It's the stuff great urban legends are made of: A drunk University of Wyoming student supposedly knocked himself out and earned a trip to the hospital after urinating on a still-plugged-in PS2 at an off-campus party. The story got pushed by Fark on Monday and is slowly making its way into the mainstream media, getting a mention yesterday on Fox News Live.We're a bit incredulous. First of all, it's arguable whether or not the physics of the story would even work. The popular Discovery TV show Mythbusters determined that it's nearly impossible to get shocked by peeing on the supercharged third rail of a train track because the urine stream isn't consistent enough to carry a charge. Even if the drunken party-goer somehow did get close enough for a solid stream, we find it hard to believe that the measly power output of a PS2 would knock someone out for a full ten seconds.
The original report itself doesn't exactly inspire confidence, either -- Fun Tech Talk is not exactly a well-known and respected source for news. While the post reads like an AP brief, there's no link to any outside sources or mention of who originally reported the story. There are some journalistic inconsistencies too -- the party supposedly happened late Saturday night, but the dateline says it was written that same Saturday.
The final nail in the coffin? None of the three students mentioned in the piece turn up on the University of Wyoming's online student directory.
While we'd like to believe in the poetic justice for anyone stupid enough to pee on a game system, we've got to nip this one in the bud. As the Mythbusters themselves might say, this one is busted.




















(Page 1) Reader Comments
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That part isn't a problem. Remember, the PS2 is plugged directly into a regular household power outlet. So, assuming the whole "getting zapped through a urination stream" was possible (debatable, as you pointed out), the power supply within the PS2 could certainly zap someone with all the same power as the outlet itself. The fact that the system draws less power under normal circumstances is irrelevant.
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So unless the guy was peeing from on top of the couch to to floor, it is physcially possible for him to be electrocuted by the current from the wall outlet connected to the ps2.
http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2004/06/return_of_mythbusters.html
Possiblity of being shocked by PS2 while peeing on it: Nearly Confirmed!
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Since they were all plastered, I expect the stream was pretty strong :D
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1) never underestimate what stupid things that a drunk ass would do (like peeing indoors)
2) if it was a lot of pee, he could have made contact with his electrified puddle of pee.
If it was a puddle of pee, then all questions of whether one can get electricuted through a stream of pee and whether enough current could get to him once the stream made contact would not apply.
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It's possible IMO.
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stupid git!
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Remember now, this guy was drunk. He could of easily been close to the ps2 when he took his leak, and thus could of been electricuted. Furthermore, Mythbusters only tried 1 person for each experiement, and at 1 time. Sometimes when I take a piss, I can piss a ton and real fast, other times barely any. Mythbusters never tested if its a constant stream even from far when you have had tons to drink and just have lots of piss to do.
I believe the story.
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