Re: Ricochet and various wireless (was: Re: [PLUG] key-signing Thursday?)

[Noah silva <nsilva@atari-source.com>]

I don't get all of this worry about radiation, people seem to forget that
there are two basic categories of radiation, as far as it concerns humans:

a.) Non-ionizing radiation (radiation below a certain frequency).
b.) Ionizing radiation (radiation above a certain frequency).

That cut-off frequency is right around UV light.

Radiation below the ionizing range has never been conclusively shown to
cause any damage (that I am aware of anyhow).  Radiation in the ionizing
rage can be easily and readily shown to cause damage.

This would mean that:
DC, 50/60HZ AC power, Am and FM radio, cordless phones, microwaves,
cell phones, heat and light waves are all basically safe.  It would also
mean that UV light, X-rays, cosmic rays, gamma rays, etc. are inherently
unsafe.

Of course a string enough concentration of even non-ionizing energy can be
bad for you if it causes your body to absorb too much energy.  A beam or
heat, light, or microwaves could heat you up too much so you cook, etc.,
but that is an extreme amount of power and not likely to come from
anything electronic unless it was designed for that purpose.

I think the problem is that people hear the word "radiation" and think
chernoble and/or nagasaki.  They don't realize that all that visible light
and soothing warmth from the sun is also "radiation".  (They should have
paid attention in science class?)

On the one hand, we have people who try to position their couch in the
middle of the room to avoid RF waves from their power wiring, and on the
other hand, others will tell you to wear magnets because they help your
health.  Neither have been proven effective in any way.

What has proven effective (at damaging your skin), is going to "tanning
salons", where you can PAY to get as much ionizing UV light as you
like. ;)

Think of it this way, most (all) of the non-ionizing radiation people
worry about had LESS energy than light.  Human cells may be complex, but
they are still composed of individual atoms and molecules.  Non-ionizing
radiation by definition can't break apart any of those molecules, and so
can't direcly damage atoms and/or molecules.  Perhaps human cells are
affected in subtle ways by radiation, but I tend to doubt it.  One study
trying to link cell phone usage to brain cancer came up with only one
niticible effect: People tended to score on average 1-5 IQ points higher
when using a cell phone.  (Radiation warmed up their brain??)

 -- noah silva

On Wed, 24 Apr 2002, Fred K Ollinger wrote:

> > Water has a simple atmonic structure.  Human cells are complex and may
> 
> True, but if the radiation were really high water would boil, IMHO.
> 
> > be more susceptible to the radiation.  Since we don't have any hard data
> 
> Totally true. In fact there is not level of radiation that is 'safe' where
> safe means it causes no damage. There are govt approved levels that are
> 'safe' just b/c people recognize the need that we want to have the
> benefits of things that will definately give off 'some' radiation.
> 
> I wonder if microwaves cause mutations. I bet it does.
> 
> > on the radiation levels, I guess were a part of the on-going experiment.
> >  (I'm refering to wireless phones mostly.)
> 
> I'm sure that Gabriel or some other engineering type at a uni can get a
> gieger counter and check this. Or am I confused? Would this work?
> 
> Fred
> 
> 
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