Can humans pick up radio waves?

[Mattk]

Not quite sure where to post this one!

I work in a quiet office with no access to the radio but on several occasions have gone on to the shop floor to find that the song I am singing is currently playing.

Is this just a case of simple coincidence or can we pick up radio waves?

[Old_Geezer]

I suspect your subconscious poicked up the tune just before your conscious did, so when you were aware of what was playing on the radio you were surprised you were already singing it.

[Mattk]

But thats the thing! I have double checked and can definitely not hear the radio so is it subconscious or am I a walking ariel!
Considering the number of radio channels available versus the number of songs coincidence seems very long odds.

[wildwood]

There are some reported cases of orthodontic braces or tooth fillings acting as an electromagnetic receiver.

There are however just as many reports that it is not true, so take your pick.

[pleuni]

I'd reckon that somehow you can hear the radio - maybe a small vibraton or something....it only take a beat or a twang of a song to put the whole song on play in your mind

[ChuckFickens]

The debate about fillings and braces picking up radio signals has been going on for ages. One thing is certain though, if they can pick up radio signals it would only work for AM transmissions, there is no way a filling could demodulate a FM signal.

[R1Geezer]

radio waves are light not sound so even if you could pick them up it would be by a structure like the optic nerve but with a different wave length.

More likely is you've heard a few bars perhaps when someone opens a door or something and started picking it up.

[Booldawg]

Its one thing being able to pick up radio waves, but how would your body de-modulate the radio waves in to an audio signal?

[Pinkypie]

Could it be that someone coming into your office has heard it and has hummed it, while you are on your way out. As you don't remember this, you think it's come from your head??

Just a thought??

[bednobs]

sounds like co-incidence. I think many radio stations play the same songs over and over again, like they can't be bothered to put them away, or in the case of Radio1, because its what their bosses tell them to play/ what we want to hear. what about all the times you go onto the shop floor and do NOT sing the song that's currently playing?

[Old_Geezer]

"how would your body de-modulate the radio waves in to an audio signal?"

I'm not going to speculate on how, but it is fair to say that for amplitude modulation (AM) radio, the shape of the audio can be clearly seen (on an oscilloscope for example) in the shape of the received radio wave. It is relatively simple to extract, which is why crystal sets work, and why there is a debate re tooth fillings.

[ChuckFickens]

You certainly don't need anything fancy to pick up a AM signal. a length of wire connected to a speaker will do the job nicely if the signal is strong enough.

A powerful amplifier connected to the back of a AM capable CB radio in a car parked outside my local Tescos used to enable me to make announcements over the in store PA system quite nicely :)

[seadogg]

When people have hearing tests they are sometimes surprised at what they can hear.
What is the source of the sound? Is it radio or is there an internal system? If radio, is it am, .fm or digital?
Perhaps you should just believe in magic as the alternatives could be complicated

[cazzz1975]

please tell me you have done that chuck!? :D

[ChuckFickens]

Digital radio must be a godsend to all these people that pick up the radio from their fillings, now they can pause the radio when they want a bit of quiet and just restart from where they left off at a later time :)

[ChuckFickens]

Cazz...

Yes, quite often, they used to get quite peed off about it in Tesco :)

[seadogg]

Harmonics or breakthrough Chuck?

[ChuckFickens]

Breakthrough, SD. a strong enough AM signal will be picked up by the wires and as the signal going to speakers is normally AM anyhow anything I said was heard over the PA system. :)

[ChuckFickens]

It did require about 500watts though.

[Booldawg]

LOL Chuck, this is a whole sub-thread! What kind of announcements did you make?

[mccfluff]

lol chuck, tell us more :-)