Section 1.1: Finding Hidden Cash

This next concept may sound bizarre, but it has a basis in reality. MacGyver constructs a device to uncover concealed cash. Interestingly, it's feasible to detect alterations in magnetic fields caused by the metallic ink present in U.S. currency.

While it’s often claimed that the security features in U.S. banknotes allow covert agencies to monitor transactions, this is generally an urban myth. The effectiveness of such a detector is limited, mainly indicating the number of bills within a container. Nonetheless, it’s plausible that MacGyver’s method could yield results. He employs a Hall effect sensor paired with a speaker to develop an audio-based system designed for locating money. Unlike a traditional metal detector, this tool senses magnetic fields.

Subsection 1.1.1: Understanding the Hall Effect

To understand the Hall effect sensor better, I won't delve into all the intricate details here, but I recommend checking out this insightful WIRED article on the subject.

The speaker component of this setup is intriguing. A Hall effect probe generates a voltage signal, which, when fed into an audio amplifier, typically remains silent unless there’s a fluctuating magnetic field. However, it’s conceivable that the voltage from the Hall effect probe could modulate an audio tone.

Section 1.2: Creating Distractions with Streetcars

In a clever move, MacGyver tosses a chain onto the overhead wire of a streetcar, triggering a shower of sparks to create a diversion. The electric streetcars in New Orleans draw power from two lines: one overhead and the other embedded in the rails. Simply touching a wire with a conductor won’t suffice. However, if MacGyver’s chain bridges the power line to a support pole, it could potentially create a short circuit, which may have disastrous consequences.