Mobile communications have been proven to be of tremendous value and popularity. The current approach to dosimetry, evidently modeled on that used for ionizing radiation, appears to be broken, and in fact has been criticized essentially since its inception [e.g., Frey 1994; Gandhi, 1987]. Arguments in support of safety based on basic physics appear not to hold up.
The irony is your fat old cell-phone, with a visible antenna, was probably several times safer than the current designs with stamp-sized internal aerial-- The external aerial needed less power to get a hand-shake with the mast...
Also, to get through to a mast when the cell is busy, the phone signal's power level will rise...
Happens I usually keep my 'clam-shell' burn-phone switched off much of the time, but that's just so it doesn't keep interrupting me with text messages from the network offering hundreds of free texts if only I'd spend £ 20 on top-up this weekend-- Hey, that's almost a year's usage for me !!
I tend to use a low powered bluetooth headset next to my head, and leave the cell on my belt holster. I'm wondering if that would make much of a difference.. I can't stand wired earpieces though, they get caught in things.
Bluetooth is probably safe, dose-wise (hacker-wise may be another matter). Regarding belt-clip carriage, the pdf mentions some ill effects seen there also.
Oh well, a small sacrifice, but necessary in order to have a global society where the people all transmit their audio, video and GPS coordinates. Transponder implants, anyone?
I think that the effects of cell phones are just as exaggerated as are the effects of radiation in general.
Funny account:
A local community was complaining about a cell phone tower that had been erected in their midst. The inhabitans claimed all sorts of ill effects from it. There were reports of head aches, sleep disorders, etc.
They filed a complaint with the city. Turned out the cell phone tower had never been turned on.
Skipjack wrote:I think that the effects of cell phones are just as exaggerated as are the effects of radiation in general.
Funny account:
A local community was complaining about a cell phone tower that had been erected in their midst. The inhabitans claimed all sorts of ill effects from it. There were reports of head aches, sleep disorders, etc.
They filed a complaint with the city. Turned out the cell phone tower had never been turned on.
Yeah, this is typical. Someone should have nailed em for filing false complaints or frivolous litigation or whatever.