Help With Electric Project for Alzhimerz

[Jenny A]

Hi, my husband and I have a project. Neither of us know much about electronics beyond household wiring. But we want to build an LED that flashes at 40 megahertz.

Why? Well we recently heard on Radio Lab about a study in mice in which a 40 megahertz flashing light reversed alzhimerz symptoms in mice. His mother and my step-father are both suffering from dementia. So we'd like to try this out as we can't imagine it could hurt and it will be years before it's cleared to test on people.

We have two small breadboards, 9 volt batteries, and LED's. We've tested with other capacitors, but to get a 40 megahertz flash we need 500 Ferdinand capacitors with at least a 9 volt capacity. I can't buy them locally. On line I keep finding them in quantities of 1000 or so. Any suggestions for where to purchase 10 capacitors or less?

[The Valkyrie]

So, basically, unsanctioned human experimentation?

[Jenny A]

So, basically, unsanctioned human experimentation?

Yep. And probably too late as well. But hey we're just flashing a light. At MIT they began by inserting a light in the mice's brains. Later they discovered just flashing before their eyes worked just as well. ?

[vorlon13]

40 megahertz?

Ferdinand ?

I don't know where to start here . . .

[The Valkyrie]

So, basically, unsanctioned human experimentation?

Yep.  And probably too late as well. But hey we're just flashing a light. At MIT they began by inserting a light in the mice's brains.  Later they discovered just flashing before their eyes worked just as well. ?

 I can't help you with the electronics, but good luck.


I'd be fascinated to hear any results, though

[Jenny A]

40 megahertz?

Ferdinand ?

I don't know where to start here . . .

With a hobby source of capacitors. . . PLEASE

[vorlon13]

Ferdinand is presumably farad, but a 500 farad capacitor in a circuit blinking an LED at 40 MHz is about as unlikely as anything I've heard.

Also, a biological system like a brain or eyeball responding differently to 40MHz flashes as opposed to 400 Hz flashes is a wonderment to me.

Go to the movies and the picture flashes at 48 Hz and NOBODY notices the flicker, flickering a million times faster and generating a response in tissue?? Doesn't seem remotely plausible.

[vorlon13]

Even with the new capacitor technology, a 500 farad capacitor is going to be dorm room refrigerator size. And getting such a beast to do something in the megahertz range is nuts.

Sorry.

[Jenny A]

Yep.  And probably too late as well. But hey we're just flashing a light. At MIT they began by inserting a light in the mice's brains.  Later they discovered just flashing before their eyes worked just as well. ?

 I can't help you with the electronics, but good luck.


I'd be fascinated to hear any results, though

The mice weren't very far along. Unfortunately our parents have reached the memory care center stage. If it works I'll be shocked. But we will remember this should one of us begin to lose it. 40 megahertz is the frequency that our brains put out when thinking through directions or math. What it made the alzhimerz mice do is clear out plaque in their brains#. Ceasing to clear plaque is one of the causes of Alzhimerz.

[vorlon13]

I'm sorry you have family in this predicament, but the specs you have posted are not conceivably plausible at all.