This Viral Science Hack Can Help You Find Your Car in a Crowded Parking Lot

"Ever come back from a long trip, tired and wary, only to enter the airport parking garage and realize you have absolutely zero idea where you left your car? As the wave of panic envelops you, you try in vain to use your car's remote alarm but realize you're likely out of range. The situation feels hopelessly familiar to anyone who's ever parked at a massive airport or stadium."

"She explained, car remotes work by sending out a short-range radio signal, which typically only travels about "five to 20 meters until it peters out." But, you can "use your head to amplify it" and increase the distance that signal can travel. It works, Dainis said, because your head ("like the rest of your body") contains a lot of water. So, when you hold your key fob against your head, "the electromagnetic waves from your car remote interact with the water molecules in your head. This moves them around. The movement creates a wave that adds together with the remote wave, amplifying it and increasing its range.""

Car remotes emit short-range radio signals that usually travel about five to 20 meters before fading. Placing a key fob against the head or a full water bottle can amplify the signal because body tissue and water contain many water molecules that interact with electromagnetic waves. The motion of those molecules produces a secondary wave that adds to the remote's wave, increasing overall range. Using the head as an antenna or a water bottle as a proxy can extend the remote's effective distance and make it easier to find a car in large parking facilities.

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