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Coronavirus: Scientists brand 5G claims 'complete rubbish':
Conspiracy theories claiming 5G technology helps transmit coronavirus have been condemned by the scientific community.
Videos have been shared on social media showing mobile phone masts on fire in Birmingham and Merseyside - along with the claims.
The UK's mobile networks have reported 20 cases of masts being targeted in suspected arson attacks over the Easter weekend, including damage to a mast providing mobile connectivity to Birmingham's Nightingale Hospital.
The posts have been shared on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram - including by verified accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.
TV regulator Ofcom is assessing comments made by presenter Eamonn Holmes in which he cast doubts on media outlets for their attempts to debunk the claims.
But scientists say the idea of a connection between Covid-19 and 5G is "complete rubbish" and biologically impossible.
The conspiracy theories have been branded "the worst kind of fake news" by NHS England Medical Director Stephen Powis.
[...] Many of those sharing the post are pushing a conspiracy theory falsely claiming that 5G - which is used in mobile phone networks and relies on signals carried by radio waves - is somehow responsible for coronavirus.
Tough sledding for the engineers, but concerns about 5G have been raised prior to the coronavirus.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Friday April 24 2020, @09:38PM (2 children)
Meh, those concerns were also raised by the US military, and every weather scientist in the US. I still don't think it's entirely settled as if the opponents were ignorant Luddites.
I sure as fuck don't trust Ajit Pai either. That chickenhead can't goobble down corporate cock fast enough.
All of that being said, I was under the impression that 5G used some form of beam sterring. We've been hearing about for years and what it is supposed to be is Wifi just like the big pipes wireless service providers use. Those are very carefully pointed and tuned to fire a "laser" beam of wireless back and forth. You could be 10ft from the thing and not be receiving any radiation (from the wireless) when it is set up correctly.
These new 5G access points are ostensibly using this to create these carefully focused and directed "lasers" towards the client device. I remember seeing a demonstration of this tech a few years ago. The transmitter was this big flat square and they described as having thousands of points on it that could be individually steered and could both send and receive (IIRC). The bottom line was that it was not client devices receiving a passive signal that was omnidirectional, or even shaped coverage for a small area, but individual connections that could only cause wireless radiation in somebody if they were directly in the path.
It seems to me that technology like that obviates a lot of the problems, real or not.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday April 24 2020, @11:37PM (1 child)
Maybe it obviates a bunch of problems, but it makes me wonder how much energy that "beam" carries. Light is safe, but don't look at that laser with your remaining eye.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Saturday April 25 2020, @03:51AM
I thought about that. With the rise of AI, and using wireless signals for all kinds of detection (Batman Dark Knight), it's reasonable to assume we will have the capability of 3D tracking of devices. Put an AP in the center of the ceiling, but then also at the edges. Unless you're ducking into a corner, one AP will have a clear line of sight.
For APs on a local network it should be entirely possible to have *multiple* connections to the device. Why just one beamformed signal, we you can have two? There is already hand off tech in beamforming, and IIRC, it's in 45 degree angles. So you're already roaming, even on the same AP. Synchronize that handoff process between two or more local APs, that may be running more than one signal in a local handoff, and coordinating a handoff across APs because you're turning 180 degrees. It would be like holding your hand out with 3 slightly moving laser beams hitting your palm. Rotate it and multiple laser beams will always have the line of sight. It could work with as little as three, but could also perform very well with a dozen.
It very well could be a series of persistent beamformed connections designed to avoid any kind of interference, including transient physical objects. As fast as this can happen, time-on-target so to speak could be very low. Whether it's a couch potato shifting position, or birds flying across a commercial AP.
That's a pretty cool future too because we can get rid of a lot of omnidirectional signals. Why waste all that energy bathing the wall across the street supporting devices that will never ever appear? Or only when Bob the window washer is up there. Diffuses all the conspiracy theories too, because it's actually designed to avoid you.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.