Dad vs Geek

The balance between Dad and Geek is sometimes tested. A few days ago, my wife found little Alan choking on something significant. He recovered and she called me, worried that he swallowed a nail. Dad thinking gets him to an X-Ray machine, especially after reading this (pdf). Key sentence: "Although a majority of ingested foreign […]

The balance between Dad and Geek is sometimes tested. A few days ago, my wife found little Alan choking on something significant. He recovered and she called me, worried that he swallowed a nail.

Dad thinking gets him to an X-Ray machine, especially after reading this (pdf).

Key sentence: "Although a majority of ingested foreign bodies (FB) pass down the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously, those that are sharp, pointed or large in size need removal to avert serious complications." Key Tools for removal included a "rat-tooth forceps"

Geek looks out the office window to the Home Supply store and wonders. . .

Zircon "Could I use one of these to find the nail before they do the X-Ray? How sensitive is it? Does it work through flesh? How could I test it's sensitivity?"

I did not buy a Metal sensor. Mythbusters did test something close here, though, so my curiousity is satisfied.

Oh, the nail? The X-ray didn't indicate any metal objects. And there was a prize in his next diaper; Battleship pegs seem to go down hard and come out easy.