Bad Science: Cell Phones and Cancer


Just like the old boondoggle of power lines causing cancer that was finally disproved after years and billions of research (not to mention plenty of screaming headlines and fear mongering) now the target is cell phones and their ‘dangerous radiation’. News flash.. only ionizing radiation is energetic enough to break the chemical bonds that can cause dna damage that can lead to cancer and other medical problems. So what’s the difference between that nasty stuff and what cell phones give off?  Well.. think nuclear blasts.. hulk inducing gamma rays, x-rays, and the most common of all UV light.  It’s UV light from the sun that gives you a tan by the way.. and skin cancer. Non ionizing sources are things like light bulbs, your microwave oven, radio towers and oh yea.. cell phones.  Microwave ovens work by vibrating water inside your food. They do transfer a lot of energy but still don’t rise to the level of damaging dna. So while it’s not a good idea to hold an exposed microwave oven up to your head it’s not going to give you cancer.. at least not before it cooks your brain first.

People who call themselves journalists should really know these things.. or at the very least do a little counter-point research before publicizing their ignorance.  Certainly there is room for study of the medical issues related to cell phones.. but enough with the FUD, false panic and half truths.  Many studies have been done and so far nothing conclusive has been found… probably because there is nothing to actually find.

I’ll also mention that things like CB radios, wifi, household cordless phones and old school CRT monitors give off a lot more radiation than cell phones.