# Can people have the ability to extinguish streetlights with their bodily emanations.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 26, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502 "2007-01-26T01:22:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nevrmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nevrmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nevrmore)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/1 "2007-01-26T01:22:58Z")
…So you may remember that question being asked in like, 94. I recently got an interesting book; The (New) Book of Lists, which, according to the authors, took them decades to compile. In their “Health and Food” chapter, specifically under the list “10 Really Unusual Medical Conditions”, I came across this: > [@](#): > > According to British paranormalist Hilary Evans, some people are ‘upright human [electric] eels, capable of generating charges strong enough to knock out streetlights and electronic equipment.’ Cases of ‘electric people’ date back to 1786; the most famous is that of 14-year-old Angelique Cottin, whose presence caused compass needles to gyrate wildly. To further investigate this phenomenon, Evans founded SLIDE, the Street Lamp Intereference Data Exchange. Now, I’m not saying that every person who has ever said that a streetlight shuffled off its mortal coils as they passed under it is an “Electric Person”, but I do wonder if this phenomenon has some merit. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/2 "2007-01-26T01:41:43Z")
Here is a [link to the original column.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_047.html) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/3 "2007-01-26T02:17:39Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/4 "2007-01-26T02:30:53Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] No. [/QUOTE] You are entirely discounting the possibility that some peoples’ bodies emanate bullets. Bullets that are not fired underwater, I might add. ---
**Author:** ![Nevrmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nevrmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nevrmore)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/5 "2007-01-26T02:36:22Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] No. [/QUOTE] Eloquent, aren’t we? Why do I get the distinct feeling that you did not post to voice your opinion but only to belittle me because you think that I’m some kind of wackjob? If so, then you should know that I have not plead for or against the ability to disrupt electrical currents because of some sort of energy imbalance, I’m simply telling you what I read in a book and asking for opinions. If you were not trying to demean me and you are, in fact, just a man of few words, than my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/6 "2007-01-26T02:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=Nevrmore] If you were not trying to demean me and you are, in fact, just a man of few words, than my apologies. [/QUOTE] He can be quite eloquent, but also succinct whenn the occasion demands it. I think his answer was spot on. As asked, it had a yes/no answer. He chose correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/7 "2007-01-26T03:01:57Z")
[QUOTE=Nevrmore] Eloquent, aren’t we? Why do I get the distinct feeling that you did not post to voice your opinion but only to belittle me because you think that I’m some kind of wackjob? [/quote] Not at all. But, being as I (occasionally) write Staff Reports for the Straight Dope website primarily on electrical and radio-related topics, such as [this](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mradar.html) or [that](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbuzzingbulb.html), I feel I’m qualified to give you a definitive answer here. Which I did. [QUOTE=Nevrmore] If you were not trying to demean me and you are, in fact, just a man of few words, than my apologies. [/QUOTE] Apology accepted. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/8 "2007-01-26T05:18:59Z")
**Nevermore** Hi and Hello, welcome to the Straight Dope. Here is a [previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=144593&highlight=Streetlights) on the topic. I’m replying in there with an odd experience. Hasn’t happened since though, so I’ll chalk it up to whatever, unknown, odd. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/9 "2007-01-26T12:40:40Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] He can be quite eloquent, but also succinct when the occasion demands it. [/QUOTE] He always gives a short answer to an electric question. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/10 "2007-01-26T14:57:16Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] He always gives a short answer to an electric question. [/QUOTE] I do? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/11 "2007-01-26T15:47:40Z")
You can’t believe everything you read, even if the source of the information is a British paranormalist. Seriously, here are several useful indicators that some supposed phenomenon is bull\*\*\*\*, all of which are present in the current case: (1) No one can come up with an explanation for the phenomenon that is consistent with known science. (E.g., _how_ can a human body generate “electric charges”? Just saying “these people are upright eels” doesn’t really cut it.) (2) There _is_ an alternative explanation which conforms to known science but denies the phenomenon’s existence. (E.g., streetlights and other electrical devices fail or malfunction on their own, and people falsely assume they’re the cause) (3) The evidence is all purely annecdotal and impossible to independently confirm (e.g., 14-year-old Angelique Cottin from 1786, Cecil’s various contributors) (4) The phenomenon can’t be reproduced consistently All of this is made worse by the fact that if the phenomenon were real, it _wouldn’t_ be hard to demonstrate. If someone had a genuine ability to interfere with electrical equipment, it would be easy to prove it to even the most diehard skeptic . . . if not for the fact that it “conveniently” only works some of the time, and they can’t control when it does or doesn’t work. Even then, if you observed a person long enough you could expect to see some effect that differed significantly from random chance, if the phenomenon were real. Any yet, somehow, these claims go unproven. In the case of the “streetlight snuffers” I think most of them are honestly mistaken, but many other people claiming to have “special powers” are actively trying to deceive people for personal gain. When dealing with such people, I think it best to remember, “Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.” Although even _ordinary_ proof would be an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/12 "2007-01-26T15:57:09Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] He always gives a short answer to an electric question. [/QUOTE] Well sure, but it’s either that or the overloaded, circuitous answer, which just generates more questions in higher frequency, or a resistance to answer in a highly charged manner, which just causes more people to signal their reluctance to participate to their full capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/13 "2007-01-26T16:01:51Z")
Ah, so I’ve been whooshed. And by an electrical pun, at that! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/14 "2007-01-26T16:49:01Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Ah, so I’ve been whooshed. And by an electrical pun, at that! :smack: [/QUOTE] Make than an electrical stun pun. Some of us really got a charge out of it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/15 "2007-01-26T16:53:10Z")
A major problem here is that you are taking advice from a “paranormalist”. Basically, that is somebody who believes that modern folktales are true. This is not a good plan. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/16 "2007-01-26T16:56:43Z")
I’m going to behave myself and resist the urge to respond in kind; after all, the current thread poses a serious question. Let’s not transform the discussion into a silly punning contest. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/17 "2007-01-26T17:17:47Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Let’s not transform the discussion into a silly punning contest. [/QUOTE] There you go, amping it up. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/18 "2007-01-26T18:19:52Z")
\I’ve the urge to commit battery on you lot.\ ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/19 "2007-01-26T18:28:05Z")
The phenomenon is demonstrated quite incontrovertibly by Nicky Holroyd in [_Bell, Book, and Candle_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051406/). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502/20 "2007-01-26T19:21:44Z")
One of my friends claims that her presence causes street lights to dim. I’m inclined to chalk this up to coincidence, but… When we go to Barnes and Noble in her car, she likes to park in the back lot. She’s driving and I don’t mind a bit of a walk. Several times when we’ve walked past the light there, it’s gone that dim orange lights often go to before shutting down. Maybe it happens a lot, I don’t know. However that’s also the Barnes and Noble we’ve gone to for a couple HP midnight releases. The last release they made people wait outside for most of the time, so we were in view of that light for about five hours. It seemed like a good time to watch the light (since I think the light’s just faulty), so I did. Once we were away from the light I only saw it dim twice more as people passed by. It’s possible that it dims on and off every few hours and we’ve just managed to be there at the “right” times more than once despite arriving at various times of the night, but you could almost believe her that it’s her fault… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-have-the-ability-to-extinguish-streetlights-with-their-bodily-emanations/389502.md?page=2)