Posted on 01/23/2005 7:05:01 PM PST by aculeus
The harm from high power is due to heat, as in burning. Low power is simply the applicaiton of something less than warm.
You all have reached the correct answer but just to add a touch of credibility: I'm an electrical engineer. My "specialty" is bulk power distribution.
The EMF propeller-beanies have been around for a long time and are nuts. I won't rule out some 2+ standard deviation anomoly but save that, there is NOTHING to this nonsense.
I remember as a youngster, a cop friend demonstrated his radar gun to us. Putting your hand 3 feet in front of the emitter would result in a warm, tingly feeling on your skin...
Holy crap! What did he do for an encore, stick his head in a microwave?
I'm sure the damage depends on a few factors. Most "stuff" has a threshold, below which there is no harm. Arsenic is necessary for life, but in large doses, is poison. Ionizing radiation is part of our background environment, but heavy doses of gamma, X-ray, or even microwave and RF are, as you have noted, harmful.
The technical matter is to find that threshold, which is the matter of producing evidence to show the harm caused by low doses. So far, no evidence. Hence the study to see if there is any evidence. This has been studied before. It's a huge issue with 50-60 Hz power transmission lines, all that buzzing and crackling and stuff.
Do como types use stuned beebers?
I have spent a few times in my life living without electricity, and the difference is noticeable. Subtle, but noticeable. Affects thought and mood for sure - probably because of its effect on the brain. Maybe one of the reasons people really like to go camping.
I'm not talking about the difference in conveniences or refrigerators.
I like not having electricity surrounding me, but it's too hard if you need to do things in life.
Oh yeah, I want in on the class action lawsuit that's sure to be filed in a few months!
It sounds like if I are/were a como type I would be dead.
Nope, no encores.....
He was making the point to us youngsters, not to get too close to the business end of a radar gun. At the time, a few Little Leage teams/associations were starting to get the same radar devices for use on the ball field.
This would have been in the mid-70's. I don't know how well that technology has progressed since.
I knew a guy in school about 15 years ago that had been a Navy F-14 avionics tech. He told us that you didn't want to be anywhere NEAR a Tomcat with it's avionics radiating.
Church of S. Vittore
The Romanesque bell tower, with angular pilaster strips and mullioned windows with two lights, is among the oldest of the Como type (the 11th century), whereas its present nave dates back to the fifth century.
http://englagodicomo.zine.it/NotiziaStandard.asp?IDNotizia=28215&IDCategoria=7859
Roger that....
I'm just saying that from what I know about high-power EM effects, I am unwilling to state that the theory that long-term low-power EM emitters cause physiological harm is bunk.
As for myself, I don't want to be any near a device that's radiating any kind of significant energy. It may not kill you 100% for sure, but why take the chance?
And yes, I know we're exposed to varying levels of radiation on a daily basis, such as cross country flights, the dentist and typing at a keyboard...
Oh, I'm not knocking EM emitters either.
I am a Ham, so I use the RF spectrum at varying power levels for varying periods. I use a cell phone as much as I please, etc. etc.
I'm jusrt saying that I won't reject the theory out-of-hand unless I see some contradictory studies.
Consider the effect of getting to close to a 100W light bulb. What's the long term effects of having your room lit up so you can see?
Thurber's grandmother was right! She went around checking all of the light bilbs to make sure they were screwed in tightly, and suffered from "the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all over the house."
So the question then becomes: does long-term exposure to low power devices have a cumulative effect?
I'd like to see some peer-reviewed research.
And he not only had a cell phone, but had eaten carrots.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.