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They're also both an educational and creative toy that can introduce kids to the counterintuitive ways that magnets interact, while teaching them to build thing
by mistercow 14y ago
They're also both an educational and creative toy that can introduce kids to the counterintuitive ways that magnets interact, while teaching them to build things within unusual constraints. Yes, they are dangerous if swallowed, just like a lot of other things that we have around our houses all the time. Keep them out of reach of young children, sure, but this is a tiny risk that has been blown out of proportion by the media. Last year, over 1,600 kids under 6 were poisoned by household cleaners... just in Washington DC.
As for "why would you assume that you can't swallow it?", I just don't even what to say. Don't just assume that you can safely swallow shit?
- mturmon 14y agoMagformers are a safe and interesting magnetic toy that offers that magnet magic you mention. I think the point is that some designs are inherently unsafe. They need to go back to the drawing board.
- mistercow 14y agoBut it's marginally unsafe, and the risk is clearly labeled. As long as people are being informed of the moderate danger (and they are), it is nuts for the government to come in and try to take these off the market. The world is full of dangerous crap, and if you step back and try to keep a little perspective, this desk toy shouldn't even show up on your radar.
- pessimizer 14y ago>As for "why would you assume that you can't swallow it?", I just don't even what to say. Don't just assume that you can safely swallow shit? Because you can safely swallow things that look identical to them in every way, maybe? Would you rush your child to the emergency room because you found out they swallowed a ball bearing?
- mistercow 14y agoFine, but you said that in the context of adults swallowing them, which is what I was addressing.
- pessimizer 14y agoSorry, they were successive statements. I wasn't actually trying to plead on the behalf of slow adults, but I probably wasn't being clear.