Is he telling the truth?

[Pepsiboy700]

My physics teacher boasted the first day of school he has magents that can erase the information off a phone and even disrupt cell phone reception. Well the day he brought the magnets in I decided to try and see if it would erase the information off of the old pos i530 phone I had and he flipped out saying go sit down Brett and had a hissy fit. When he wasnt looking I flipped the phone open and put a magnet on each side. The result, nothing. He says the magnets are strong enough to pick up 200lbs each. Now everyone is getting bad cell phone reception except nextel, sprint, and t-mobile. At&t and Verizon get little to no reception now, the same characteristics of a cell phone jammer. He says the magnets since he placed them properly and made a field with the help of the metal windows and some key placed wires, he successfully made a magnetic field to jam cell phone frequencies. He gave me some mumbo jumbo about how the cell phone signal is magnetic and because the frequencies make 90 degree angles the magnets change the angle, effectively jamming the frequencies. Is he talking out of his butt and he has a cell phone jammer or is he right?

 

[CrazeD]

Well, cell phones do emit a small magnetic field. If you had a really powerful electromagnet, I bet you could disrupt the signal.

Neodymium magnets are extremely powerful magnets, I could imagine one could pick up 200lbs, if it were big enough. Maybe the size of a baseball.

As for erasing data off your phone, it's definitely possible.

 

[KSoD]

Magnets wouldnt disrupt a cell phone or most technology today. A EMP would though. But to get one of those you would need a device used in Ocean's 11 or a Nuclear Blast.

I have not seen a magnet do any damage to electrocial components in years.

 

[Trotter]

Sounds like the great toothless one is doing the talking. Several things can be used to disrupt cell phone signals, but magnets aren't one of them.

 

[superdave1984]

Brass screen will do a fantastic job of blocking cell phone signals. Many movie theaters are using it inside the building for that very reason.

 

[Jorsoft]

I call BS on this one. I haven't seen magnet mess anything up in a long time, either.

 

[Pepsiboy700]

Ok I figured that much. I assume he has a cell phone jammer. Any information I looked up about cell phones and magnets said nothing about what he told me. I dont know if it had anything to do with it but when he shut the school computer down anyone who didnt have reception, did. I want to get to the bottom of this and screw him over. I dont like teachers who talk crap to kids and think we are just going to believe him cause he is a teacher.

 

[zedman3d]

I dont like teachers who talk crap to kids and think we are just going to believe him cause he is a teacher.

I agree, and is everyone sure magnets cant block reception, i mean, dont Microwaves make up a part of the ElectroMagnetic Spectrum??

 

[Oreo]

Magnets still screw things up. Well i screwed up a 3 year old TV with a Neodymium magnet..

 

[CrazeD]

Magnets can erase data that is magnetically stored, like credit cards or hard drives and probably the memory in your phone.