Albeit this came about during a somewhat noble escapade to help in the fight against the coronavirus, it didn't quite go Daniel's way.
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Dr Reardon had the idea to create a device that would alert you that you were going to touch your face, prior to you actually touching it. Hoping to aid to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
While in self-isolation Dr Daniel decided to purchase some powerful neodymium magnets and attempt to make his dream become a reality. The initial prototype actually came out with the reverse effect. Sounding an alarm until the subject put their hand close to their face. Not exactly the idea he wants to enforce.
When he realized he didn't have the equipment at home to correct the problem, he started to play with the magnets, no doubt out of boredom.
Clipping the magnets together on either side of his ears, he then got the bright idea to try this on his nostrils. That's when things when downhill...
Initially, he was ok, he had each magnet on the inside of his nostrils connected to another on the outside. When he attempted to remove the outside magnets we assume that he assume the magnets would simply fall out of each nostril. However, being the powerful magnets they are, they stuck to each other through his septum! (That piece of cartilage separating your two nostrils).
Being a scientist he figured he'd had a solution, more magnets of course! Well, unfortunately, he got another two magnets stuck up his nose when he lost his grip. Now he was stuck with 3 in his left nostril and one in the right.
In an interview with The Guardian he stated:
At this point, my partner who works at a hospital was laughing at me, I was trying to pull them out but there is a ridge at the bottom of my nose you can’t get past
His partner, who works at a hospital insisted on taking him in:
My partner took me to the hospital that she works in because she wanted all her colleagues to laugh at me
Rather than keep his embarrassing situation to himself, he decided to share his story with the world. If he wasn't going to create a device to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, you better believe he'd at least share the story so that those of us in isolation would at least get a good laugh!
Thanks Dr Daniel!