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Cellphones Do Not Cause Brain Cancer, Says 29-Year Study (gizmodo.com)

A study from Australia reassures us that cellphones are reasonably safe, and do not cause brain cancer. Chris Mills writes from Gizmodo: "The study examines the incidence of brain cancer in the Australian population between 1982 to 2013. The study pitted the prevalence of mobile phones among the population -- starting at 0 percent -- against brain cancer rates, using data from national cancer registration data. The results showed a very slight increase in brain cancer rates among males, but a stable level among females. There were significant increases in over -70s, but began in 1982, before cellphones were even a thing." What makes the study in Australia so authentic compared to other studies conducted in other countries is the fact that all diagnosed cases of cancer have to be registered by law.

234 comments

  1. Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    The study does not distinguish between Analog and Digital cellphones, which could have a difference in cellular damage. The study concludes with a hypothesis rather than a conclusion. The slashdot article as usual is misleading.

  2. stats nerd question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    how does a slight increase in males mean "cell phones do not cause [correlate] with cancer."

    1. Re:stats nerd question by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 0

      how does a slight increase in males mean "cell phones do not cause [correlate] with cancer."

      Neither TFA nor the researchers make the claim that "cell phones don't cause cancer". That was made up by whoever wrote the Slashdot summary.

    2. Re:stats nerd question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the article, the increase is less than what they were assuming the increase would be if the phones were causing the cancer.

    3. Re:stats nerd question by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Neither TFA nor the researchers make the claim that "cell phones don't cause cancer". That was made up by whoever wrote the Slashdot summary.

      O RLY? I disagree. I believe TFA really does say that cellphones don't cause cancer. They provide a bunch of supporting arguments and evidence of such, and then conclude with "We have had mobiles in Australia since 1987. Some 90% of the population use them today and many of these have used them for a lot longer than 20 years. But we are seeing no rise in the incidence of brain cancer against the background rate." What message do you think they want us to take away?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re:stats nerd question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What message do you think they want us to take away?

      It's all a secret plot by Mothra to takeover the world, but was preempted by Pinky at the last moment, and thus we ended up with cell phones. Duh.

    5. Re:stats nerd question by Bengie · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Cellphones output less power and lower frequency than IR at room temperature. Human body temperature emits more than 400watts per square meter of skin in blackbody radiation. The only danger cellphones create is localized heating because they're not in thermal equilibrium, but the total energy is much lower.

      Personally, I'm more worried about the localized heating caused by taking a hot shower. That is much more EM radiation than my cell phone and more deadly type of radiation, and it dries out my skin. A hot tub is right-out, along with exercising, and almost anything else that warms up your body more than a cell phone. The only thing more deadly is a lightbulb, of any kind. Very high frequency EM radiation compared to microwave, and much higher amounts of total radiation. Even possibly localized heating if you sit near an incandescent bulb.

    6. Re:stats nerd question by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      And don't forget walking in the sun, with radiation that's both intense as well as energetic, and has been proven to cause skin cancer and other permanent skin/tissue damage.

    7. Re:stats nerd question by smooth+wombat · · Score: 1

      Such as this person will most likely see.

      --
      We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    8. Re:stats nerd question by RuffMasterD · · Score: 2

      That is not how science works. Real science always tries to disprove its own default assumption (null hypothesis). In this case the null hypothesis may be "cell phone use does not appear to cause a higher rate cancer than the population rate", and the alternate hypothesis could be "cell phones may cause higher rates of cancer". The scientists job is to gather enough evidence, analyze it, and present the findings in such a way that they can disprove the null hypothesis. They can neither prove the null hypothesis, nor prove the alternate hypothesis by disproving the null hypothesis. When they say "we are seeing no rise in the incidence of brain cancer against the background rate", they are saying that they have insufficient evidence to disprove the null hypothesis. Therefore the null hypothesis survives. Not because it is without a doubt correct, but just because there is insufficient evidence to prove it is incorrect at this moment.

      --
      Human Rights, Article 12: Freedom from Interference with Privacy, Family, Home and Correspondence
    9. Re:stats nerd question by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      "They don't cause cancer" takes a hell of a lot less effort than the bullshit you regurgitated. IF it could be stated so conclusively, then fucking say it already.

      Ladies and gentlemen. I present a person who has never read a scientific paper.

    10. Re:stats nerd question by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      That is not how science works. Real science always tries to disprove its own default assumption

      Even the article, let alone the study, shows that this is what they did. So why are you still complaining?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    11. Re:stats nerd question by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      To be fair, if the study had concluded that cell phones were no more damaging than sunlight, I'd be terrified of putting it next to my head :)

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    12. Re:stats nerd question by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 1

      Pinky

      Narf!

      --
      Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
    13. Re: stats nerd question by LinuxLuver · · Score: 1

      The increase happened while cell phones were still either non-existent or very rare.... and did not continue to increase. However, cell phones have only been ubiquitous for the past 15 years and they may not be king enough to reveal a longer lead time or effects on an age group typically slow to adopt new things (pretty much anyone over 20 who isn't already an early adopter.)

      --
      Only boring people are ever bored.
    14. Re:stats nerd question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whilst you are absolutely correct one must consider that sitting next to an incandescent bulb _might_ actually cause brain cancer. There is also a tiny effect of warming _inside_ your brain as the signal passes through your head. _Theoretically_ this effect should be irrelevant but if there were empirical evidence to suggest a link between phone use and brain cancer then these would be two areas one could look to. As a Physicist and Electronic Engineer (who has worked on EMC for medical devices) I am not too worried.

    15. Re: stats nerd question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't surprise me. Environmental radiation is probably the cause of most brain cancers; but sunlight isn't supposed to cause global prevailing weather condition change and man made fossil fuels are to blame.

  3. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hypothesis, the study does not distinguish between rocks and stones, which which could have a difference in determining the density of whatever is calcifying inside your skull..

  4. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 3, Informative

    There is no such thing as digital, unless you are talking about quantum mechanics. All digital phones, even digital computers, are fundamentally analog systems. Digital means that you ignore all signal level below a threshold. Something like -55dB/decade.

  5. They can't by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Informative

    Photons from microwaves can't ionize matter. This is why ultraviolet photons are so dangerous: they can cause chemical changes in living tissue. Microwaves can't do that it it is silly to worry about it.

    1. Re:They can't by manu0601 · · Score: 2

      Photons from microwaves can't ionize matter.

      As I understood, the fear is not about ionization, but about the biological effect of modulated signals. Those are low frequency: you can hear them when the phone is near a high speaker. But I am not aware of a molecular model explaining why it would harm.

    2. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microwaves are completely harmless and don't affect biological tissue in the slightest. The rise of popularity of a certain type of electric oven is solely due to marketing; it can't actually heat food at all, because microwaves don't affect the tissues that make up a significant portion of foods.

      Obviously, this is why we don't microwave steaks.

    3. Re:They can't by JBMcB · · Score: 4, Informative

      As I understood, the fear is not about ionization, but about the biological effect of modulated signals.

      Modulation doesn't matter. The frequency of the modulation doesn't matter. It would be like saying that, at the same volume, classical music is perfectly harmless but reggae will destroy your hearing. All that matters is the volume.

      Other than that, the reason you can hear cell phone signals on a radio receiver is the cell signal is causing the radio receiver circuit to heterodyne. Unless the human body has some sort of natural frequency shifting circuit and amplifier, a cell signal isn't going to cause a low frequency harmonic in your organs.

      --
      My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    4. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Basically, no. The relevant question for cancer is whether radiation can break atomic bonds (Molecular damage to DNA is the mechanism for causing cancer). Microwaves don't carry enough energy to do this. The quantity is irrelevant. What microwaves can do is excite molecules (cause them to accelerate, aka heat up). Meat in a microwave cooks because it gets hot just like if you steamed it. Microwaves cause the same amount of cancer as steam, they just sound scarier to people who don't know how they work.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-ionizing_radiation

    5. Re:They can't by omnichad · · Score: 1, Troll

      The other recent study that disagrees with this one says it's more to do with the pulsing nature of the signal and how it physically disrupts the repair of already damaged DNA rather the damaging it. It can't damage the DNA directly, but while it's being spliced and repaired, it can induce physical interruption. I don't know how much credibility to give it, but it makes more than no sense and less than a lot of sense. CDMA and GSM are both a very heavily pulsed signal (sharing time with other phones) and localized heating of water in the body by a tiny amount, but in bursts could potentially do something physical, but still not ionizing.

    6. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is absolutely right.
      The radar installer chap I met who was standing in front of a radar antenna when it accidentally turned on was probably completely wrong that he had 'floaters' in his eyeballs from then on.

      Radar operators on ships are known for getting cataracts earlier in life than is typical for other people. Those are coincidences.

    7. Re:They can't by JBMcB · · Score: 2

      I find it hard to believe that something in one quantity can cook meat, but doesn't destabilize tiny atoms when in a lower quantity. (And we are talking quantity here, right? Given that the frequency and amplitude are relatively constant?)

      That's because the amount of energy needed to increase Brownian motion is orders of magnitude less than the amount of energy needed to pry atomic bonds apart.

      Also, the amount of energy released by a microwave oven is orders of magnitude higher than a cell phone, and is directional (IE it's not omnidirectional like a cell phone antenna)

      --
      My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    8. Re:They can't by kuzb · · Score: 2

      Microwaves do not "destabilize atoms". They heat water by agitating those specific molecules. The heated water in turn cooks food. The real problem is you think you know more than you actually do.

      http://scitech.web.cern.ch/sci...

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    9. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      classical music is perfectly harmless but reggae will destroy your hearing.

      Exactly! We need to roll back all pot legalization efforts immediately! Just think of how many white women will be raped because of reggae music!

    10. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Erm, no, your whole thinking is completely off. For one thing, all alcohol that you're likely to have on hand has water in it (If not from the original solution it came in, at least from absorbing it from the atmosphere). Second, not *only* water is heated, many other molecules respond too (including alcohol, since it also has a dipole moment, 1.66, which is actualy pretty close to that of water, 1.87). Just look it up on wikipedia for FSM's sake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven#Principles

      Many molecules (such as those of water) are electric dipoles, meaning that they have a partial positive charge at one end and a partial negative charge at the other, and therefore rotate as they try to align themselves with the alternating electric field of the microwaves. Rotating molecules hit other molecules and put them into motion, thus dispersing energy. This energy, when dispersed as molecular vibration in solids and liquids (i.e. as both potential energy and kinetic energy of atoms), is heat.

    11. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you explain why a 27MHz battery-powered CB transmitter can ionize a raw, unconnected fluorescent light tube?

    12. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh good grief, aluminum foil has no water in it, put that in the microwave. Take your self-concocted fallacious physics and shove that in there as well.

      Did you try the alcohol experiment? You can buy 99.5% anhydrous IPA for electronics cleaning. Be careful, IPA has a much lower thermal mass than water and will get very hot in just a few seconds... but how is that possible with the little water it has?

      You answered none of my questions and simply regurgitated nonsense.

      http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk...

      Now can you please stop repeating nonsense?

    13. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..oh, and how is my thinking "completely off" when you say "not *only* water is heated, many other molecules respond too ", WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I SAID:

      " a huge amount of current is induced in the food and it simply heats by resistive heating"

      You reprobate.

    14. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, I'll simplify it for you; Microwave ovens work by making polar molecules rotate. Rotation != induced current or resistive heating.

    15. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the other hand, Rotation is approximately the same thing as "Agitating". Since water is usually the most common (but by no means the only) polar molecule in food, it's actually quite accurate to say that microwaves heat food by "agitating water molecules".

    16. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the main component of food were aluminum foil, then yes, microwave ovens would work by inducing current. Since most people don't find aluminum foil to be very nutritious, that's not how microwave ovens work for them.

    17. Re: They can't by ooloorie · · Score: 1, Informative

      Basically, no. The relevant question for cancer is whether radiation can break atomic bonds (Molecular damage to DNA is the mechanism for causing cancer). Microwaves don't carry enough energy to do this. The quantity is irrelevant

      Cancer can be caused by many mechanisms other than breaking atomic bonds.

      There is evidence that microwaves affect protein folding and conformation, and that suggests a possible mechanism for carcinogenicity.

    18. Re: They can't by amias · · Score: 1, Insightful

      A study published on the 1st April that has no indication of the strength of microwaves used and mentions specific medical applications instead of donestic microwave ovens. Why thats some compelling evidence , NOT

      --
      [site]
    19. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Respectfully, I keep reading this, but find no "proof" from anyone to back it up.

      I'll provide you proof that microwaves can't ionize matter when you provide me proof that god doesn't exist.

    20. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A small quantity of water can quench someones thirst.
      A large quantity of water can drown a person.

      See the similarities?

    21. Re: They can't by amias · · Score: 0

      That pulsing is the result of a very complex algorithm that compresses the phone signal.see ofdm and qfdm . It then shifts it into a narrower space that is constantly switched at a very high rate according to specific patterns to prevent Interference. This has the effect of of decreasing the power and bandwidth required. It has saftey implications as well because it effectively eliminates the possibility of enough energy to cause physiological issues accumulating for long enough. This is different from a microwave oven which uses orders of magntitude more power and a deliberately focused beam on specifically located target.
      This approach began with gsm but really kicked in with CDMA/HSDPA and is also used in DSL devices.

      --
      [site]
    22. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      UV radiation is not ionizing either - yet, it is known to cause both DNA damage and cancer (skin cancer and melanoma). This just shows that equating ionization with carcinogenicity is nothing more than a strawman that can be used to "disprove" the carcinogenicity on false grounds.

      There are countless of mechanisms that can lead to carcinogenesis. Ionization is one path to DNA damage. But there are many other paths even some that have no direct role in causing DNA damage. For instance, agents that simply cause trauma at the tissue level can lead to inflammation and the generation of growth factors in the area, leading to cell expansion and inhibition of apoptosis (i.e. inhibition of the process by which damaged cells kill themselves). If this occurs over a long time period, it can lead to cancer. In fact, some of the compounds that were previously thought to lead to cancer via direct DNA damage are now suspected of doing their deeds through inflammation. Furthermore, agents that inhibit DNA damage from various mutagens, such as antioxidants, are now turning out to increase the cancer risk further. This happens because the inibition of DNA damage interfers with the mechanisms that would have killed the affected cells!

      As can be seen from the above, carcinogensis is very complex and many of the mainstream ideas, even if plausible sounding, are way too simplistic.

    23. Re: They can't by Hognoxious · · Score: 0

      There is evidence that microwaves affect protein folding and conformation

      If that was true you could use them for cooking. You, sir, are a charlatan!

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    24. Re: They can't by rl117 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Breaking bonds isn't the only way cancer could be caused. Microwaves heat water (or rather, anything with an O-H bond with a similar dipole or equivalent). Heat denatures proteins, that is it can cause irreversible changes in the conformation (folding) of protein molecules. Think in terms of boiling egg white. It changes irreversibly from soluble to insoluble on heating. Every cell is full of proteins which control cell death, proliferation, stasis, and other critical functions. Denaturing some of them could shift the balance over towards uncontrolled proliferation, or it could compromise DNA damage detection and repair, predisposing to cancer in the future. There are a myriad of effects which could cause a cell to become cancerous either immediately, or in the future, as a result.

      At a population level, do mobile phones have a statistically significant effect upon brain cancer? Not according to this study. But at an individual level, can prolonged exposure to microwave radiation cause cancers? Absolutely, though the chances are small. The fact that some very heavy mobile users have had growths on or in the ear (and this might avoid the "brain cancer" classification since it's cutaneous), implies a possible correlation. It might be below the threshold for statistical significance, and not worth worrying about, but that doesn't mean that microwaves weren't the primary cause of these cancers.

      Another factor might be genetic. Maybe the few individuals unlucky to get cancer from microwave radiation have defects in their heat shock proteins, and so can't control the damage as effectively? Or have defects in their protein degradation pathways so the damaged proteins don't get recycled effectively? These would be very difficult to prove, but there may be some underlying predisposition we don't know about which is currently lost in the noise.

    25. Re:They can't by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      In which navy do the operators sit on the antenna?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    26. Re:They can't by rl117 · · Score: 1

      Water: H-O-H contains two O-H dipoles
      Ethanol: CH3-CH-O-H contains one O-H dipole

      Both molecules will be subject to heating by microwaves. It's not "horseshit", it's fairly basic chemistry. As for changing the frequency, yes it would have an effect since the frequency is related to rotation speed; it would have reduced efficiency.

    27. Re: They can't by ultranova · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Every cell is full of proteins which control cell death, proliferation, stasis, and other critical functions.

      Every cell also experiences several K of temperature variance every day as a natural part of human circadian rythm. Cells near the edge of the body, especially at extremities like ears, are of course subjects to far greater and more frequent variance.

      Your cell phone simply doesn't have the power output to matter. It's a rounding error on natural causes.

      But at an individual level, can prolonged exposure to microwave radiation cause cancers? Absolutely, though the chances are small.

      Better declare warm baths and hot meals carcinogenic too, then. They both heat your tissues far more effectively than your phone can.

      I know it's fashionable to be scared of everything, but this is ridiculous.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    28. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One cannot, by definition, explain something that is not true.

    29. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be like saying that, at the same volume, classical music is perfectly harmless but reggae will destroy your hearing.

      You migt be right abour reggae but Kanye West certainly will. Proof? Try to talk to my brother...

    30. Re:They can't by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      In Soviet Russia, the antenna sits on operator!

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    31. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fantastic. What polar molecules are in gold foil or aluminum foil, and where did the lightning come from?

      Rotation also != heat.

      Simple enough?

    32. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oddly enough, water is conductive, especially when in food. Do you find food nutritious? Strangely, ice, which is far less conductive, doesn't defrost in a microwave all that easily, yet it's water molecules. Explain that.

      And tell me, how does the microwave, the actual wave, know the difference between food and foil? It acts one way with food, and another in metal foil?

      Did you try heating 99.9% alcohol in there? Why did it get hot?

      Why do you avoid the questions and simply repeat nonsense? Is it a religion with you?

      Did you not read the supplied link? Or is too scary to confront your old wives tale?

      How come astronomers use the "Water hole" at 1.6GHz for their observations, yet the oven works at 2.45GHz? That's not very resonant if you're off by that much... And keep in mind this "water hole" is caused by water at astronomical scales, not the cup of water in your microwave.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      http://physics.stackexchange.c...

      To make it simple, the food is a dielectric.

      "The absorption (equivalent to dielectric loss) is used in microwave ovens to heat food that contains water molecules"

      Dielectric loss? My heavens! What is that??

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      But they're talking about currents and stuff. Must be wrong. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll put some aluminum foil in the microwave, since it's not polar and induced current has nothing to do with it, it's perfectly safe.

    33. Re: They can't by ooloorie · · Score: 4, Informative

      A study published on the 1st April that has no indication of the strength of microwaves used

      There are dozens of other papers. Go look on Google Scholar.

      Why thats some compelling evidence , NOT

      It doesn't have to be "compelling evidence". The point is that people who say that there is no possibility that non-ionizing radiation causes cancer are wrong.

    34. Re: They can't by ooloorie · · Score: 1

      Microwave cooking primarily happens via heating and water molecules, but there isn't significant heating from cell phones. Effects on protein folding appear to be direct and not mediated via heating.

    35. Re: They can't by amias · · Score: 1

      well it would help if the 'evidence' was from a study that was relevant in the first place.

      what evidence are you offering for your assertion than non-ionizing radiation causes cancer ?

      the point of science is not grand proclamations its about doing research , explaining your methods and demonstrating the reasons for your findings
      because you might be wrong and nobody can learn from that , if you explain your working people can evaluate your conclusions properly.
      you have failed

      --
      [site]
    36. Re:They can't by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      If you have a speaker embedded in your head, then you have something to worry about. Mostly from a speaker being embedded in your head.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    37. Re: They can't by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Thank you for....repeating me? A pulsed signal only helps if it's a high, constant ERP that could cause damage. Microwaves are non-ionizing, so intensity wouldn't be the concern.

    38. Re:They can't by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      It's also why he failed basic science classes 7 times. All of this is covered in high school physics.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    39. Re:They can't by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      Wow you know nothing at all about electronics, RF, or physics. You should run for president or at least congress!

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    40. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please try it. This is a scientific/tech site, yes?

      Radio Shack model TRC-232 portable CB, use the battery pack with alkaline cells to get the full mighty four watts of output power. Rubber ducky antenna.

      Bog standard 48" T12 fluorescent tube, color balance not important.

      Hold tube, turn on CB, push to talk (only the carrier is needed, so a whopping two watts), wave antenna near tube until it starts glowing.

      Please explain the result.

      Further, please explain your dismissal, "by definition" (hilarious phrase... appeal to authority, anyone?) of obvious physical and empirical evidence without testing it... Religious, perhaps?

      Of course, there's the entire "lighting T12 tubes under 60Hz power lines" thing that I guess you never heard of... But then, you'd need to understand what a "near-field" is and how this changes what you expect from photons...

    41. Re: They can't by ooloorie · · Score: 0

      what evidence are you offering for your assertion than non-ionizing radiation causes cancer ?

      I didn't make that assertion. Are you illiterate?

      What evidence do you offer for the assertion that non-ionizing radiation cannot, ever, cause cancer?

      the point of science

      You would know "the point of science" if it were shoved up your behind.

    42. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So basically when I said "I wish this "agitating water molecules" horseshit would stop", you agreed with me when you said "Both molecules will be subject to heating by microwaves"? It's difficult to follow your poorly thought-out arguments.

      We agree that microwaves can have effects on more than just water molecules, we just disagree about the basic mechanism...

      Anyways...

      Please explain why industrial microwaves use 915MHz, and why industrial sealing machines work at 27MHz? How can they heat up anything?

      http://www.industrialmicrowave... [industrialmicrowave.com]

      "Standard modularized system designs are available using either 915 or 2450 MHz."

      http://www.directindustry.com/... [directindustry.com]

      I eagerly await your thoroughly-researched explanation.

      OOoh, and how, pray tell, does diathermy work?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

      "short-wave radio frequencies in the range 1–100 MHz (shortwave diathermy)"

      You'll have to contact all three manufacturers and explain your learned theory to them. When they're done laughing at your glib ass, grab a physics textbook.

      PS: Pretty lucky for the universe that alcohol and water have *exactly* the same heating efficiency at 2.45GHz, but don't change that frequency!! LOL

    43. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When Lumpy says you're wrong, there's no better evidence that you're right! Lumpy, stick to software and don't hurt your coder brain with reality and physics.

    44. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      UV radiation is indeed ionizing beyond 125nm.

    45. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microwaves induce current in METALS because their electrons are basically free-flowing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delocalized_electron#Electrical_conduction

      Also, alternating rotation is kinetic energy, which at the molecular level is the same thing as heat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat#Microscopic_view_of_heat

    46. Re:They can't by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 3

      Despite the hypothesis being wrong ( that cell phones cause brain cancer) and people ridiculing you for asking the question, the question is a good one.

      You hear the claim (it's in this thread) that non ionizing radiation can't cause cancer. However organic chemicals look nothing like ionizing radiation but some of them certainly do cause brain cancer and some of them protect against it. So how did the "radiation has to be ionizing to cause cancer" thing become true or relevant to toxicity of cell phones? I don't know. We know ionizing radiation can cause cancer. That doesn't say anything about whether or not anything else causes cancer. Microwave radiation from leaky microwave ovens can cause cataracts. A smaller amount cannot. So in some ailments, the amount of radiation matters.

      The reason we know cell phones don't cause cancer is because we have a massive amount of data of people using cell phones and the data doesn't show them getting cancer due to the phone. If phones did cause cancer, it would stick out like a sore thumb in the data.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    47. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Water is conductive (if it has impurities), because it acts like an ion bridge. It doesn't have free electrons floating about like a metal does. Hence why each one reacts differently to microwaves.

      As for the ice question: The water molecules in ice are in a solid lattice. They therefore don't have as much freedom to rotate to align themselves with the alternating standing wave of the microwave oven. Less rotation == less energy being dispersed == less heating.

      And if you actually read what you linked to, you'd notice that none of it implies that a current is induced in the food when heating.

    48. Re:They can't by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Regular UV light disrupts living tissue by photochemistry, not ionization. Only extreme UV is ionizing, but our atmosphere filters that.

    49. Re: They can't by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      what evidence are you offering for your assertion than non-ionizing radiation causes cancer ?

      Skin cancer from too much exposure to sunlight for instance. UV light, as filtered by our atmosphere, does not have the energy required to free electrons (i.e. ionize), but it does have the energy to create free radicals.

    50. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So we agree that heat causes molecules to move, the heat comes from Joule heating from the induced current. Currents don't stop being induced because it's food.

    51. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to your theory, then, there should be fairly radical chemical changes in microwaved food, since:

      " Rotating molecules push, pull, and collide with other molecules (through electrical forces), distributing the energy to adjacent molecules and atoms in the material. Once distributed, this energy appears as heat."

      Let's just ignore the "electrical forces" part (which is the current I want you to believe in), and focus on this " push, pull, and collide with other molecules"...

      Where are these collided molecules?

    52. Re: They can't by rl117 · · Score: 1, Interesting

      In terms of bulk heating, you're correct and the effects are completely harmless. And some cell types are used to natural heating and cooling, and have mechanisms to cope with that. But that's also a very simplistic way of looking at things. Consider for a moment about what's happening at smaller scales, both temporal and physical. That is to say transient heating of minute volumes. That could be sufficient to denature a small collection of molecules, and that could be enough to mess up critical cellular processes if it happens in the wrong place at the wrong time. Low probability, certainly. But could it cause problems, yes, when looked at over a long period. Does this happen in practice? That's a much more difficult question to answer. Is even thinking about such details and asking that sort of question wrong? No.

      Nice to see my post marked as a "Troll"; good to see my PhD in cell biology and time spent looking at cell signalling pathways for a pharma company are valued by the slashdot collective. Seriously now, did anything I wrote above contradict the article? No. I merely posed some questions and thoughts regarding the details. Your response was unnecessarily flippant. Are you *absolutely sure* you're correct here, and you've considered every factor? We simply can't be that sure. Science, and biology in particular, isn't about absolutes and certainty of that nature.

    53. Re: They can't by shawn2772 · · Score: 2

      people who say that there is no possibility that non-ionizing radiation causes cancer are wrong.

      Similarly, people who say there is no possibility that asparagus causes cancer are wrong. The fact that no one has ever found evidence that links asparagus consumption to increased risk of cancer is irrelevant.

    54. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Currents stop being induced because it's not metal. From the wiki article on dielectric heating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric_heating

      "Dielectric heating [...] is the process in which a high-frequency alternating electric field, or radio wave or microwave electromagnetic radiation heats a dielectric material. At higher frequencies, this heating is caused by molecular dipole rotation within the dielectric."
      "Dielectric heating must be distinguished from Joule heating of conductive media, which is caused by induced electric currents in the media."
      "If the conductivity \sigma of the material is small, or the frequency is high, [...] then dielectric heating is the dominant mechanism of loss of energy from the electromagnetic field into the medium".

      2.4 GHZ is a high frequency, and the conductivity of salt water is 5, versus gold is 45.2*10^6. ( http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/conductors-d_1381.html ) So, while induced electric current is the mechanism for heating of metals, for food it's the rotating dipoles.

    55. Re:They can't by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 1

      the cell signal is causing the radio receiver circuit to heterodyne

      Is that why? With older cell phones I remember many times hearing speakers (not connected to radios; tv speakers, computer speakers, etc.) make distinctive beeping noises. It sounded like someone was sending a telegram. Specifically, this was when someone nearby was about to receive a text message.

      I always assumed it was just the speaker coils picking up some of the signal, causing spurious noise.

      --
      Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
    56. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The point is that people who say that there is no possibility that non-ionizing radiation causes cancer are wrong.

      And yet the same people say nothing about microwave ovens, where the amplitude is easily 20 orders of magnitude higher and still do not cause cancer.

      I wonder if it is just that males who use cell phones tend to smoke slightly more than non cell phone using males.

      Either way, the people like you who try to debunk standard common sense criticism, and have no medical training or expertise might be suffering from a case of the Dunning Kruger effect. Google that if you feel like researching something! You are suffering from it!

    57. Re: They can't by ooloorie · · Score: 1

      You really have trouble reading, don't you?

      Michael Smith: "Cell phones can't cause cancer because microwaves are non-ionizing. That's why it's silly to worry about it." [Implication: these studies are a waste of time.]

      Me: "Science says otherwise: there are plausible mechanisms by which non-ionizing radiation could cause cancer. That is why we are conducting these studies."

      That is, people have been conducting these studies because they weren't the kind of simplistic and pseudo-scientific thinkers like you and Michael Smith. It's a relief that the result of these studies is that there is no large increase in cancer risk from cell phone usage at the population level. However, such epidemiological studies tell us little about whether microwaves can cause cancer. There are plenty of definite carcinogens that don't show up in epidemiological studies. Microwaves might still be a significant health risk in particular populations (e.g., children) or at specific frequencies.

    58. Re: They can't by Bengie · · Score: 1

      Of the literature that I've read about anti-oxidants and cancer, they did not increase the risk of getting cancer, only made cancer potentially worse one you got it.

    59. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, by your reasoning, WEP must be secure because, after all, the number of break-ins based on WEP weakness is negligibly small compared to the number of break-ins due to weak key choices. If that's the kind of understanding of security, risks, and statistical evidence we can expect from the "Android keystore team lead", weak Android security should come as no surprise. Seriously, man, get a clue.

    60. Re:They can't by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 1

      And tell me, how does the microwave, the actual wave, know the difference between food and foil? It acts one way with food, and another in metal foil?

      The microwave does not know anything. And the microwave treats different materials exactly the same. It is the properties of the materials that cause them to absorb energy, reflect it, or transmit it.

      You might as well ask how a helium balloon "knows" to rise instead of sink. It happens because of fundamental physical properties of materials.

    61. Re:They can't by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 1

      We could explain this stuff all day, but you simply don't have the theoretical background. It's just like having a discussion with people who believe in gods. Not worth other people's time.

    62. Re: They can't by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Very complex?

      What's complex about it?

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    63. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good example. In fact, UV radiation induces a particular photochemical reaction, pyrimidine cross linking.

    64. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and have no medical training or expertise might be suffering from a case of the Dunning Kruger effect

      You have no idea what I have training in. Furthermore, you're attacking a straw man. I don't believe that common cell phone use causes cancer at any significant rate. All I'm saying is that the possibility can't be excluded based on what is known.

      The people suffering from "Dunning-Kruger" are those who believe that millions every year would be spent on researching possible carcinogenicity of cell phones if the physics were as simple as your simplistic understanding leads you to believe.

      (I leave it as an exercise for you to figure out why microwaves are different from cell phones, unless, of course, you use one as a hair dryer.)

    65. Re: They can't by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      Better declare the radiation from warm baths and hot meals to be "microwave". And also better" heat your tissues "to be the same as" exposure to microwave radiation ".

      I know it is fashionable to be an idiot, but this is ridiculous.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    66. Re: They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll ask my Russian ham contacts next qso about that.

    67. Re:They can't by rl117 · · Score: 2

      Your links are all broken.

      Different materials have different absorption spectra, and will be excited optimally at different wavelengths. So for different applications you'll use a product with an optimal emission wavelength for that application. Industrial equipment is designed with specific applications in mind. I doubt that an industrial sealer is particularly good at cooking food, nor that a domestic microwave is as good for sealing, though it's likely you could use them both for inappropriate tasks but with greatly reduced efficiency. A primary constituent of most food is water, which is why that's the primary consideration for a domestic microwave design. (And food which isn't mostly water doesn't microwave well, which is why you get e.g. microwaveable pizza and pies where the dough/pastry base is deliberately bulked out with water to ensure it heats. And is also why the taste and texture is generally crap!) Microwaves can indeed heat by several different mechanisms, but for foodstuffs, it's primarily via induced rotation due to O-H dipoles. The other mechanisms are insignificant.

    68. Re:They can't by rl117 · · Score: 2

      The kinetic energy of molecules *is* heat (vibration, rotation, motion), absolute zero being the point at which no motion occurs. It's transferred by conduction (as the water collides with other water molecules, and other molecules in the food, such as sugars, proteins, fats, etc.). You'll also have some convection and radiation but these aren't of great significance. The energy transfer is no different than what happens in a pan of boiling water to the food you drop in it. Heat is transferred from the water to the food in contact with it. This is the most basic of physics; I think we covered all this in the first year of high school. You can test it by putting your hand into a pan of boiling water; you'll find it educational and instructive. Or, to be more on topic, put a bowl of water into your microwave, turn the microwave on until the water boils, and then take it out and stick your hand into the boiling water. That's how collisions transfer heat.

    69. Re:They can't by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      Anthropomorphization helps a lot with learning and understanding - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Learn from that instead of finding obvious useless faults in ways of expressing oneself.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    70. Re:They can't by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 1

      Anthropomorphization helps a lot with learning and understanding

      I agree that different methods of thinking about things is key to science. The best example is how some math is more easily handled in polar vs. rectangular coordinates.

      Metaphorical frameworks can be of assistance, but mainly to introductory students to the sciences. They are actually an impediment to reaching a greater level of understanding. The high mental cost of abandoning them, once learned, might prevent someone from ever achieving that greater understanding. In this case, the misconceptions which they promote are obvious. "How does the microwave know?" implies action at a distance in the macroscopic world, because the microwave must somehow sense the construction of materials before actually acting upon them. That really screws up the student.

      To illustrate the "mental cost" problem, it is well known that in learning Morse Code you can think of it as dots and dashes, but that this method fails as you increase in speed. You must unlearn to hear it that way, and then learn it again, as a sound. In doing this, you must resist the urge to decompose it into dots and dashes because you can't do that quickly enough.

      The mental cost of abandoning an anthropomorphic framework is often just too high for the student to ever progress on to a greater understanding, and this may be a main reason that students abandon science and math at some point in their career.

    71. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope, CANCER means MAFIA, because it just keeps growing, etc. Using cell phones means talking means you are thinking means brains. So using cell phones would bring about... mafia to thinking people! Thinking people, for the non thinkers. I think there should be no correlation nor increase in statistical studies AT ALL. But you can always devise a way to give brain cancer to people using a cell phone, particularly since you can LOCATE them. Meaningful the study was made in Australia, are there AbOrigins in the place? I do not think such study can be performed in the USA at all.

    72. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seems like my first post never goes through, and nothing else does, despite the Anonymous Coward tag...Nope, CANCER means MAFIA, because it just keeps growing, etc. Using cell phones means talking means you are thinking means brains. So using cell phones would bring about... mafia to thinking people! Thinking people, for the non thinkers. I think there should be no correlation nor increase in statistical studies AT ALL. But you can always devise a way to give brain cancer to people using a cell phone, particularly since you can LOCATE them. Meaningful the study was made in Australia, are there AbOrigins in the place? I do not think such study can be performed in the USA at all.

    73. Re:They can't by kuzb · · Score: 1

      No, he didn't agree with you. You're basically just too ignorant to understand what is being said because you think you already understand how it works when you obviously don't.

      My explanation was greatly simplified and geared towards basic understanding - the others here have done an excellent job expanding on what I said. My point was not "horseshit" - it simply wasn't as specific as the answer could get. I was right not to bother too - given your responses to the science lesson going on here it would have been a waste of time.

      You're an idiot, and you'll remain an idiot until you start to learn the fundamentals of the topics you're trying to discuss.

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    74. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As I understood, the fear is not about ionization, but about the biological effect of modulated signals.

      Modulation doesn't matter. The frequency of the modulation doesn't matter. It would be like saying that, at the same volume, classical music is perfectly harmless but reggae will destroy your hearing. All that matters is the volume.

      Bad analogy. Music is made up of sound waves, which are vastly lower in frequency than electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves are small enough (i.e. wavelength is smaller in a wave context, or they have photon-behavior in a particle context) to cause changes in molecules, and if the geometry is right, can alter the rate of chemical reactions. People have been looking at this since the 1950's, with the hope of applying it, but I don't think there's been much success.

      There's some interesting work going on today by Michelle Coote and others. As reported in an article by Stephen Luntz (iflscience, 8 Mar 2016): "Coote noted that one of the ways catalysts work is to create localized electric fields. By placing reagents, raw materials for the reaction, in the appropriate alignment within the field, the catalyst can stimulate the reaction." In short, electric fields - and hence waves - can alter chemistry, possibly even human chemistry.

      Note also that waves combine constructively and destructively, which can lead to local focusing of energy to levels FAR higher than the base wave amplitude. This is routinely used in phased array systems such as ultrasound and radar, but could happen unintentionally in other systems.

      More generally, the response of systems is not simply a response to amplitude, but rather a response to amplitude and frequency. The frequency content of inputs definitely matters with respect to many systems. Electrical engineers routinely study and use this in the context of linear systems (see any textbook on "signals and systems"), but it also applies to non-linear systems in ways that are not well understood. In other words, we can make linear measurements (see textbooks on "system identification" or "system recognition") but we don't really expect those to capture the full behavior of systems due to the non-linear aspect. This invalidates attempts to apply linear measurements to reasoning about potential risks, incidentally, a point that is often missed by people that don't understand the limitations of the measurements.

      In short, even if we aren't seeing brain health effects of cell phones today, there's nothing that says we won't at some point, and brain cancer is not the only concern. It's probably a low priority, however. Realistically, hearing damage and auto accidents are the big concerns.

    75. Re:They can't by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      From your analogies you betray a 20 year old understanding of how learning works in humans. The world has moved on.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    76. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well you know what they say about assuming...

    77. Re:They can't by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Don't anthropomorphize things, they hate that!

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    78. Re: They can't by shawn2772 · · Score: 1

      That's some seriously defective thinking. It's very easy to prove that WEP is insecure. No one has been able to demonstrate that cell phone RF creates cancer.

    79. Re:They can't by Zeroko · · Score: 1

      Modulation might matter. I doubt it, given the high frequencies of cell phone signals, but things like binaural beats (although audio instead of EM) suggest that the brain does respond differently to certain signals. Theoretically you could do something like TMS via microwaves, although the power needed to set up large enough magnetic fields might also fry the brain directly.

      If any property of the signal other than peak or average amplitude were to matter, it would presumably be from a resonant frequency of some subcellular structure causing it to be damaged, but then that should only show up at certain carrier frequencies or with certain modulation schemes, so it would not be universal to all cell phones.

    80. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      things like binaural beats (although audio instead of EM) suggest that the brain does respond differently to certain signals.

      Well, yes. It suggests the brain responds to audio signals perceived through the auditory nerves, and not to EM radiation.

      Theoretically you could do something like TMS via microwaves, although the power needed to set up large enough magnetic fields might also fry the brain directly.

      People go into MRI machines every day--20,000 gauss! Tens of thousands of times stronger than Earth's magnetic field. They come out fine, and they don't report any weird temporary or permanent effects on their mental states.

    81. Re:They can't by Zeroko · · Score: 1

      TMS does not need nearly as high of levels as an MRI machine to have a measurable effect, so the pattern & not just the amplitude matters for magnetic fields in addition to audio. I meant that inducing magnetic fields strong enough even to have a TMS-like effect on the brain using just microwaves (rather than an electromagnet as in actual TMS hardware or an MRI machine) might require dangerous RF amplitudes, not that high levels of magnetic fields were dangerous on their own.

    82. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually TMS uses levels comparable to an MRI.

    83. Re:They can't by Zeroko · · Score: 1

      Sorry, I had assumed the smaller devices involved would produce a weaker field.

    84. Re:They can't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No worries. I guess the point is, if there were any such effect, it would be observable in the statistics, and this study is evidence that it's not. There's no need to speculate on possible causes when there is no observed effect.

  6. just to be pedantic ... by sittingnut · · Score: 2

    just as correlation do not prove causation, absence of correlation does not rule out causation. so this study proves nothing.
      (however we must recognize that burden of proof is with people who claim causation; proof that cellphones cause cancer, of which there is none).

    so heading here at present, "Cellphones Do Not Cause Brain Cancer, Says 29-Year Study ", is wrong. heading in linked article "no increase in brain cancer across 29 years of mobile use in Australia" is more correct.

    it is inaccuracies like that which open the atmosphere to false claims; for instance, using same sort of fallacy people may claim, that increase in autism in recent years, it is due to cellphones.

    one expects /. to be better and more pedantic at these sort of technicalities, we certainly do not expect editors to degrade from the sources, as in this case.

    few other questions,
    how did they adjust for other factors?
    was that unspecified "very slight increase in brain cancer rates among males" due to any subgroup among males ( iow was that increase more than the vague "very slight", with any more specific group)?

    1. Re:just to be pedantic ... by rtb61 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The real problem with the study is the inherent lie in the presentation of the study ie the claim of a 29 year analysis. This because year one is no where near the same as year 29 of the study. Think of it as age over time of the people. So year 1 had a huge percentage of he population with zero exposure at the start and only limited exposure there on in. Towards year 29 those most a risk have only limited exposure over time with maximum exposure to that form of radiation ie they are still to young to get a real measure of impact ie consider starting from the year 2000 on, for more realistic exposure, in terms of degree of exposure and number of years being exposed from a young age (using US data http://hypertextbook.com/facts...).

      Reality is the most likely period of measure would be when children highly exposed hit their twenties and thirties, so large changes in occurrence would not logically occur until somewhere between the 2020s and 2040s. So the study is really disingenuous. Reality is the countdown for impact is only really starting now and would still be considered early for a population based study. So come back in the year 2030 and see how people feel about his study whether they are acknowledge for the efforts in a positive fashion of whether the population wants them hung, drawn and quartered for spreading false information.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    2. Re:just to be pedantic ... by fnj · · Score: 2, Insightful

      just as correlation do not prove causation, absence of correlation does not rule out causation

      Bullshit. Did you say that because it sounds nice or clever to you? BY DEFINITION there can be no causation without correlation.

    3. Re:just to be pedantic ... by sittingnut · · Score: 1

      there can be causation without correlation, due to other factors, known and unknown.
      that is true with data like this in general, and in this particular case since we do not definitely know all the other causes of cancer some of which may have gone down.
      as i wrote "how did they adjust for other factors?", given that in this case most of the other factors are far from definite or quantifiable.

      btw as i said "burden of proof is with people who claim causation; proof that cellphones cause cancer, of which there is none", in case anyone thinks my pointing out the logical fallacy means this study proves nothing, is equal to my supporting theory that cellphones cause cancer.

       

    4. Re:just to be pedantic ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Reality is the most likely period of measure would be when children highly exposed hit their twenties and thirties, so large changes in occurrence would not logically occur until somewhere between the 2020s and 2040s.

      That's assuming everyone is biologically identical. Are you really saying there wouldn't be any noticeable increase in brain cancer caused by cellphones for children exposed until they hit their 20's?

      There would be *no significant* increase?

      No increasing trend in childhood brain cancers?

      None, Nada, Zilch, Zero Nada?

      Really?

      Please learn biology before posting stupid claims.

    5. Re:just to be pedantic ... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      So does inability to use the shift key make you look like a retard, or is it just a coincidence?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    6. Re:just to be pedantic ... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      absence of correlation does not rule out causation

      So if I measured the number of times people fell over (or some other indicator of inebriation, like posting utter tosh on teh intarwebs) and plotted it against the amount of tea consumed, I'd see a random scatter - and yet you'd conclude that tea makes you drunk?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    7. Re: just to be pedantic ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      too much tee indeed correlates with stupid messages posted onthe net.

      caffeine can fuck your brain function, especially if it induces insomnia.

    8. Re:just to be pedantic ... by afgam28 · · Score: 1

      Even if they don't observe a correlation between brain cancer and mobile phone use, it could be the case that mobile phones cause cancer, and some other cause of cancer was removed from society that caused an equal drop in cancer rates. So it's technically true; the absence of correlation in this study does not rule out causation.

    9. Re:just to be pedantic ... by sittingnut · · Score: 1

      i said "just as correlation do not prove causation, absence of correlation does not rule out causation".
      so why do you irrationally jump to false conclusion, in your absurd example about tea drinking, that i said absence of correlation proves causation?

      born idiocy? if so troll your parents, not me.

    10. Re:just to be pedantic ... by sittingnut · · Score: 1

      always glad get a reply that admit bankruptcy in rational responses to my arguments, by focusing on my lack of capitalization.

  7. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are right, but a hot enough fire can.

  8. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Yak" means "vomit". Are you sure you know what you're talking about? Also I'm pretty sure shoes don't cause brain cancer -- but I can't prove it.

  9. Except, cancer rates overall have been going down by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so no change is an increase.

  10. Ear cancer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Microwaves dont generate that deep. What about ear and skull cancer?

    1. Re: Ear cancer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I mean penetrate. Damn autocorrect.

  11. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Moof123 · · Score: 1

    Analog phones had higher peak power (TDMA vs. CDMA anyway), but even digital modulation looks very analog after all the filtering done to stay inside the frequency mask specs.

  12. Re:Takeaway by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0

    You are right, but a hot enough fire can.

    Sure, according to your so-called "scientific consensus".

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  13. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A hot enough fire in THE BASEMENT, and then a not-hot-enough fire in another nearby building....

    But why preserve evidence? Mix that shit with scrap steel and send it to China within 6 weeks.

    Who would want to test for explosives on that, as mandated by US law?

  14. 5-Second Film by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Man [to friend]: "I always use a Bluetooth headset and keep my phone in my back pocket, to reduce the risk of brain cancer."

    [Doctor walks in]

    Doctor: "You have butt-cheek cancer."

    1. Re:5-Second Film by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your point?

      Would you rather have brain cancer than butt cancer?

    2. Re:5-Second Film by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The point is irony makes funny. Lighten up!

  15. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Digital/analog is about the signal, not the medium it's transmitted through.

  16. Re: Except, cancer rates overall have been going d by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This, but the Republicans would never allow the truth to be told since it would hurt carphone sales.

  17. Re: Except, cancer rates overall have been going d by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Exactly. They need to compare it to overall rates.

  18. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Yak" is a colloquialism equivalent to "gab."

    Being even more pedantic, a yak is an animal.

  19. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not too sure what wierd part of the world you're from, but "yak" is to:

      noun
            Also: yakety-yak noisy, continuous, and trivial talk or conversation

    It might mean something else in your village, but in the world it's to talk .

    Now you've learned something new.

  20. Re:Takeaway by Mashiki · · Score: 1

    But feelz can melt steel beams! And there's so many kinds out there these days.

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
  21. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No they don't you fucking idiot.

  22. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The beams don't have to melt. Heat quickly causes steel to loose it's strength long before it reaches the melting point. Melting is not required for structural failure. Just a little bending will do.

  23. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    morse code.

  24. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Analog phones output at least 4x more radiation and as high as 20x more. I think that counts. My CDMA phone sends about 0.2watt nominal to the antenna. GSM phones output about 1 watts, analog phones are around 4 watts.

  25. Re:Takeaway by bloodhawk · · Score: 1

    You are right, but a hot enough fire can.

    Sure, according to your so-called "scientific consensus".

    scientific consensus? you can test it yourself in your backyard if you really wish or go to look at any building that has suffered from a sufficiently large enough fire.

  26. Re:Takeaway by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

    Heated steel expands and weakens. Melting isn't necessary to cause structural failure.

  27. Agent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Orange

  28. but there's plenty enough anecdotal evidence by Black+Parrot · · Score: 1

    that they sometimes cause stupidity.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  29. I expect this study to be "debunked" soon by blindseer · · Score: 2

    There are people that simply do not understand science and will claim "evidence" to the contrary much like how people will show "evidence" that the moon landings were faked. I don't know what drives people to do these things but it just seems that some people don't want to learn.

    A few examples of how people that should know better do not understand radiation. My aunt was a school teacher, someone that people would hope have been educated in some basic science. At a family gathering I was talking with her about my work. I mentioned that my desk is in the same room as the servers and much of the networking equipment for the facility. She asked me if I was worried about the radiation that the equipment gave off.

    My sister has an insulin pump to treat her diabetes, this is a very sensitive, expensive, and vital piece of equipment. She is also an educated person and knows with some degree what kinds of equipment might damage this device. She had to go through a TSA checkpoint to board a plane and she asked the agent what kind of radiation the scanner emitted. The agent said there was no radiation. Of course this scanner emitted radiation but my sister knew that one kind of scanner would not harm her insulin pump but another kind just might. She ended up getting in the scanner and the pump survived. Although I saw in the news recently that another diabetic with an insulin pump was not as fortunate. The young lady had her very expensive insulin pump destroyed by the scanner because the agent assured her the scanner was harmless.

    We would hope that the people that operate the scanners at airports would be trained by the TSA on how those scanners work and what kind of hazards they pose and do not pose. Which brings to mind something else I read recently, some of these scanners emit X-rays but the people operating them do not take the precautions common to people that operate medical X-ray machines. At a dentists office the technician will leave the room before a very short burst of X-rays are emitted into someone's head. They also take the precaution of putting a lead lined apron on the patient to protect vital organs. I'd like to see the cancer rates of TSA agents after 29 years of operating these X-ray scanners. It is quite possible the X-rays do not penetrate the skin like those used to look at bones and teeth but even so the skin is still exposed since the whole point of these machines is their ability to penetrate clothing. Their skin is still being exposed.

    --
    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
    1. Re:I expect this study to be "debunked" soon by l0n3s0m3phr34k · · Score: 0

      Most likely, the cancer rates of the TSA agents wouldn't be too far off the norm. The machines are pretty focused, so unless the agents are standing inside the machine's beam area their not getting much exposure. However, "frequent fliers" (those in the 85,000+ miles per year), airline crews, etc might be more at risk but mostly due to the cosmic radiation from high altitudes. But now...adding together the cosmic radiation AND the scanners...of course there hasn't been any actual studies factoring in these two sources I can find.

      Any TSA agent claiming "no radiation" is obviously incorrect, but it's not like most of them are trained in radiation exposure protocols, nor would they comprehend such training even if provided. The TSA claims the maximum exposure is 0.005 millirem per scan, with "generally less than 0.0025 millirem" on average.

    2. Re:I expect this study to be "debunked" soon by Ellis+D.+Tripp · · Score: 1

      It is quite possible the X-rays do not penetrate the skin like those used to look at bones and teeth but even so the skin is still exposed since the whole point of these machines is their ability to penetrate clothing. Their skin is still being exposed.

      The body is constantly SHEDDING the outer layers of skin, so if the soft X-rays are doing any damage, the damaged cells are being sloughed off before they can develop into cancer?

      --
      Remember "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters"? Help make it a reality again! http://soylentnews.org
  30. Battery Composition safety? by Zombie+Ryushu · · Score: 1

    I'm concerned that in some dodgy situations, the batteries could be carcinogenic, because the batteries might have Colbalt, or other dangerous heavy metals. This seems rather series in situations where the battery comes from a place where maybe the safety and environmental laws are not enforced? The danger from the battery leaking or exploding from over charge?

    1. Re:Battery Composition safety? by l0n3s0m3phr34k · · Score: 1

      My advice, don't eat your cell phone batteries.

  31. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 1

    In my nearly half-century on this planet, I have *never* heard that interpretation of "yak". When it's not the animal, it's always meant talking.

    Oh god, maybe it's an age thing, and no one talks like I used to anymore. No one says "daddy-o" anymore, do they???

    --
    Mostly random stuff.
  32. I'm not even going to try to resist... by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    After enduring 30 years of ads where the guy is a whiny moron who gets all his problems fixed by the smart, beautiful woman who for some mysterious reason has decided to make him the father of her children, I have no difficulty with dispensing one on the other side:

    Perhaps the study would have shown the same slight increase for women, if they had enough grey matter to be affected.

    Yes, I've already taken cover. ;-)

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:I'm not even going to try to resist... by JustNiz · · Score: 1

      >> Yes, I've already taken cover

      Why? You're actually correct in that female brains have less mass than male brains.

      http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/02...

    2. Re:I'm not even going to try to resist... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Men are bigger in general than women. The linked article makes no mention of if they tried to normalize these results against body size.

    3. Re:I'm not even going to try to resist... by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      Interesting. I wonder if usage patterns were different, too.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  33. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "causes steel to loose it's strength"

    Loose is the opposite of tight. It's means it is.

  34. Not a problem anymore. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you see a lot of people using the phone app on their smartphones? Everything is snapchat, whatsapp etc. Our thumbs have more risk of falling off these days.

  35. Re:Duh, it's not cell phones that cause cancer by Z80a · · Score: 0

    Feminism was a great movement that guaranteed equal rights on the civilized world and in certain ways made it better.
    But nobody does it anymore as its not needed, except on awful places with the sharia law etc..

  36. Communist Propaganda, Anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The entire GREEN scare, including the scare about mobile phones, is completely unscientific.

    They cannot explain in any rational sense how radiation at 2.4 GHz or 5Ghz should be dangerous. It is not ionizing. And the temperature change due to heating is minimal. Lying in the sun will heat your head up easily 100 times more than the mobile radiation.

    So - typical Communist Information Operation, in order to damage the very society they live in. I do not know why they do it, but I know that they have a habit to self-destruct their culture and people. Just look at what they did to Russia, even Putin has figured that by now.

    In other words - if you wake up now, you just wake up to a Communist Scare Operation. Good Morning, and please use your brain in other circumstances, too.

    Having said that - giving away too much information via the mobile phone could indeed by dangerous for you and for the existence of your genetic information. The REMOVE BATTERY FUNCTION should be used early and often.

  37. Obligatory xkcd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://xkcd.com/925/

    This studies are all wong.
    Cancer causes cell phones.

    1. Re:Obligatory xkcd by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      I was expecting this one: https://xkcd.com/552/

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  38. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by Barny · · Score: 1

    Nah, 'yak' meaning to vomit is a common one here in Australia. It also means to talk as well, so things can get interesting, but hey, that is why context matters so much.

    --
    ...
    /me sighs
  39. There are other ways to foul DNA than ionization by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Photons from microwaves can't ionize matter. ... it it is silly to worry about it.

    There are other ways to foul DNA than ionization. For starters, it is a long molecule with charged regions. One way that you can detect electrocution is that the DNA in the cells has uncoiled and lined up in parallel along where the electric field was oriented. Since the folding and unfolding of DNA is part of the regulation of gene expression that could have non trivial effects. (On the other hand, that's an effect observed when the exposure to electrical activity is extreme, so any effect might be lost due to the death of the affected cells.)

    BUT....

    A very substantial effect of electrical (and changing magnetic) fields on cells HAS been detected. It is being used therapeutically - on brain cancer - with great success.

    You may have noticed that the electrical activity in living cells is almost entirely confined to electrical potentials across membranes and fine-grained patterns of charge on molecules that affect their interactions at close range. There is very little involvement with, or sensitivity to, large-scale fields.

    On the other hand, you may ALSO have noticed, in pictures or drawings of cell reproduction, that the mechanism for separating the DNA into two nuclei looks very much like field lines, or the patterns iron filings take up in the presence of a strong magnetic field.

    This is apparently because the cells use gross electric fields as part of the mechanism for gene segregation. So any other use of large-scale electrical fields has a strong selection pressure against it - it must both avoid fouling cell reproduction and provide an extreme advantage to offset any problems it does cause. Very few mechanisms have made this cut. Similarly, any other sensitivity to large scale electrical fields must be small, to avoid being fouled in turn by the fields that occur during cell division.

    So cells are very insensitive to large-scale electrical fields through them, EXCEPT during cell division. But it turns out that fields - especially those from changing magnetic fields, DO interfere with cell division:
    - Sometimes they prevent gene segregation. After a while the cell passes the phase where it would divide, but without dividing - resulting in a diploid cell, which then commits suicide via the apoptosis mechanism.
    - Sometimes they result in incorrect segregation, resulting in two progeny cells with the wrong compliment of chromosomes. Then both either die through missing genes or again commit suicide.

    Brain nerve cells, along with most of the cells supporting them, are very long lived and rarely reproduce - to the point that for decades it was though that they didn't reproduce at all once the brain was mature. (In fact there is some new nerve growth, which may be involved in learning and mental plasticity. But it is very slow and mostly newly differentiated cells from stem cell lines rather than reproduction of existing nerves.) So the cells of the brain are almost never in the stage where electrical and changing magnetic fields would be an issue.

    Cancer cells, on the other hand, reproduce a lot, and spend much of their time in the vulnerable state. So electrical fields that would cause them to die are particularly useful in treating brain cancer, selectively killing the cancer cells while almost never affecting the normal cells with which they are comingled. Electromagnetic coil devices to produce them have recently shown such excellent results in treating inoperable and rapidly fatal brain cancers that the FDA aborted the tests and fast-tracked an approval.

    Yes, the individual photons of radio signals are too low energy to ionize most molecules. But they are coherent and their fields add up to enough to have major electromechanical effects. (They COULD also add to produce ionization, especially on structures appropriately sized or massed-and-sprung to resonate, but at the levels involved in a cellphone this

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  40. Re:Let me be the first... by Barny · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oblig SMBC http://smbc-comics.com/index.p...

    Yup, autism causes vaccines (and probably better cell phones too).

    --
    ...
    /me sighs
  41. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uri Geller says hi :p

  42. Re:There are other ways to foul DNA than ionizatio by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    We bathe ourselves in kilowatts of infrared radiation, and apart from heating, we don't worry about our chemistry or cells being changed, so it isn't really an argument about a few watts (at most) from mobile phones.

  43. Frequencies, brands, telcos by EmperorOfCanada · · Score: 2

    While I don't think that cellphones cause cancer, one of the problems with such a large study is that over the years different brands, different frequencies, different telephone companies, and even different protocols would potentially have effectively kept changing the study. For instance the difference between frequency hopping spread spectrum is wildly different than an older analog phone, or even one of the early digital phones. Typically the older ones were just pounding out the power, and holding it steady on a given frequency. But different telcos have different parts of the spectrum. So Telco A might have far fewer customers than Telco B which had the cancer causing frequency. Then Telco B might have quickly jumped to a better technology to compete.

    Then you get all kinds of trends. For instance heavy users of cellphones often switched to earpieces of one sort or another, then there are cultural trends such as holding the phone like a blowing on a bowl of soup.

    The only way I would begin to accept such a study would be if they kept exposing animals to various types of cellphone transmissions with all the usual control groups and whatnot.

    All this study tells me is that the vast majority of cellphone technologies over the years probably don't cause much cancer.

    1. Re:Frequencies, brands, telcos by Thanatiel · · Score: 1

      Much being the operative word.

      --
      Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
    2. Re:Frequencies, brands, telcos by nerdpocalypse · · Score: 1

      no. Just no. http://www.cancer.gov/research... There just isn't a rise in cancer since cell phones began. Yes, I guess those ones on the moon landing modules powered by plutonium reactors are cancer causing, but for those cell phones that are in use enough to matter, there isn't a corresponding rise in cancer. Literally the data are better to suggest cell phones LOWER cancer.

  44. Re: There are other ways to foul DNA than ionizati by amias · · Score: 1

    So im guessing you where conceived on top a power station transformer then.

    The 'but' section of your post seriously needs to go back from where it came from.

    --
    [site]
  45. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    You know causes brain cancer? Reading texts from people who claim that cell phone surely must cause brain cancer!

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  46. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow. Real brilliant insight there Einstein. I'm sure no one has thought of this before. Do you realise that our computers are fundamentally analogue systems? Until we take in quantum mechanics to explain how semi-conductors work. No? I must be the first person to have made this astonishing leap! Oops - except you beat me too it! You are a true maverick of the modern age.

  47. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    Furthermore, digital phones simply *have* to consume less bandwidth because modern digital voice can use very efficient compression, and required bandwidth is one the key power indicators for radio communication.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  48. Re:There are other ways to foul DNA than ionizatio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS6FGzh3ygw

    RESONANCE BEINGS OF FREQUENCY

    Research is showing that being exposed to this frequency is absolutely integral to us. It controls our mental and physical health, it synchronises our circadian rhythms, and it aids our immune system and improves our sense of wellbeing.

    Not only are we surrounded by natural frequencies, our bodies are filled with them too. Our cells communicate using electro magnetic frequencies. Our brain emits a constant stream of frequencies and our DNA delivers instructions, using frequency waves. Without them we couldn't exist for more than a second.

    This delicate balance has taken billions of years to perfect. But over the last 25 years the harmony has been disturbed. and disturbed dramatically.

    Mankind has submerged itself in an ocean of artificial frequencies. They are all around us, filling the air and drowning out the earth's natural resonance.

  49. RESONANCE BEINGS OF FREQUENCY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS6FGzh3ygw

    Not only are we surrounded by natural frequencies, our bodies are filled with them too. Our cells communicate using electro magnetic frequencies. Our brain emits a constant stream of frequencies and our DNA delivers instructions, using frequency waves. Without them we couldn't exist for more than a second.

    This delicate balance has taken billions of years to perfect. But over the last 25 years the harmony has been disturbed. and disturbed dramatically.

    Mankind has submerged itself in an ocean of artificial frequencies. They are all around us, filling the air and drowning out the earth's natural resonance.

    To the naked eye the planet appears to be the same. But at a cellular level it is undergoing the biggest change that life on earth has endured; the affects of which we are just starting to see and feel.

    1. Re:RESONANCE BEINGS OF FREQUENCY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wish these people pushing New Age pseudoscientific pablum would study some actual science. It's very enlightening.

  50. Re:Duh, it's not cell phones that cause cancer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What are your opinions of journalism in gaming, bro?

  51. Re:Duh, it's not cell phones that cause cancer by Z80a · · Score: 1

    Do you mean the thin veiled marketing machine?

  52. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Informative

    Digital means that you ignore all signal level below a threshold. Something like -55dB/decade.

    This is how computers measure digital signals but it is not how digital RF systems work. You are right in that digital RF is fundamentally analogue but they do so by measuring differences in a continuously transmitter carrier signal at a specific frequency.

    In the early days of mobile phones they were incredibly simple. They used frequency modulation of the carrier where the frequency change from the true carrier was related to the analogue signal on that carrier. Dead simple to decode.
    These days RF signals still have the same carrier and they still operate the same fundamental way by altering the phase, frequency or amplitude of the carrier in relation to what is being sent across. The only difference is now this change in carrier is related to zeros and ones rather an analogue audio waveform.

    All of this ignores the fact that even early analogue cellphones had a "digital" component which was used to communicate with the base stations. How else would the provider know to which base station to route the phone conversation, and how else would the individual phone itself know the call was for it, and not someone else.

  53. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are right, but a hot enough fire can.

    Sure, according to your so-called "scientific consensus".

    Yup, that - and firsthand witnessed empirical evidence from my forge...

  54. Ob by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    Isn't it a bit like searching for ovarian cancer in men?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  55. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    GSM/CDMA uses adaptive power control. Although a GSM phone can transmit op to 2W, in practice it rarely goes over 100mW.

  56. It would be hard to tell by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Given all the wireless communication systems bombarding our bodies. It would be difficult to isolate one source as the most risk to us. I personally believe that cell phones today are far less a issue than years ago when outputs where much higher. What are we going to do about it anyway? Walk around with no cell phone and wear clothing that absorbs all the waves hitting our bodies? Get real.

  57. You'll forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical. by Thanatiel · · Score: 2

    When I was till a student, waiting for a teacher in a lab, I stumbled upon a paper that was showing the changes in the brain with the usage of a cell phone.
    Three measurements where showing a cut before, while and after the use of a GSM (I don't recall all the details, it was 15 years ago). It was clear there was an increase in temperature slowly decreasing after use.

    In the same period of time, there was this student that was always on the phone. He ended up with a patch of grey hair just around where he put the phone.

    I've briefly known that antenna communication amateur in his sixties that told me he stopped because most of the other amateurs he knew got leukemia (because of the power of the antennas ). That one is not about GSM but about the "non-ionizing radiation is OK" I've seen on other reporting of the study.

    So you'll forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical about the message "GSM is safe" because a study shows no (significant) increase over background noise of brain cancer.

    --
    Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
    1. Re:You'll forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm always stunned that no one seems to understand what a near-field is.

    2. Re:You'll forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical. by MightyDrunken · · Score: 1

      I'm always stunned that no one seems to understand what a near-field is.

      This is a good explanation of near and far fields.

  58. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The GP nerd above needs more friends.

    "Yak" or "Yack" means to vomit, as well as "going to yak" is an expression of feeling disgust. In every instance I have heard the term used, or used it, the other Americans understood it.

    The folks not understanding must be eurotrash pussies or something. They have really weird names for everything. They call rapists "refugees" for example.

  59. Re: Of course they don't cause cancer.. by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 1

    Or I need to move to Australia. I guarantee that in Canada among the pot-bellied, yak means to talk.

    --
    Mostly random stuff.
  60. Re:Takeaway by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    I was joking.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  61. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    Oh just realize that sometimes innovation doesn't mean it is going to be toxic or net bad to the population.
    For every DDT they are hundreds of of safe and helpful inventions out there.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  62. Re: Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not consider by Type44Q · · Score: 2

    Might it not be more accurate to suggest that digital/analog is about interpreting the signal?

  63. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    An intelligent reader would have recognized that as a typo. You, however, did not.

  64. But by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What about brain damage caused by excessive smartphone usage? I am sure there'll be a correlation.

    1. Re: But by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Especially if the snapchat app is installed.

  65. Re:There are other ways to foul DNA than ionizatio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, and we are lucky that cellphones do not operate at sub-space frequencies, we would never be able to compensate for that!I
    BTW congrats for "+5 Interesting" moderation. Times are changing here on slashdot, several years ago you would be moderated as "+5 Funny"

  66. Re:Except, cancer rates overall have been going do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    citation?

    My understanding is that cancer mortality rates are going down but cancer per capita is going up in an absolute sense plausibly due to population aging. All good studies have to control for population age distribution.

  67. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    The little tiny human inside it would make a secret cellphone call to the tower saying ,"this is phone 4347-43-112-11141-96A, can you please authorize me? Oh hi Charles, how is the family... yeah still working as a cellphone authorization manager, I'll be moving soon this guy is constantly late on his bill so I am guessing he will not need me much longer."

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  68. For reals? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is still a topic? Click bait.

  69. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    You know causes brain cancer? Reading texts from people who claim that cell phone surely must cause brain cancer!

    The whole "brain cancer" thing was just using the scariest thing they could dig up. And since UHF radio is not ionizing radiation, it simply wasn't going to cause brain cancer.

    That being said, it is possible to have some effects from placing your head in the near field of an RF device. Otherwise microwaves and diathermy wouldn't work. Just not brain cancer - some folks think it might make people temporarily stupid - that's a joke there son....

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  70. INCOHERENT infrared radiation. by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 1

    We bathe ourselves in kilowatts of infrared radiation, and apart from heating, we don't worry about our chemistry or cells being changed, ...

    That's INCOHERENT infrared radiation - the same incoherent stuff that has been bathing lifeforms since there were single cells exposed to sunlight.

    Try it with a kilowatt infrared laser.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
    1. Re:INCOHERENT infrared radiation. by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      Coherence has nothing to do with it. The output of a kilowatt laser spread over one square metre wouldn't be an issue at all.

    2. Re:INCOHERENT infrared radiation. by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 1

      Coherence has a lot to do with it.

      With incoherent radiation the individual photons are random in phase and minor frequency offsets. The fields add up only by a random walk - nearly cancelling out.

      With coherent radiation all the photons are in phase. Billions in lockstep. The fields of many photons add up just fine, and the effects are not limited by the energy of a single photon. For starters, a bunch of coherent infrared photons will ionize molecules quite easily.

      --
      Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
    3. Re:INCOHERENT infrared radiation. by jabuzz · · Score: 1

      No they won't because the energy in the individual infra-red photons is insufficient to raise an electron up the energy levels for it to dissociate itself from the nucleus of the atom. That you think it would shows a fundamental lack of understanding of how this stuff works at the quantum mechanical level.

      This is why physicists just laugh when people suggest that mobile phones might cause cancer. They know with absolute certainty that the microwaves are unable to ionize anything. If the physics around this was wrong then you would be unable to read this post, because the whole of the computer and telecoms would not work.

      The only way lots of infra-red photons could ionize anything is by raising the thermal energy of the atom to the point where that can cause the electrons to be shed. However you would be dead from the heat long before that happened, and it would not matter one jot what the coherency of the photons where either.

    4. Re:INCOHERENT infrared radiation. by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 1

      No they won't because the energy in the individual infra-red photons is insufficient to raise an electron up the energy levels for it to dissociate itself from the nucleus of the atom. That you think it would shows a fundamental lack of understanding of how this stuff works at the quantum mechanical level.

      Sorry, it's you who is missing it. When the radiation is coherent it's not the energy in the individual photons that counts, because they gang up.

      Microwave photons have a LOT less energy than infrared. Even with a half percent of argon added, the ionization voltage of the gas in a neon lamp is over a hundred volts. Stick one in a microwave oven, though, and it lights up just fine. Or put in two pennies side-by-side with a small gap between them (in dry air which ionizes at 3 kV/mm) and watch the pretty sparks.

      (Be sure to put it on a ceramic plate to protect the paint and include a cup of water to absorb some of the microwaves, so you don't get an arc inside the magnetron's waveguide that starts the destruction of your oven. Cover the water cup loosely to keep the air dry - for a minute or so after the oven comes on - so you don't think it's a cheat.)

      Just as microwave ovens are coherent, so is the output of a cellphone. (They're even within a couple octaves of each other.) So photon energy is not a factor in effective voltage gradient and the resulting ability to ionize.

      Which is also not germane to the original discussion, which was about chemical events that take place at voltage gradients FAR below those needed to ionize the molecule.

      --
      Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  71. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by ultranova · · Score: 1

    There is no such thing as digital, unless you are talking about quantum mechanics. All digital phones, even digital computers, are fundamentally analog systems. Digital means that you ignore all signal level below a threshold. Something like -55dB/decade.

    That is untrue. The signal is digital; it's simply encoded in an analog medium.

    If I call your mother fat, what is the actual message: the air pressure plotted against time, amplitude of air vibrations plotted against frequency domain, the idea that your matrilinear direct ancestor has excess adipose tissue, or that I hate you?

    --

    Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  72. Maybe they don't cause cancer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But they seem to contribute heavily to a lack of social and communication skills, as well as an increase in general stupidity.

  73. Re:Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    weird i thought you liked the so-called "scientific consensus" on climate change, bit selective aren't you?

    or just a hypocrite?

  74. Re:Takeaway by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    No man. I'm just playing. Making fun of you.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  75. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Marful · · Score: 1

    This is how computers measure digital signals but it is not how digital RF systems work.

    Except that is exactly how digital RF systems work.

    Regardless of how the information is encoded the broadcast RF signal is analog. The "digital" data signal is encoded within the amplitude and frequency of said analog signal.

  76. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    Re-read the GP's post. He said digital means you ignore a signal below a threshold. That's only how a very small portion of the possible modulation techniques work, and only one of 3 possible ways of encoding RF data.

  77. this cannot be right by strstr · · Score: 1, Informative

    we already have firm data that cellphones do cause cancer, especially in children. the rates are looking like a three fold increase for children.

    also this study is pretty narrow looking only at cancer in their area. we have firm data that cellphone radiation causes a variety of biological health effects including the activation of voltage gated calcium channels, which leads to numerous health problems such as autism, schizophrenia, headaches, anxiety, sleep disturbances, etc. we know DNA is harmed by microwave radiation and the damage sometimes doesn't show until subsequent generations of children. we know melatonin levels are lowered by microwave radiation. we know planet life, birds, and bees are impacted by cellphone, WiFi, and other signals. we know military radar causes cancer increases in those exposed to it.

    this study is amongst the worst out there to have such a conclusion.

    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...
    http://www.oregonstatehospital...

    I wanted to let you know that we know the biological health effects of radiations, it's been studied. But the best data is classified and companies and doctors don't release the information or talk about it publically, nor does the government or military.

    http://www.obamasweapon.com/

  78. Modern Phones by DaMattster · · Score: 0

    Today's smartphones have outputs of less than one watt. That's relatively little power. Plus, the radiation from radio frequencies is non-ionizing: it's heat only.

  79. Re:There are other ways to foul DNA than ionizatio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey man, I'm a commercial HVAC mechanic and I deal with electricity a lot, sometimes up to 480V. Some guys I work with have gotten zapped before. Are you saying they could get cancer from getting zapped? That's scary as fuck!

  80. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Darinbob · · Score: 2

    CMDA is designed to work with a worse signal to noise ratio than other radio encodings, so it can use less power.

  81. Re: Takeaway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One mistake could be a typo. Two of them in one sentence could be as well, but it's more likely they are an indication for a lazy dumbass who can't or doesn't want to be bothered to write correctly.

  82. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1, Interesting

    There is no such thing as digital, unless you are talking about quantum mechanics. All digital phones, even digital computers, are fundamentally analog systems. Digital means that you ignore all signal level below a threshold. Something like -55dB/decade.

    That's true, but it's irrelevant to the discussion, and you're being pedantic. The cellular companies themselves provided the digital / analog nomenclature to differentiate between the two systems. And in the context of the current discussion, the difference is important.

    The average transmitted power of handsets on the old analog cellular networks was far higher than that on handsets using a digital network. And I can attest to the difference. The first cell phone I ever used was analog. When I held it to one ear, in a few minutes I would get an uncomfortable itching sensation that felt like it was inside my head, two or three inches above my eye and slightly to the outside. So I'd change ears, and the sensation would go away - only to come back on the other side a few minutes later. This happened every single time I used the phone for more than a couple of minutes.

    When I started using a digital handset, the problem mostly went away. I'd still feel that itch occasionally when using the phone though. And every time it happened, when I looked at the display the phone was in analog mode. Since cell networks abandoned analog mode altogether, I've never again felt that sensation in my head.

    No, correlation is not causation, and my experience might be unrelated to the handset transmitter power and the signal's characteristics. Nevertheless, when studying whatever biological effects might arise from close-up exposure to RF fields, average transmitter power has to be considered an important variable, just as dosage would be considered in a drug trial.

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  83. Re: Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not consider by LinuxLuver · · Score: 2

    In 1982 virtually no one had cell phones. That's the point. So brain cancer incidence in 1982 would be a useful baseline for comparison with layer years. I didn't have a cell phone until the mid 90s.... And I'm an early adopter.

    --
    Only boring people are ever bored.
  84. Re:But using Apple causes AIDS (-1, Troll) by hucker75 · · Score: 1

    That's not caused by the Apple. It's just that weird people like Apples, they were already arty farty types who have promiscuous sex.

  85. Technically correct by bretts · · Score: 1

    Technically, that's true: the product selects its audience because the audience selects the product. But, the community also endorses such things, which pushes ordinary users into a culture of emojis, promiscuous anal and bestial sex, and artisanal fast food. Stop the madness!

    1. Re: Technically correct by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah as opposed to the people who are NOT fans of anal sex and artisan French toast. Please.

  86. Brain cancer rates are not rising. by nerdpocalypse · · Score: 1

    Cell phone radiation unquestionably was not a factor before 1975, and unquestionably it is rising. My father was at a medical resident's conference in 1950 when they were amazed at this new cancer in a place that wasn't expected to be able to have cancer...lung cancer (everyone was smoking during the conference) and nobody had an idea why there could be all this cancer. I had a residents conference in 1980 when we were finding melanoma in children for the first time. Nobody had much doubt it was because of more sun exposure and more severe sun exposure. There isn't a rise in brain cancer like there were in lung and skin. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfac... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm... http://www.cancer.gov/research...

  87. 29 years of sound science by Stubbyfingers · · Score: 1

    Can't possibly be right when compared to a few dozen real believers in an echo chamber.

  88. Re: Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not consider by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you have low blood sugar or are you an asshol- under optimal conditions?

  89. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

    Just not brain cancer - some folks think it might make people temporarily stupid - that's a joke there son....

    And I was ready to make the "Correlation Causation" statement. ;)

    --
    Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
  90. Re:Hypothesis, Analog versus Digital not considere by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

    Just not brain cancer - some folks think it might make people temporarily stupid - that's a joke there son....

    And I was ready to make the "Correlation Causation" statement. ;)

    Indeed. Smartphones don't make people stupid - they just allow stupid people to have access to technology where they can showcase their dumbnitude.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  91. Re:Let me be the first... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great! Still MORE "the science is settled" BULLSHIT! Can't get enough of
    this stuff!

  92. Re:There are other ways to foul DNA than ionizatio by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    If they live long enough after getting zapped by 480V, they might get cancer. I wouldn't attribute it to the electrical shock though...

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?