Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/12/09/self-cleaning-elevator-buttons.html
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Even so, elevators that you can simply talk to would be a great improvement.
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It’s called brass. This is one of the primary reasons many door handles and elevator buttons from the early-mid 20th C. are made of it.
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That’s not going to go well:
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"Who's a pointless anachronism NOW?"
—Professional Elevator Operators
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My first thought was a little tongue would slither out below the button and lick it off like a gecko do.
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People in the Bronze Age were much healthier.
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Cause of all the doorknobs.
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The spears, not so much.
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Backing into history? The anti-microbial properties of copper were unknown until just the last few decades. 100 years ago brass doorknobs and fixtures were popular because of the corrosion resistance, and the bright gold color. Pretty much the same reasons they appeal today.
And don’t forget that a hundred years ago it wasn’t uncommon to have lead present in the alloy (not enough to turn it bronze colored.) If they had the health knowledge of today, they’d have completely banned lead in applications where it would be subject to frequent handling.
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They were unproven, but well known. The oligodynamic effect was first observed in the 19th c. In fact, this is one of the reasons heavy metals were thought to be therapeutic. The Wiki states that the effect was written about as long ago as ancient Indian medical texts, but no citation is given.
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So it’s not the elevator that is self-cleaning, just the buttons?
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Yeah though I an think of several better ways to do it, like pads which you hit with your foot, positioned down low, or capacitive/optical buttons which detect fingers nearby but not in contact. Speech input which I suggested up the page, or maybe a phone app which connects to the elevator by bluetooth, so you press a control on your own device. It could be partly automatic, based on your travel history and proximity.
Dear BB:
Posts like this are a great opportunity to embed product links to the BB Store while minimally pissing people off. A real story which links to a related product in the BB Store.
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I have the perfect anti-pathogen scheme! Wire all touchable bits to a 110v or 220v main. Any touch, which will necessarily be brief, sears the flesh and zaps the microbes and virii! Good way to eliminate bothersome fingerprints, too, unless gloves are worn. /s
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Hmmm I think you may be on to something. How about putting the buttons in an alcove where they are illuminated with UV light?
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Maybe use kick pedals at floor level instead of buttons.
A circle of 100 or so buttons would be very efficient. Everyone would do a little lap of the elevator trying to find their floor button as they got on.
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I foresee serious cases of toe-jam football.
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