Anyone ever warn you not to stand too close to the microwave when it's on?

[Locut0s]

My mother is paranoid about the microwave and keeps telling me to stand back from it when it's on. It's not like I'm sitting on it or anything either, I'm talking about having my head anywhere within about 2 feet of it when it's on. I tell her it's completely shielded and there's no way the radiation is going to leak out but she doesn't listen. It's not like the first generation of microwaves which occasionally did "leak". Anyone else have a friend or family member who worries about standing too close to the microwave?

 

[Deeko]

No.

 

[shortylickens]

Tell them to get an associates degree in electronics, or at the very least spend a year studying electromagnetic radiation before they make claims that standing two feet away is safe but one foot away is dangerous.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Tell them to get an associates degree in electronics, or at the very least spend a year studying electromagnetic radiation before they make claims that standing two feet away is safe but one foot away is dangerous.

I love my mother but she's not really an educated person.

 

[Eeezee]

Yes, I've had people warn me. None of them could even tell me how a microwave works.

The microwave radiation travels down a waveguide and enters the cooking chamber, from which it can not escape. You get standing waves (you can examine the 3D interference pattern yourself if you pack your microwave full of marshmallows).

Besides, the worst that can happen with a leaking microwave is you may develop cataracts after SEVERE exposure. Just don't regularly operate a really old microwave.

I'm in the same boat as you OP, I have family members who will absolutely never listen to science and believe that microwaves are very dangerous. I hate superstition like this... I've even been told that you can die if you use your microwave too often. It's ridiculous.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Tell them to get an associates degree in electronics, or at the very least spend a year studying electromagnetic radiation before they make claims that standing two feet away is safe but one foot away is dangerous.

I love my mother but she's not really an educated person.

My mom is and she still doesnt know much about the outside world.
She has a masters in law and a masters in business. I can only assume that neither of those degrees required any kind of science electives.

She still tells me to not sit close to the TV, stay away from the microwave, and other such silliness.

 

[Jeff7]

Tell her not to leave any fans running at night either, or they'll suck up all her oxygen.

If she changes the laws of quantum mechanics, then maybe there'd be a danger. Microwave radiation can't pass through that screen in the front due to its wavelength.



"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology." - Carl Sagan

Originally posted by: shortylickens
She still tells me to not sit close to the TV, stay away from the microwave, and other such silliness.

How close to the computer monitor does she sit? (Assuming she's a computer user.)

I was told not to get close to the microwave, too, though it didn't make sense to me - I figured that if microwaves were somehow getting out, I'd start to get lightly toasted.

I was also told not to get close to the TV, not because of radiation, but because it'd be bad for my eyes to focus so close. Yet I was always encouraged to read. And my eyes seem to have adjusted accordingly to that role; I'm now very nearsighted.

 

[alpineranger]

Even better is people who try to convince me not to _eat_ microwaved food because it somehow imbues any substance with carcinogens. I try to explain to them the cooking mechanisms involved and how if they are right we are really screwed because of all the dangerous radiation coming 802.11 / other communications technology and light rays from the sun. It's all lost on them because they're convinced that anyone not holding their views has been brainwashed by the government in a vast conspiracy to exert control over the American populace. I blame it on the media.

 

[Glitchny]

Originally posted by: alpineranger
Even better is people who try to convince me not to _eat_ microwaved food because it somehow imbues any substance with carcinogens. I try to explain to them the cooking mechanisms involved and how if they are right we are really screwed because of all the dangerous radiation coming 802.11 / other communications technology and light rays from the sun. It's all lost on them because they're convinced that anyone not holding their views has been brainwashed by the government in a vast conspiracy to exert control over the American populace. I blame it on the media.

I have had this exact experience with one of my friends. no matter how many times i try to explain it to him, he still believes that microwaves make food radioactive.. he is 26....

 

[pstylesss]

My mom always did when I would sit and stare at it create a balloon out of the bowl and saran wrap over peas. Yum, I'm hungry.

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Tell them to stop being retarded

Fixed.

You don't even need a degree in electronics. Where I went to school, grade 11 physics was heavily focused on electricity, magnetic fields, and light.
When someone freaks out about microwaves, they're basically admitting that they dropped out of high school. Same deal with people who think cell phones and radio waves cause cancer. They're all high school dropouts.

She still tells me to not sit close to the TV

This one has a real reason. It won't cause cancer or anything, but your eyes can get tired very quickly if you're very close to the TV. Your parents probably told you not to watch TV in the dark for the same reason; you get sore eyes and maybe a headache.

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1
...

She still tells me to not sit close to the TV

This one has a real reason. It won't cause cancer or anything, but your eyes can get tired very quickly if you're very close to the TV. Your parents probably told you not to watch TV in the dark for the same reason; you get sore eyes and maybe a headache.

I was told this when I was young and have found it to be true - especially the dark room scenario - was never told it had anything to do with radiation coming from the tv.

---

Reading this thread gives me some insight about people who cling to religion, etc. in the face of contrary evidence.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Tell them to get an associates degree in electronics, or at the very least spend a year studying electromagnetic radiation before they make claims that standing two feet away is safe but one foot away is dangerous.

I love my mother but she's not really an educated person.

We understand that from your posts.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: seemingly random

Originally posted by: ShawnD1
...

She still tells me to not sit close to the TV

This one has a real reason. It won't cause cancer or anything, but your eyes can get tired very quickly if you're very close to the TV. Your parents probably told you not to watch TV in the dark for the same reason; you get sore eyes and maybe a headache.

I was told this when I was young and have found it to be true - especially the dark room scenario - was never told it had anything to do with radiation coming from the tv.

---

Reading this thread gives me some insight about people who cling to religion, etc. in the face of contrary evidence.

A teacher back in school, I don't remember what the circumstances were, but she was mentioning something about the Shroud of Turin. This wasn't during normal class, I was doing some research project at the library, I don't remember what about. Anyway, she said something about it, "I don't want them to find out if it's real, I know it's real."

People seem to want to really believe "something." Marketing plays on it a lot. Think of all the taglines you hear for movies that say, "You will believe." There are quite a few of them. Ok, great. I will believe........in what exactly? Why do I want to?

Sagan again:
"We accepted the products of science, we rejected its methods."

Originally posted by: alpineranger
Even better is people who try to convince me not to _eat_ microwaved food because it somehow imbues any substance with carcinogens. I try to explain to them the cooking mechanisms involved and how if they are right we are really screwed because of all the dangerous radiation coming 802.11 / other communications technology and light rays from the sun. It's all lost on them because they're convinced that anyone not holding their views has been brainwashed by the government in a vast conspiracy to exert control over the American populace. I blame it on the media.

They'll probably freak out about the infrared radiation emitted by a stovetop (and everything above absolute zero(. Better still, infrared has a shorter wavelength than microwaves, so they've got more energy, and thus would have even more potential to cause damage.

For the final blow, something that has been proven to cause cancer: Good old sunlight. :shocked:
Even nature's part of the whole conspiracy to give us cancer.

 

[SieLiebenDich]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
For the final blow, something that has been proven to cause cancer: Good old sunlight. :shocked:
Even nature's part of the whole conspiracy to give us cancer.

I second that motion.

 

[BrownTown]

My mom used to have a problem with microwaves, but she seems OK with them now, sitting too close to the TV was a bigger thing for her though.

 

[XZeroII]

Do you really sit less than 2 feet away from the microwave? Why would you even do that to begin with? Is it that hard to just back up a couple of steps? Or is it more important to argue with someone and prove that you are right?

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Tell them to stop being retarded

Fixed.

You don't even need a degree in electronics. Where I went to school, grade 11 physics was heavily focused on electricity, magnetic fields, and light.
When someone freaks out about microwaves, they're basically admitting that they dropped out of high school. Same deal with people who think cell phones and radio waves cause cancer. They're all high school dropouts.

Now, I'm not afraid of microwave ovens, but I can say I'm a college graduate and have never taking a physics class (HS or Univ.).

 

[Lounatik]

I used to repair microwaves for a living and if I can remember correctly the radio wave emitted by the mag tube is square, and the screen on the front of the window has round holes, which keep the waves from exiting through the glass. Am I right or was someone feeding me a line of crap?

Peace

Lounatik

 

[Capt Caveman]

I'm sure SlickSnake can educate us all on the matter.

 

[Baked]

I wear my tinfoil underpants when I use the microwave.

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: Lounatik
I used to repair microwaves for a living and if I can remember correctly the radio wave emitted by the mag tube is square, and the screen on the front of the window has round holes, which keep the waves from exiting through the glass. Am I right or was someone feeding me a line of crap?

Peace

Lounatik

You were being fed crap - as Jeff7 said the hole diameter is smaller than a microwave wavelength.

http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAI...icfaq2.html#MICFAQ_003

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Tell them to get an associates degree in electronics, or at the very least spend a year studying electromagnetic radiation before they make claims that standing two feet away is safe but one foot away is dangerous.

Well if microwaves where dangerous then double the distance would cause 1/4th the damage.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: Glitchny

Originally posted by: alpineranger
Even better is people who try to convince me not to _eat_ microwaved food because it somehow imbues any substance with carcinogens. I try to explain to them the cooking mechanisms involved and how if they are right we are really screwed because of all the dangerous radiation coming 802.11 / other communications technology and light rays from the sun. It's all lost on them because they're convinced that anyone not holding their views has been brainwashed by the government in a vast conspiracy to exert control over the American populace. I blame it on the media.

I have had this exact experience with one of my friends. no matter how many times i try to explain it to him, he still believes that microwaves make food radioactive.. he is 26....

Tell him that he is radioactive... because of the sun...

 

[db]

Other waves do emit from microwave ovens; ie my XM radio won't receive when the microwave is operating, even though its antenna is 10' away.
Fortunately, tinfoil hat and underware keep me safe