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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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 Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 1:19 am Post subject: Fan Deaths ( & Other Urban Legends ) |
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Fan death
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Many people in South Korea believe that, when operated in closed rooms, electric fans do not bring heat relief but sudden death,
suffocating victims by stealing their oxygen.
Fan death is an urban legend that was originally primarily confined to South Korea, but has spread to other countries in the Far East.
The legend states that an electric fan, if left running overnight in a closed room, can result in the death (by suffocation, poisoning, or hypothermia) of those inside. This belief also extends to air conditioners and the fans in cars. When the air conditioner or fan is on in a car,
some people are apt to leave their car windows open a crack to avoid "fan death".
Fans manufactured and sold in Korea are equipped with a timer switch that turns them off after a set number of minutes, which users are frequently urged to set when going to sleep with a fan on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 2:04 am Post subject: Re: Fan Deaths ( & Other Urban Legends ) |
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| http://fandeath.net/ |
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JLarter
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 2:31 am Post subject: |
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| haha awesome |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 3:09 am Post subject: |
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This is from that link:
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| I do agree places like Canada and other northern countries have no use of electric fans, so maybe they could not make the discovery, yet. |
They're right, it's just cold all year long and there are no electric fans in the whole country. Idiot! |
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mishlert
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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I talked to my students about this once and they believed the legend. But when I told them that I have slept many a nights in a room with the fan on and the door closed, I got a long pause, and then, " But teacher, you not Korean."  |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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| mishlert wrote: |
| I talked to my students about this once and they believed the legend. But when I told them that I have slept many a nights in a room with the fan on and the door closed, I got a long pause, and then, " But teacher, you not Korean." |
That's plan B: it only affects Koreans.
I tried submitting "fan death" to Mythbusters but it looks like nobody was interested. |
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SMKOREA
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I confronted my gf on fan death, yup she believes in it. "I watch it on the news" .....well then, no arguing with that, must be true. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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My girlfriend always says she doesn't believe in it, but I think she is just too embarrassed to admit it because sometimes when we sleep with the fan on at night, she will crack the window a little.
I have told her many times that I would have been dead a long time ago if it was true.
Whenever I confront students about it, they usually say I am crazy to take such a risk, or that it's because I am not Korean. Next time, I am going to ask them if it is because Koreans are weak, or if Kimchi can protect them from it. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| My little theory is that it was used as a cover story to hide suicide and spread from there. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| My girlfriend as well believes in it, even though for the last week we've been sleeping with a fan on and the windows closed. She insists it's based on science. |
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Poor Lazarus
Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Location: Andong
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh, Fan Death is real! It took the life of John Lennon. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
My girlfriend always says she doesn't believe in it, but I think she is just too embarrassed to admit it because sometimes when we sleep with the fan on at night, she will crack the window a little.
I have told her many times that I would have been dead a long time ago if it was true.
Whenever I confront students about it, they usually say I am crazy to take such a risk, or that it's because I am not Korean. Next time, I am going to ask them if it is because Koreans are weak, or if Kimchi can protect them from it. |
My other point is "where are the warning labels?" If fans were kiling people there'd be lawsuit up the ying yang and there would be warning labels all over the damn things. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
My other point is "where are the warning labels?" If fans were kiling people there'd be lawsuit up the ying yang and there would be warning labels all over the damn things. |
There are though. I checked the instruction booklet on the fan I bought here, and sure enough there's a diagram that shows you have to keep a window open.
Why do you think fans come with timers here? That's considered a safety device so you won't fall asleep with the fan on all night.
The fan manufacturers, the one group who would have a vested interest in calling BS on fan death, believe in it too. |
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semphoon
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: Where Nowon is
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Poor Lazarus wrote: |
| Oh, Fan Death is real! It took the life of John Lennon. |
LOL
Nice won.
I have a friend that studies at SNU ...she believes in Fan Death. And my co-workers believe in it.
I love South Korea.  |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
| My little theory is that it was used as a cover story to hide suicide and spread from there. |
My theory has always been that it was the Park, Chung-Hee government that spread the rumor in order to decrease electricity usage during the summer.
As another thought, not that this subject hasn't been belabored black and blue, the whole point is moot. I mean, really, when was the last time, when it was hot enough to warrant the use of a fan, and you didn't have AC, that you slept, with said fan on, AND with the windows closed?
Shenanigans. |
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