Immune to electrocution??

[KEROUAC]

I remember when I was a kid my parents telling me about a couple visiting our house who by pure coincidence had the same surname as our family - and it is a fairly unusual surname. During the conversation and I know it's not something that normally comes up in conversation but the man mentioned he was immune to electricity.

To demonstrate he then proceeded to stick his fingers in the light socket with no apparent effect to him.

Is this possible? How can someone be immune to electrocution?

 

[marmer]

I work with a guy who went to TV repair school right out of high school and he said some of the older techs there had built up a mild tolerance for current. They enjoyed tricking the newbies by touching something energized and then telling them "Go ahead and touch it. It's not hot!" That's the only thing like that I've ever heard of.

 

[Schuyler]

Anyone can handle a shock from an outlet. In fact, there are amusement parlor machines that will shock you to 'test your mettle.' Has anyone NOT stuck a pair of scissors in an outlet? But if you stuck this guy in a bathtub full of water and threw in a live toaster I guarantee he would not be 'immune.' Sounds like a silly parlor trick.

 

[thefoundryman]

He's only receiving a mild shock, 110 volts-120 volts on a low amperage wall socket, like say, 15 amps, maybe 30. I got a wicked 50amp shock one time from an industrial dishwasher, I screamed OW loud enough or so I thought, that I could only be heard in the dishroom, but as it turns out I was yelling at the top of my lungs for a sustained 10 seconds. To me it seemed like one second later, and half of the restaurant staff was standing around asking if I was OK.

I guess it's harder to your brain to form memory whilst being juiced with heavy amp current.

 

[Ron Collins]

I just want to know how he got his fingers in those tiny little slits....

 

[Ian]

The amount of current required to kill is only a tiny fraction of an amp; 50mA (0.05 amp) can stop the heart if the shock is across the chest - from one arm to the other - the most dangerous. This is EASILY provided by a 110 volt outlet.

The higher the voltage the more easily it can push a dangerous current through the body.

It also depends upon the surface moisture at the points of contact. For example, 100 volts could give a painful (though not necessarily fatal) shock to one person if they touched a live wire with a sweaty hand, and another person with a very dry hand may feel almost nothing.

Touching a 110-volt live bare wire with one hand while standing on a dry carpet in thick-soled shoes probably won't kill you either, but it's not a pleasant experience.

I saw a TV show describing some chap who claimed to be immune to electric shocks. It turns out he had a higher pain threshold than most people and had dry skin. Normal in every other way. Guess he was also lucky not to go just a bit too far in showing off his abilities!

Regards,

Ian

 

[pixelsmith]

i am quite the opposite. i swear a dead battery will arch right to my jugular.
in 2000 i was struck by lightning that came up through the ground and exited out my left hand into my car that i was touching. it threw me to the ground and my arm convulsed for about 15 minutes. i still have nerve damage, my left wrist is numb and i get a "lightning rash" on my forearm when a storm is approaching.

 

[Schuyler]

i get a "lightning rash" on my forearm when a storm is approaching.

That part is kinda creepy. I broke my upper arm many years ago (as an adult), busted the bone right in two. Took two solid years to get my range & motion back to normal. I get a tweak when the weather changes toward a storm. Doesn't really hurt, but I definitely feel it.

 

[KEROUAC]

I just want to know how he got his fingers in those tiny little slits....

RonCollins it was the ceiling socket where you insert a lightbulb.