Student science experiment finds plants won't grow near Wi-Fi router

[Number1]

Yeah pretty much. And as for cell phones, I highly doubt it's the cell phone you have to worry about, it's the towers. The cell phones also have to be powerful enough to tansmit all the way to the towers (can be miles) so whether you have it next to your face or a few feet a way does not make much of a difference.

Chances are, if cell phones are really bad for us, there's not much we can do.

I do have a hunch that a combination of all the electromagnetic waves we have going may potentially be bad for us. Could explain why we see so much cancer compared to before. Though genetics also plays a role otherwise everybody would be getting cancer.

I have a hunch you are talking out of your ass. You do that a lot around here.
As for your cancer "theory", that fact that we get more cancers is most likely due to the fact that we live much longer.

 

[StrangerGuy]

I have a hunch you are talking out of your ass. You do that a lot around here.
As for your cancer "theory", that fact that we get more cancers is most likely due to the fact that we live much longer.

Yup, cancers are bad. We should just ditch technology and go back to live in the stone ages so we can die much younger and more importantly, naturally, to things like unsafe water instead of EVIL MICROWAVE RADIUATION.

 

[olds]

Do not spread this bullshit.

It's a great fertilizer.

 

[DrPizza]

Red, if you think that cell phone electromagnetic radiation can cause cancer, then please explain a mechanism by which this happens. We are bathed in radiation all day long. Visible light, infrared, radio waves,... and the waves from cell phones. Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize in physics. Not for the theory of relativity. Not for the theory of special relativity. Not for his discovery of atoms. But rather, for his discovery that the energy of these types of waves is insufficient to ionize (cause chemical changes) molecules in our bodies.

 

[HeXen]

Well whatever but I have a bamboo plant that sits on the window with a router about 15 inches below it on the floor. Grows fine. I think more tests are really needed before making a story.

 

[Jaskalas]

"created a science experiment that is causing a stir in the scientific community."

What, when, where?? They must be talking about the "pseudo scientific community".

I clicked on dis thingy called de intrawebz! I am REAL scientist!

 

[waggy]

I had a nice plant grow right next to my router. no clue what kind of plant (kids got it for me to plant out front. i forgot heh).

it did well for over a year (it was next to my reptile cage with heat lights). it had lots of heat and water.

 

[Jeff7]

I have a hunch you are talking out of your ass. You do that a lot around here.
As for your cancer "theory", that fact that we get more cancers is most likely due to the fact that we live much longer.

This. Since we don't die of the vast number of other ways nature routinely tries to kill us, and because there are so damn many humans around now, there are far more opportunities for us to encounter the next layer of fun ways to die slowly and painfully.
And we also have the ability to diagnose cancer much more effectively than ever before.


Though I will also say, the US' approach to food safety is a bit less cautious than, say, Europe. Here it's more a matter of "We'll assume it's safe until you prove otherwise," or, "If a company with substantial financial interest in selling this product says it's safe, that's good enough."
Europe is more, "You prove it's safe, then we'll talk."

And there's the sneaky marketing that's done. One I saw recently that I loved:
"No high fructose corn syrup!" was printed loudly on the packaging.
In the ingredients list were, separately: fructose, and corn syrup.
How clever.
The other approaches, like the dairy industry's desire to be able to add sweeteners to milk, but not have to put it in the ingredients list, or the quiet shift from cocoa butter to PGPR, done not for quality or health purposes, but purely to boost profitability, tells me that they don't really give a damn about consumers, except for when regulations force the issue.

 

[schneiderguy]

They should test to see if you can grow plants outside. I bet ultraviolet radiation would be even worse for plants than microwave radiation.

 

[Matthiasa]

They would just let it grow inside during the winter then put in direct sunlight in the spring or summer.

 

[halik]

Retarded

 

[Zenmervolt]

And there's the sneaky marketing that's done. One I saw recently that I loved:
"No high fructose corn syrup!" was printed loudly on the packaging.
In the ingredients list were, separately: fructose, and corn syrup.
How clever.

Uh, those are separate ingredients. HFCS is not simply regular old corn syrup (which has been in wide use in baking and candy making for well over a century) with some additional fructose added. Chances are that whatever you were looking at simply used corn syrup for the traditional reasons and adding a smaller amount of fructose than is contained in HFCS.

ZV

 

[Jeff7]

Uh, those are separate ingredients. HFCS is not simply regular old corn syrup (which has been in wide use in baking and candy making for well over a century) with some additional fructose added. Chances are that whatever you were looking at simply used corn syrup for the traditional reasons and adding a smaller amount of fructose than is contained in HFCS.

ZV

I know that they're somewhat different ingredients. They were listed as such.

It was still rather amusing to see that combination of ingredients, along with the advertisement on the packaging.

 

[Sheep221]

Red, if you think that cell phone electromagnetic radiation can cause cancer, then please explain a mechanism by which this happens. We are bathed in radiation all day long. Visible light, infrared, radio waves,... and the waves from cell phones. Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize in physics. Not for the theory of relativity. Not for the theory of special relativity. Not for his discovery of atoms. But rather, for his discovery that the energy of these types of waves is insufficient to ionize (cause chemical changes) molecules in our bodies.

To be more precise, Einstein was awarded Nobel Prize for discovery of photoelectric effect.

All forms of electromagnetic radiation are harmful to health if exposed to high levels and are frequent cause of serious injuries and deaths. It is true that cell phone, laptop and wifi router with their 1mW emitted electromagnetic radiation won't do anything to you because it is very small, but being close to cell network tower, Radio/TV broadcasting tower, probably wifi array, or having cell phone communicating while sticked to your head all day, would definitely cause if nothing else than just feeling bad. While the electromagnetic waves are not causing ionizing strong enough to cause electrolysis, they are strong enough to alter chemical reactions in exposed cells, the principle of electromagnetic energy transfer is example of how our vision works(in useful way).

Some health damages of electromagnetic radiation are:
High exposure to X-rays and Ultraviolet is instant cancer, vision damage and burns.
High exposure to Visible Light may cause your vision to be damaged or go blind completely.
High exposure to Infrared will cause you burns and may harm vision as well.
The HF electromagnetic radio waves are known to cause headaches, discomfort and fatigue in short term exposure, as they are not enough strong to cause you burns or blindness, in long term exposure they may alter chemical processes in your body and help develop the cancer or probably other disease, or damage the most sensitive cells - the nerves.
Even cell phone radiation can be physically felt, just call some free operator hotline to keep the call active and try touching phone at the antenna base and you will fell the light tickling, it won't work with all phones but it does happen.
If microwave ovens wouldn't be sealed, their radiation would be strong enough to cook you alive.
Strong laser beam(laser is visible light) will cut you to pieces in seconds.
The long term usage of CRT screens caused headaches and discomfort in computer users.

If electromagnetic radiation wouldn't cause chemical alteration in our organisms we would be resistant to all the above potentially deadly injuries and we would also probably be able to survive a nuclear attack if we would be out of its epicenter.

 

[Matthiasa]

I take it technology is something foreign to you?
A very easily disputed point is with CRTs it wasn't the emited ration that was the issue it was actually the lack of it.

Most CRTs had their refresh rate way to low and doing so can cause visible flashing of the screen, due to how they work, which can cause headaches.
In people who are sensitive it can even cause epileptic seizures.

 

[Jeff7]

...
The long term usage of CRT screens caused headaches and discomfort in computer users.
...

I would suggest that this was mainly because most of the things were run at the 60Hz default refresh rate, which was damned awful, as far as my eyes were concerned. I preferred 85Hz as the minimum, and ran my own 21" screen at 120Hz.



Edit: Curses, a few minutes too late.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I have a hunch you are talking out of your ass. You do that a lot around here.
As for your cancer "theory", that fact that we get more cancers is most likely due to the fact that we live much longer.

Moses, Noah and other historic figures lived over 600 years. In their day it was standard. There was also little to no pollution back then so everyone was much healthier than now.

Red, if you think that cell phone electromagnetic radiation can cause cancer, then please explain a mechanism by which this happens. We are bathed in radiation all day long. Visible light, infrared, radio waves,... and the waves from cell phones. Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize in physics. Not for the theory of relativity. Not for the theory of special relativity. Not for his discovery of atoms. But rather, for his discovery that the energy of these types of waves is insufficient to ionize (cause chemical changes) molecules in our bodies.

I never said I think that, WTF why does everyone think I said that? I said it's a possibility. Why does a theory suddenly make me say that I said it did? It's a theory, not 100%. My theory was also based on the fact that we are bombarded with lot more than just cell phone radiation. One may not do anything, but perhaps all the different frequencies combined do, and again, I'm not saying it does, I'm saying it could. It would be very ignorant to completely dismiss it. And no, we should not stop using wireless technology, at least not until it can be proven that it really is the cause.

Cancer could also be caused by other things like air pollution, or other things we do now that we did not do 100's of years ago, or it could be a completely natural thing we have no control over.

I hate how people here are so quick to call out someone for simply having a thought that something is a possibility. I highly doubt cell phones and other radio waves do cause issues, but it would also be ignorant to dismiss it 100%.

 

[Brainonska511]

Moses, Noah and other historic figures lived over 600 years. In their day it was standard. There was also little to no pollution back then so everyone was much healthier than now.

I hate how people here are so quick to call out someone for simply having a thought that something is a possibility. I highly doubt cell phones and other radio waves do cause issues, but it would also be ignorant to dismiss it 100%.

People are quick to call these things out because in all the scientific literature of the past hundred years, these things have not been proven to cause problems. Additionally, an understanding of basic physics goes a long way to understanding why these would not be problematic.

These bullshit articles that come up on pseudoscience websites do nothing except fuel the misguided individuals in society further down the path of ignorance.

 

[Sheep221]

I take it technology is something foreign to you?
A very easily disputed point is with CRTs it wasn't the emited ration that was the issue it was actually the lack of it.

Most CRTs had their refresh rate way to low and doing so can cause visible flashing of the screen, due to how they work, which can cause headaches.
In people who are sensitive it can even cause epileptic seizures.

CRT didn't cause seizures, and they do hit the user with small amount of X-ray radiation, which is emitted from the backside of the fluorescent screen where its particles are hit by electrons beams that are fired from electron emitter.
It is unharmful, but it can be felt that it's there, depending on the monitor you have and your body ofc.

I would suggest that this was mainly because most of the things were run at the 60Hz default refresh rate, which was damned awful, as far as my eyes were concerned. I preferred 85Hz as the minimum, and ran my own 21" screen at 120Hz.



Edit: Curses, a few minutes too late.

I didn't speak about eye strain from screen flickering.
I'm not sure everyone still has some CRTs around but I had compared staring to CRT and LCD for long periods of time and I felt much much worse after CRT use. Been using it at 85Hz.

I do however agree that the flicker alone may also cause headache(which is visible light) so it falls under electromagnetic radiation issue as well.

 

[JimmiG]

I rest my case.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I rest my case.

Hahaha

Just need a couple cell phones in there too.

And for kicks, some old CB radio or something.

 

[mikeymikec]

Even if it would be true, turning off your wifi wouldn't do anything for you anyway, as there are probably another 5 networks crossing your house.

It's odd how wi-fi network allegedly cause problems but cordless house phones aren't implicated, yet they operate on the same frequency band.

 

[JimmiG]

It's odd how wi-fi network allegedly cause problems but cordless house phones aren't implicated, yet they operate on the same frequency band.

Cordless phones carry voice. People can understand and relate to that. The Wifis carry the Internet. People don't understand the Internet. People are afraid of what they can't understand.

 

[Crono]

I'm not scared of radio waves, except at very close range.
For instance, I wouldn't want to be in a microwave oven.

People worry too much about the stuff that's proven safe. If you want to worry, worry about the waves that are proven to cause cancer, like ultraviolet radiation. The sun is much more like likely to cause damage to you. If you are exposed to a dangerous intensity of radio waves you'll know it (see lumber treatment scene from Kick-Ass).

Keep radio-emitting devices away from your junk (one of the proven risks, simply because of heat) and you'll be fine.

 

[StrangerGuy]

I hate how people here are so quick to call out someone for simply having a thought that something is a possibility. I highly doubt cell phones and other radio waves do cause issues, but it would also be ignorant to dismiss it 100%.

Same applies for possible beer cans orbiting between Neptune and Pluto. Left by god himself.

IT'S A POSSIBILITY MAN, POSSIBILITY!!!!