The blast waves from explosions could jolt the skull into generating electricity, potentially damaging the brain, scientists now suggest. A variety of materials generate electricity when mechanically stressed. This effect, known as piezoelectricity, is commonly seen in guitar pickups and loudspeakers. Researchers from MIT developed a new computer model of theelectric fields generatedin the skull by an improvised explosive device (IED) – the kind often rigged up nowadays in combat zones. The model results suggest the generated electric fields could exceed electrical safety guidelines by a factor of 10. In fact, they might be comparable in magnitude to medical procedures employing electromagnetic fields that can disrupt brain function.Read more from Yahoo! News.
Study: Bomb’s Shock Waves May Electrify the Brain
