# How much electromagnetic force can the human body stand? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265 "2010-04-07T12:48:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/1 "2010-04-07T12:48:33Z")
In last night’s episode of Lost, one of the characters is described as the only person to have survived a catastrophic electromagnetic event. I was under the impression that electromagnetism, even in large “doses”, was not dangerous to living creatures. Further research has led me to the conclusion that my understanding of mathematics and physics is completely abysmal. So what’s the story? Can I blast myself with electromagnetism at will? Bonus points if anyone can let me know definitively if this will give me superpowers. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/2 "2010-04-07T12:56:32Z")
I can’t tell you if there is actually an upper limit, but MRI’s generally have a magnetic field in the 2 Tesla area, and have no negative effects that have been determined. Experimental imagers have fields up beyond 50 Tesla, without any detectable damage in cell structure. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/3 "2010-04-07T12:59:10Z")
ETA - Of course, fields of that strength can be deadly if you have any ferrous metal embedded in your body, or even in a pocket and you are facing the wrong way /nod /nod. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/4 "2010-04-07T13:22:18Z")
Considering the electromagnetic spectrum ranges from benign radio waves all the way to deadly gamma rays I’d say there is definitely a lethal dose depending on the wavelengths one is exposed to. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/5 "2010-04-07T13:35:31Z")
My friend the industrial electrician and us buddy were trapped inside a transformer that they were servicing when somebody bypassed the lockout and turned the power on. They were off work for two weeks due to being sick from the intense magnetic fields. Without knowing the type, frequency, etc, of the magnetic fields, it’s impossible to say more about what might be harmful and what might not, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/6 "2010-04-07T13:40:13Z")
On the episode of Lost that I’m referring to, he was placed between two giant coils that had electricity (I presume) run through them. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/7 "2010-04-07T13:46:28Z")
Sadly, the following is [not based on anything that can be done with a real world magnet](http://awesomerthanthou.blogspot.com/2009/08/greatly-belated-book-reviews.html): > [@](#): > > The Nevians, despite having only ten pounds of iron at their disposal, minus what they burned on the long trip, effortlessly melt down the Triplanetary fleet (plus, frighteningly, the blood of the crews) into allotropic iron sludge and vacuum it up; they have a bit more trouble taking care of Roger’s planetoid, but not to the point of actually getting in trouble; since they just picked up a huge load of iron, they probably could have gone on to defeat every ship in the solar system without breaking a sweat. Even the magnetic domains of [Ferritin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferritin) are too small to be affected by any magnetic field short of a [Magnetar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetar). ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/8 "2010-04-07T13:58:07Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > My friend the industrial electrician and us buddy were trapped inside a transformer that they were servicing when somebody bypassed the lockout and turned the power on. They were off work for two weeks due to being sick from the intense magnetic fields. Sick how? That is, what were their symptoms? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/9 "2010-04-07T14:06:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Sick how? That is, what were their symptoms? I’m not sure exactly; I’d have to ask them. I _think_ it was general nausea and disorientation, but that could be due to the general shock of almost being killed. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/10 "2010-04-07T14:14:35Z")
Were they burned? Thanks for your response. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/11 "2010-04-07T14:17:33Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > On the episode of Lost that I’m referring to, he was placed between two giant coils that had electricity (I presume) run through them. I watched that episode (and every other). I am no physicist, but electromagnetic _radiation_, of course, can be dangerous in certain wavelengths (we cook with it, after all). However, that is different than being in a magnetic field. It is not at all clear at all what they meant on the show by an “electromagnetic event” but the hocus-pocus on the show bears only the merest relationship to The Real World. In that episode, someone else was in the chamber when the juice was carelessly turned on, and was killed. Looked like he was char-broiled. However, there was no explanation of what was really going on in this chamber or what killed him. I just remember some nonsense about “solenoids.” Further, there was no other discussion of anyone else who had failed to survive a “catastrophic electromagnetic event” so we don’t know what kind of event they’re talking about. (Desmond did inexplicably survive the same treatment.) I know your question is not about Lost, but please note that Lost also includes physical time travel, time travel of only the consciousness, immortality, “electromagnetic anomalies,” and a bunch of other literary license. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/12 "2010-04-07T14:17:48Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’m not sure exactly; I’d have to ask them. I _think_ it was general nausea and disorientation [Transcranial magnetic stimulation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcranial_magnetic_stimulation) _can_ cause long term effects: > [@](#): > > Repetitive TMS (rTMS) produces effects which last longer than the period of stimulation. rTMS can increase or decrease the excitability of corticospinal or corticocortical pathways depending on the intensity of stimulation, coil orientation and frequency of stimulation. The mechanism of these effects is not clear although it is widely believed to reflect changes in synaptic efficacy akin to long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). A review of rTMS can be found in Fitzgerald et al., 2006[3] I think getting stuck inside a transformer might pruduce similar effects. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/13 "2010-04-07T14:37:19Z")
As long as we’re talking about LOST - they used toroidal coils to generate their magnetic fields. These would be exactly the wrong coils to use - toroids are what one uses when one wants to prevent external magnetic flux - almost all of the magnetic energy is contained within the coil itself. If they really wanted to cook Desmond, they should have used solenoids. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/14 "2010-04-07T14:53:16Z")
> [@Khendrask](#): > > Experimental imagers have fields up beyond 50 Tesla, without any detectable damage in cell structure. Nitpick: I believe the largest sustained magnet is at the National Magnetic Field lab, and is 45 Tesla. I don’t think anyone uses a higher strength magnet for imaging. Relevant point: they used to use the aforementioned magnet to “levitate” frogs to impress visiting big-wigs (water is diamagnetic, so this works with a high enough field). The frogs “seemed OK” after the demonstration, but there was some disagreement about whether the field might interfere with their inner ear (or whatever the Frog equivalent is), and cause them to be nauseous. Since its pretty hard to tell a naseous frog from a non-naseous one, and since national labs are pretty paranoid when it comes to animal testing that might harm the animal, the flying frog trick was outlawed. Moral of story: The highest sustained man-made field doesn’t seem to do any easily detectable damage to frogs, though it might make them dizzy. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-electromagnetic-force-can-the-human-body-stand/535265/15 "2010-04-07T15:46:26Z")
So, in the real world, ‘electromagnetic event’ could be 1. Electromagnetic radiation. This is just light, X-rays, microwaves, or radio, depending on wavelength. Obviously not dangerous at low levels, and can be deadly at high levels, depending on what it is. 2. Magnetic fields. As already said, MRIs have huge magnetic fields, and aren’t considered dangerous, except for physical damage from accidentally bringing metal near them. 3. Electric fields. Small electric fields aren’t dangerous – otherwise we’d die after walking across a carpet on a dry day. A really strong electric field might affect a human body, but really strong electric fields aren’t very stable. Usually a strong electric field will break down into an electric current across the space (thereby weakening the field). This can be painful and/or deadly to a human caught in the current, but referring to it as an ‘electromagnetic event’ is kind of strange, since a normal person would say ‘spark’ or possibly ‘lightning’. And even lightning is survivable (unusual, but not unique).