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Re:Why People with Brain Implants Are Afraid to Go Through A... by drdaeman on Thursday July 06, 2017 @01:47PM (#14712284)
Uh. I thought it was all about parasitic currents. Strong enough EM fields induce those in the wires, brain gets stimulation and goes into seizure, this sort of stuff.

(Neighbor comment[1] suggests those devices don't have anything like firmware upgrades, so don't see why they need an actual receiver)

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[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14712193

Re:Why People with Brain Implants Are Afraid to Go Through A... by Filligree on Thursday July 06, 2017 @01:49PM (#14712302)
That would be the obvious interpretation, yes. Induced currents from EMI can be dangerous, and implants don't necessarily have the luxury of shielding, but if that was why... then how would encryption help?

I'll fully admit I'm speculating. It just seems odd.

Re:Why People with Brain Implants Are Afraid to Go Through A... by Sephr on Thursday July 06, 2017 @03:45PM (#14713285)
You don't need to intentionally create a radio receiver to inadvertently pick up EMI. Simple thin wires will end up with this same parasitic current problem, by nature of their shape and composition.

Shielding around these thin wires can be impractical in many situations due to the limited space afforded by the brain and skull.