I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie... electric chair
September 18, 2007 6:07 AM   Subscribe

 
Actually, since electric chairs work via AC, and he was using DC current (ie: a battery) in his model, his stated purpose "to show how the electric chair works and discuss basic electricity" is wrong.

Remember, the great fraud and thief Thomas Edison tried to convince people to use DC for household current [1] by, among other things, pointing out that AC was dangerous because they used it for electric chairs.

[1] An insanely stupid idea that would have required a generator every mile or so, you can't ship DC over long distances.
posted by sotonohito at 6:14 AM on September 18, 2007


Fry the little bitch, I say. You know she's guilty.
posted by chuckdarwin at 6:21 AM on September 18, 2007


Before Instructables and b3ta and the Internets in general, my high school science fair project was a study of how people dispose of their dead.

For this project, I had:

1. A box of cigarette ashes as "cremated remains".
2. A Barbie hooked up to an "embalming machine" (a pill bottle with embroidery floss "tubes" and a piece of paper saying "Embalming machine" taped on the side).
3. A Barbie carefully wrapped in 25mm-wide masking tape to resemble an Egyptian mummy.
4. A report on the various methods of body disposal, in lovingly graphic detail.
5. A posterboard with my report, a few xeroxes of Egyptian sarcophagi, and the Barbies carefully arranged in front of it.

I got a B. I bet if I had included a light-up electric chair, I could've totally nailed that A.
posted by Katemonkey at 6:43 AM on September 18, 2007


She's using a battery, but actual electric chairs use AC. In fact, they were designed by Edison to prove that AC was dangerous
posted by delmoi at 6:44 AM on September 18, 2007


I like her bookshelf made of encyclopedias better. Awesome.
posted by mediareport at 6:46 AM on September 18, 2007 [1 favorite]


It reminds me of this.
posted by caddis at 6:51 AM on September 18, 2007


Is it weird that these pictures turn me on?
posted by fatcatslimslim at 7:04 AM on September 18, 2007


We didn't have a science fair or anything fancy like that, but I recall conducting a similar experiment involving Barbie's head and a light bulb.

WHAT I LEARNED: You can dispose of the solid physical evidence, but you can't get rid of the smell.
posted by louche mustachio at 7:22 AM on September 18, 2007


...completely disgusted the entire female staff of Benton Middle.

When/where was this? 1950s Mayfield?
posted by DU at 7:48 AM on September 18, 2007 [1 favorite]


So hooking up a battery to a lightbulb is an effective science project now? Maybe for kindergarten...
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 8:23 AM on September 18, 2007


I prefer the Barbie death camp and wine bistro.
posted by lalochezia at 8:54 AM on September 18, 2007


She's using a battery, but actual electric chairs use AC. In fact, they were designed by Edison to prove that AC was dangerous.

Yes, she talks about that.

So hooking up a battery to a lightbulb is an effective science project now? Maybe for kindergarten...

From her intro: "The purpose of this project is to show how the electric chair works and discuss basic electricity - currents and conductivity ... And although it is more based on presentation than science, most people find it very interesting to learn how an electric chair works."

It seems good enough for a middle school project, to me. I quite liked it.
posted by Atom Eyes at 8:59 AM on September 18, 2007


sotonohito: ...you can't ship DC over long distances.

<pedant>That was certainly true in Edison's time, but things have changed.</pedant>
posted by Western Infidels at 10:28 AM on September 18, 2007


(ahem) Don't say you weren't warned.

P.S. If this is a public execution, I hope she's wearing panties.
posted by rob511 at 1:53 PM on September 18, 2007


Western Infidels I stand corrected. Thanks, thats nifty to know.
posted by sotonohito at 2:51 PM on September 18, 2007


rob511: prude!
posted by CitizenD at 3:14 PM on September 18, 2007


Can someone link me to the youtube of the Barbie getting fried?
posted by mek at 3:56 PM on September 18, 2007


Man, I wish I was back in middle school. I would totally one-up this and do a Barbie gas chamber (Complete with mixed bleach and chlorine!)

I'd add in some actuators to cause the doll to have involuntary spasms. I think that would push me over the top, grade wise. Because everyone appreciates a good death-rattle.
posted by quin at 4:13 PM on September 18, 2007


Knowing Mattel, someone is about to get sued.
posted by miss lynnster at 4:50 PM on September 18, 2007


I prefer the Barbie death camp and wine bistro.

Yeah they were camped right behind me. Still doing the same thing. They did make a new sign.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 5:32 PM on September 18, 2007


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