9th Grade Science Experiment: Garden Cress Won't Germinate Near Routers

New submitter SessionExpired writes "Five 9th graders from Denmark have shown that garden cress won't germinate when placed near a router (Google Translation of Danish original). Article text is in Danish, but the pictures illustrate their results. The exact mechanism is still unknown (Danish original), but experts have shown interest in reproducing the experiment."

Comments

Need a control.

[RightSaidFred99]

They should have used a control, and put cress near a lamp bulb that gives off the same amount of heat.

Simplest explanation is the additional heat which was nearby but not enough to alter room temperature affected them.

Not controlled for other factors

[vivaoporto]

The experiment was setup to validate a foregone conclusion. The (probable, as I can't read the Danish complete report) untested control factor was the impact the different rooms had in the absence of the routers. Retesting both samples without the presence of the routers could fix this issue.

Anyway, it is good science (it is testable and verifiable) but bad journalism.

Unless it can be reproduced or its mechanism explained, it is nothing but fuel to add to the "communication radiation exposure is bad" hysteria.

Re:No reproduction

[Khyber]

"Or just as likely, they just faked the data. "

As someone that has performed similar radiation experiments as part of my research into zero-light horticulture, faking this is very doubtful, as I've encountered the same issues. Germination rates in the area of our facility with wireless access are roughly half of that on the other side of the shed that is totally free of radiation in that frequency range thanks to the natural faraday cage (the entire structure is grounded, metal walls and supports, etc.) that the facility provides. You can't even use your cell phone two feet inside the door.