WHO: Cell phone use can increase possible cancer risk

[sactoking]

Newsflash:
EVERYTHING causes cancer.

Update:
Deal with it.

 

[spidey07]

Note to self, don't carry phone in pocket. Ball cancer.

 

[Gibsons]

What would they know about cancer?

 

[OCGuy]

Anyone who didn't think that holding something next to your head wouldn't increase cancer risks, probably would not have thought smoking causes cancer in the early 20th century either.

 

[DrPizza]

Well, brain cancers have been on the rise. Coincidence?

If you'll take that evidence as proof, then I present to you evidence that the brain cancer rate has NOT been on the increase.

Millions/billions of people using cell phones, NO rise in the brain cancer rate. http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/brain-tumor-cell-phones.php So, what you're suggesting is... over the last 30 years, other causes of brain cancer have stopped causing cancer and cell phones have picked up the slack. So, if your claim - that brain cancer rates are rising - is proof, then the evidence which contradicts your supposition ought to be proof of the opposite.

There is NO known mechanism for the radiation from cell phones to cause cancer. Virtually all of the research shows no risk. However, there's one group of researchers who oddly seem to find a link. Others have sample sizes of 1000 people - no risk. These guys have similar sample sizes and report a 40% increase in the risk for heavy users for one particular type of brain cancer. I'm willing to bet a sum of money that their studies will eventually be proven to be flawed, and that long term data will continue to show that the radiation from cell phones does not cause cancer.

All the WHO has done is say, "well, we're not going to say it doesn't. Maybe it does. Who <no pun intended> knows?"

 

[SparkyJJO]

RF is non-ionizing. Microwave ovens operate at 2.45 GHz because that excites a vibrational mode in the water molecule. No chemical changes occur unless you get things physically hot enough for it to happen (you need hundreds of watts for it to occur on a head scale). There's a reason why microwave ovens don't operate at 2.4 GHz - they wouldn't work (there are several peaks in the absorption spectrum for water in the microwave, but they are fairly sharp... go off by a bit and you get transmission).

Light bulbs on the other hand emit ionizing visible light and a little bit of UV. That stuff messes up chemical bonds.

Worst case, your head gets a fraction of a degree warmer than the rest of your body, but your temperature naturally varies much more than that during the day.

So you're claiming a light bulb is gonna give you cancer but if you stick your head in a microwave it won't do a thing to you but make you feel a little warm?

 

[Gibsons]

So you're claiming a light bulb is gonna give you cancer but if you stick your head in a microwave it won't do a thing to you but make you feel a little warm?

Bit of a straw man there, but that's sort of what he's saying. The ionizing vs. non-ionizing part is the real point. He's right btw.

 

[moshquerade]

If you'll take that evidence as proof, then I present to you evidence that the brain cancer rate has NOT been on the increase.

Millions/billions of people using cell phones, NO rise in the brain cancer rate. http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/brain-tumor-cell-phones.php So, what you're suggesting is... over the last 30 years, other causes of brain cancer have stopped causing cancer and cell phones have picked up the slack. So, if your claim - that brain cancer rates are rising - is proof, then the evidence which contradicts your supposition ought to be proof of the opposite.

There is NO known mechanism for the radiation from cell phones to cause cancer. Virtually all of the research shows no risk. However, there's one group of researchers who oddly seem to find a link. Others have sample sizes of 1000 people - no risk. These guys have similar sample sizes and report a 40% increase in the risk for heavy users for one particular type of brain cancer. I'm willing to bet a sum of money that their studies will eventually be proven to be flawed, and that long term data will continue to show that the radiation from cell phones does not cause cancer.

All the WHO has done is say, "well, we're not going to say it doesn't. Maybe it does. Who <no pun intended> knows?"

I think that is what the word "possible" means. They aren't fully committing.
Just as I wasn't firm in my position either, and that is why I ended it with a question mark.

 

[DrPizza]

So you're claiming a light bulb is gonna give you cancer but if you stick your head in a microwave it won't do a thing to you but make you feel a little warm?

What he's claiming is that if you had a 1500 watt light bulb and a 1500 watt microwave, you'd be in better shape standing by the microwave, assuming the distances from the source were the same.

 

[Nintendesert]

For being a technical forum, some of you all believing this cancer-cellphone bit are really disappointing. You have to be really ignorant of radiation in general to believe that shit.

 

[disappoint]

So you're claiming a light bulb is gonna give you cancer but if you stick your head in a microwave it won't do a thing to you but make you feel a little warm?

That depends. Is the light in the microwave oven on? hehe

In other news, after reading this I became very concerned....



about the World Health Organization's credibility.

 

[Modelworks]

I can't say whether it causes cancer but there was another study where they did brain activity imaging while using cell phone power levels in the same area of the head and they did note that the brain activated areas around the RF exposed area abnormally compared to someone just talking on a normal corded phone.

That didn't surprise me because they have started using RF and magnetic waves to treat mood disorders by stimulating areas of the brain they change the mood of the person.

I wonder if that is why so many people talking on cell phones are such jerks to people standing around them in public.

 

[Modelworks]

Huh?
Have you looked at a frequency allocation chart lately?

Cellular has always been in the 850 mHz range with PCS in the 1900 range.
LTE was launched in the 700 mHz spectrum.

The only band in that range is the AWS spectrum. Operators hate to use it because of the crappy propagation.

I don't think people realize how bad the air waves are clogged with RF. Practically everything that can be allocated has been .
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/allochrt.pdf

 

[Jeff7]

So you're claiming a light bulb is gonna give you cancer but if you stick your head in a microwave it won't do a thing to you but make you feel a little warm?

I think the point is that EM radiation becomes more dangerous as the frequency increases. This wireless stuff is 2.4GHz or less. Visible light is somewhere in the hundreds-of-terahertz range. UV light is on the high frequency end of that, and it does cause cellular damage. Fluorescent lights made without the phosphor coating can be used to sterilize things.

Sticking your hand in the microwave would cause damage because the microwave radiation will excite water molecules in your hand. So you'll suffer injuries due to the thermal effects, but not due to the radiation itself.

A cellphone is a low-power transceiver, so the only thermal effects you're likely to receive are from the phone's electronics warming up while it's in use, and possibly a very small amount of localized warming as your head absorbs some of the EM transmissions.

(Also, a 60-100W lightbulb is....well, 60-100W. Microwaves are generally 600-1000W or more. Ignoring the special effects of microwave radiation on water molecules, one of these two things is still going to be considerably more effective at heating water than the other. )

I can't say whether it causes cancer but there was another study where they did brain activity imaging while using cell phone power levels in the same area of the head and they did note that the brain activated areas around the RF exposed area abnormally compared to someone just talking on a normal corded phone.

That didn't surprise me because they have started using RF and magnetic waves to treat mood disorders by stimulating areas of the brain they change the mood of the person.

I wonder if that is why so many people talking on cell phones are such jerks to people standing around them in public.

Oh great, now kids are going to stop sniffing glue or spray paint, and they're going to start building RF transmitters to get high. Radio Shack will have to start carding anyone who wants to buy directional antennas.

Maybe Tesla was just trying to create the world's most sophisticated EM bong.




.

 

[BUTCH1]

If you'll take that evidence as proof, then I present to you evidence that the brain cancer rate has NOT been on the increase.

Millions/billions of people using cell phones, NO rise in the brain cancer rate. http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/brain-tumor-cell-phones.php So, what you're suggesting is... over the last 30 years, other causes of brain cancer have stopped causing cancer and cell phones have picked up the slack. So, if your claim - that brain cancer rates are rising - is proof, then the evidence which contradicts your supposition ought to be proof of the opposite.

There is NO known mechanism for the radiation from cell phones to cause cancer. Virtually all of the research shows no risk. However, there's one group of researchers who oddly seem to find a link. Others have sample sizes of 1000 people - no risk. These guys have similar sample sizes and report a 40% increase in the risk for heavy users for one particular type of brain cancer. I'm willing to bet a sum of money that their studies will eventually be proven to be flawed, and that long term data will continue to show that the radiation from cell phones does not cause cancer.

All the WHO has done is say, "well, we're not going to say it doesn't. Maybe it does. Who <no pun intended> knows?"

Cell phone usage has grown exponentially in the last 10 years or so, it might be many years before the true risk is known, the problem (might) be is although just a few watts of power max it's less than an inch from your brain. we're bombarded with all kinds of RF everyday but at minuscule power levels.

 

[Doppel]

"possible", so basically same status as before. So more or less not news. However, I do think that these RF waves are doing something, who knows what, though, but I can't believe that at the rate their use is increasing a person in a heavy trafficed city like NY spending a life time in that environment will not be impacted.

 

[jteef]

What he's claiming is that if you had a 1500 watt light bulb and a 1500 watt microwave, you'd be in better shape standing by the microwave, assuming the distances from the source were the same.

I don't think that's quite right.

A 1500W light bulb (incandescent) does not radiate 1500 watts of energy into the visible spectrum. most of this energy is in the IR spectrum (still more "dangerous" than RF). Even if it did, a microwave would still cook you faster than 1500 watts of visible EM would give you cancer because these are entirely different mechanisms.

You could shower 10000 people with 1500 watts of visible EM and a few *might* get cancer. if you sit 10000 people in a microwave, they are all going to cook.

 

[Gibsons]

I don't think that's quite right.

A 1500W light bulb (incandescent) does not radiate 1500 watts of energy into the visible spectrum. most of this energy is in the IR spectrum (still more "dangerous" than RF). Even if it did, a microwave would still cook you faster than 1500 watts of visible EM would give you cancer because these are entirely different mechanisms.

You could shower 10000 people with 1500 watts of visible EM and a few *might* get cancer. if you sit 10000 people in a microwave, they are all going to cook.

He said standing by the microwave, not in it.

 

[Ghiedo27]

This clearly proves at least one thing- the bar for claiming something just might probably cause cancer is really, really low.

 

[Doppel]

This clearly proves at least one thing- the bar for claiming something just might probably cause cancer is really, really low.

This is probably correct. I think. Maybe. I can't say it's not. In fact, I can't say probably, but possibly.

 

[PsiStar]

The common frequency for microwave ovens in the US 2.45 GHz. But other countries have other standards ... aka other frequencies. NO, RF heating does not occur at specifically 2.45 GHz. It occurs over a wide range of frequencies.

My point is that most of our fav devices operate in these frequency ranges that can cause tissue heating. What is that effect? WHO is just saying that no one really knows.

By the way. There is this new thing on the net. It is called search engines. Google & Bing are 2. What is the purpose of a debate here in ATOT?

 

[JulesMaximus]

No it can't

/Thread.

This post brought to you by the all powerful and benign cell phone lobby!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Awesome. Less women to clog the roads talking on their cell phone.

More men for you to bang?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Note to self, don't carry phone in pocket. Ball cancer.

Look at the bright side, you could take EPO and win 7 straight Tours de France and marry and divorce Sheryl Crow in the process.

 

[silverpig]

Cell phone usage has grown exponentially in the last 10 years or so, it might be many years before the true risk is known, the problem (might) be is although just a few watts of power max it's less than an inch from your brain. we're bombarded with all kinds of RF everyday but at minuscule power levels.

How close are you sitting to your monitor?

The sun puts about 1350W/m^2 on the earth.

I've got about 1kW of radiation around me right now... just a quick guess.