Do you believe cell phones are a health risk? OK It's a dupe and so am I!

[seemslikeadream]

If not would you change your mind after watching these?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAd0aWxs7kQ

The American Test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94shlqPlSI

The Japanese Test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju5yIFu4yY8

If it does this to pop corn, just think what it does to our bodies and brains


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcLS2WJERQ0

[RoyGBiv]

1. It doesn't pop popcorn ...

Whether they are a health risk is a different question.

OnEdit: This was covered yesterday. It's a simple question of math. A cell phone *cannot* generate enough heat inside a popcorn kernel for it to pop.

[seemslikeadream]

9. Thanks I haven't seen that but I liked this response when I went looking

Well I’m glad to see that superior USA technology allows this to be done with only three cell phones rather than four!

Posted by Mac Beach at June 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am

[RoyGBiv]

11. LOL!

:rofl:

I'd missed that one. :-)

[MercutioATC]

I suspect those are hoaxes...have to try it myself.

That said...yes, I do believe cell phones pose a health risk.

[babylonsister]

2. I don't own one (last person in the world!), and I think I'm glad. nt

[Skittles]

3. I know they make people stupid

the lack of etiquette displayed by cell phone users is absolutely appalling :puke:

[Fox Mulder]

4. About that Japanese test...

they have a covering around the table so you can't see under it.

I doubt the authenticity of these tests.

[RC]

16. I noticed that also.

Those tables normally do not have any coverings because people sit on the floor with their knees under the table.

[gristy]

5. Not to me

I don't own or use one! :P

[BlooInBloo]

6. Nope.

[Lex]

7. I think they must surely affect the brain if people think they can pop corn.

nt

[Book Lover]

8. Discussed

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3399354

[jtrockville]

10. I'm less worried about my cell phone, than mercury in fish, or

hormones in beef, or genetically modified plants/animals.

[GainesT1958]

12. Yes, and that's why...

I use mine as rarely as possible--usually when I want to call somebody! Of course, I understand why a lot of people need them to keep in touch at work, etc. But they ARE a safety hazard...unless one gets 1) a bluetooth, or 2) a shield for the phone's listening end (hard to do with a lot of today's phones). I really do believe that they are the cause of brain tumors, if we don't protect ourselves.

B-)

[Carnea]

13. I'll lose a couple of years for the convenience

Seriously.... cars shorten our lifespan but its a decent trade-off

I feel the same way about cellphones and sex.

This post is brought to you by the "Society against people having a good time" a surprisingly non-partisan group of people who's slogan is "We're not happy unless your not happy."

[Ichingcarpenter]

14. The higher frequencies range do even with home cordless phones.

If your cell phone is blue tooth enabled use it.

Higher that 3 gigahertz phone have a probability of injecting
rays on the light spectrum that could prove harmful.

One needs to understand the light spectrum which is where
all science begins for understanding 'radio' waves.

Tesla's Death ray


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=tesla+death+ray&btnG=Search

[tkmorris]

18. Huh?

"Higher that 3 gigahertz phone have a probability of injecting
rays on the light spectrum that could prove harmful.

One needs to understand the light spectrum which is where
all science begins for understanding 'radio' waves."

I really have no idea what you are trying to say here. Visible light is far above 3 Ghz for example. Normally "radio waves" are considered to be that portion of the spectrum below 3 Ghz. Maybe it's a terminology issue but I just am not seeing your point.

[seemslikeadream]

15. Please everyone don't tell anyone in the dungeon about this

There are a couple of people there with NO sense of humor whatsoever ;)


I'll never hear the end of it.


I have a feeling it will leak out though

[Digit]

17. Yes, that is why I stopped using them in 1996

Plus, I don't want to be bothered when I am out. They can leave a msg on my machine at home.

[lildreamer316]

19. I thought this was disproved?

Confused.

[lildreamer316]

20. Dupe.

[seemslikeadream]

21. Yes I just found that out after I posted

[lildreamer316]

23. No no.. MY post was a dupe!! LOL

's all good.

[AdHocSolver]

22. Cell phones can be a health risk. The effects are due to holding the cell phone next to your head.

The cell phone, like any radio frequency transmitter, radiates its RF energy by concentrating that energy in an antenna which couples the signal to the surrounding environment.

If you hold the cell phone next to your head, part of the concentrated microwave energy is aimed right into your skull. The amount of penetration depends on the power generated and the frequency of the signal.

Just as in a microwave oven, the RF energy produces heat by agitating the atoms in the material, such as in a piece of meat, and the friction produces the heat.

A microwave oven generates 500 to 600 watts of power. This higher level of power can escape and cause health damage to anyone exposed. Two important safety features are incorporated into a microwave oven.

One is the use of door switches that are supposed to shut off the microwave immediately if the door is opened even slightly. If you have a microwave that doesn't shut off if the door is opened even slightly, it is very dangerous and should not be used until it is repaired.

The second safety feature is the use of special door seals to prevent microwave energy from escaping. Just as a refrigerator has door seals to keep the cold air in, the microwave oven has seals around the door's perimeter to prevent microwave leakage. If any gaps occur in the seals, they should be replaced by a qualified repair shop. At any rate, I would recommend standing at least six feet away from any operating microwave oven.

How do I know this? Several years ago I used to repair the things. This information came from the manufacturer's service manuals.

Getting back to cell phones, I use them and I find them very handy, especially since the phone company has seen fit to remove pay phones, that I used to use. I use them rarely and for only a few minutes at a time.

One risk with cell phone usage that I have seen little mention of is the increased risk of cataracts. One's eye is only a few inches from the cell phone antenna and there is no intervening skull to absorb some of the energy.

My feeling is that the possible health damage caused by cell phone usage is accumulative and corresponds to the length of time of exposure. The danger is not from "cooking" your brain, but from the electrical effects on the molecules in your brain. After all, the brain works by sending and receiving electrical signals, and microwave energy is a "strange" form of electrical energy to the brain.

Using an earphone so as to keep the transmitting antenna away from your head is a valid way to avoid problems, and is recommended to anyone who has to use a cell phone for long periods of time. The earphone will not carry any significant RF energy to yor head, and the important thing is to keep the antenna away from your body.

As for popping corn with a cell phone. I say that is a bunch of nonsense. If it is possible (and I doubt it), you would have to transmit an RF microwave signal into the popcorn grain for hours in order to generate enough heat to pop one kernel. I seriously doubt it could even be done.