Something to be wary of

[Howard Clark]

Well if emf is a danger as bad as the scare tactics claim, I should be riddled with cancer by now. I have worked in and around emf's all my life.

I think it is nonsense. However, if I put my cell phone in my sporran, I do not hear it ring. Not all bad, mind you... Nor is being hearing impaired all bad.

I hardly ever answer it anyway. I got it for me to call out on.

[Galb]

The air and space is saturated with invisible sound, radio, and other various waves. All of us, at any given time of the day, are subject to these various waves or signals scooting around. One signal your phone picks up is not going to have any effect on your jibblies or any other part of your body.

[ForresterModern]

As a radiologist I work with high powered magnetic fields and strong radio frequency waves (just like microwaves) as part of MR imaging on a daily basis. Our radio wave power emitter is a couple hundred times the power of that of a handheld cell phone, and we put patients whole bodies or body parts into the magnets all day long for sometimes up to a couple hours per patient. The concern with radio waves is that they are indeed energy and can theoretically deposit that energy in your body, generally as simple heat, and the closer your body part is to the emitter of the radio waves the more likely there is to be energy deposition of a greater degree. Male gonads prefer cool to hot environments for optimum function, so theoretically your friend is correct. We never have discovered any adverse effects to our high powered magnetic fields and high powered radio wave emitters now with nearly twenty years experience with the technology. Theoretically, there is a risk but practically it is negligible. Because the power of the cell phone is so low by comparison I would not fear "frying" your nads with your cell phone in your sporran, any more that I would fear frying your eyes or brain with your cell phone when you are talking into it while holding it by your ear.

[Nanook]

Theoretically, there is a risk but practically it is negligible.

Useful things can be dangerous. Most are. The evidence of potentially harmful effects of low level microwave radiation seems to move more and more towards the side of risk and away from the widely held belief that its harmless. The current state of knowledge increasingly shows that NMR scanning/MRI, despite wide spread belief to the contrary, is not harmless. Its point, however, as X-Ray Imaging (to which Marie Skłodowska–Curie would have vouched), is to find and diagnose things more risky than the risk posed by the test. NMR/MRI is in some of its more "useful" applications used with radioisotopes as PET/CT scanning.
Back to the issue of cell phones? Do cell phones pose risks? Statistically the risk at this stage seems to be lower than many other activities. I would not ignore it but I'd also not, at this time, elevate it (yet) to a highly probably risk.
Automobiles, on the other hand, DO pose big risks. Risks to health, environment as well as peace (oil). Nobody seems to talk about controlling.. them.. on the contrary.. now with the current economic crisis hitting the automotive industry many governments are exploring incentives and subsidies to encourage new car purchases!

[Tetley]

As a radiologist I work with high powered magnetic fields and strong radio frequency waves (just like microwaves) as part of MR imaging on a daily basis. Our radio wave power emitter is a couple hundred times the power of that of a handheld cell phone, and we put patients whole bodies or body parts into the magnets all day long for sometimes up to a couple hours per patient. The concern with radio waves is that they are indeed energy and can theoretically deposit that energy in your body, generally as simple heat, and the closer your body part is to the emitter of the radio waves the more likely there is to be energy deposition of a greater degree. Male gonads prefer cool to hot environments for optimum function, so theoretically your friend is correct. We never have discovered any adverse effects to our high powered magnetic fields and high powered radio wave emitters now with nearly twenty years experience with the technology. Theoretically, there is a risk but practically it is negligible. Because the power of the cell phone is so low by comparison I would not fear "frying" your nads with your cell phone in your sporran, any more that I would fear frying your eyes or brain with your cell phone when you are talking into it while holding it by your ear.

Yet my dentist leaves the room when taking x-rays so that the repeated exposure doesn't cause them any harm.

I still think I'll put my mobile somewhere else.

Mark

[beloitpiper]

Yet my dentist leaves the room when taking x-rays so that the repeated exposure doesn't cause them any harm.

I still think I'll put my mobile somewhere else.

Mark

Ah, see now you're mixing x-rays with radio waves, which are on the opposite side of the visible spectrum. Two very different things.

[Tetley]

Ah, see now you're mixing x-rays with radio waves, which are on the opposite side of the visible spectrum. Two very different things.

Only the frequency differs, they're both electromagnetic wave carrying energy from one place to another and the body is not opaque to them.

I'll still be careful, just in case.

Mark

[cavscout]

As a radiologist I work with high powered magnetic fields and strong radio frequency waves (just like microwaves) as part of MR imaging on a daily basis. Our radio wave power emitter is a couple hundred times the power of that of a handheld cell phone, and we put patients whole bodies or body parts into the magnets all day long for sometimes up to a couple hours per patient. The concern with radio waves is that they are indeed energy and can theoretically deposit that energy in your body, generally as simple heat, and the closer your body part is to the emitter of the radio waves the more likely there is to be energy deposition of a greater degree. Male gonads prefer cool to hot environments for optimum function, so theoretically your friend is correct. We never have discovered any adverse effects to our high powered magnetic fields and high powered radio wave emitters now with nearly twenty years experience with the technology. Theoretically, there is a risk but practically it is negligible. Because the power of the cell phone is so low by comparison I would not fear "frying" your nads with your cell phone in your sporran, any more that I would fear frying your eyes or brain with your cell phone when you are talking into it while holding it by your ear.

Yep, as an air traffic controller it was a running joke that the Radar waves would kill off the chromosomes that produce male babies. True or not, they may have regenerated, but I've at least proved the side effects are temporary (at least from a reproductive issue)

[george7]

I keep mine in the pocket with my asbestos coated lucky lead penny.

[Tetley]

I keep mine in the pocket with my asbestos coated lucky lead penny.

Go on, live dangerously!

Mark