The $100 billion a year mobile phone industry asserts that there is no conclusive evidence of harmful effects as a result of electromagnetic radiation.
The multi-billion dollar tobacco industry asserts that there is no conclusive evidence of harmful effects as a result of cigarette smoking. Since I've been a frequent cell phone user since 1998, I'll be keeping my eye on this issue.
Study: Cell phones scramble DNA
Radio waves from mobile phones harm body cells and damage DNA in laboratory conditions, according to a new study majority-funded by the European Union, researchers said on Monday.
Funky Dung
Comments 3
As you might infer from my email address I work for a company with a vested interest in promoting cell phone use. Studies on this issue have been going on for years, yet to no conclusion. This study showing measurable effects looks pretty important, but alas, as the study concludes, more study is needed to get close to quantifying risk.
Modern CDMA and WCDMA technologies are becoming ubiquitous world-wide for cellular, PCS, and just about all portable (i.e., truly roamable) wireless communication needs. Such technologies offer the combined benefits of lower average power transmitted (a simple artifact of increased spectral reuse efficiency), and the power being "spread" over a significantly larger radio bandwidth (100-500 times) than the actual bandwidth of the information content (e.g., your voice or your porn). All other things being equal, this should mean that modern phones are safer than old fashioned (AMPS, TDMA) phones.
On the other hand, all things are not equal. Modern radio technologies are utilizing higher and higher carrier frequencies, which (for those of you who've taken physics) means shorter and shorter wavelengths. At suffiently small wavelengths, electro-magnetic radiation has well documented deleterious effects on human tissues. Just look at what happened to the Hulk!!
Now we're no where (yet) near using gamma radiation (so thoroughly implicated in the rise of so many super heroes & villains). But we're getting closer.
So this is all to say: use some measure of caution, because we don't know for sure, and probably won't know for many years. I for one would not sign up for a 1000min/mo. plan. And when possible, by virtue of hand's free device or whatever, keeping the radio transmitter just a foot or two away from your body (especially your head).
This has been a friendly service announcement from your local wireless communication "specialist"! His opinions are not known to be the opinions of Funky Dung, the editorial board of Ales Rarus, the Guilded Lilies, Lucent Technologies, or, for that matter, himself.
Cheers!
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Posted 21 Dec 2004 at 4:26 pm ¶Isn't it just as important to keep it away from reproductive organs?
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Posted 22 Dec 2004 at 7:07 pm ¶Isn't it just as important to keep it away from reproductive organs?
Well, that depends what you want to do with those organs… bwahahahaha!
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Posted 22 Dec 2004 at 9:47 pm ¶Post a Comment