Skeptics Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [electronics]

Electronics deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components and associated passive interconnection technologies. Use this when asking about electronic devices, electronic design and use (or misuse) of some devices.

Electronics deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies.

Commonly, electronic devices contain circuitry consisting primarily or exclusively of active semiconductors supplemented with passive elements; such a circuit is described as an electronic circuit.

Source: Wikipedia - Electronics

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Does placing metal inside the microwave damage the microwave?

It's practically common knowledge that microwaving metal objects can damage the microwave. I've heard this multiple times, mostly from my mom, and I've always believed it to be true. But is it? Would the microwave really be damaged by just…
Gabe12
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Could phone and electronics batteries be recharged by a lightning strike?

I was reading this story about lightning that stuck a vehicle while the family was still inside: Utah family films car as it’s struck by lightning About halfway through the article is the following claim: "However, the family's cell phones and other…
MikeS
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Can magnets damage LCD screens?

My guitar teacher once told me that leaving a magnet near a LCD screen will affect it. I was skeptical because I guess that he believes that because magnets can affect CRT screens. Here are some examples of others making this claim: Bit-Tech…
Red Banana
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Is keyless theft/relay theft a practical threat for vehicles with fob/keyless entry?

Some sites, such as AutoExpress, are warning about a method of breaking into vehicles with keyless entry by capturing and relaying the fob's signal. To quote AutoExpress: The process criminals use to steal a car via keyless theft – also known as…
Ranger
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Can you charge your phone using a non-electrified railway?

I recently watched a video on Youtube where two people use a railway to charge their phone. The person in the video uses a voltmeter and shows there is a small (under 5VAC) voltage difference between the two rails. He attaches a speaker and a…
Kevin Evans
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Do 4K displays use more power, because it is hard for the backlight to shine through those super tiny pixels?

I was watching Linus reviewing the 2020 MacBook Air and he said about the competing laptops that 4K was pointless on a 13" laptop and that it just hurts the battery life, because it's harder for the backlight to shine through those super tiny…
Erik B
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Did "hundreds of birds" fall out of the sky in the Netherlands due to a 5G test?

A conspiracy news site claims that (emphasis added): Hundreds of birds have fallen from the sky in The Hague, the Netherlands, during a 5G experiment to see how large the range was and whether the new wireless technology would cause any harm in the…
Hobbamok
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Does a mobile phone send signals when it's off?

I've heard that mobile phones send signals to the tower even when the mobile goes off so your location can be detected. Is this possible?
rax
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Is there a 12% chance that a solar storm does damage to the electrical grid in the next decade?

Reuters: The probability of a solar storm striking Earth in the next decade with enough force to do serious damage to electricity networks could be as high as 12 percent, according to solar scientists. Is the risk as high as the article suggests?
Christian
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Can hot-plugging an HDMI cable damage the HDMI port?

I found this site on the Internet saying something to that effect: Warning!!.....Never connect and disconnect HDMI cables and equipment while your devices are powered on (hot plugging cables). The hdmi cables carries a low DC voltage while…
sashoalm
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Should we remove batteries from electronic devices when not in use?

When I bought a digital camera recently, the shopkeeper advised me "to remove the batteries when the camera is not used for a long time". I have heard this kind of thing for other devices also (like torch). Does having these devices with batteries…
Vinoth Kumar C M
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Do electronics have a startup cost?

There is a long held belief with some electricians that turning on an electric device requires a "startup" cost, or an overhead in the amount of power needed for it to start functioning normally. I have known people who make sure to only turn…
user14340
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Have people died by being shocked through the headphone cord of their cell phone?

The headline of an article in Vice magazine claims that "A 16-Year-Old Has Died After Being Electrocuted by His Headphones" Last week, a teenager was electrocuted to death while listening to headphones from a plugged-in cell phone. Sixteen-year-old…
Adam
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Do cellphones pose any harm to pacemaker users?

In Japan it is very common to see signs on trains that encourage/require you to turn off your phone on trains, or just near the priority seating areas. The thinking goes that the signals somehow affect passengers with pacemakers and potentially…
Anonymous
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Does the 3M mouse pad extend battery life up to 50% or 75%?

The 3M company has a product called 3M™ Precise™ Mouse Pad with Repositionable Adhesive Backing and Battery Saving Design, MP200PS that claims to: Battery saving design extends battery life of wireless mice up to 50%† Precise™ surface enhances the…
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