cell phone radiation: well, we're boned.

[Darren Dirt]

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/2011/10/cellphone-radiation-levels-exceed-safe-limits-for-adults-and-children-study.html

^ cliffs: those studies which reassure us that cell phones are "safe" are actually dishonest, their measurements apparently were from a couple of inches away from the ear, which no human does in regular daily use.

[Lazybones]

People still use phones to make calls? I thought everyone just used them to text.

[Mr. Analog]

*ting!* TRIGGER WARNING

ARGH this insanity drives me NUTS. These studies shouldn't even happen but because there are RETARDED people out there who don't understand basic science some poor saps have to waste their time chasing ghosts.

There is a HUGE difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, it's like everybody failed physics and biology (well maybe they did and that's why this is a recurring issue). In order for your DNA to become damaged (causing cancer) you would have to be exposed to IONIZING RADIATION (or some other CARCINOGEN). A cellphone emits no ionizing radiation. Maybe if you ate the phone it may increase your chance of getting cancer but the heavy metal poisoning would likely mess with you first (and no, it has nothing to do with rock music).

It destroys my mind to think about how badly radiation is understood by the average voting carbon lump, I swear to Curie that most people got their ideas about what radiation IS from comic books and B-Movies.

AFJAL;FKJDFSLKJSDLKFJSA

[Mr. Analog]

Oh yeah, before anyone posts "But Mr. Analog why is there so much cancer then?"

Since 1945 there have been 2398 nuclear explosions (2049 of which were nuclear tests) (source -> http://www.iss-atom.ru/ksenia/catal_nt/intr.htm ) these numbers may be debatable though the US number (1032 nuclear tests) seems about right from what I remember.

Total yield in Megatons: 520.0 (think about it this way, Hiroshima was at most 18 kilotons)

That's a lot of radioactive fallout to be throwing around the ol' atmosphere (in fact in order to make Geiger counters they have to use uncontaminated steel which is usually salvaged from pre-1945 sunken warships).

But ignoring fission altogether think about the rise of synthetic material containing carcinogens produced for the mass market since WWII, the vast number of plastics and rubber products, fuel additives, foodstuffs containing carcinogenic elements to promote shelf life...

I think if someone was REALLY worried about cancer they'd look at the ingredients on that bag of chips they tore through rather than the phone call they just got.

"I don't want to set the World on Fire"

[Tom]

There's also more damaging radiation coming from coal power plants than people think.

[Mr. Analog]

There's also more damaging radiation coming from coal power plants than people think.

It's true, turns out waste fly ash by electricity generating coal power plants emits quite a bit of radiation mostly due to the uranium and thorium that is concentrated in the fly ash...

[Mr. Analog]

Sorry I spazzed on this... guys, long day.

[Tom]

Sorry I spazzed on this... guys, long day.

Hm? Sorry you posted a couple messages in a thread? ZOMG! 

I spent some time today+yesterday reading a couple really long threads on another forum in which people were rather heated about things. This is nothing

[Darren Dirt]

It destroys my mind

^ probably caused by cell phones.

I think if someone was REALLY worried about cancer they'd look at the ingredients on that bag of chips they tore through rather than the phone call they just got.

agreed.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/article/1083309--truth-about-potato-chips-revealed-baked-is-not-better-than-fried
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylamide

[Mr. Analog]

Oh you

[Thorin]

As Mr. A. so eloquently put it, this would only matter if the type of radiation was harmful to humans.  EM radiation from mobile phones falls in the same bucket as radiation from light bulbs.  So where are all the studies on light bulbs causing cancer?  There aren't any, because light from light bulbs doesn't cause cancer.

EM radiation can heat up flesh, which is why microwaves work to heat those delicious leftovers.  However, there should be some math done here.  As an example, I just looked at my own cell phone - it has a battery rated at 950mAh / 3.6Wh.  Okay, so if the battery lasts for 1 hour, the phone is heating for 3.6W.  My phone lasts for at least two hours talking, though, so then it's heating 1.8W per hour.  And that's assuming all the power is going to sending and thus heating.  Compare that to microwaves that heat 700W-1100W, which we consider safe.

[Thorin]

Oh, and while electromagnetic radiation from cell phones will not cause cancer, if you eat enough bananas you could get radiation poisoning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose

[Lazybones]

Oh, and while electromagnetic radiation from cell phones will not cause cancer, if you eat enough bananas you could get radiation poisoning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

[Mr. Analog]

Great chart haha

[Darren Dirt]

rofl "If you're basing radiation safety procedures on an internet PNG image and things go wrong, you have no one to blame but youself."


and on-topic: http://xkcd.com/965/






PS: bananaphone!