nanog mailing list archives

Re: Technology risk without safeguards


From: nanog08 () mulligan org
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2020 20:03:01 -0700

Since the Science is not settled... I still won't put a wireless earbud so close to my brain, and I'm especially worried about people doing this over extended periods.  Personally I try to use a wired earbud when I'm using my cell phone.

But I'm overly cautious I guess.  I wear a mask when I go to the store and I use list specific email addresses - so ignore everything I say on this subject.

Geoff


On 11/4/20 7:32 PM, Tom Beecher wrote:

    The hypothesis that RF may cause damage to human DNA is not at all
    conspiracy. The
    fact that we haven't been able to identify a factual relationship,
    does not mean
    that there isn't any. For example:


If you are going to cite that American Cancer Society article, you should cite all the relevant parts. The parts you skipped are bolded.

    *RF waves don’t have enough energy to damage DNA directly. Because
    of this, it’s not clear how RF radiation might be able to cause
    cancer. Some studies have found possible increased rates of
    certain types of tumors in lab animals exposed to RF radiation,
    but overall, the results of these types of studies have not
    provided clear answers so far.*

    *A few studies have reported evidence of biological effects that
    could be linked to cancer, but this is still an area of research.*

    In large studies published in 2018 by the US National Toxicology
    Program (NTP) and by the Ramazzini Institute in Italy, researchers
    exposed groups of lab rats (as well as mice, in the case of the
    NTP study) to RF waves over their entire bodies for many hours a
    day, starting before birth and continuing for at least most of
    their natural lives. Both studies found an increased risk of
    uncommon heart tumors called malignant schwannomas in male rats,
    but not in female rats (nor in male or female mice, in the NTP
    study). The NTP study also reported possible increased risks of
    certain types of tumors in the brain and in the adrenal glands.

    *While both of these studies had strengths, they also had
    limitations that make it hard to know how they might apply to
    humans being exposed to RF radiation. A 2019 review of these two
    studies by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
    Protection (ICNIRP) determined that the limitations of the studies
    didn’t allow conclusions to be drawn regarding the ability of RF
    energy to cause cancer.*

    *Still, the results of these studies do not rule out the
    possibility that RF radiation might somehow be able to impact
    human health.*

The majority of science to date finds no causal relationship between EM radiation and cancerous mutations. If someone wants to claim otherwise, scientific proof is required.

On Wed, Nov 4, 2020 at 7:56 PM Sabri Berisha <sabri () cluecentral net <mailto:sabri () cluecentral net>> wrote:

    Hi,

    Not that I'm into conspiracy theories, or believe at this point
    that RF emissions
    are in any way related to cancer, but Suresh' statement is not
    very scientific:

    > This is an internet conspiracy theory with no basis in reality
    or science.

    RF emissions are absorbed by the human body. Your kitchen
    microwave works at
    the same frequency as your 2.4Ghz wifi. We all know it's a bad
    idea to put your
    head in a microwave oven.

    The hypothesis that RF may cause damage to human DNA is not at all
    conspiracy. The
    fact that we haven't been able to identify a factual relationship,
    does not mean
    that there isn't any. For example:

    > In large studies published in 2018 by the US National Toxicology
    Program (NTP)
    > and by the Ramazzini Institute in Italy, researchers exposed
    groups of lab rats
    > (as well as mice, in the case of the NTP study) to RF waves over
    their entire
    > bodies for many hours a day, starting before birth and
    continuing for at least
    > most of their natural lives. Both studies found an increased
    risk of uncommon
    > heart tumors called malignant schwannomas in male rats, but not
    in female rats
    > (nor in male or female mice, in the NTP study). The NTP study
    also reported
    > possible increased risks of certain types of tumors in the brain
    and in the adrenal
    > glands.

    Source:
    https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/radiofrequency-radiation.html

    > If your doctor suspected that you had cancer caused by something
    related to
    > microwave band communications equipment, you need to find a new
    doctor.

    On the contrary. Few people are more exposed to higher-powered RF
    radiation
    than a MW techie. That would make them an excellent subject for
    scientific
    research. Dismissing a medical professional's opinion based in
    your own
    firm beliefs is counterproductive to the advance of scientific
    knowledge.

    Thanks,

    Sabri, M.Sc

    ----- On Nov 4, 2020, at 2:01 PM, Matt Harris matt () netfire net
    <mailto:matt () netfire net> wrote:

    > My first instinct is to let this be because the level of
    conspiracy theory
    > nuttiness seems to be very high and the level of knowledge of
    basic physics
    > seems to be very low, but since this list is archived in a way
    that lay-people
    > may reference it at some point in the future, I'm going to go
    ahead and reply
    > just this once more and just one point here so that a lack of
    response here
    > won't be used as fodder by conspiracy theorists.

    >       Matt Harris     |       Infrastructure Lead Engineer
    > 816‑256‑5446  |       Direct
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    > On Wed, Nov 4, 2020 at 2:48 PM Suresh Kalkunte < [
    mailto:sskalkunte () gmail com <mailto:sskalkunte () gmail com> |
    > sskalkunte () gmail com <mailto:sskalkunte () gmail com> ] > wrote:

    >> At an employer where I developed Wi-Fi based SOHO device, an
    adjacent group was
    >> testing Line of Sight transceivers. Nobody warned me of the
    inclement health (a
    >> general physician in 2007 suspected cancer looking at a blood
    test) from close
    >> quarters exposure to the side lobes emanating from the
    microwave radio.

    > There is no scientific evidence that RF emissions in the bands
    used for
    > communications have any causal relationship with cancer in
    humans. This is an
    > internet conspiracy theory with no basis in reality or science.
    If your doctor
    > suspected that you had cancer caused by something related to
    microwave band
    > communications equipment, you need to find a new doctor.



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