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Monday, April 16, 2007
Death by cellphone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Is your cellphone slowing killing you?
Over the time I’ve written about technology there have been studies that show that the long term exposure to the radiation from your cellphone could be a health risk.
On the other hand, there have been studies that say there’s no harm at all.
At the moment - and the opinions really have shifted back and forth - most studies seem to show that there’s no long term harm. But those opinions are not unanimous and - to my way of thinking - the jury is still out on this one.
I’m linking here to a study that shows which cellphones emit the most RF (that’s a term for radio frequency radiation).
If you’re like most people, you spend a huge amount of time with a cellphone pressed against your ear (and that means that the radiation is close to your brain). I think heavy cellphone users should use a wired or wireless headphone and microphone so that the cellphone can be kept away from the head.
I am not anywhere near smart enough, or expert enough, to tell you if cellphone radiation is dangerous. But I can tell you this - and there’s no argument at all here - that enough of this type radiation is dangerous.
Remember that the first microwave ovens were called ‘radar ranges’ - and that’s what they are. A transmitting tube, sending out RF (just like a radar transmitter) does the cooking. And even my ham radio transmitter and amplifier (operating at much lower frequencies) has enough power to be a safety hazard if not properly shielded. And, if you grabbed one of my antennas while I was transmitting, I promise you’d get a burn.
Look, there’s no harm in assuming the worse in this case - try to avoid extended exposure to the RF from your cellphone. It also would make sense to use a cellphone that subjects you to lower levels of RF - that’s why I linked to the article that rates them.
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