Astrophysicist trying to invent coronavirus gadget is hospitalized for getting magnets stuck up his nose / Boing Boing

A bored astrophysicist trying to keep busy throughout these days of social distancing thought he had a great idea. Dr. Daniel Reardon thought he might invent a necklace that would set off an alarm whenever someone touched their face. Instead, he was hospitalized for getting four magnets stuck in his nostrils.

According to The Guardian:

The 27 year-old astrophysicist, who studies pulsars and gravitational waves, said he was trying to liven up the boredom of self-isolation with the four powerful neodymium magnets.

“I had a part that detects magnetic fields. I thought that if I built a circuit that could detect the magnetic field, and we wore magnets on our wrists, then it could set off an alarm if you brought it too close to your face. A bit of boredom in isolation made me think of that.”

However, the academic realised the electronic part he had did the opposite – and would only complete a circuit when there was no magnetic field present.

“I accidentally invented a necklace that buzzes continuously unless you move your hand close to your face,” he said.

Reardon realized his idea wasn’t going to work, but, still bored, continued to play around with the magnets. First he attached them to both sides of his ears, as many of us have done, and then to the inside and outside of his nostrils. It was funny, until he realized he couldn’t pry them out, not even with a pair of pliers.

“At this point, my partner who works at a hospital was laughing at me,” he told The Guardian. “I was trying to pull them out but there is a ridge at the bottom of my nose you can’t get past.

It took two doctors (and a dose of anaesthetic spray) to get those suckers out. Reardon told The Guardian he’ll spend the rest of his social distancing days doing things he’s more familiar with.

Image: Creative Commons Zero – CC0 / Piqsels