Re: Germans say "Don't use Wi-Fi"

On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:19:45 -0700, Mel Rowing wrote:

<snip>

A Wi-Fi network operates at a similar frequency to microwaves but at
around 100 000 x less the field intensity that is used inside an oven.

You are mistaken.

Your average microwave oven operates at about 750 - 1500 watts.

Your average wifi or dect signal (another area of concern) operates at 0.5
watts.

So your oven is about 2000 x more powerful a signal (internally).

Further microwaves produce heat in food by exciting water molecules
contained therein. That is all that is produced - heat.
Although heat will
of obviously damage cell tissue such damage is terminal to the cell e.g. a
burn. The really nasty damage is when the DNA within a cell is transformed
giving rise to the possibililty of mutations. However, such radiative
damage only results from ionising radiations.

Microwaves are non-ionising radiations.

The body itself shows limited resistance even to ionising radiations in
that they are around us all the time. Our species evolved in spite of them
and probably at higher elevels in the past. That's why its deemed
permissable to set "safe" limits to even ionising radiations. In reality
of course there is no such thing as an absolutely safe level of ionising
radiation. Any single emission may be fatal. Safe in this context means
that the statistical probablity of cellular damage is extremely low (not
quite the same as absolute)

So all in all I think it safe to say that we are going to be extremely
unlucky if, from health considerations, we come to regret the use of our
Wi-Fi modems mobile phones, ovens in the years to come.

This is not "knowing better" than our betters in government. It's weighing
risk against benefit, a process that we carry out all the time.
Microwave/Wi-Fi devices are very useful utilities in a modern society. If
individuals see an obscure but real risk then the duty is on them to
express it clearly.

There's lots of research that show SUB-THERMAL biological effects of
microwaves. Blood-brain barrier reduction and increased cell division
(possible cancer precursor) just to name two that are fairly topical atm.
Ignore Rowing, he's always propping up the establishment.

"Might be" is not enough. If technolgical progess were inhibited by "might
be's" then there would have been little or any at all.

True, if we applied the precautionary principle to the max we'd have quite
slow progress but the cost is at some poor unsuspecting souls life (the
numbers could be in the millions).

.

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