RF Generation Message Board

Gaming => Video Game Generation => Topic started by: Shimra on January 05, 2007, 04:27:42 PM



Title: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: Shimra on January 05, 2007, 04:27:42 PM
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6163774.html?tag=latestnews;title;2

All I can say is, wow. That is probably one of the most depressing stories I have heard in a while, and not just related to videogames. The whole scenario just seems so innocent. He had so much of his life ahead of him.


Title: Re: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: NES_Rules on January 05, 2007, 05:14:28 PM
They must have some powerful outlets in Thailand because I've touched the prong while unplugging something when I was younger, probably not much older than 7. And it didn't even hurt, just tingled and scared the hell out of me. Unless maybe it cause a heart attack in this kid or something. 

Anyway, that really sucks for his family.  :'(


Title: Re: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: Tynstar on January 05, 2007, 05:27:02 PM
That is terrible.


Title: Re: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: Fuyukaze on January 05, 2007, 05:37:56 PM
Not sure which is worse, having someone to blame or having no one to blame.  Either way a child is dead long before he should have.  Truely a tragic thing.


Title: Re: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: TraderJake on January 05, 2007, 06:09:02 PM
Poor guy. Condolences to the Family.


They must have some powerful outlets in Thailand because I've touched the prong while unplugging something when I was younger, probably not much older than 7. And it didn't even hurt, just tingled and scared the hell out of me. Unless maybe it cause a heart attack in this kid or something. 

Anyway, that really sucks for his family.  :'(

Because Japan and the US Modernized before the rest of the world in terms of adoption of electricity we use a less inefficient, 120V Outlet. Had people in the US and Japan not owned large appliances in the 50s and 60s we probably would have the same voltage found throughout the world. There was a movement to change to 240V in the US but the cost of replacing existing appliances was deemed to be too high. As such, Power Generation and Transmission in North America and Japan is no where near as efficient as it is in Europe. So, in theory, you can be shocked with twice as much power in most of the world than you can in North America or Japan. SFS is an electrical engineer in training (frightening, I know), perhaps he could indulge more about service voltages.


Title: Re: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: Zimbacca on January 06, 2007, 02:32:10 AM
I once shocked myself really bad while plugging in a TV with my hands wet.   My index, middle finger, and thumb were completely black.  Never made that mistake again.


Title: Re: 7-year old dies unplugging his Game Boy.
Post by: Hydrobond on January 06, 2007, 02:58:33 AM
Poor guy. Condolences to the Family.


They must have some powerful outlets in Thailand because I've touched the prong while unplugging something when I was younger, probably not much older than 7. And it didn't even hurt, just tingled and scared the hell out of me. Unless maybe it cause a heart attack in this kid or something. 

Anyway, that really sucks for his family.  :'(

Because Japan and the US Modernized before the rest of the world in terms of adoption of electricity we use a less inefficient, 120V Outlet. Had people in the US and Japan not owned large appliances in the 50s and 60s we probably would have the same voltage found throughout the world. There was a movement to change to 240V in the US but the cost of replacing existing appliances was deemed to be too high. As such, Power Generation and Transmission in North America and Japan is no where near as efficient as it is in Europe. So, in theory, you can be shocked with twice as much power in most of the world than you can in North America or Japan. SFS is an electrical engineer in training (frightening, I know), perhaps he could indulge more about service voltages.

Power generation and transmission happens at the kV level around the world, electricity is only 120V very close to the home.