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It's about time someone pointed the dangers out. If memory serves, I believe Sweden did studies, and issued warnings on this, several years ago

Oh good grief; the category in which it has been placed (2B) is essentially the "we don't know for sure that it doesn't" category, and it's only there because of some weak correlations popping up in their meta-analysis. No mechanism for a causal link has yet been established.

FWIW Talcum powder and pickled vegetables—along with about 260 other agents—are in the same category.

This post has been edited by crosswordbob: 31 May 2011 - 06:48 PM

FTA

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Can I take a moment to make fun of this?

How does this work? If you are holding your phone to your ear and talking on it, then how can keeping the phone out of your pocket increase your sperm count?
edit: meaning for heavy users, how does this work? Does the act of sitting in your pocket not transmitting anything somehow kill sperm? Or is it that being by your brain your sperm count somehow drops? I really want to know where that advice is coming from...

Better yet, for what it is worth, I keep my phone in my pocket every day, with a stereo bluetooth headset attached. Somehow my wife still got prego, and the child was perfectly normal. Even after months of development, she had a near perfect rate of growth, and no signs of retardation. Guess the phone doesn't do a very good job killing cells when there is that great big THIGH between it and your balls.

Sorry, but radio 101, high frequency radio doesn't pass well through water, that includes the thigh, and the sac (talking about the amniotic fluid here). I highly doubt there would be any impact to child development.

Also, for those wondering why I apply those simple things to everything but your brain, it is because there is so very little between the phone and your brain, and no bones don't do much to block/absorb radio waves.

This post has been edited by waldojim: 31 May 2011 - 09:01 PM

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Sorry, I have to...

Again, where is this coming from?
If your phone is doing nothing then it is not radiating. There are a very few specific functions that it may check on once in a while, but at 2~3 feet away from your body, the momentary radio spike will not do anything to you. Shoot, I doubt it would really show to be that high above the noise floor.

As for the charger, what am I missing?! If my phone has a low battery, it should slowly shut functions OFF to save power, and stop randomly radiating the place. I know my phone will even go so far as to completely cut off ALL the radios entirely, not fire them all up.

The very last comment is the only one that makes sense. In low signal areas, yes, the phone will transmit with more power.

*May* cause cancer, right. Everything under the sun *may* cause cancer.

The Who is a rock band (i.e. 'Pinball Wizard'). The WHO is the World Health Association.

On topic, 'Possibly Carcinogenic'? Breathing is possibly carcinogenic. After all, oxidation can damage genes, too. Permanently stop breathing, and I can definitely guarantee you won't ever get cancer some day... but dying now to prevent yourself dying later is a bit more proactive than most people are willing to be. Natural procrastinators.

That being said, a powerful enough transmitter to reach miles is probably worse to hold up to your brain than a bluetooth headset that works for under 30 feet.. At least women have a purse that they can stuff the thing in and use a wireless headset.

I see it as yet another (very weak) excuse to not carry around the damned thing in my pocket and be 'reachable 24/7'.

Perhaps someone should work out how many lives have been saved by the use of mobile phones, then balance the pros and cons.

I have been fearful for years that Cell Phones can cause cancer. So scared, I purchased a wrist cell phone holder online to aid in using my speakerphone so I do not have to place the phone against my head. Cellband.com has the best holders for speakerphone use.

The article's title says "the WHO". I don't care what a rock group says. WHO is the organization.

Well,this seems as conclusive as the other most asked question - whether life exists outside our planet ?
For now, seems it's best to take precautions and leave it to scientists to prove / disprove themselves.

jmkray, on 01 June 2011 - 02:40 AM, said:

They apparently fixe it in the article title, but not on the forum title.

I had two acquaintances die from glioma brain tumors within the past year. I never heard of or knew anyone that died from a glioma brain tumor. I'm 64 and read a lot of media too. More then happenstance?

JAGMAN, on 02 June 2011 - 07:49 AM, said:

Nobody can say. Did the glioma start right next to their ears? Because if the cell phone were the cause, you'd expect it to start in proximity to the radiation.

Can anyone find a study that shows glioma becoming more common after 1990?

Evildave, on 02 June 2011 - 08:29 AM, said:

I'm relatively sure one of the articles I read about this mentioned that there has not been any global rise in glioma cases over the past few decades, but I can't remember which one so can't link.

Edit: Found it: http://www.bbc.co.uk...health-13608444

Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK said:

This post has been edited by crosswordbob: 02 June 2011 - 08:45 AM

So there you go. Not perfectly definitive, but nothing ever is.

I knew at least two people who died of metastasized cancer that got into their brains, but that started elsewhere. A man with scleroderma (rare). Someone with leukemia. Someone who had ALS. The more people you know, the more likely you'll know two who will die in about the same unusual way. Especially as you get older. The reaper catches up with everyone, sooner or later.

Don't know how many Leftpondians will have heard of Ben Goldacre; he's a UK doctor and journalist who writes particularly about science in the media (his Bad Science book is great reading). His article, not on the risks of brain cancer through phone-use, but on the reporting of this story, is well worth reading: http://www.guardian....alth?CMP=twt_fd

I like the things that we can do to reduce the effects of radiation on our bodies. It appears to me as if you have placed yourself in the position of the "boy who cried Wolf." In my opinion, most people will not believe the wolf is here until we finds him nibbling at our toes. The problem here is the radiation. We must find a way to reduce the radiation or, possibly find a way to prove the radiation does no harm to anyone. I do not believe the latter is possible. We may be able to prove scientifically the radiation does not harm, but I am sure there will always be someone to "Cry Wolf." As someone recently said, "Everyone has a right to opinion.' Nobody can change fact. So far, the way we are going about changing things does not seem to be working. All of the above is opinion. My fact is that you have not convinced me.