WiFi is killing trees

[BlahBlahYouToo]

imagine what it's doing to us...

http://gizmodo.com/5695264/study-says-wi+fi-makes-trees-sick

 

[zokudu]

But when bunch of media outlets picked up the story and were all, "BREAKING: Wi-FI IS AIRBORNE DEATH," the Dutch Antennebureau cautioned that these are only initial results, and previous studies showed Wi-Fi was harmless."There are no far-reaching conclusions from the results.

Inconclusive

 

[SunnyD]

 

[Vic Vega]

Wow. Just wow.

So, trees don't mind radio waves just so long as they aren't transmitting TCP/IP packets? They don't seem to be bothered by TVs, AM/FM, garage door remotes, cell phones or any other type of radio waves...

 

[Drako]

Yeah, and cell phones are killing bees. Oh wait ... nevermind :hmm:

 

[spidey07]

WiFi is microwaves, same as what is used in your microwave oven. There is merit to this study.

 

[spidey07]

Wow. Just wow.

So, trees don't mind radio waves just so long as they aren't transmitting TCP/IP packets? They don't seem to be bothered by TVs, AM/FM, garage door remotes, cell phones or any other type of radio waves...

Put a plant in a microwave, same thing. Exact same frequency.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Can I turn my tree into a router? Can it handle MPLS?

 

[spidey07]

Can I turn my tree into a router? Can it handle MPLS?

Multi-protocol leaf switching?

 

[Vic Vega]

Put a plant in a microwave, same thing. Exact same frequency.

Put your head with your tin foil hat in a microwave.

 

[GTaudiophile]

"WiFi is killing bees" is probably more accurate.

 

[Aikouka]

WiFi is microwaves, same as what is used in your microwave oven. There is merit to this study.

I should hatch an elaborate scheme to infect my man parts with radiation using my WiFi router to get medical marijuana!

 

[DrPizza]

WiFi is microwaves, same as what is used in your microwave oven. There is merit to this study.

There is absolutely no merit to this study. I used to think that you had at least a little knowledge in this area.

 

[spidey07]

There is absolutely no merit to this study. I used to think that you had at least a little knowledge in this area.

I'm pretty much an expert at wireless. I know the dangers and have designed large scale outdoor mesh solutions, there are very specific reasons and laws on effective radiated power not just for interference but because of personal harm. I'm not saying it's killing tress, but when you bathe it in microwaves 24x7 it isn't unusual to think something could happen. This city could just be running their radios way too hot.

 

[darkswordsman17]

"WiFi is killing bees" is probably more accurate.

Er...what?

 

[techs]

Two years of my life versus no wi-fi?

I'm thinking, I'm thinking.

 

[SagaLore]

Can I turn my tree into a router? Can it handle MPLS?

Yes, it would use the spanning tree protocol.

 

[Rubycon]

I'm pretty much an expert at wireless..

That does not make you an expert in microwave power density.

No wifi mesh is going to come close to the actual watts/cm² found in the oven cavity. Even though it may be on the same frequency they are quite different.

 

[SagaLore]

There is absolutely no merit to this study. I used to think that you had at least a little knowledge in this area.

Its true. Technology is killing us.

 

[lxskllr]

She's Ruby again! :^D

 

[TecHNooB]

That does not make you an expert in microwave power density.

No wifi mesh is going to come close to the actual watts/cm² found in the oven cavity. Even though it may be on the same frequency they are quite different.

The Dawn has spoken.

O, i see you're back Ruby.

 

[Nintendesert]

What a load of rubbish. This takes a real leap in ignorance to buy into stuff like this. But they'll keep getting grant money selling it to the public.

 

[Wyndru]

One of the teachers at our school told the librarians that Wifi causes cancer so they googled it and now they are all demanding to have their desks moved away from the AP's. :awe:

 

[Rubycon]

Well one of the funniest things I've heard to date around the cyber cafe was a woman explaining to the manager how she refuses to use wireless or be around any networks.

She goes on telling about how porn is everywhere and people are surfing it everywhere and the bits of information that make up "evil" things such as bestiality and S&M are getting passed through our bodies turning everyone into demons that will wake up one day and even Jesus could not save us!

I'm not making this up! My side hurt from laughing so hard! :biggrin:

 

[DrPizza]

I'm pretty much an expert at wireless. I know the dangers and have designed large scale outdoor mesh solutions, there are very specific reasons and laws on effective radiated power not just for interference but because of personal harm. I'm not saying it's killing tress, but when you bathe it in microwaves 24x7 it isn't unusual to think something could happen. This city could just be running their radios way too hot.

Way too hot is an understatement. "Bathe it in microwaves 24x7" displays quite bit of ignorance though, and plays upon people's lack of understanding of what "microwaves" are. It's simply a range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. Visible light is a range of frequencies. Radio waves are a range of frequencies. Infrared is a range of frequencies. In fact, there's quite a bit of overlap between microwave frequencies and radio frequencies at the long end, and quite a bit of overlap between microwave frequencies and infrared frequencies at the other end. i.e. the exact same radiation is called "radio waves" just as correctly as "microwaves" over a portion of the range of microwaves.

And, those same trees are "bathed in" radio waves and infrared radiation 24/7. As microwaves are non-ionizing radiation, the only other possible mechanism by which they may have any harmful effect on living tissue is by the amount of energy absorbed. Thus, the power density is the important factor here. As the absorbed microwaves are turned to heat, we need only be worried about where the scale is tipped - when the rate that energy gained is quicker than the rate at which it can be dissipated throughout the material and back into the air in the form of infrared radiation.

Ionizing radiation has been understood since Einstein's days. Microwaves and their effects on living tissue have been studied for at least 6 decades. One study out of 10's of 1000's of studies which contradicts all the other studies is merely sensationalism. Even the rest of the article linked to pretty much hints that it's just a bunch of hogwash.