While perusing some DIY project books, I came across a very novel use for flashing LEDs.


Anyone want to bone up on their hypnosis skills? From "Fun Projects for the Experimenter" by Newton C. Braga circa 1998. I really thought it would be a much older book.

 

I recall two articles with similar circuits. At least one, appearing in Radio Electronics, had an outstanding warning saying, that depending basically of the frequency, it could cause an (epileptic?) seizure.

 

There are also these. https://www.capillus.com/capillus-ultra

 

I recall two articles with similar circuits. At least one, appearing in Radio Electronics, had an outstanding warning saying, that depending basically of the frequency, it could cause an (epileptic?) seizure.

This is especially a hazard with strobe lights. You really need to be careful about who sees them.

 

A co-worker who had regular bouts of migraines was susceptible to flashing lights also, along with certain colors (wavelengths). Hypnosis has nothing to do with vision. It is the mind being lulled by properly cadenced soothing words. The lights (or any other visual cues) are a simple misdirection trick.

 

I recall hearing the story of people suffering a seizure when driving in the West of our country, along a road where poplar trees are planted regularly on both sides, quite close to the road itself and close to each other along many kilometres.

When approaching sunset, and depending of what speed you drive at, the periodic vision of the sun in between the trees seem to affect people prone to those attacks. Narrow roads, you cannot race much there.

 

Maybe the flashing lights on police cars are used to hypnotize criminals?
In an hour from now the Canadian police will probably cause my TV to flash to hypnotize watchers of their announcement that during the recent all night shooting disaster they forgot to warn everyone on TV, radio and Amber Alert that there was a criminal on the loose shooting everybody. They warned only on Twitter, but most people never look at Twitter.

 

Maybe the flashing lights on police cars are used to hypnotize criminals?
In an hour from now the Canadian police will probably cause my TV to flash to hypnotize watchers of their announcement that during the recent all night shooting disaster they forgot to warn everyone on TV, radio and Amber Alert that there was a criminal on the loose shooting everybody. They warned only on Twitter, but most people never look at Twitter.

I agree that there was certainly a lapse of judgement on that one. The least that they could have done was all cars sirens on, and made some noise that would disturb folks.

 

and made some noise that would disturb folks.

Gun shots weren't enough?

 

Gun shots weren't enough?

There are many cars driving around with the muffler missing or made louder, producing backfire Bangs.
There will be lawsuits charging the police with negligence about not warning everybody.
Maybe the police chief will be charged with Manslaughter.

 

When approaching sunset, and depending of what speed you drive at, the periodic vision of the sun in between the trees seem to affect people prone to those attacks. Narrow roads, you cannot race much there.

Depending on the variety, I would suspect the poplar leaves reflecting the sunlight. The underside of them is lighter than the top and fairly reflective.

 

While working in Milwaukee and staying in a hotel I got the idea of getting one of those infra-red flood lights and driving it with a signal from the TV remote. Since all the TV's in the complex were the same type they all used the same remote. Pointing my remote out my window across the parking lot - I envisioned being able to turn another patron's TV ON or OFF, or changing the volume. It was a passing thought. One can get quite bored sitting in a hotel for the weekend with nothing to do. Won't say "Nothing", but I don't much fancy going places by myself. I like human company. Not the expensive kind of company either.

 

While working in Milwaukee and staying in a hotel I got the idea of getting one of those infra-red flood lights and driving it with a signal from the TV remote. Since all the TV's in the complex were the same type they all used the same remote. Pointing my remote out my window across the parking lot - I envisioned being able to turn another patron's TV ON or OFF, or changing the volume. It was a passing thought. One can get quite bored sitting in a hotel for the weekend with nothing to do. Won't say "Nothing", but I don't much fancy going places by myself. I like human company. Not the expensive kind of company either.

I have seen TV remote control repeaters for sale, but not recently. That is an interesting concept but the value of the capability is questionable. AND certainly having such a device in your checked luggage will bring a detailed investigation from the TSA luggage police after you check your bags.
I suggest that better entertainment could be provided by a serious all band receiver. Not a cheap junk consumer type, but a communications grade one.