Slashdot Mirror
English DJ Claims Wi-Fi Allergy
path0$ writes "British Ex-DJ Steve Miller claims that his Wi-Fi allergy is making his life one big misery
, forcing him to live in an iron-clad home far from any neighbors. According to the article, more and more people are suffering from an allergy like his. The only positive side to this is that at least Miller didn't think of suing anybody yet, like these people did,
who claim to suffer from the same condition and were mentioned in a Slashdot article in 2008."
Crazy people are everywhere. Stop giving them attention.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
What's left to say? Isn't this just a matter for psychiatrists and sociologists now? Engaging these idiots in discussions would just make your own IQ drop without affecting their worldview in the slightest.
Fiat Homos et Pereat Theos
From the 70s, man. Cordless phones. And baby monitors. And cell phones. RC cars are in the 2.4GHz band. And walkie-talkies like security guards use. Also power lines, radio stations, and other things cause EMI on other bands besides 2.4GHz. Man this guy's entire life must suck.
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No EMF there, just that evil wi-fi.
And I got a nasty rash just reading the summary.
Put him into a room. Randomly switch on and off a WiFi-net and ask him to tell if it is on or off. If he manages to get more than 50 % right there might be something to it. He would also be the first person to manage this in years and years of testing.
He should contact the James Randi foundation for their 1M prize for paranormal proof, as they might very well consider "WiFi sensitivity" paranormal behavior.
Test your net with Netalyzr
Some people call him the space cowboy
Some people call him the gangster of love
Some people call him Maurice
Because he has to stay in a Faraday cage to block out the wi-fi signals he's allergic to...
No. You're confusing the symptoms with the ailment. Although his symptoms may be real, the condition he claims to suffer from is most decidedly not. This has an important effect on what treatment should be used to alleviate or cure his symptoms. What he needs is psychiatry and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Indulging his fantasies of "WiFi Allergies" will just make his symptoms worse.
Microwave ovens tend to have a lot of emissions in the 2.4GHz band, the same frequencies that most Wi-Fi uses.
If he were really allergic to Wi-Fi, wouldn't he have an extreme allergic reaction to microwave ovens too?
A properly scientific proof of this would most likely qualify him for the JREF challenge. If he can physically detect relatively minor electromagnetic radiation on these frequencies, he could win himself a million dollars. http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html
Nope. That's where those allergic to modernity can take up residence. Seems fair to me.
"If you want to know what happens to you when you die, go look at some dead stuff."
"Steve navigates normal daily chores with the help of a âwi-fi detectorâ(TM) which spots areas he should avoid."
Let's see, if someone could sense WIFI why would they need a separate detector??? Hmm...
Good DJ's are a necessity in this world but like many minor music celebs they enjoy recreational drugs. I suspect this DJ needs a new prescription!
I've heard of this before, and I've always been skeptical of it. Not because that I think it's impossible for people to absorb electromagnetic radiation, but because the first people to expose me to this sensitivity believed pyramid shaped crystals could fix them. I really blame them for killing all of the credibility this condition may have had with me, but it's their own fault. This always struck me as a powerful example of the placebo effect. People want to feel sick when electromagnetic waves are around them, so they do. I've had a few friends deeply wrapped up in holistic medicine, and you could pick any random ingredient on your soda (anything man made) and they give you a story of how they feel sick when they are in the room with that ingredient.
I'm not going to sit here and bash the people who think they have this symptom. You're going to get 50 posters who have done that thoroughly by now. Instead I'm going to offer them a suggestion. Find a person who exhibits a visible symptom when they're exposed to the types of radiation you object to. If we can take a person and reliably give them a rash with a wifi router, then we're in business. Until then you're...well this lady who had her house covered in tin foil.
"But beneath the coats of magnolia paint, she points out, the walls are lined with a special paper that contains a layer of tin-foil; and upstairs, the windows are hung with a fine, silvery gauze."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-450995/The-woman-needs-veil-protection-modern-life.html
No, we're biased because, to date, double-blind studies done with people who are "WiFi sensitive" have turned up nothing. It is up to the people making the claims to prove their claims. If they are sensitive to WiFi signals, this can be trivially proven by a double-blind experiment. Yet, no-one has produced one.
The Daily Mail is on a mission to separate all known substances into those that may cause Cancer and those that do.
So they are now trying it on with other stuff as well. I'm surprised that they didn't claim it causes Cancer and Birth Defects as well.
Wi-Fi also causes me pain. Every time I jack up the power output of a laptop or my PC at home the wireless starts to give me a headache, it also bothers my wife, child and brother-in-law.
We also ended up taking the microwave out of the house because every time my wife would use it while pregnant the baby would go crazy and start lashing around in the womb. Shes 5 months old and still cant use it, her brother is the same it gives him an instant migraine if hes near a microwave in use.
Electrohypersensitivity is nothing new, and people claiming to have it is also nothing new. In Sweden there's been a lot of research on the subject since there's been a lot of cases of it over the last 15 years. There's no evidence for it, noone has been able to show it exists in a controlled experiment, and the science of its proponents have been thoroughly debunked.
The guy from TFA is undeniably sick and needs help, but shielding him from wifi is not the solution to his problem.
People really should learn more about the immune system if they are calling this an allergy.
Just because it's all in someone's head doesn't mean they aren't suffering from it.
"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
I mean I probably think the guy is a kook, but can any of you really guarantee he is wrong?
Since such a condition is facially implausible, the burden of proof is on you to prove that he is not wrong, particularly because it would be a relatively simple matter to do so.
If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_hypersensitivity is pretty informative.
"However, the best evidence currently available suggests that cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for patients who report being hypersensitive to weak electromagnetic fields."
i.e. the guy is a kook.
I guess the D in DJ stands for "Derp!" in this case.
This is an incredibly easy claim to test.
First: See if he can identify when the "Wi-Fi" is on or off.
Second: If he can (which would be highly unlikely and scientifically amazing)... see if he can differentiate between Wi Fi, Bluetooth and his Microwave.
Why do we report bizarre claims to Slashdot without requiring the scientific method to be applied.
If I claim to be psychic and to be able to use ESP to read emails out of thin air, does qualify for the front page of Slashdot?
------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
The problem here is that there all sorts of things that transmit near those frequencies, and long have been. It's ludicrous to claim that WiFi, in particular, other other radio transmissions at similar frequencies, is somehow responsible for health problems.
The guy is either nuts or just lying to get attention. Double blind studies and the sheer stupidity of singling out WiFi pretty much demonstrate it.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Birds have been shown to react to magnetism, why not humans?
Sensitivity to magnetic fields are rather important for birds to navigate, for humans it is not. 99,9999999% of pigeons survive getting dropped from 500 meters above a parking lot, why not humans?
"I have downloaded hundreds and hundreds of records, why would I care if somebody downloads ours?" Robin Pecknold
I mean I probably think the guy is a kook, but can any of you really guarantee he is wrong? No, the history of science is of people being proven wrong. You are all just biased because you love wifi.
Uh-huh. Well I have a pretty solid theory that he's wrong based on the evidence that he has doubtless been bombarded with EM radiation of the same frequency and equal or greater magnitude for years with no complaints due to the vast numbers of other electronic devices and cosmic radiation entering our atmosphere.
So frankly I can't "guarantee" he's wrong (well okay I can -- he's wrong or your money back) but as far as I'm concerned the burden of proof is on you/this kook to give a plausible reason why Wi-Fi is different.
You're just biased against science, and think that because scientists have been shown (by other scientists!) to be wrong in the past means that any random arse thing you make up on the spot with some half-assed casual observation behind it has an equal or greater chance to be true than something studied via the scientific method.
The enemies of Democracy are
Get a real job.
as a network admin...
Every harsh word you utter has the right address. It only sounds harsh because the one on the envelope is the wrong one.
Exactly. Microwaves are allowed leak up to 5 mW/cm2 at 5 cm according to the FCC. Half that leakage (2.5mW/cm2), is almost exactly the same output as a typical wi-fi access point. Which means if he can stand next to the microwave while he nukes his burrito, he shouldn't have any issues with wi-fi.
So unless he's actually 802.11b/g sensitive, I call BS.
No sig, sorry.
He needs one of these. So he can always tell when he's in danger.
Funny may not give karma, but +5 Informative never made anyone snort coffee out their nose.
Like others, I seriously doubt that the cause of his symptoms have to do with Wi-Fi. One of the the the things not mentioned in the article is whether he has explored other possibilities. The highest concentration of Wi-Fi signals are in urban areas. By its very nature, there are environmental factors tied to urban areas that go hand-in-hand with Wi-Fi. For example, urban areas tend to have higher concentrations of pollution, noise, etc., any one of which, or in combination, could cause his symptoms.
David
I'm agnostic on the subject, but I think that if you calculate the energies involved when something like a phone is held right up to the side of your head, its not completely ridiculous.
Some people are afraid of living or driving under power lines also of course, but in that case if you do the same calculations it doesn't amount to much.
This being /., and this being a physics or EE topic, there will be hundreds of strongly opinionated postings by people who don't know squat about electromagnatism, and hopefully a handful by subject experts who know what they are talking about.
...we finally have an instance where a tin-foil helmet will actually be beneficial!
"I'm an old-fashioned type of guy. I worship the Sun and Moon as gods. And fear them."
Since everyone has already pointed out that electrohypersensitivity is simply a psychological problem (though probably no less real to the sufferer than panic attacks or depression, for example), I thought I'd add that even if it were a physical reaction, it almost certainly wouldn't be an allergy, which specifically implies the immune system reacting when it shouldn't. A general feeling of unwellness or pain is rarely a symptom of an allergy, unless it's among the symptoms of anaphylaxis, which is pretty much fatal if not immediately treated.
LOAD "SIG",8,1
British Ex-DJ...
Anyone familiar with that countries tax laws and/or health insurance system? Will the taxpayers end up subsidizing a nice little cottage out in the country to 'cure' him of his ailment?
Have gnu, will travel.
I also live in an iron-clad home far from any neighbors. But that's because I'm allergic to the neigbours.
99,9999999% of pigeons survive getting dropped from 500 meters above a parking lot, why not humans?
Your data seem biased to adult pigeons. Conduct more tests with pigeon chicks. No one in the city will complain unless you hit their car.
I'm re-reading Niven/Pournelles' Fallen Angels; this guy sounds like some of the Luddites in that book, not only not understanding technology, but fearing and hating it. Don't believe him, he's either just trying to get attention, or is a whacko.
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
stand alone in a room and note at minute intervals whether you feel impacted by wireless signals
have your wife randomly turn your laptop's wireless on and off, noting the time as she does so
if you take enough samples, you should see that you are correct about half the time. what you've experienced previously
As a kid, I could actually hear some EM quite distinctly. It was only the stronger pulse-like stuff, like arcing transformer a hundred meters away, or lightning strikes within about 2km. I can still hear lightning strikes that are fairly close as a faint crack in my head, a second or so before the thunder, but this ability seem to be diminishing as I age.
Of course, there is no frickin way anybody can feel 100mW of 2.4GHz radiation from any distance, and not feel 1kW (although shielded, but leaking a lot more than 100mW) microwave oven.
Quiet you fool! That's the mind control signal the Reptillians use to control the population. If they know that you know then they'll come after you for sure. Your best bet is to get some Orgone and put it all around your house and even wear some on you at all times. Pretty soon you'll start to see through the Reptillian disguises and know their true form. Watch out though, the Reptillians are nasty buggers and they'll mess you up good if you bring yourself to their attention.
Good luck!
Celebrity worship is a poor substitute for Deity worship and costs more to boot.
Hey, if the Microwave isn't properly shielded, it could cause *anyone* pain. . .
I'd have the Microwave checked first, then your heads.
But...but...but what about the baby eating WiFi routers?
Coding with assembly is like playing with Legos. Coding an application in assembly is like building a car with Legos.
"We also ended up taking the microwave out of the house because every time my wife would use it while pregnant the baby would go crazy and start lashing around in the womb. Shes 5 months old and still cant use it"
Well that is not surprising... considering the fact that she is only 5 months old, she has yet to develop the necessary strength to open the door and push the buttons. She is still far too short to get to the microwave, not to mention the fact that she cannot stand up. Assumedly, she cannot read yet, making it rather difficult to differentiate the different buttons. You really need to be patient with your kid here man, your expectations are entirely unrealistic.
Ok, I have had my fun, now I will address the rest of this foolishness.
"Every time I jack up the power output of a laptop or my PC at home the wireless starts to give me a headache, it also bothers my wife, child and brother-in-law."
Really? I am assuming that if someone else jacks up the power on the wireless you immediately develop a headache and curse the bastards who did it, right? Meaning that you develop the headache without knowing that the Wifi has been jacked up? I already know how you are going to answer that one, so I ask you to put it to the test. Have an objective outsider randomly turn the Wifi on and off. Tell this person when the Wifi is off and when it is on. If your results are consistently better than chance, we can talk. If not, stop fooling yourself and wasting all of our time.
To the haters: You can't win. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
In somewhat related news, 0% of Thanksgiving Turkeys survive getting dropped from above a parking lot.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
-- Arthur Carlson, WKRP in Cincinnati
Well he has been in very close proximity to sub-woofer bins and amplifier racks for a large portion of his life. That's like taking that silly "Q-ray" bracelet to the next level. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the iron in his blood cells being sent into upheaval.
This signature has The Force
FWIW take a look at this study (http://www.aehf.com/articles/em_sensitive.html) which shows after weeding out people who are affected by fake situations, that this is a real health issue. An M.D. is involved in the paper. After weeding out people who got faked out by placebos and "active challenges", they got 100% positive, 0% negative. (I just briefly flipped through the paper so read it more carefully please.)
He should move to Green Banks West Virgina, WiFi is illegal there. Its part of the US Radio Quiet Zone.
-
I'd suggest you talk about this to a physician, what you describe seems a lot like tinnitus, which can have a variety of causes.
There's nothing like $HOME
The problem is that I struggled on my own for 6 agonizing years to prove the pain I was suffering from wasn't psychological or just an excuse to get pain medication. Thankfully, one Doctor who did his homework finally found the reason for my pain; unfortunately it was too late and the damage done to my nerves are permanent. So, it's hard for me to say, "These people are just plain nuts".
Who are we to think we know it all and can, without any room for doubt, declare these people insane? Are MOST of the arguements concerning these people not correct? They sure seem to be, but perhaps, just perhaps, our understanding of everything involved in this isn't as complete as we believe it to be?
Am I saying people should be sued for this? No, if someone has a true sensitivity to whatever is happening in a Wi-Fi setting, that's not the Wi-Fi's producers fault, it just means you have to learn to live with it or go somewhere where this won't be all that bad for you.
Until we can be absolutely sure we know everything about everything, I'll say there's a possibility. I have to, considering what happened to me in the past, I'm just not going to be like those "professionals" that refused to look harder because they thought they knew it all too. I would rather see a full study on each person performed. Whatever it proves, Wi-Fi sensitive or not, perhaps we can find the reason for their suffering and help aleviate it.
Surely we all know the truth about wifi?! Wifi eats babies!!
Here:
http://miscellanea.wellingtongrey.net/2007/05/27/the-truth-about-wireless-devices/
I'm allergic to stupid people and they're a hell of a lot harder to avoid. Hell some days I even give myself an allergic reaction.
some wealthy benevolent reached out to these poor suffering souls and gave them a beautiful Pacific island refuge far away from civilization. A refuge bathed in 5-bar 4G reception and swimming in 802.11everything. Give them a year of blissful delusion before spilling the wireless beans.
I for one would be embarrassed to make an international stink about something as trivial as a little extra "wireless phone" signal around making me dizzy and confused when I'm manually putting other mind altering substances. I think he just used internet to stream no name DJ mixes from random web sites and had to pop a few pills w/ a rip from the bong to be able to actually like it, that explain his "dazed and confused" state. Also be careful with all your free love, it's almost twenty ten, you'll catch and STD.
Actually, after about 10 minutes of searching on ScienceDirect the only relevant paper I could find was "Disturbance of the immune system by electromagnetic fields--A potentially underlying cause for cellular damage and tissue repair reduction which could lead to disease and impairment" (Pathophysiology, Volume 16, Issues 2-3, August 2009, Pages 157-177) which says: "A number of papers dealing with the effects of modern, man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on the immune system are summarized in the present review. EMFs disturb immune function through stimulation of various allergic and inflammatory responses, as well as effects on tissue repair processes. Such disturbances increase the risks for various diseases, including cancer. These and the EMF effects on other biological processes (e.g. DNA damage, neurological effects, etc.) are now widely reported to occur at exposure levels significantly below most current national and international safety limits." Well outside my expertise, can you point me to some of these studies you mention?
I used to be able to hear graphics being drawn on my PC. The power supply would ring. I don't think I can hear that high any longer.
Bruce Perens.
Really, given our lack of knowledge of possible methods of action, you have to look at the epidemiology, and at the current moment there really doesn't seem to be anything to it. But maybe in ten or twenty years we'll all be kicking ourselves...
Ever since getting in home wifi, I find it much harder to get off the couch.
The afflicted DJ claims that it's "wifi signals" that cause his problem. I've opened up my Linksys WRT54G access point and I can't find a "LARGE coil as an antenna" (as you note may be found in RFID devices). What do you think is causing him pain from access points?
He notes all wifi signals cause him pain so I assume he doesn't just mean RFID units and damaged tv sets but also domestic wifi routers. Interested in your thoughts on this.
That's because Transformers are artificial intelligence, not artificial stupidity.
Blank until
I could easily deride this guy for his beliefs and what he feels when he comes by a wifi hotspot, but then I'd be a hypocrite since a friend of mine dared me to take a hand wall powered electric degauser, (which we had for erasing round reel tapes while I worked in a data center) and press it up against my temple and push the button on the device. Despite everything I knew about science I just plain...could not do it.
So much for logic
Surgery, that's what he needs, to remove that honkin' piece of shrapnel in his head left over from the (a) war.
But maybe in ten or twenty years we'll all be kicking ourselves...
kicking ourselves in involuntary, parkinson's induced spasms :)
Guess what *I'm* allergic to.
Ignat.
deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
I'm a network admin AND a DJ you insensitive clod!
As a kid, I could actually hear some EM quite distinctly. It was only the stronger pulse-like stuff, like arcing transformer a hundred meters away, or lightning strikes within about 2km. I can still hear lightning strikes that are fairly close as a faint crack in my head, a second or so before the thunder, but this ability seem to be diminishing as I age.
This is the most interesting post in the thread. And actually should be followed up on.
I'm a network admin AND a DJ you insensitive clod!
Oh, good. So one of your jobs is real. Good for you! :D
Every harsh word you utter has the right address. It only sounds harsh because the one on the envelope is the wrong one.
Because there is also option 3.
Pretend your brain has been erased and you are now a mindless vegetable. Stare at the ceiling, etc. Wait for the other guy to freak out, then leap up and say "Gotcha!"
Or, alternatively, say "DISK BOOT ERROR. INSERT BOOTABLE MEDIA IN DRIVE A:". Unless you're that way inclined, be sure to say "Gotcha" before he actually attempts to access "drive A:".
The tao of democracy: the government you can vote for is not the real government.
This guy has probably done a few too many drugs and is now freaked out by radio waves? what about 3G, GPS, UHF, Satellite TV etc...
Radio waves are everywhere, it's only because people are paranoid about Wifi and there's been a few stupid TV documentaries about it that makes people think Wifi is dangerous.
Yes, my thoughts exactly, I get all dizzy and confused and can't live near anyone once my drugs wear off ; )
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
At least he doesn't live on a ticonderoga class cruiser, the phased array radar plates produce dead birds in the vicinity and can hard boil eggs in seconds.
you're just jealous because my other job gets me attention from the ladies :D
If EM from the civilised world was having any kind of impact on birds, there would be huge problems with lost migrating flocks ending up in wholy the wrong country, being attracted to or repelled from major urban areas and being stunned by an airport radar.
Birds have been shown to have a magnetic sense, in conditions such as these EM != any kind of magnetic interference.
After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
I measured the RF levels of all electric and electronic devices I had in the office and at home, and the Wi-Fi base stations had the radio emissions of all the devices I tested. An old CRT TV and a microwave oven had moderate levels and my GSM mobile phone was by far the most high-powered of them all! That is not to say this man hasn't got problems, but the symptoms are cause not by wireless base stations but by something else, his stress levels or social situation in life perhaps. It could be he simply suffers from severe sleep deprivation. Now, I am NOT putting him down. I take this VERY seriously because I have been suffering from stress myself, but I know there is treatment for this in the form of medication and therapy. Base stations are however, and I can say this with some level of confidence, absolutely harmless because the power levels are so very low compared to all the other RF we are constantky surrounded by in the modern world.
Beauty is in the beholder of the eye.
you're just jealous because my other job gets me attention from the ladies :D
Damn, you got me! :D
Every harsh word you utter has the right address. It only sounds harsh because the one on the envelope is the wrong one.
I was amazed to find a burning tingling sensation when I wrapped my hand around a USB wi-fi dongle. My hand was within ~1cm of the device and there was a tingling sensation that was very on/off with disconnecting and connecting the device. I guess it's plausible that electric fields could have caused a tingling sensation rather than specific frequencies. (Interestingly it was only this one Wi-Fi dongle that would do this another one I held to my face tingled a little however - something else going on? crappy knock off electronics?).
Asside from putting your skin milimetres from a small compact antenna with a few hundred miliwatts being a duh momment, this proves electrosensity is bunk, because merely moving 10cm away and the energy level is... 1000 times less. A the kind of distance of a person using a laptop, or merely being in the same room as a WAP, the energy levels your body is exposed to become trivially small. Your entire body would be exposed to what is fairly measured in microwatts, similar to the microwave radiation that your exposed to ambiently through out your entire life.
Electrosensitivity is crap because the numbers just don't leave any room for plausibility.
After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
id think again before opening my mouth. Lets take a step back and look how many different wave lengths or lets call it "energy" that are flowing through the air / our bodies
Seconded. That doesn't just sound like tinnitus, it pretty clearly is tinnitus.
It can be caused by all sorts of things, including quite a few that can result in hearing loss.
If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
The physics says there's no problem. The safety studies done with various radio transmitters, including MRI scanners say there's nothing to it. That's why proponents have to talk about modulation and such. The epidemiological studies, some of them looking at hundreds of thousands of people over decades, say there's nothing to that claim either.
Sure, there are always "well, it's this specific property..." loopholes that might be true, but you have to look at the evidence: is there any credible evidence that allowed levels of RF are dangerous? I don't know of any. Is there any credible evidence that they are not dangerous? Yes, plenty.
So, he is allergic to Wi-Fi but not to the electromagnets in his headphones? Or to the PTFE and/or PVC in all the cables connecting all his equipment? Or to the nano-vinyl dust coming off of those albums every time he plays them? (When they wear out, it has to go somewhere.) Or to the water proofing in that tent? Or to the hundreds of other chemicals leaching out of his electronics, especially when they get overheated?
Riiiiiight!
How about the EMF from all his DJ equipment? The decks, mixer, amps, lighting equipment, PA system etc? How about the two whacking great magnets that he has on his heads in the form of his DJ headphones?
Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne
I'd put money on this guy owning, and using, a mobile phone. How about a cordless phone? How about leakage from a microwave oven?
Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne
There's a few laptops with the same allergy as him - every time you switch on the wifi, the driver crashes.
This story comes of course from the Daily Mail, the paper that ran the 1934 headline 'Hurrah for the Blackshirts!' and since then has devoted itself to dividing the universe into things which either cause or cure cancer, or indeed both
"That's because you can't look at this issue with physics only."
That's why I went on. Reading comprehension a little fuzzy?
"Where did you get that?? of the 40 studies regarding radio and TV transmitters that I've counted, only two show no health effect."
There are lots of safety trials looking at what happens when you blast radio waves into someone's head at levels that make a cell phone look like an inert piece of plastic. That's one of the things an MRI scanner does. There are strict, somewhat complicated rules for maximum exposure. Sure, radio and TV transmitters can hurt you. If you stand too close. That's a wee bit different than a cell phone, and note that the mechanism by which they do damage is thermal.
"Dude, if you don't know about the 2007 BioInitiative report, then you just don't know anything about this issue."
Riight. One day I'll take a look at the report, but they don't exactly look like the most credible group on the planet. Nor are review studies the most credible way of doing science. And that conclusion is pretty wishy washy for it to be the must-read bit of evidence supporting your position.
I was going to make fun of this and suggest a Suffering From a Psychiatric Illness tag, but I see that I have been crushed in the stampede of the 552 others who beat me to it. Oh well, I guess Pampalona will have to be Plan B, for next year.
Posts, MyBio or Sig, may contain satire, sarcasm, bolded nouns be sardonic or even witty & be Church of SD
So I moved to Santa Fe the week the story was released about Arthur Firstenberg and his Wi-Fi allergy. I've seen him speak, his a local crack-pot. ZOMG da wifi. If you read about his history, you find out he developed his allergy when he was in college, and I think he was looking for a reason to quit medical school and came up with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, which he attributes to diagnostic dental x-ray.
If it is real, then long underwear with fine wire mesh built in could block most of the signal. A cap or other reasonable head gear could also be designed. Maybe fabric could be woven with some of the fibers conducting.
The problem does seem easy to test. And if anyone can reliably feel when a wi-fi signal is on, in a shielded laboratory, then it would be easy to research the problem, starting by changing the frequency. Perhaps a biological mechanism could be discovered.
But there's some systemic issue that makes it hard for people with industry-related illness complaints to be treated with respect. I saw this when our office moved into a new space with strong a strong formaldehyde odor. Two people complained of illness; the boss couldn't take it seriously, and a lawsuit resulted. I don't know the outcome, but such cases often get thrown out, because the judge assumes the complaint is a crock.
-- John S. James www.RepliCounts.org
So, Why haven't we heard of people with cell phone allergies, or Air traffic control radar allergies? It does operate in the range of interest, and it tends to output massive amounts of energy, so, i see no reason why it would be any different from wifi.
"Oooh. I hate it when a paradigm shifts without a clutch"