Lighting By Touch

[showjyr]

I didn't know where else to ask this so I figured this section would work.

Can anyone else light up LED lights simply by touching the wires? Depending on the watt/type I can illuminate between 2 and 6, upwards of 8 if I use both hands. Can a lot of people do this or is it just me?

 

[showjyr]

Anybody?

 

[Revision17]

Uncle Fester?

How are you doing this? Humans aren't electric eels

 

[three-fingers]

I've seen people do it with regular lightbulbs, watching guiness world records on tv though.

Many a time in the past have I been seen (usually out of boredom in physics) trying to light various types of bulbs (including LED's), and I can confirm that I am unable to do so.

Yet, anyway.

This looks like fun. Seem's to be nowhere near as epic as you though.

Can you do it all the time? Or only every now and then?

 

[KraKen]

I don't know if I can do that(I haven't had a chance to work with LEDs in a while).

I have however noticed that I can see the near infrared radiation from the LEDs on remotes and pdas, in the form of a dim red-orange glow.

Has anyone else noticed that they can do this?

 

[Spider Pig]

Humans do generate a small amount of electricity. That is what is picked up when you do an electro cardiogram (ECG). Not sure if this is enough to light up an LED, but wouldn't be surprised. I do remember some eastern european bloke some years ago on TV lighting up bulbs and setting fire to paper with static electricity with no external power (he was in his speedos to prove this). General consensus at the time was that he was a freak off shoot of a soviet super soldier program (he could pull a train with wires through his arms and other stuff.) Say showjyr, do you remember your childhood or do you just have this desire to read the catcher in the rye?

I've also noticed the dim red from IR transmitters- probably just the short end of IR intruding into the perceivable EM range.