Human-Superconductors?

[maxpayne_lhp]

Well, I've heard about some people who can let electricity flows through their bodies without any serious damage. Is there any sciebtific reason or theory for this? Is that the resistance f them 0 or nearly so?
What do you think?

[Galileo]

The amount of current you can withstand depends on a lot of factors, but generally a current of 0.07 A through your chest (across the heart) can kill you (or at least stop the heart rhythm). A small amount of electricity through your brain can kill you.
A current through one hand (from your thumb to your pinky for example) is less dangerous. Your hand may burn, but you'll live.

Some people can take more than others. The particular physiology is also important. I don't think many people will survive much more than 0.07 A from one arm to the other though, although it may be possible to physically increase the resistance of your body. There are all kinds of things the human body is capable of which we don't know yet.

[Gokul43201]

Based on current understanding of superconductivity, it is virtually impossible that certain human bodies have superconductive tissue.

[rachmaninoff]

Based on current understanding of superconductivity, it is virtually impossible that certain human bodies have superconductive tissue.

Is that a pun?

[Nenad]

why is that a pun. There is a difference between superconductors and conductors. Conductors still allow the flow of an ellectric current but they do have a resistance, while a superconductor has 0 resistance. The human body is NOT and superconductor.

Regards,

Nenad

[ZapperZ]

why is that a pun. There is a difference between superconductors and conductors. Conductors still allow the flow of an ellectric current but they do have a resistance, while a superconductor has 0 resistance. The human body is NOT and superconductor.

Regards,

Nenad

Nenad, Gokul said "Based on CURRENT understanding...."

Get it? Oh, never mind. It never is as funny when it has to be explained. :)

Zz.

[Nenad]

well, if you think about it, there are elements in the human body that can act as superonductors but they would have to be super cooled first. I meant that at room temperature, this would be highly unlikely that there would be any kind of tissue in the human body that is superconductive. Wouldn't you agree Zapper?

Regards,

Nenad

[ZapperZ]

well, if you think about it, there are elements in the human body that can act as superonductors but they would have to be super cooled first. I meant that at room temperature, this would be highly unlikely that there would be any kind of tissue in the human body that is superconductive. Wouldn't you agree Zapper?

Regards,

Nenad

Elements, by themselves, do not make a superconductor. 12 atoms of Pb attached somewhere cannot form a superconductor. This is because superconductivity is a collective phenomenon. As far as I am aware of, no experimental results has ever been done on human body parts, tissues, etc. to see if they undergo such transition. One needs to keep in mind that it is quite easy to destroy superconductivity as far as the quality of the material is concerned.

Furthermore, I think the original question isn't asking the case when a human being has been cooled down sufficiently that various parts that can become superconducting, has done so (if there are any). So it is not only inaccurate, but totally wrong, to think that just because a human body can pass some amount of current without apparent damage, that we can superconduct.

Zz.

[Sariaht]

So does people that are superconducting are extremely dead, sort of, yes?

[ZapperZ]

So does people that are superconducting are extremely dead, sort of, yes?

You have already made the assumptions that there ARE superconducting parts in a human body. As I have mentioned above, I have seen no such indications.

Zz.

[Creator]

So does people that are superconducting are extremely dead, sort of, yes?

He, he; Well, that depends on what they died of. If it was lead poisoning then there may be a finite possibility of acquiring a superconducting signal from certain body parts, :tongue2: :rofl: It would give new meaning to the term 'organic' superconductor . :biggrin:

[maxpayne_lhp]

So why there're ppl who can let the electricity flow thru them while others can't?

[cronxeh]

Zz, I never thought Physics could be this fun :rofl:

[ZapperZ]

Zz, I never thought Physics could be this fun :rofl:

.... or this silly! :)

Zz.

[rachmaninoff]

Perhaps what you're thinking of is that the 'internal' resistance (to abuse that phrase) of humans is very low, because of all the conducting ions? I know the skin has very high resistance, but if you stab someone with electrified needles (or voltmeter probes) they conduct very well. My physics professor admits he tried this on himself in grad school, with a DC power supply. :rofl:

(insert disclaimer here)

[Gokul43201]

Perhaps what you're thinking of is that the 'internal' resistance (to abuse that phrase) of humans is very low, because of all the conducting ions? I know the skin has very high resistance, but if you stab someone with electrified needles (or voltmeter probes) they conduct very well. My physics professor admits he tried this on himself in grad school, with a DC power supply. :rofl:

(insert disclaimer here)But why a DC supply ?? :yuck:

Everyone knows you need to use AC to accurately determine the conductivity of an electrolyte. :rolleyes:

[ZapperZ]

Perhaps what you're thinking of is that the 'internal' resistance (to abuse that phrase) of humans is very low, because of all the conducting ions? I know the skin has very high resistance, but if you stab someone with electrified needles (or voltmeter probes) they conduct very well. My physics professor admits he tried this on himself in grad school, with a DC power supply. :rofl:

(insert disclaimer here)

I don't know what the "internal resistance" of a human being is. But if I were to make a wild stab at it <smacks himself silly for that pun>, I would guess that it is still NOT as low as the resistivity of Cu or Au at room temperature. This, certainly, can't qualify it being anywhere near a superconductor.

Zz.

[Danger]

Hi folks;
May I suggest here that some people have a higher skin conductivity than others, primarily due to their state of hydration, electrolyte balance, etc.. This will allow current to flow around them rather than through them, thus effectively insulating their innnards. The same sort of thing applies to vehicles, which is why staying in your car is a good idea in a lightning storm. (Tires do conduct enough when they're wet.)

[Gokul43201]

I don't know what the "internal resistance" of a human being is. But if I were to make a wild stab at it <smacks himself silly for that pun>, I would guess that it is still NOT as low as the resistivity of Cu or Au at room temperature. This, certainly, can't qualify it being anywhere near a superconductor.

Zz.
From palm to palm, I'm a few hundreds of k-ohms; way bigger than if I were made of Cu or Au....but perhaps I'm just above my Tc :wink:

[binarybob0001]

There are no super conductive people, end of story. Superconductivity occurs under very special circumstances. Skin and blood do not have ability to suddenly drop to a zero resistance. The simplest reson is water.

[Beyond-Numbers]

He, he; Well, that depends on what they died of. If it was lead poisoning then there may be a finite possibility of acquiring a superconducting signal from certain body parts, It would give new meaning to the term 'organic' superconductor .
That dead human would have to have a lot of iron "in his diet" and be under 2 kelvins and under very high pressure (15 gigapascals - 10,000+ atmospheres). Brrrrrr..... It all comes down to iron's structure. Iron has a body-centred cubic structure under ambient conditions, which gives rise to its ferromagnetism. Under high pressures, however, it transforms to hexagonal close packing structure, in which ferromagnetism is not thought to exist. And yet it does, ever-so-slightly but we still get a superconductor. So, can a human be a superconductor? No. The pressure needed would mutilate the specimen so much it be, well... take a wild guess. Hmmm... if the human body were pressurized enough to become an organic crystaline, however, it MAY be possible to have an organic metal SC..... anyone want to test that theory? Hahaaha. Iron Chloride crystals are considered to be superconducting in a HIGHLY magenetic field. Weird, eh? Magnetic field and conductivity... who'd-uh-thunk?

I know the skin has very high resistance, but if you stab someone with electrified needles (or voltmeter probes) they conduct very well. My physics professor admits he tried this on himself in grad school, with a DC power supply.
Your physics teacher admitted to this? Haha.