A 7-year-old Serbian boy named Bogdan attracted media attention back in 2011 for his apparent ability to attract other things, such as silverware, remote controls, plates and even a large frying pan. The objects seem to miraculously stick to the boy's skin. Bogdan's family claims he's magnetic, and an MSNBC reporter who filmed him in action says it's true.
This isn't the first time a person has claimed to possess magnetic powers. In fact, YouTube is strewn with demonstrations of bodily magnetism. But are they real?
No. At least, we don't think so.
According to Benjamin Radford, renowned skeptic and managing editor of the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, there are several clues in the videos as to what's really going on.
"A lot of times when you see these videos, the people are leaning back slightly," Radford told Life's Little Mysteries. "If there really is some magnetic attraction, the person should be able to lean over. If a magnetic force is overcoming gravity, we should see that. That's one strong clue that what we're seeing is not any sort of magnetism."
This is an extract from Live Science. Written by Natalie Wolchover and originally published on February 25, 2011.