"Fractal wood burning" refers to using hacked microwave power supplies to char Lichtenberg figures into wood. It is extraordinarily dangerous, and dozens of people have been killed following instructions contained in viral videos. Ann Reardon recently posted a thorough debunking of the method, which quickly became popular in its own right—a timely and essential remedy to a lethal problem that social media companies are under no obligation to deal with themselves.
But YouTube has removed Reardon's video, claiming it is harmful and dangerous—while leaving up fractal wood burning videos demonstrating methods that have killed, at latest count, 34 people in America.
The presumed "explanation" is that YouTube's moderation is automated, and that this removal was likely triggered by keywords or abusive flagging by the viral (and often outright sinister) "crafts" channels that Reardon's video implicitly criticizes. But that's not what YouTube says in its takedown notification, and you can still get served these completely lethal instructions with obvious search terms there.
[...] Reardon simply reposted her well-researched debunking again with an explanation: "your life is more important than my channel".
[Ed's Comment: AC Friendly withdrawn. You can blame you-know-who for the spamming]
(Score: 2, Informative) by Revek on Tuesday July 05 2022, @03:48PM (2 children)
Only negative press moves them to fix their mistakes. I looked at some of those videos and its clear those that are doing the wood burning are not safety conscious.
This page was generated by a Swarm of Roaming Elephants
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday July 06 2022, @09:12AM (1 child)
Yup. In any case it's been unremoved again [youtube.com], so probably some robomoderation gone wrong.
Lets just hope they never robomoderate ElectroBOOM's [youtube.com] videos, we need people like him to show us how to safely work with high voltages and currents.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday July 06 2022, @01:28PM
As a follow-on, Ann has done a lot of videos exposing scammers on YouTube who blatantly violate YouTube's AUP but who YouTube ignore because they're making too much money off them, so I could see why YouTube would want to take down some of her videos...
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 05 2022, @03:48PM (2 children)
I am planning on trying that some day, but you shouldn't (applies to 99.9% of you). Trust me, i'm an engineer.
(Score: 4, Funny) by progo on Tuesday July 05 2022, @04:00PM (1 child)
I'll hold your beer, and watch from another room on camera.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday July 06 2022, @09:49AM
I know you're joking, but there's those insane Ukrainian guys who do things like this when they're playing with UVC lamps and xray sources...
(Score: 5, Informative) by progo on Tuesday July 05 2022, @03:57PM (5 children)
Automated stupid censorship, and you can't argue with a human about it.
Odysee looks like a good alternative. Yes the users aren't there yet, but YouTube has lost the mandate of heaven. Act accordingly.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 05 2022, @05:37PM (2 children)
Also Rumble
(Score: 4, Interesting) by corey on Tuesday July 05 2022, @10:21PM (1 child)
I have a mate at work who is a conspiracist and anti vaxxer. He’s always sending me these ridiculous videos (links to anyway) on Rumble. I initially thought it was done weird conspiracist website but looked it up and found it was a unmoderated video sharing site. But seems to be polluted as such.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by NateMich on Tuesday July 05 2022, @11:04PM
Anything unmoderated will quickly turn into a shit show.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by darkfeline on Wednesday July 06 2022, @12:25AM (1 child)
Once the users are there, the only way to scale moderation is through automated bots.
The alternative is either 99.99% of content becomes spam/clickbait/shock or pay expensive subscription to fund human moderators (I have a bridge subscription to sell you).
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Wednesday July 06 2022, @05:56AM
That's not the alternative, that's the effect. Since people want to monetize that shit and anything that could in any way remotely, possibly, be considered "offensive" or "controversial" will be flagged and demonetized, the only thing that will remain is clickbait "blow your mind" videos devoid of any relevant content.
Essentially, it's the home video version of "movie by committee": Bland, derivative, predictable and essentially exactly the same video as the last one with a differently colored cat.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by progo on Tuesday July 05 2022, @04:06PM (9 children)
You can make this safer by having a normally-open kill switch that you have to hold closed to make the equipment work, sufficiently far enough from the process that you can't be electrocuted by the process.
But unless 1) you already thought of that AND 2) you have actual electrical engineering or electrician training, then YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DO THIS PROCESS.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Tuesday July 05 2022, @04:45PM
According to the video at least a couple of certified electricians have died while using this kind of hack to wood burn. This hack is insanely dangerous and kind of stupid to perform, for pretty much anyone.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Informative) by RamiK on Tuesday July 05 2022, @08:54PM (3 children)
Won't work. Even in the low end of medium-voltage (2000Vac / 500mA / 60Hz), the disruption to the sinoatrial node is very early in the sine wave and way before it physically contracts limb muscles. Worse, even if you hooked the transformer to a gasoline generator and put together your own grounding protection with GFCIs and RCDs with vacuum interrupters, the built-up charge in the relays and wiring will be enough to kill you.
Unless there's a robotic arm between you and the process, you're not far enough.
compiling...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @12:59AM (2 children)
Or you know, just put the electrodes on 2 wooden sticks and be 4ft or so from the process. You can cut power on and off that far from the transformer too.
I once saw a open contactor at a power plant with a finger sized arc going through it. I'm sure someone on YT would have tried to lick it.
Funny though that they refuse to censor things that can probably kill you but one bit of "wrongthink" and you're deleted.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @10:07AM
Check out the videos. If you're not moving it around it won't look good.
(Score: 2) by epitaxial on Thursday July 07 2022, @12:18AM
PVC pipe is much better than wood. It doesn't take much humidity for wood to become even mildly conductive at 5 or 10kv. If it were myself I'd be using teflon rods.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday July 05 2022, @09:37PM
Alternatives in here:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a40410809/fractal-wood-burning-dangers-alternatives/ [popularmechanics.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Wednesday July 06 2022, @12:33AM (2 children)
As a relative noob, knowing that electricity causes muscles to clamp down, having a switch you need to hold closed sounds like a Really Stupid Idea. Better to have a switch you need to hold open using multiple feet long non-conductive limbs.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday July 06 2022, @02:37AM
And remembering that given enough juice, ANYTHING is conductive. Also, that mistakes tend to be conductive.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @09:32PM
A double dead-man switch covers that. You have to squeeze it, but not too tight. Violating either condition trips it. Of course that might not help you with electrocution because your heart can stop in less time than it takes for your hand to squeeze the switch.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Freeman on Tuesday July 05 2022, @04:40PM (15 children)
While this may seem like a common sense kind of thing to some. It really isn't. You must be educated on the dangers of high voltage to understand the extreme danger of high voltage.
Appliances are generally unsafe for the consumer to take apart and repair themselves, due to high voltage in them. Microwaves are one of those Highly Dangerous appliances. Essentially, if you cook with it or it's used to produce a goodly amount of power, don't try to take it apart. Unless, you know what you're doing, and have taken the appropriate safety precautions. I.E. You actually understand the difference between an open circuit and a closed circuit, AC and DC power, etc. There's a reason why electricians are certified. Also, having watched said warning video, multiple certified electricians have died due to minor mishaps with Fractal Wood Burning. When a minor mishap, such as brushing up against the side of the table where the device is resting, can kill you. You really, really need to know that it can kill you. Otherwise, it's like giving a toddler a loaded gun and figuring it's okay. Because the safety is on or the safety is part of the trigger and they "don't have the strength to" pull it. A toddler literally has no chance of knowing what they are dealing with. At least most adults who may have the idea to try Fractal Wood Burning have the chance to inform themselves, before doing something so insanely dangerous.
Popular Examples:
CRT TV 10x the voltage in Microwave Transformers https://www.nedt.org/the-dangers-of-cathode-ray-tube-crt-monitors-and-televisions/ [nedt.org]
Computer Power Supply (Generally 1/4 to 1/2 the voltage used in a Microwave Transformer.) https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/23232/is-it-safe-to-disassemble-an-unpowered-pc-power-supply [stackexchange.com]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by sjames on Tuesday July 05 2022, @05:44PM
And always assume the bleed down resistors included for safety failed open years ago.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday July 05 2022, @06:21PM (8 children)
Incorrect.. I'll assume everybody here knows why
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday July 05 2022, @07:02PM (7 children)
No, there are plenty of us here who aren't electrical engineers. Please explain.
About the extent of my knowledge on the matter is that volts and amps are two different things. You can absorb a lot of one of them but the other will kill you. Or something like that.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 4, Informative) by unauthorized on Tuesday July 05 2022, @10:50PM (6 children)
Correct. Voltage is the measure of the rate of flow of electricity, while amperage is a measure of the amount of electricity that goes through it. A 12V car battery can kill you, but static electricity discharge at 27kV is only slightly irritating. High voltage and low current is like getting shot by a paintball gun. Low voltage and high current is like getting run over by a steamroller.
(Score: 5, Informative) by drussell on Tuesday July 05 2022, @11:59PM (4 children)
No!
Voltage is the PRESSURE and the current is the rate of flow.
When using the useful analogy of water flow through a pipe, it all follows through likewise, ie. the diameter of a pipe is like the resistance, changing the flow from a constant source, etc.
(Score: 2) by drussell on Wednesday July 06 2022, @12:02AM
oops, I accidentally deleted one line, just adding that the rate of flow (amperage) is one coulomb (6.24 x 1018, or 6.24 quintillion) of electrons per second flowing through a circuit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @02:09AM
Yes, and it's the combination of both that are there problem. It's common to be shocked with thousands of volts via static build up and be mildly annoyed by it, but a fraction of the voltage with more amperage can be fatal.
(Score: 2) by unauthorized on Wednesday July 06 2022, @06:20AM (1 child)
Voltage is not pressure, it's a difference in electric potential. If you want to use a hydraulic analogy it's more like a pressure difference between two points of your pipe, while the current is the amount of fluid that passes through it per second. If the pipe is in equilibrium it will still have pressure but the "voltage" would be zero and there will be no fluid flowing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @02:22PM
So... Kinda like a resistor with both ends at the same voltage relative to ground (equilibrium) has no current passing through it and therefore no voltage drop across it?
Yes, pressure is voltage in the hydraulic analogy.
(Score: 2) by epitaxial on Thursday July 07 2022, @12:22AM
No way in hell 12 volts is going to kill you.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by drussell on Tuesday July 05 2022, @06:32PM (1 child)
My computer says it can't reach "nedt.org" so I cannot pull up your link to see what they're talking about, BUT...
Show me any case anywhere in which someone was killed by a zap from a CRT, unless they hit their head when they jumped back against the wall due to the shock or something... CRT voltages may be high but the available current is very low and I'd love to see a credible instance of one actually killing anyone from the zap itself. (A few very old B&W TVs, like pre-WWII-old, did use separate HV oscillators which could potentially supply some reasonably hefty current (instead of the modern flyback style,) which could be a bit more dangerous and demand healthy respect, but any CRT display that most random schmoos might be playing with are much more likely to really lethally bite them from the main power supply, not the HV anode on the tube.
Things like neon sign transformers (typically 2-20 kV at perhaps 10-100 mA), microwave oven transformers (typically 2-3 kV at perhaps 500 mA), and even just regular mains from the wall socket, etc. are in a completely different league than a CRT because they can actually supply some current. A Big TC [worldradiohistory.com] Tesla coil can easily produce 200,000-300,000 volts but in most cases you'll just give yourself a nasty RF burn rather than kill yourself with one. (I personally built one with three of the glass capacitors for that extra "danger" factor, way back in high school.)
While "27,000 volts" is indeed potentially lethal (LOL... potentially, get it?), I would like to see a citation of where someone hooked themselves up to the HV on a CRT well enough to actually kill themself... please?
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday July 05 2022, @08:10PM
I am not anywhere near an electrical engineer. Highest claim to technical engineering I have is having passed the Technician exam for Ham Radio operators. I just went with what seemed plausible/reasonable as far as sources go. Looking at it a bit deeper, yes the Voltage is very very bad, but as you said TVs don't really supply enough current to be extremely lethal. Though, it could plausibly be lethal.
Interesting article: https://lowendmac.com/2007/the-truth-about-crts-and-shock-danger/ [lowendmac.com]
So, if you have a pace maker don't work on exposed electronics.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2, Insightful) by shrewdsheep on Tuesday July 05 2022, @08:06PM (2 children)
Please clarify. Do they hold a voltage of at most 230V? Touching a 230V AC cable will not kill you if you have dry hands.
(Score: 2, Touché) by weirsbaski on Wednesday July 06 2022, @06:45AM
If a mishap happens this might be the thing that saves you, but I sure as hell wouldn't count on it as a reliable safety mechanism.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday July 06 2022, @12:24PM
To paraphrase your claim, you can touch the highest voltage power line in the world, IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE A PATH TO GROUND. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBJyyEAw-6g [youtube.com] That's why birds can perch on high voltage conductors, and suffer no consequences.
If you provide a path to ground, it doesn't take high voltage to kill you. Common 110V house current can kill you, if you're terribly unlucky. Higher voltages, under the same circumstances, will just cook you faster, and more efficiently.
(Score: 3, Informative) by dx3bydt3 on Tuesday July 05 2022, @05:14PM
His video was also taken down, but later restored, apparently without explanation or apology.
Here's a link to his video on the subject: The most deadly project on the Internet [youtube.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by deimios on Tuesday July 05 2022, @05:51PM (5 children)
Just check the like/dislike ratio and you can avoid bad videos like that. Oh, right. I guess you can't.
(Score: 1, Troll) by crafoo on Tuesday July 05 2022, @08:18PM (4 children)
Good. People are too complacent. First and foremost you have personal responsibility for your actions. If you can't exist in the modern world without avoiding killing yourself, you shouldn't be here.
Why are they trying to remove these videos? We need more of them. Many many more of them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 05 2022, @08:28PM
Hai Mr. Psychopath! Please don't breed!
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday July 06 2022, @02:43AM (1 child)
Maybe what's really needed is a video of someone using this technique to darwin himself, as a warning to others.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @03:50AM
It would get removed for community guideline violations.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Wednesday July 06 2022, @06:10AM
I'm tempted to agree, but before we do, we should improve our education system. People should at least have a chance to know better.
If they decide not to, ok.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by istartedi on Wednesday July 06 2022, @12:39AM (2 children)
High voltage and enough current, but what *exactly* are they doing wrong? Holding the electrodes in their hand? Obviously holding both is a bad idea, even with gloves; but I can see how holding one would be deadly if you didn't realize there was a path to complete the circuit through your body (which might be why other posts describe people dying after brushing up against the table).
It seems like this could be made reasonably safe with pre-positioned electrodes, or if movement of one or more electrode is required during the process then a remotely-controlled positioning system could be used. Of course all that takes some careful thought and costs money. "Homer Simpson held both electrodes, and he's fine. Look at me! I'm Homer Simpson!".
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 06 2022, @02:20AM
Ultimately, they're coming into contact with high voltage equipment that's still live. These are homebrew builds using disassembled microwaves and no safety measures to protect against accidental discharges. The videos I've seen involve them moving the probes around without protective gear on tables that don't appear to be specially insulated and the like. If at any point they drop it, or bump the table or anything along those lines, they're toast.
Having a method of discharging any capacitors and cut power from the system from across the room, as well as not do any touching while energized would probably work. The problem though is that it's not something that somebody who isn't an electrical engineer is likely to get right. Some of these folks ought to have known better, as they were electricians.
(Score: 2) by Opportunist on Wednesday July 06 2022, @06:13AM
What exactly they do wrong may vary from sample to sample. As far as I can tell these are mostly "homebrew" setups, with some table, some wood, some electrodes, some .. you get it.
Bump the table and have the contraption touch you? Toast. Touch the table that is for some reason conductive? Toast. Slip with the crocodile clamp and touch the electrode? Toast. Step on a wire that happens to lie on the ground? Toast. Have the poorly connected wire slip off the electrode and touch your hand? Toast.
Need more suggestions?