Can I unlock my car using my head?

我可以用脑袋解锁我的车吗?

CrowdScience

2026-03-21

26 分钟
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单集简介 ...

CrowdScience listener Doug has been experimenting with holding his wireless garage key to his chin. Why? Because he's testing a strange trick of physics. The range of a key can apparently double when held against your head rather just being held in your hand. Could this really be true, and if so why? Presenter Caroline Steel goes on a wavy journey of self-experimentation with antennas. She follows the story of Doug as he wanders the streets of Calgary in Alberta, Canada testing the key on his head from different distances and even testing it on his dog Maura’s head. To understand the physics behind all this, Caroline meets Dr Lina Mohjazi, Lecturer of Autonomous Systems and Connectivity at the University of Glasgow and Guy Vandenbosch, Professor of Electromagnetic Radiation at KU Leuven University in Leuven, Belgium. Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Tom Bonnett Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Hand holding a car key remote in front of a red car - stock photo Credit: vadishzainer via Getty Images)
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单集文稿 ...

  • Hello.

  • We are going to do an experiment for CrowdScience today.

  • We're going to go on a walk with my dog, Maura.

  • Come here, Maura.

  • Sit.

  • That's a good girl.

  • Maura is a championship wheat and terrier.

  • She will do just about anything for a treat.

  • So she's a very willing participant in this experiment.

  • This is CrowdScience from the BBC World Service, the show that answers your science questions.

  • I'm Caroline Steele, and the owner of today's Very Obedient Terrier is listener Doug.

  • I'm Doug Brown, and I'm calling from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

  • Doug emailed into CrowdScience because he has a question about some strange behaviour from wireless keys, keys

  • that open something like a car or garage from a distance, or as Doug likes to call them, fobs.

  • My question for crowd science is that I recently heard

  • that holding a car fob to your chin will extend its operational range.

  • And I was just wondering what the physics was that was going on with this.

  • Interesting.

  • OK, so you say you heard that holding it to your chin doubles the range.

  • Where did you hear that?