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Electricity, Electromagnetism, Bioelectric fields, Need realism

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Nicodemus Carpenter:
Ok, short version.  Among the many speculations within my speculative fiction novel concept are a group of people who, among other general enhancements, can generate electricity using specialized organs in their body a la electric eels/rays etc.  They were scientifically designed to assassinate godlike figures whose closest approximation would be a dresdenverse wizard not bound by the first law. Time has passed, their original purpose has been forgotten, and now they serve as superpowered bodyguards and assassins for the nobles of an iron age style empire.

What I'm looking for is someone who understands the science well enough to tell me what will or won't work.  If you can't help me there, I still wouldn't mind hearing from you since I generally work best when I can bounce ideas off multiple people.

Some of my questions include:

Why don't electric eels shock themselves? I've heard various theories about this, but nothing really convincing. 

Would it be possible for a sixth sense similar to the Electric Eel or Shark's ability to sense bioelectric fields to function outside an aquatic environment?

Could electromagnets be reliably weaponized in the form of armor, such as a bracer?  What I mean by this, is could you design a solenoid to fit inside a piece of armor or weapon that could be activated in various ways to either attract or repel other ferromagnetic materials?  Could said solenoid also function as a small, but functional gauss cannon?

How would someone actually kill via electrocution if that were the aim?  Would it require multiple contact points, or could a circut be formed using a single contact point such as a hand placed flat against the other person?

Assuming a person could generate a powerful and sustainable electric current inside himself, would he be able to create a magnetic field strong enough to affect ferromagnetic materials such as swords and armor enough to be of use in a combat situation?

How do magnetic materials actually function, and what determines which side attracts and which repel?

What is the difference between static and current electricity, and would it be possible to achieve "miniature lighting" affects from organs similar to those on the Electric Eel?

Most of these are designed to ensure I don't embarrass myself too badly when I write my action sequences, but I'd love to hear any tidbits you could offer, such as strange side effects, dietary requirements, etc.

Puckvalan:
I hope I can help with some of this, I'm a soon to be graduated (next tuesday!) physicist, but electromagnetism isn't my strong suit, so this might not be complete or even correct.

Why don't electric eels shock themselves?
   No idea

Would it be possible for a sixth sense similar to the Electric Eel or Shark's ability to sense bioelectric fields to function outside an aquatic environment?
   I believe goose have this, they use the earth's magnetic field for navigation (there's an episode of Eureka about this, great series!)

Could electromagnets be reliably weaponized in the form of armor, such as a bracer?  What I mean by this, is could you design a solenoid to fit inside a piece of armor or weapon that could be activated in various ways to either attract or repel other ferromagnetic materials?  Could said solenoid also function as a small, but functional gauss cannon?
   The main problem with electromagnets is that their fields are generally very weak. The only way to generate a strong field is to run a very high electric current through the solenoid. The problem with this is that because of the electrical resistance of the solenoid, an immense amount of heat would be generated (i.e. burning your arm). It is possible to circumvent this problem using superconducting coils, which have zero electrical resistance. The downside of this is that this requires very low temperatures (around -100 celcius is the highest temperature possible I believe). So once again you would be burning your arm. If you can somehow circumvent this problem I think it would be possible to use such a device for the purposes you mentioned.

How would someone actually kill via electrocution if that were the aim?  Would it require multiple contact points, or could a circut be formed using a single contact point such as a hand placed flat against the other person?
   To kill via electrocution you need to run a current through a person. This requires two contact points. These two points can be anything as long as there is a large voltage difference among them and they are conducting. So for instance you could place your hand (with a large high voltage) on someone and push them into something metallic like a signpost. This would create a current through them and kill them if that is large enough.

Assuming a person could generate a powerful and sustainable electric current inside himself, would he be able to create a magnetic field strong enough to affect ferromagnetic materials such as swords and armor enough to be of use in a combat situation?
   I don't know, but my first instinct says no :P

How do magnetic materials actually function, and what determines which side attracts and which repel?
   Inside the material are a lot of tiny regions where all atoms are pointed in the same direction. This creates a tiny amount of magnetism. By heating the material these regions get ' loose'  and they can change direction. If the material is placed in a magnetic field, they will align with that field. If you cool it down now, the regions freeze back into place, only now they are all aimed in the same direction, creating a magnet. Which side attracts and which repels is based on the orientation of these regions. Same sides repel, opposite side attracts. (crappy analogy: the magnet is a bus, the people in it magnetic regions. Two busses in line behind each other attract: the people are front to back. If the first bus were to turn around, the people would be face to face with those in the the other bus, and they would repel each other).

<Running out of time, may expand this later. Short answer for now>

What is the difference between static and current electricity, and would it be possible to achieve "miniature lighting" affects from organs similar to those on the Electric Eel?
   I think that might be possible.

comprex:

--- Quote from: Nicodemus Carpenter on May 20, 2011, 09:45:52 AM ---What is the difference between static and current electricity,

--- End quote ---

The amount of total energy transferred.    "Static" electricity involves rather high voltages but usually very, very small, very time-limited  transfers of charge.   Because the amount of total energy is so low it takes very little chemical fuel or mechanical energy to generate.

Electricity as we use it from a socket represents enormous amounts of energy transfer.   
To give you an idea, if a person can make enough mechanical energy with their body to power 3-4 light bulbs for longer than 20 minutes, we call that person an Olympic-level aerobic athlete and feed them 7000+ calories of food per day.



--- Quote ---and would it be possible to achieve "miniature lighting" affects from organs similar to those on the Electric Eel?

--- End quote ---

Yes, but you'd need absurd amounts of generated voltage.    In dry, nonionized air, you need 25 thousand volts  to make an inch-long spark.       Of course, it is much, much easier to put a second spark through the general area of the first spark.   

kakodi:

--- Quote ---Why don't electric eels shock themselves?
--- End quote ---

When a living being is shocked or stunned in such a way, it is because the electric current produced by the eel disrupts and overrides that creatures natural electric current (nervous system). Because the electric eel is generating the current themselves, the organs responsible for producing this Bioelectrogenesis naturally communicate with the nervous systems and the brain, allowing it's own nervous system to cooperate with the electricity generated.

So while an electric eel cannot shock themselves, if they snuck up on another electric eel, they could probably shock and stun it depending on the voltage produced.


--- Quote ---Would it be possible for a sixth sense similar to the Electric Eel or Shark's ability to sense bioelectric fields to function outside an aquatic environment?
--- End quote ---
 

Realistically, probably not, or very weak. Salt water is a much more efficient conductor than air due in a large part to the sodium (which coincidentally is the exact element used in the electric eels to produce their electricity). However, this can be combined with Magnetic bones that have been found in the human nose, specifically the sphenoidal/ethmoid sinuses. They exhibit magnetoception in humans, so clearly the human brain is capable. Magnetoception in humans has also been achieved by magnetic implants and by non-permanently attached artificial sensory "organs". So I could see these Electric Eel type organs having such a knock on effect.


--- Quote ---Could electromagnets be reliably weaponized in the form of armor, such as a bracer?  What I mean by this, is could you design a solenoid to fit inside a piece of armor or weapon that could be activated in various ways to either attract or repel other ferromagnetic materials?  Could said solenoid also function as a small, but functional gauss cannon?
--- End quote ---

The electric organ is made of electrocytes, lined up so that the current flows through them and produces an electrical charge. In order to produce a coilgun, these lines of electrolytes would need to be wound around a metalic barrel of some sort to draw through the ferromagnetic material. An electromagnet functions the same way, in fact the magnetic field created by an electromagnet is proportional to both the number of turns in the winding, and the current in the wire. Since the current can adjusted, the strength likely can be too.


--- Quote ---How would someone actually kill via electrocution if that were the aim?  Would it require multiple contact points, or could a circut be formed using a single contact point such as a hand placed flat against the other person?
--- End quote ---

Death can occur from any shock that carries enough current. Small currents (70–700 mA) usually trigger fibrillation in the heart which is reversible via defibrillator, but large currents (> 1 A) cause permanent damage via burns, and cellular damage. The heart is most devastated by foreign electricity, next is the brain. One contact point should be enough if the victim is grounded. Two would be required if airborne, or the victim is properly insulated. I could see such a technique being used for torture. Also, it's likely that the executioner would receive burns and cellular damage themselves as a cost (which works wonderfully from a story standpoint), and these would take time to heal.


--- Quote ---How do magnetic materials actually function, and what determines which side attracts and which repel?
--- End quote ---

For that I would suggest checking out Magnets on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet
Should be loads of material there.


--- Quote ---What is the difference between static and current electricity, and would it be possible to achieve "miniature lighting" affects from organs similar to those on the Electric Eel?
--- End quote ---

Again, wikipedia is your friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity

Hope that helps

Nicodemus Carpenter:
Great replies everyone, pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

So the "human radar" idea is pretty much out, unless he goes swimming I guess. I can still use my "human compass" concept though, which, if accurate enough, could make him DEADLY at "pin the tail on the donkey."  Perhaps I could hand-wave a bit and give him the ability to detect ferromagnetic materials via minute changes in his own personal magnetic field?  Worth a thought at least.

A bit more hand-waving with the superconductor problem saying "they had extremely advanced technology" could enable my weaponized magnet concept.

Thanks again guys.  If anyone has anything else to add or just any cool ideas like the "He also burns himself" thing, I'd love to hear them.

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