Who Knew? Some Fun Facts

gruntlabor said:
I don't know anything of the dangers of cell phones, but I have just one small problem with that, StarSong. Technologies like cell phones and wifi are not going away. If there is a danger, I worry that the powers that be are denying them, and teaching otherwise in science. We only know what we are taught, and bad things are happening to health and intelligence and longevity and fertility.

I can name terrible things that have been done in the name of progress, like lobotomies, like the deliberate introduction of deadly disease into third-world countries, like unnecessary drugs and surgeries being thrust upon us, like terrible crimes being committed upon our children.
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My comment was specifically about the false rumor that cell phone radiation increases exponentially when the phone's battery is very low.

As for health and fertility declines, those are complex matters to unpack and likely have numerous causes. Are electronics among them? Possibly. But pollution and processed foods are higher on the suspect list than cell phone radiation.

Medical and other sciences learn from mistakes and research, and make changes. It's a tale as old as time. Way back they drilled holes in people's heads to cure headaches, drained people of blood to cure fevers, and so forth.

To paraphrase the late, great Maya Angelou, most of us do the best we can until we know better. Then when we know better, we do better.
 
Paco Dennis said:
@StarSong You looked up if the battery is low, just like the stupid thing I posted which should be if your reception is bad, like with only one bar active, then it does use more radiation.
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OK, so I did a deeper dive. Learned the origins of this research and exactly what was said. Turns out the 10,000 number refers to how much radiation one would be exposed to if the phone is held 1/10 of an inch from the body versus 10 inches away.

"Distance is your friend. Keeping your cellphone 10 inches away from your body, as compared to one-tenth of an inch, results in a 10,000-fold reduction in exposure. So, keep your phone away from your head and body. Store your phone in a purse or backpack. If you have to put it in your pocket, put it on airplane mode. Text, use wired headphones or speakerphone for calls. Don’t sleep with it next to your head — turn it off or put it in another room."

As regards signal level, he neither quantifies risk or exposure, nor gives radiation specifics, but says:
"Use your phone only when the signal is strong. Cellphones are programmed to increase radiation when the signal is poor, that is when one or two bars are displayed on your phone. For example, don’t use your phone in an elevator or in a car, as metal structures interfere with the signal."

He further says, " Our main takeaway from the current review is that approximately 1,000 hours of lifetime cellphone use, or about 17 minutes per day over a 10-year period, is associated with a statistically significant 60% increase in brain cancer." (He says earlier that he's talking about risk of "glios and acoustic neuromas.")

Ok, so let's look at the frequency of those two brain tumors. In the US, glioblastomas (which are deadly) are diagnosed in approx 1 per 100,000 population per year*, acoustic neuromas (which are benign), also 1 in 100,000**. So 2 per year, combined. 60% more would raise that to 3 or 4. Not something to sneeze at, particularly when you're the one diagnosed, but not enough for most people to change their cell phone behaviors.

The person doing the study was Joel Moskowitz, PhD, a researcher in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, and director of Berkeley's Center for Family and Community Health.
Moskowitz: Cellphone radiation is harmful, but few want to believe it | Research UC Berkeley

My takeaway: while this generally a "good to know" detail of modern life, the hyperbolic sausage-making-machine of the internet has moved it to "the sky is falling down" status.

Based on what I learned today, I'll keep my cellphone further away when I'm at home, and continue keeping it in my purse when out of the house. Knowledge is power

p.s. I'm the daughter of a scientist so I tend to chase studies to their origins.
p.p.s. I'm still recovering from Covid, meaning I have a lot of time on my hands. Clearly.

*Epidemiology and Outcome of Glioblastoma - Glioblastoma - NCBI Bookshelf
**Acoustic Neuroma
 
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StarSong said:
OK, so I did a deeper dive. Learned the origins of this research and exactly what was said. Turns out the 10,000 number refers to how much radiation one would be exposed to if the phone is held 1/10 of an inch from the body versus 10 inches away.

"Distance is your friend. Keeping your cellphone 10 inches away from your body, as compared to one-tenth of an inch, results in a 10,000-fold reduction in exposure. So, keep your phone away from your head and body. Store your phone in a purse or backpack. If you have to put it in your pocket, put it on airplane mode. Text, use wired headphones or speakerphone for calls. Don’t sleep with it next to your head — turn it off or put it in another room."

As regards signal level, he neither quantifies risk or exposure, nor gives no radiation specifics, but says:
"Use your phone only when the signal is strong. Cellphones are programmed to increase radiation when the signal is poor, that is when one or two bars are displayed on your phone. For example, don’t use your phone in an elevator or in a car, as metal structures interfere with the signal."

He further says, " Our main takeaway from the current review is that approximately 1,000 hours of lifetime cellphone use, or about 17 minutes per day over a 10-year period, is associated with a statistically significant 60% increase in brain cancer." (He says earlier that he's talking about risk of "glios and acoustic neuromas.")

Ok, so let's look at the frequency of those two brain tumors. In the US, glioblastomas (which are deadly) are diagnosed in approx 1 per 100,000 population per year*, acoustic neuromas (which are benign), also 1 in 100,000. So 2 per year, combined. 60% more would raise that to 3 or 4. Not something to sneeze at, particularly when you're the one diagnosed, but not enough for most people to change their cell phone behaviors.

The person doing the study was Joel Moskowitz, PhD, a researcher in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, and director of Berkeley's Center for Family and Community Health.
Moskowitz: Cellphone radiation is harmful, but few want to believe it | Research UC Berkeley

My takeaway: while this generally a "good to know" detail of modern life, the hyperbolic sausage-making-machine of the internet has moved it to "the sky is falling down" status.

Based on what I learned today, I'll keep my cellphone further away when I'm at home, and continue keeping it in my purse when out of the house. Knowledge is power

p.s. I'm the daughter of a scientist so I tend to chase studies to their origins.
p.p.s. I'm still recovering from Covid, meaning I have a lot of time on my hands. Clearly.

*Epidemiology and Outcome of Glioblastoma - Glioblastoma - NCBI Bookshelf
**Acoustic Neuroma
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❤️💕 Get well soon, StarSong! Thanks for your research and report. I take along or would use my cell phone only when I leave the house alone.
 
Norway’s oldest wooden stave church is Urnes Stave Church in Luster by the Sognefjord. It was built in 1150 and once served as a private church for a powerful family. 800 years old and built from wood.

stave-church-feat-1.jpg
 
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