Can tin foil hats block anything? (2015) (opens in new tab)

(physics.stackexchange.com)

47 pointsgitinit2y ago40 comments

40 comments

The MIT paper linked in the second answer (http://web.archive.org/web/20100708230258/http://people.csai...) is a great read on its own.

vmfunction2y ago

> We hope this report will encourage the paranoid community to develop improved helmet designs to avoid falling prey to these shortcomings.

Can we just replace tin foil hats with Faraday cage!

quickthrower22y ago

Putting fashion aside, probably useful for both UV blocking (turn the hat into a hijab for better coverage) and also should reflect IR so reduce the chance of heatstroke when working in the sun. Disclaimer: avoid working/exercise in hot/humid conditions at all! Work at dusk/dawn or even wait for a cool day.

mr_toad2y ago

I wore one as fancy dress once. The foil is very good insulation and gets uncomfortably hot even when just sitting down.

1 more reply

dylan6042y ago

Isn't that essentially the point of an emergency/space blanket? It's essentially what the JWST uses for a solar shield as well. The $.99 item you buy at any camping store probably cost NASA more than that though.

willmadden2y ago

>avoid working/exercise in hot/humid conditions at all! Work at dusk/dawn or even wait for a cool day.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you live in the Southern Hemisphere.

dylan6042y ago

Why? This is the same concept in any hot/humid conditions during the summer regardless of hemisphere. It's good advice even if you hear it during the winter.

1 more reply

whatshisface2y ago

The southern hemisphere has the same weather as the northern hemisphere, but with reversed seasonality. You might be thinking of the American subtropics.

willmadden2y ago

Because it's freezing in the northern hemisphere right now, that's why.

RajT882y ago

They can block incoming interest from romantic partners.

phendrenad22y ago

Of course they can. They block a frequency range. Is that useful? Probably not.

H8crilA2y ago

See the MIT paper linked from a lower ranked answer - they can actually amplify the radio waves, by as much as 30dB! That's a 1000x increase. Now that's a proper conspiracy - to cause people to wear those in order to amplify the effects.

phendrenad22y ago

True, it blocks some radio waves and amplifies others. But maybe it amplifies good mind-control signals and diminishes bad ones? Only one way to find out! adds 32 rolls of foil to cart

DiscourseFan2y ago

Yeah but not alien radio waves...

clearly you aren't paying attention.

Khelavaster2y ago

Yes! Microwave attacks like against international embassy workers are FOILED by aluminum hats.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/01/science/sonic-attack-cuba...

JudasGoat2y ago

non paywall https://archive.ph/T0hOk

countWSS2y ago

What about tinfoil covered walls? Would living next to a couple of 4G/5G towers be improved by tinfoiling the walls in that direction or a full faraday cage setup is needed?

nomilk2y ago

The top answer is gold. Short, and worth the read; gave me a good laugh.

internetter2y ago

Only problem is the links are bogus. I was hoping to see an actual example of somebody being rejected in a marriage proposal because of their hat

Reason0772y ago

Like other hats, tin foil would be effective in preventing sunlight burning your skin and causing melanoma etc.

Would be a useful material to have in a desert island scenario.

gitinitOP2y ago

It would also reflect light significantly, which could be useful to get attention from rescuers.

Am4TIfIsER0ppos2y ago

Was just going to comment that myself. It is a useful property for us pasty nerds when we venture out.

zabzonk2y ago

probably not too many have actually used a room-sized tin foil hat, but i have - we used to have a faraday cage enclosing our coulter counter (measured cells in liquid) at university of london, back in the early 80s. room to sit in and do stuff. don't know if this is necessary any more?

IncRnd2y ago

My longitudinal study has found that tin foil hats, when prepared and worn as directed, block 100% alien parasitical freqencies, 97.8132% of the attempts by FEDGOV to take over the minds of minunderstood scientists, and 2.091234% of the people who use verbal frequencies to ask questions about where to obtain their own tin foil hats.

d2. h4x02 f023v32

apapapa2y ago

They can block water but not much RF

gitinitOP2y ago

The post acknowledges this, but it’s more about any actual frequency range. I just think it’s an interesting question.

johnea2y ago

> While the underlying concept is good, the typical foil helmet fails in design and execution.

8-)

ceejayoz2y ago

Presumably the flawed plans are distributed deliberately by the lizard people for a false sense of security.

NoPicklez2y ago

They can block someone finding a mate and procreating

BizarroLand2y ago

It's a joke that as far as I know I am the only person finds funny but I've always thought that tin-foil hats need a grounding strap as otherwise they would act more like an antenna dish than a shield.

bottom999mottob2y ago

What big tin foil doesn't want ya to know! That's hilarious

nonrandomstring2y ago

The approach of women. Very effective birth control. See [0].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_glasses

frfl2y ago

Ironic how turn tables[1], those types of glasses are trendy and hip now.

[1]: https://youtu.be/6FwmGLzyRDk?t=14

luhn2y ago

It's ironic that the main photo on the page is a fairly attractive man who imo can pull off the look.

beAbU2y ago

This looks very similar to the timeless Rayban Wayfarer design.

Reason0772y ago

The old S9 version actually look really cool!

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

40 comments

aidenn02y ago

The MIT paper linked in the second answer (http://web.archive.org/web/20100708230258/http://people.csai...) is a great read on its own.

vmfunction2y ago

> We hope this report will encourage the paranoid community to develop improved helmet designs to avoid falling prey to these shortcomings.

Can we just replace tin foil hats with Faraday cage!

quickthrower22y ago

mr_toad2y ago

I wore one as fancy dress once. The foil is very good insulation and gets uncomfortably hot even when just sitting down.

1 more reply

dylan6042y ago

willmadden2y ago

>avoid working/exercise in hot/humid conditions at all! Work at dusk/dawn or even wait for a cool day.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you live in the Southern Hemisphere.

dylan6042y ago

Why? This is the same concept in any hot/humid conditions during the summer regardless of hemisphere. It's good advice even if you hear it during the winter.

1 more reply

whatshisface2y ago

The southern hemisphere has the same weather as the northern hemisphere, but with reversed seasonality. You might be thinking of the American subtropics.

willmadden2y ago

Because it's freezing in the northern hemisphere right now, that's why.

RajT882y ago

They can block incoming interest from romantic partners.

phendrenad22y ago

Of course they can. They block a frequency range. Is that useful? Probably not.

H8crilA2y ago

phendrenad22y ago

True, it blocks some radio waves and amplifies others. But maybe it amplifies good mind-control signals and diminishes bad ones? Only one way to find out! adds 32 rolls of foil to cart

DiscourseFan2y ago

Yeah but not alien radio waves...

clearly you aren't paying attention.

Khelavaster2y ago

Yes! Microwave attacks like against international embassy workers are FOILED by aluminum hats.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/01/science/sonic-attack-cuba...

JudasGoat2y ago

non paywall https://archive.ph/T0hOk

countWSS2y ago

What about tinfoil covered walls? Would living next to a couple of 4G/5G towers be improved by tinfoiling the walls in that direction or a full faraday cage setup is needed?

nomilk2y ago

The top answer is gold. Short, and worth the read; gave me a good laugh.

internetter2y ago

Only problem is the links are bogus. I was hoping to see an actual example of somebody being rejected in a marriage proposal because of their hat

Reason0772y ago

Like other hats, tin foil would be effective in preventing sunlight burning your skin and causing melanoma etc.

Would be a useful material to have in a desert island scenario.

gitinitOP2y ago

It would also reflect light significantly, which could be useful to get attention from rescuers.

Am4TIfIsER0ppos2y ago

Was just going to comment that myself. It is a useful property for us pasty nerds when we venture out.

zabzonk2y ago

IncRnd2y ago

d2. h4x02 f023v32

apapapa2y ago

They can block water but not much RF

gitinitOP2y ago

The post acknowledges this, but it’s more about any actual frequency range. I just think it’s an interesting question.

johnea2y ago

> While the underlying concept is good, the typical foil helmet fails in design and execution.

8-)

ceejayoz2y ago

Presumably the flawed plans are distributed deliberately by the lizard people for a false sense of security.

NoPicklez2y ago

They can block someone finding a mate and procreating

BizarroLand2y ago

bottom999mottob2y ago

What big tin foil doesn't want ya to know! That's hilarious

nonrandomstring2y ago

The approach of women. Very effective birth control. See [0].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_glasses

frfl2y ago

Ironic how turn tables[1], those types of glasses are trendy and hip now.

[1]: https://youtu.be/6FwmGLzyRDk?t=14

luhn2y ago

It's ironic that the main photo on the page is a fairly attractive man who imo can pull off the look.

beAbU2y ago

This looks very similar to the timeless Rayban Wayfarer design.

Reason0772y ago

The old S9 version actually look really cool!

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse