Serbian boy less magnetic, more sticky: experts

The famed "magnetic boy" has been debunked, according to a report issued on Feb. 28. Rather than having a truly attractive personality, instead the boy is just sticky, reported LiveScience.

The news comes despite video demonstrations of the abilities of the 7-year-old Serbian boy, named (below), which also have been debunked by the experts and respondents in the report. For one, Benjamin Radford, managing editor of the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, noted there are several clues in the video and in similar reports:

"A lot of times when you see these videos, the people are leaning back slightly [which is visible in the video below; Bogdan appears to be leaning back slightly]. If there really is some magnetic attraction, the person should be able to lean over. If a magnetic force is overcoming gravity, we should see that. That's one strong clue that what we're seeing is not any sort of magnetism."

In addition, non-metallic objects are shown sticking to the boy's chest, and Radford adds,

"Glass is not magnetic. If a smooth piece of glass is sticking to him and a smooth piece of metal, what do those have in common? A very smooth surface. Not magnetism. These people aren't magnetic, it's just that things that have smooth surfaces stick to skin. Often these magnetic people have smooth skin and hairless chests."

Indeed, a seven-year-old doesn't usually have any hair on their chest.

Sadie Crabtree of the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF), an organization that funds the scientific investigation of paranormal claims, said:

"Skin is naturally slightly sticky, and some types of skin are probably stickier than others. But this is really no different than the trick where someone hangs a spoon from the end of their nose. It's just sticking through friction."

James Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic. He is best-known as a critic and challenger of those making paranormal and pseudoscience claims.

Additionally, the sweatier a person is, the stickier he is. Elmar Kroner, a German materials scientist said,

"The sweat has a crucial function: With increasing wetness of the skin, its mechanical properties change. The skin becomes softer, and this reduces the elastically-stored energy of the skin and again leads to higher adhesion."

This effect is apparent to those parents whose kids get very sweaty when running around playing. They often feel quite sticky as a result.

So, faux or real? Take a look at the video below and decide yourself.