Braingle: 'Birds on Wires' Brain Teaser

Birds on Wires

Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.

Puzzle ID:	#3292
Fun:	(2.49)
Difficulty:	(1.89)
Category:	Science
Submitted By:	204_blaze_41
Corrected By:	cnmne

Shady was introducing his invention to a "Birds Unlimited" convention. He explained that he developed a special insulation for high-powered electrical lines. This insulation is guaranteed to save thousands of birds that unwittingly land on the lines and are electrocuted each year. Shady claimed that with all the birds saved, the annual summer mosquito problem would practically disappear. As Shady was appealing for donations, Captain Frank, an avid bird lover, stood up and told Shady to peddle his line elsewhere. What was wrong with Shady's claim?

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Comments

cathalmccabe Apr 09, 2002	Eh explain this please. It would have been fine if you said a bird won't get electrocuted landing on an electricity line. But how does the magnetic field make it "virtually impossible" for the bird to land? Do you just make up all these "puzzles"? If that were true, then how come birds can fly into HV lines? (I know this because I am working with an Electricity Company)
mcscruffso Apr 09, 2002	ive seen birds land on cables though
Christopher Apr 15, 2002	I thought that the reason birds weren't electrocuted upon landing on electricity wires was because they weren’t grounded. This makes it impossible for the electricity to pass through the birds with the positive/negative current needed to complete the circuit. Please correct me if I am wrong.
pusandave Apr 16, 2002	Christopher is very correct.
cathalmccabe Apr 17, 2002	Yes chris your right, by the way I forgot to mention you can see birds landing on electricity lines, because not all lines are live! I know of a stretch of line where lots of birds land, because the line hasn't been used in ages. We'd love to turn it on just to see what would happen, if they would fly off or if it would make any difference. Swans flying into lines is a BIG problem, they also put fake plastic owns on towers of HV lines to keep birds away, by that is also to stop birds "dirtying" the equipment
bluetwo May 15, 2002	My 2 cents. Birds can't be electrocuted if they land on one line, but if their wings were to span the lines and touch 2 at the same time...
something Aug 04, 2002	cathlmccabe, it's actually because you need two opposite electric wires to electricute a bird.
(user deleted) Aug 14, 2002	Well that explains all those birds sitting on electrical lines. My advice, stick to theoretical stuff that can never be proved or disproved.
Phily Dec 17, 2002	I disagree with the reason given. In North America we use 60Hz, meaning the current undergoes 60 full cycles each second. Each cycle the magnetic field forms, disappears, forms in the opposite direction and disappears again. So the birds would vibrate at 60Hz if they were moving in the field and carried a charge, unlikely to keep them from landing. Another explanation why birds tend to avoid high powered lines is they don't like the buzzing noise.
jimbo Nov 08, 2003	Are these steel pigeons or stool pigeons that are repelled by magnetic fields?
curtiss82 Dec 30, 2003	This teaser should be removed. It is absolutely wrong. I see birds on power lines all the time. They don't get electricuted because they are not grounded. And the comment about the magnetic field is just mind boggling wrong. Birds are not metallic, nor do they contain charged particles, so the magnetic field has not effect on them.
thegermangemini May 27, 2004	I think it may be a VERY long time before someone reads this teaser, let alone the comments, but I think credit needs to be given where credit is due. This teaser is written, word for word, off of a playing card from the game Mindtrap. The submitter didn't even change the names or the wording of the solution, so although it may be wrong, it is also copyright infringement and plagerism. FYI-I have this game, which is how I recognized it, and it is a blast!
thegermangemini May 27, 2004	I think it may be a VERY long time before someone reads this teaser, let alone the comments, but I think credit needs to be given where credit is due. This teaser is written, word for word, off of a playing card from the game Mindtrap. The submitter didn't even change the names or the wording of the solution, so although it may be wrong, it is also copyright infringement and plagerism. FYI-I have this game, which is how I recognized it, and it is a blast!
fishmed Sep 01, 2005	FYI, this teaser is being reviewed by a panel of editors and engineers for accuracy. News at 11...
cyberstar5150 Aug 04, 2006	You do know that birds land on powerlines, right? And that they don't get zapped since the potential difference between their feet is too small to affect them? Now if two birds hang on and give each other a kiss, now you've got roasted bird
Shadows Nov 01, 2008	Thegermangemini, I agree. I got my name from that game, so I should know. Mindtrap is an awesome game, so you need to either change some of the names or word it differently, or both. If you guys look up so of his other teasers, you'll find more plagiarized Mindtrap stuff.