Why were Buckyballs banned by the government?

[jtbell]

When I saw the headlines, my first thought was, "what have they got against C60?"

Feds file suit against Buckyballs, retailers ban product (USA Today)

Turns out these buckyballs are a magnetic toy.

 

[Monique]

People are swallowing the magnets, thus the product is defective.. interesting take on it.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

People are swallowing the magnets, thus the product is defective.. interesting take on it.

Not only that but the product is not marketed as a childrens toy. So it's more like "children are swallowing parts of a product that they shouldn't have and thus the product is defective".

 

[daveb]

It's a great advertising gimmick the CPSC has come up with. I hadn't heard of these and just bought 2 sets.

 

[Danger]

This is even stupider than that cow who sued McDonald's because she couldn't figure out how to drink coffee.

 

[edward]

which requires that such powerful magnets are not sold for children under 14[/b]

http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/07/buckyballs-banned/

There are a number of competitors that were not mentioned in the OP. nanodots, neocube, zen magnets, and cybercube.



Any chocking hazards, including; marshmallows, balloons and hot dogs are much more likely to be fatal.

 

[Danger]

Any chocking hazards, including; marshmallows, balloons and hot dogs are much more likely to be fatal.

Especially hotdogs.
At least the other two things that you named are edible.

 

[arildno]

Here in Norway, we just passed a resolution banning polar bears and old firs, due to the hazards they represent to 2-year olds.

 

[Charmar]

I miss natural selection...

 

[Danger]

I miss natural selection...

And apparently it missed you.

Arildno, old bean... are you honestly telling us that Norweedish children don't have pet polar bears? That's tremendously disillusioning.

 

[arildno]

And apparently it missed you.

Arildno, old bean... are you honestly telling us that Norweedish children don't have pet polar bears? That's tremendously disillusioning.

In that age, we let them play with greater and lesser weevers.

 

[Danger]

In that age, we let them play with greater and lesser weevers.

Surprising. I'd have thought that it's pretty difficult to take one for a walk.

 

[DaveC426913]

You know, I thought this was silly too, when I read it. But then I saw it on the news. It's not just a theoretical danger. A 4 year old child got a perforated intestine requiring emergency surgery to remove most of his small intestine because he's swallowed just 3 of these.

In another case a 3 year old went to the hospital after ripping three holes in her lower intestine and one hole in her stomach.

The problem is, unlike automobiles, polar bears and household cleaning supplies, these things are toys. How do you keep kids away from them?

BTW, it's not just toddlers. Teenagers are having this happen too. They wear them like piercings and accidentally swallow them. That may be somewhat foolish, but I wouldn't normally qualify that as idiotic. It's not idiotic to swallow a nickel. Happens all the time. Doctors orders: wait a couple of days and maybe take a laxative.

You're probably saying "well, stupid people will get themselves hurt, why do the rest of us have to suffer?" Thing is, these things are a type of danger that is outside our normal experience. Magnetism has never been a dangerous phenomenon in normal experience. It is not necessarily reasonable for the average person to think that an innocuous metal ball or two could kill them.

 

[AlephZero]

You know, I thought this was silly too, when I read it. But then I saw it on the news. It's not just a theoretical danger. A 4 year old child got a perforated intestine requiring emergency surgery to remove most of his small intestine because he's swallowed just 3 of these.

They are also a hazard to pets: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-17688011

 

[DaveC426913]

They are also a hazard to pets: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-17688011

"We found the hamster in mid air and stuck to the bars..."

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

With all these bans in place, soon we won't be able to eat anything.

 

[arildno]

With all these bans in place, soon we won't be able to eat anything.

There's still you.

 

[Curious3141]

People are swallowing the magnets, thus the product is defective.. interesting take on it.

The politicians can't ban defective people, otherwise who else would vote for them? So they ban "defective" products instead.

 

[DaveC426913]

The politicians can't ban defective people,

I hear ya, but I still insist, a product is a legitimate danger to the public if:

- it can send you to the hospital with life-threatening injuries
and
- it is otherwise a reasonably innocuous thing, not known by most people to have such a risk associated with it
and yet
- is a toy.

 

[nonmendelian]

If you swallow 2 bucky balls and they later pinch 2 intestines together that could be quite painful and require an operation to remove. Just saying.

 

[Danger]

- is a toy.

That's the 2nd time that you've said that, Dave. Where did you miss the part about it being a desk toy? How many toddler's work in an office? Do you want to ban Newton's cradle as well? Or USB missile launchers? These things aren't made for kids and were never advertised as such.
The kids involved in the lawsuit are the same ones who eat dirt and cram beans up their noses. That idiot who needed to have her guts rebuilt is 14 years old! Were you or I stupid enough to eat magnets at that age? If we had, we wouldn't be our age now.

 

[Curious3141]

With all these bans in place, soon we won't be able to eat anything.

Oh, stop fretting, it's not like they're going to outlaw batteries anytime soon.

 

[OmCheeto]

I would buy some Buckyball cubes, but am concerned that they might not be as powerful as commercial grade magnets. Does anyone know what grade they are? I googled for at least two hours and couldn't find anything. I also tried Zen Magnets, their apparent arch nemesis. No luck.

I mean, my god, this is an old scientists dream!

https://www.getbuckyballs.com/images/cart/buckycubes/product-image.png?v=205

Super magnets! I see flying cars, boats, bicycles, and skateboards when I think of such things.

ps. My sister facebook posted a recall on dog food because of a choking hazard about a month ago. I asked her if we should ban chickens, because cats and dogs can choke to death on chicken bones. She said; "yes..."

 

[Danger]

My sister facebook posted a recall on dog food because of a choking hazard about a month ago. I asked her if we should ban chickens, because cats and dogs can choke to death on chicken bones. She said; "yes..."

Look on the bright side—if she had received her rightful share of the family brains, instead of it all going to you, you might not be here with us today.

 

[OmCheeto]

Look on the bright side—if she had received her rightful share of the family brains, instead of it all going to you, you might not be here with us today.

Actually, I'm quite certain she's the smartest of the bunch. I think she just loves her dog so much, that when she saw my smartasterisked remark to her public service announcement, it made her, just a bit one-uppitier with wise cracks.

Not to mention that I should get on her good side, lest she be a troll here at the forum, as she's coming to visit in about a week, along with a hoard of other siblings and what-nots.

 

[Danger]

Actually, I'm quite certain she's the smartest of the bunch.

I doubt that. To start with, she's on Facebook. That alone is a serious sign of stupidity. And her response to your suggestion about other things to ban is just confirmation.

By the bye, are "whatnots" sibling offshoots, or members of the band fronted by Cecil the Seasick Seaserpent "So What and the 7 Whatnots"? If the latter, can you get me an autograph? They've been my favourite band ever since I heard them do "Ragg Mopp" back in '63.

 

[DaveC426913]

That's the 2nd time that you've said that, Dave. Where did you miss the part about it being a desk toy? How many toddler's work in an office? Do you want to ban Newton's cradle as well? Or USB missile launchers? These things aren't made for kids and were never advertised as such.

Does categorizing them mean they don't get played with anywhere else or by anyone else? All the buckyball sets I've have never been near a desk. They're a toy, handleable by anyone.

Newton's cradle is no more dangerous than any set of metal balls of that size.
USB missile launchers are dangerous - and thus to be handled - in a clearly obvious way.

The kids involved in the lawsuit are the same ones who eat dirt and cram beans up their noses.

Yes., Regular kids. Who eat dirt and cram beans up their nose - and don't end up in the hospital with life-threatening injuries because of it.

That idiot who needed to have her guts rebuilt is 14 years old!

Why does that make her an idiot? Is everyone who swallows a nickel an idiot?

Were you or I stupid enough to eat magnets at that age?

Yes.

If we had, we wouldn't be our age now.

Yes we would. Normal magnets are not dangerous.

 

[Danger]

You're talking in circles, Dave. On one hand you're saying that desk toys (Buckyballs) are commonly found in the hands of children rather than on desks, and on the other saying that they (missiles) are fine but have to be supervised. As for Newton's cradle, the balls are easily removable and swallowable. As far as that goes, the little idiots could tie the strings together and hang themselves.
Yes, everyone who swallows a nickel is an idiot, if it's done at the age of 14. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt when I assumed that you were too smart to have done such a thing. I certainly was. I didn't eat bullets, either, and I was fully conversant with firearms at that age. (My preacher father bought me my first .22 semi-auto pistol when I was 15, but I'd been using them much longer.)
I don't know what you mean by "normal" magnets. I regularly played with cow magnets as a very young child (<6). You can pick up a Buick with one of those things, and it never crossed my mind to swallow one.

 

[DaveC426913]

You're talking in circles, Dave. On one hand you're saying that desk toys (Buckyballs) are commonly found in the hands of children rather than on desks, and on the other saying that they (missiles) are fine but have to be supervised.

I didn't say they had to be supervised.

Let me put it another way: It is obvious how missiles could be harmful. The problem with neodymium magnets is that it is not at all obvious that they're dangerous or how dangerous they are.

As for Newton's cradle, the balls are easily removable and swallowable. As far as that goes, the little idiots could tie the strings together and hang themselves.

Neodymium magnets are a danger in disproportion to how harmful they seem.

Yes, everyone who swallows a nickel is an idiot, if it's done at the age of 14.

No, they're merely foolish. It's not all that harmful.

I was giving you the benefit of the doubt when I assumed that you were too smart to have done such a thing. I certainly was.

There is very little danger posed in swallowing normal magnets. Again, swallowing them may be foolish, but it's not idiotic.

I didn't eat bullets, either, and I was fully conversant with firearms at that age.

Precisely. Clear risk tends to lead to proper respect.

I don't know what you mean by "normal" magnets. I regularly played with cow magnets as a very young child (<6). You can pick up a Buick with one of those things, and it never crossed my mind to swallow one.

And are cow magnets smaller than a baby aspirin?
To my eye, they look to be a solid metal bar the size of a fat crayon. Could you have swallowed one? If you were tempted to swallow something of that size, that would be seen by most reasonable people (even young ones) as posing a serious risk.

Again. Danger in disproportion to their seeming danger.

 

[OmCheeto]

I doubt that. To start with, she's on Facebook. That alone is a serious sign of stupidity.

You may have time to delete your post.


A healthy 16% of my facebook friends are from PF.

You really should get on and at least make friends with the boss. His trip to the North Pole was freakin' KILLER!(a. nuclear powered russian icebreaker. b. walruses. c. polar bears. d. Admiral Kuznetsov! e. some hoard of birds on an iceberg. f. another cool iceberg. g. boss sitting on a bear rug. h. boss holding the north pole, um, pole, sign, thingy... whatever...)

And her response to your suggestion about other things to ban is just confirmation.

By the bye, are "whatnots" sibling offshoots, or members of the band fronted by Cecil the Seasick Seaserpent "So What and the 7 Whatnots"? If the latter, can you get me an autograph? They've been my favourite band ever since I heard them do "Ragg Mopp" back in '63.

what·not/ˈ(h)wətˌnät/
Noun:
1. Used to refer to an item or items that are not identified but are felt to have something in common with items already named.

ie nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews. I promise to bring along no industrial grade magnets, nor chicken bones, nor gag-able kibbley bits, for our bi-annual family get together.