CRT safety, or: things they should print larger
Context
Before modifying the CRT television, the responsible thing to do was research. The internet provided several helpful resources. Forum posts from the early 2000s, written by people who had survived the experience and wanted others to benefit from their trauma. The consensus was clear: discharge the anode before touching anything, or accept the possibility of a very brief and illuminating final experience.
The anode
The anode cap sits on top of the CRT, connected to the flyback transformer by a thick red wire. It holds between 15,000 and 25,000 volts. This charge can persist for weeks after the television is unplugged. The discharge procedure involves a flathead screwdriver, an alligator clip, a resistor, and a degree of calm that does not come naturally when you are pointing a screwdriver at something that could kill you.
The screwdriver goes under the rubber cap. You ground it through the resistor. There is a loud snap. Sometimes a visible arc. The voltage drops. You wait. You do it again. You wait again. When nothing happens on the third attempt, you proceed. Carefully.
The incident
The discharge was performed correctly. The modification proceeded without issue for approximately forty minutes. Then a finger brushed the wrong solder joint on the flyback transformer's secondary winding.
The sensation is difficult to describe. 'Being hit by a small, angry animal made of electricity' is the closest approximation. The arm went numb. The screwdriver left the hand at speed. The television was placed on the floor and not touched again for two days.
The modification was completed on the third day. With rubber gloves.
On the acoustics of bone
Bone conducts sound differently than wood. This is not a metaphor. It is a measurement. The calvaria resonates at frequencies that cherry wood does not, and vice versa. Together they produce something neither material achieves alone.
Diaphonization notes: temperature sensitivity
The clearing process failed twice before it worked. Both failures were temperature-related. The enzyme that digests soft tissue operates in a narrow thermal window. Outside that window, you get soup.
Why obituaries
People ask why the skull is made from obituaries specifically. The answer is not symbolic. It is structural. Newsprint from the obituary section has a different ink density than the rest of the paper. It folds differently. It holds shape better. The metaphor is a side effect.