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I'd also be interested to see how many more people just text or IM not talk compared to ten or twenty years ago. If there is a risk from cellphone EM radiation

I'd also be interested to see how many more people just text or IM not talk compared to ten or twenty years ago. If there is a risk from cellphone EM radiation so it must also depend on phone usage and also modern phones emit less EM radiation? For me my main concern is I use my phone as an alarm clock and it's 30cm (1 foot) from my head all night. I also leave it there since it's my main phone so I keep it close to me. Hopefully the inverse square law is on my side. I'd be curious to see if any studies showed butt cancer was a thing. I'm sure many people keep their phones in their pockets and seems it would exposure people more EM radiation for longer compared to holding the phone and talking into it. I'd also be curious if different countries which use different frequencies would be a factor in the ability of the EM radiation to penetrate deeper into skin. I'm not convinced but I'm not anti-science so I'm OK with continual studies as long as they are conducted in a professional way. By the way I recall in the late 80s early 90s there was talk about EM radiation from cordless shavers. Close to the jaw bone, powerful motor in a small space used daily.

Frqy3 9y ago
The densification of the mobile/cellular network (greater number of cell sites and infill using smaller micro, pico and indoor sites) over the last 20 years also means that devices statistically operate at lower power levels most of the time.
wrycoder 9y ago
Put it in airplane mode overnight.
pepijndevos 9y ago
Butt cancer you say? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhjuRf5wPkc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhjuRf5wPkc
jstarfish 9y ago
> For me my main concern is I use my phone as an alarm clock and it's 30cm (1 foot) from my head all night. I also leave it there since it's my main phone so I keep it close to me. Hopefully the inverse square law is on my side. The danger comes from when you are actively making calls using voice; my understanding is that transmitting voice data really cranks up the EM radiation. When making phone calls you are safest using a hands-free headset. When the phone is idle at night this is all mostly irrelevant unless you're getting poor signal (for which it cranks up EM to compensate). So, don't sleep with your phone next to your head if you get poor signal. If not, there likely isn't much to worry about. > I'd be curious to see if any studies showed butt cancer was a thing. I'm sure many people keep their phones in their pockets and seems it would exposure people more EM radiation for longer compared to holding the phone and talking into it. When the phone is idle the EM radiation is relatively low. Plus, if it's resting against your thigh there isn't anything critical there to irradiate, compared to having it within two inches of your brain. If anything we might see more skin cancer in the future from this (and some say EM from pocket storage may contribute to infertility), but it beats brain cancer.
- sizzle 9y ago
  Thoughts on cordless Bluetooth headphones? I use them for hours a day to listen to music or calls, which is radiating my ear drum?
sizzle 9y ago
I hope researchers are as inquisitive as you. These are some excellent questions and fears I have as well (sleeping with phone).
sizzle 9y ago
Is the EM radiation coming out as directional waves from the phone or is it more like a focused beam between the cell network towers through your skull into your phone? Thanks.
- jobigoud 9y ago
  Phones have omnidirectional antennas.
seandougall 9y ago
> Hopefully the inverse square law is on my side. It is, but more importantly, quantum mechanics is on your side. It doesn’t matter how many photons your phone bombards you with, because it transmits and receives at non-ionizing frequencies. Each photon carries too little energy to excite an electron, which means it can’t cause cancer through the same mechanism that, say, x-rays can. Maybe there is some other mechanism and I just haven’t seen it, being a layperson. But if so, the effect would seem to be too weak to measure reproducibly, and I figure there are much more real, pressing dangers to worry about (e.g. cell phone-related car crashes).

Frqy3 9y ago

The densification of the mobile/cellular network (greater number of cell sites and infill using smaller micro, pico and indoor sites) over the last 20 years also means that devices statistically operate at lower power levels most of the time.

wrycoder 9y ago

Put it in airplane mode overnight.

pepijndevos 9y ago

Butt cancer you say? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhjuRf5wPkc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhjuRf5wPkc

jstarfish 9y ago

> For me my main concern is I use my phone as an alarm clock and it's 30cm (1 foot) from my head all night. I also leave it there since it's my main phone so I keep it close to me. Hopefully the inverse square law is on my side. The danger comes from when you are actively making calls using voice; my understanding is that transmitting voice data really cranks up the EM radiation. When making phone calls you are safest using a hands-free headset. When the phone is idle at night this is all mostly irrelevant unless you're getting poor signal (for which it cranks up EM to compensate). So, don't sleep with your phone next to your head if you get poor signal. If not, there likely isn't much to worry about. > I'd be curious to see if any studies showed butt cancer was a thing. I'm sure many people keep their phones in their pockets and seems it would exposure people more EM radiation for longer compared to holding the phone and talking into it. When the phone is idle the EM radiation is relatively low. Plus, if it's resting against your thigh there isn't anything critical there to irradiate, compared to having it within two inches of your brain. If anything we might see more skin cancer in the future from this (and some say EM from pocket storage may contribute to infertility), but it beats brain cancer.

sizzle 9y ago
Thoughts on cordless Bluetooth headphones? I use them for hours a day to listen to music or calls, which is radiating my ear drum?

sizzle 9y ago

I hope researchers are as inquisitive as you. These are some excellent questions and fears I have as well (sleeping with phone).

sizzle 9y ago

Is the EM radiation coming out as directional waves from the phone or is it more like a focused beam between the cell network towers through your skull into your phone? Thanks.

jobigoud 9y ago
Phones have omnidirectional antennas.

seandougall 9y ago

> Hopefully the inverse square law is on my side. It is, but more importantly, quantum mechanics is on your side. It doesn’t matter how many photons your phone bombards you with, because it transmits and receives at non-ionizing frequencies. Each photon carries too little energy to excite an electron, which means it can’t cause cancer through the same mechanism that, say, x-rays can. Maybe there is some other mechanism and I just haven’t seen it, being a layperson. But if so, the effect would seem to be too weak to measure reproducibly, and I figure there are much more real, pressing dangers to worry about (e.g. cell phone-related car crashes).