

[Brian-M]

I can't even wear a watch, hard to tell time when you look down and the arms are spinning uncontrollably.


Just out of curiosity, do you have trouble with wind-up watches too?

Well it's scientific knowledge that we all radiate energy from our bodies... so this isn't necessarily "woo" as some may be suggesting.


Most of the energy the human body radiates is thermal energy... in other words, heat. A tiny amount of electromagnetic radiation is also produced, but nothing that could interfere with electrical appliances. A computer probably produces millions of times the amount of electromagnetic radiation than the human body is capable of.

Imagine... exactly what level of electromagnetic radiation would be needed to cause toasters to burn out and elements and light-bulbs to blow in ovens? These things aren't sensitive electronics... you couldn't build an electromagnetic-pulse weapon powerful enough to damage them, so how could electromagnetic radiation from a person be responsible?

If a human body was producing this much electromagnetic radiation, it wouldn't only be affecting devices near this person. Cell-phones and computers would burn out instantly for miles around... whole cities would be affected.

I think the problem probably lies in a combination of the following:


Electrical supply being too high in the area at certain times of the day. This isn't an uncommon problem, and isn't due to faulty wiring so there's not much an electrician could do to fix it.
Unintentional damage to portable devices through static electricity, mishandling, bumps and strong vibration.
Pure chance... appliances do break down, sometimes shortly after purchase. Statistically, some people are likely to get far, far more than their share of defective devices.

[LTC8K6]

Toasters do not last a very long time, the elements burn out, typically within a few months they starts to fade and are toast (no pun intended) within 6-12 months.

The heating elements in a toaster would not fade. They'd either work or not. It would take a lot of energy from you to burn out a heating element wire.

[Ririon]

and then when I would touch the stove, only I would get shocked. My husband thought I was crazy. I had my husband touch it where I was getting shocked, nothing, I then put my hand on his elbow, I got shocked, but he didnt feel a thing.
I think there are several phenomena here conspiring to make things difficult for ConfusedInFl, but this seems significant. Electronics really do dislike electrostatic discharge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_discharge). And it is entirely possible that the buildup of static electricity is different for different people in the same environment. So this could actually explain that electronics touched by her breaks more often than the norm.

So what would cause extra buildup of static electricity? Shuffling walk? Dry skin? Electrically insulating footwear? Maybe there could actually be some helpful advice in this somewhere?

[MRC_Hans]

I found JREF on the web when searching for information relating to EMF. I was hoping someone here may beable to shed some light on what is going on. I don't know if it is an EMF or something else.

EMF is a well understood phenomenon.


A "little" about me and what is going on. For years now, electronics do not do well in my presence. I burn out laptops and cpu's, within a 2 year period I am replacing them.
[/QUOTE]

Of maybe you just mess them up with inccorect use.

[QUOTE]
They just stop working. Before they completly stop, when they first start acting up, if I trade my laptop with my husband for a few days, it will begin to work fine again and then the one I am using will start to act up. So it's a constant computer shuffle.


See? Unlike living beings, computers and other electronics don't have any capacity for self-healing. If you damage a computer, it stays damaged.

However, if you mess it up using it in strange ways, and somebody comes along and cleans it up, it will get better.

Toasters do not last a very long time, the elements burn out, typically within a few months they starts to fade and are toast (no pun intended) within 6-12 months.

What do you use a toaster for? You know, a toaster is not much more complicated than a screwdriver, but if you treat it hard in some way, you can kill it. Moving it around while its hot is a good way to start.

I just purchased another dishwasher, lost count, it's the 3rd or 4th in the past 10 years! This one lasted 2 years before the electronic panel stopped working completely. A while back certain buttons stopped working. TV's - forget it! They also only last a couple of years. I was actually able to get the company who holds the extended warranty to give me a new replacement after 5 repairs in a 2-3 years.

Are you buying cheapo models because you don't espext them to last anyway?

These included bulbs blowing, other electronic parts burning out, etc.

Bulbs? There are no bulbs in TV sets.


I don't know if this is the right area to post this or not. I hope someone can offer me some help. I was completly perplexed and thought initially it was an issue with the wiring in our house. But these things only happen when I am around. I will walk up to a ticket counter at an airport, or cashier at a grocery store and the computer will go down or the card slider will stop working. Not all the time, but enough times to know there is a possible connection between me and the electronics.

I would appreciate any help or suggestions anyone has to offer. This is such an expensive problem to have and I need to find a solution. Hummm, maybe I am the reason why my power bill is 2x what it should be.....:covereyes

I'm sorry, but what you say is impossible. You may be rough on stuff, I used to kill watches myself, but there is no technical thing that can cause this.

My guess is a combination of, well, sorry but clumsiness, buying poor quality, and last, but not least, confirmation bias. You remember all the stuff that went wrong, but I'm sure you have some stuff that keeps working. If only because you don't even know there is electronics inside (there is in nearly anything these days).

Hans

[MRC_Hans]

I think there are several phenomena here conspiring to make things difficult for ConfusedInFl, but this seems significant. Electronics really do dislike electrostatic discharge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_discharge). And it is entirely possible that the buildup of static electricity is different for different people in the same environment. So this could actually explain that electronics touched by her breaks more often than the norm.

So what would cause extra buildup of static electricity? Shuffling walk? Dry skin? Electrically insulating footwear? Maybe there could actually be some helpful advice in this somewhere?Dry skin, choice of frabric for clothes, but most "staic people" are no more elctric than others, they are just more sensitive to the shockes they get from it.

Normal household appliances/electronics are very robust against static.

Hans

[MichaelN]

I'm guessing this is intermittent use of industrial machinery in the vicinity of your house, as dio suggested. Just because the electrician didn't find anything doesn't mean there aren't periods where there are surges or spikes on the power line.

I suggest you talk to a few of your neighbors to see if they have similar issues. If so, you should look at getting a company to install monitoring equipment to monitor the power over a period of days or weeks to check for spikes & surges. You may be able to claim loss against the power company if this turns out to be the case. Also, I suggest you have the electrician install a surge / spike protector in your power distribution box.

[Ririon]

Normal household appliances/electronics are very robust against static.

Thankfully. I have zapped my cellphone several times this winter and it works perfectly. Actually, all my previous phones have died "natural" deaths from blunt force trauma and drowning after working for many years. :) I am not saying this is THE explanation, but it could be a contributing factor.

[Andrew Wiggin]

I once had a citizen watch with lots of extra dials. It had a function where pushing down one of the several buttons would retract the hands on the main face, so that you could better see all the other dials. This would make the hands swing wildly for a moment. The problem I had with it was that this would happen accidentally, and if the hands were left retracted for more than a few moments, they wouldn't always go back to the correct time when the button was pressed again. It also had a function to change timezones, based on inputting airport codes, and this would occasionally activate randomly. I had it checked by several jewelers, cleaned, given new batteries, and factory serviced twice, with no improvement and no one being able to definitely find anything wrong with it. I just chalked it up to being a modern and somewhat untested blend of hardware and software, as it obviously was more servomotor than spring and escapement based. I actually kept wearing it for a while longer than I might have, as it had a slide rule around the bezel with some handy airspeed and fuel consumption calculations premarked.

Do I think that makes me somehow electrically mysterious? Um... Magic eight ball says NO.

My favorite watches have been mostly or completely mechanical. I still have my favorite somewhere, in need of service it'll never get due to lack of parts and jewelers to work on it. It's an Accutron, one of the tuning fork based mechanisms. It was rather accurate for a mechanical (ok, not purely mechanical. It had a battery, a transistor or two, and a coil of wire). Mostly I just enjoyed putting it up to my ear and hearing it hum rather than tick.

A

[sailingsoul]

Confused! If you don't find some insight into what your dealing with here it won't be from lack of feedback. I had to smile when you wrote that the electrician you called looked at you like you were crazy. I suspect that it was not from hearing your puzzlement and list of electronic failures but your asking if it could be from you, possibly EMF. Unless your making this up, which I doubt, your opening inquiry about EMF is not what is going on here. You are being a scientists. A scientist makes observations about some mystery, and inquires into what is at the bottom of it. They work to explain just what is going on, with some mystery. I commend you. I like your saying that you ill start keeping a log. Maybe you could keep it here. That said, may I give you a sample as to what I have experienced.
I have on more than one occasion replace a bad bulb only to have the new one flash and burn out as soon as it's turned on. Under 3 years ago I bought an electronic digital scale that weighed in 100ths of a gram, up 999.99 grams (that's 2.23bs). The kind that one uses for light postal needs. I also got a digital caliper, both were $10 each from harbor freight. I bought them because for what they did, they were very cheap. Mostly they just stayed in their box. They both never saw 3 years, both stopped working in spite of very little use, when they were used. I changed the batteries but it was no help. At that price and with what I make per hour, it isn't worth opening them to try to fix them, even if I can obtain the defective part/s. I just threw them away. The way they make the switches are a joke compared to how they were made in the 60's and 70's....
Who here hasn't had a remote that works flaky? Universal remotes are cheap to replace. How long long should we expect then to last? As cheap as they are.

Erroneous perception?
I have heard that studies of police logs in different cities and in different countries show that there really aren't more "lunatics" out on full moons making problems, but that there are just as many or few out even when there isn't a full moon. I know of no studies that show a statistical difference that the moon affect's behavior, which have been duplicated. Just like with cold readings, the events are remembered more, than when there are none, supporting perceived belief that during a full moon there are more wack-a-loons about and more arrests are made. So much for astrology, wolfmen and wolfwomen. However when it comes to there being wolfwomen out there, I'm still looking for them and want to meet one. Like your thinking that EMF is coming from you and blowing out electronics. That is not possible in the universe I know and understand and I've been an electronic technician since 1972.

Do you have a smoke detector or two in your home? Are they as short lived as other electrical items in your life? They tend to be very long lived. If something about you was the cause of all your examples, they would be affected too. Yes, I have seen them fail but rarely.

I one bought a home in 1986 that as built in 1951. One of the first things I did was put in GFI's outlet's in the kitchen and baths, 4 outlets in all. In under 7 months every one failed and was replaced. The replacements worked until I sold that house, 5 years later. At first I thought that it was the power company, with Florida being a very high lightening region. When the new one's worked so long, I figured there could have been a bad run in the factory where they test good at the plant but were short lived. Possibly a marginal component, we will never know. When we don't understand the true cause, we can start to think wildly, trying to come up with an explanation. I'm just trying to show you that when it happens to me, I'm not thinking "I" am the cause via some unknown force, or that I'm jinxed, like your asking or wondering. Are you emitting EMF that causes this? No, your not. As stated prior, your body is not and can not emit EMF strong enough to damage electronics as you've described.
Do you have smoke detectors in your home? They tend to be very long lived. If something unknown was the cause of all your examples, they would be affected too. Yes, I have seen them fail too but rarely.

I once bought a home in 1986 that as built in 1951, in Fl. One of the first things I did was put in GFI's outlet's in the kitchen and baths, 4 in all. In under 7 months every one failed an was replaced. The replacements worked until I sold that house, 5 years later. At first I thought that it was the power company, with Florida being a very high lighting region. When the new one's worked so long, I figured there could have been a bad run in the factory where they test good at the plant but were short lived. Possibly a marginal component, we will never know. When we don't understand the true cause, we can start to think wildly, trying to come up with an explanation. I'm just trying to show you that when it happens to me, I'm not thinking "I" am the cause via some unknown force, or that I'm jinxed, like your asking or wondering. Are you emitting EMF that causes this? No your not. As stated by another, your body can not emit EMF strong enough to damage electronics as you've described. I am sure of that. SS

[Furcifer]

I'm guessing this is intermittent use of industrial machinery in the vicinity of your house, as dio suggested. Just because the electrician didn't find anything doesn't mean there aren't periods where there are surges or spikes on the power line.

I suggest you talk to a few of your neighbors to see if they have similar issues. If so, you should look at getting a company to install monitoring equipment to monitor the power over a period of days or weeks to check for spikes & surges. You may be able to claim loss against the power company if this turns out to be the case. Also, I suggest you have the electrician install a surge / spike protector in your power distribution box.

From what she's described I doubt it's a nearby 3-phase. It's much more likely to be a bad transformer. I moved into a new building and noticed I was burning out light bulbs. A few months later I noticed one of the temporary transformer trailers parked in the alley. Since it's been changed I haven't burned out a single bulb.

Aside from that I think you are entirely correct. She needs to notify the utilities company and have them install monitors to detect the peaks in the voltage causing her problems.

The rest of her problems are most likely due to heightened awareness. There is absolutely no way the human body can produce enough EMF to interfere with electronics.

[kalen]

Food might be a common element.

The stove, microwave, fridge, and toaster getting more than average use.

The computer, cell phone malfunctioning from spilled beverages, crumbs, rib sauce and sticky fingers.

Just a thought.

[MichaelN]

There is absolutely no way the human body can produce enough EMF to interfere with electronics.

Not true. Electronics equipment should be designed such that it can handle static discharge in normal situations, but it not all equipment is well designed, and in some situations static electricity can be particularly bad. At work, I seem to generate a lot of static electricity - I often get 1/2" sparks when I stand up and touch nearby metal. Perhaps it is a combination of my chair, well insulated shoes and synthetic-blend clothes that I wear.

[Brian-M]

There is absolutely no way the human body can produce enough EMF to interfere with electronics.
Not true. Electronics equipment should be designed such that it can handle static discharge in normal situations, but it not all equipment is well designed, and in some situations static electricity can be particularly bad.


Technically, that's Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), not Electromagnetic Field (EMF). ;)

[jsfisher]

Technically, that's Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), not Electromagnetic Field (EMF). ;)

I think in the context of this thread, EMF refers to electromotive force.

[IXP]

When I got my first blackberry. I left the store, plugged it into my car charger, and within 15 minutes it stopped charging, i attribute that to a bad phone.
Why would you think this is abnormal? If the phone was already nearly charged, it should stop charging after a short period of time.

IXP

[gfunkusarelius]

I think there are several phenomena here conspiring to make things difficult for ConfusedInFl, but this seems significant. Electronics really do dislike electrostatic discharge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_discharge). And it is entirely possible that the buildup of static electricity is different for different people in the same environment. So this could actually explain that electronics touched by her breaks more often than the norm.

yeah, my boss blew out multiple laptops because he tended to have a combination of offending habits that would cause him to build up a lot of static electricity. it was usually pretty obvious when he "zapped" something, but keep in mind, electronics can be so complex now that you can actually damage something like a computer and not have it totally fail for quite a while. when i worked in electronics repair, one of the issues we had was people would would handle PCBs without proper grounding and tho things would work when they left our facilities, they could fail later due to very minute damage.

[kmortis]

I think in the context of this thread, EMF refers to electromotive force.
No, from reading it, it's neither electromotive force nor electromagnetic field but rather EMI (electromagnetic interference aka RFI, Radio Frequency Interference). Of course, as has been pointed out, the human body does not build a steady state field to cause harm to electronics. Yes, it can build one hell of a transient (ala ESD) but that's a horse of a different color and I'd hope that ConfusedinFL would notice a huge spark (and the corresponding pain) when she touched the soon-to-be-dead electronics. Of course, if it WAS ESD that killed the computer star, then handing it to her husband wouldn't fix it, electronics that are ESDed to death stay dead.

I may have misread, but I think you mentioned power lines near your house? Unless they are the HV variety (tall, metallic towers and THICK cables) and have not been maintained properly (most electric companies try to maintain them as losses mean money) they they are probably not a contributing factor. And if they were, self-healing would not occur as the electronics were not removed from the field.

A bad transformer that causing power surges could do it, but wouldn't effect your watches.

The food theory works for everything but the watches. Maybe is a combination of food and buying cheap watches?

[Dorian Gray]

This thread is unbelievable.