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Federal scientists released partial findings Friday from a $25 million animal study that tested the possibility of links between cancer and chronic exposure to the type of radiation emitted from cell phones and wireless devices. The findings, which chronicle an unprecedented number of rodents subjected to a lifetime of electromagnetic radiation, present some of the strongest evidence to date that such exposure is associated with the formation of rare cancers in at least two cell types in the brains and hearts of rats.
There are some major caveats, though. The results were only observed in male rats; there weren't any significant effects seen in female rats. Exposure in utero didn't seem to affect cancer risk. And in male rats, the incidence of those two cancers was quite low. But even a small increase in the incidence of those cancers could have a major public health impact given how many people in the world regularly use cell phones.
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Saturday May 28 2016, @07:42AM
"But even a small increase in the incidence of those cancers could have a major public health impact given how many people in the world regularly use cell phones."
The problem is evaluating risk. Is the number of additional deaths relevant? Or is it in the range of "death by lightning", where we can ignore it.
Even for higher risks, there's a tradeoff to be made. We could save hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide every year, maybe millions, by returning to the agrarian society of yesteryear. Just imagine: no more traffic deaths, because no more cars. Of course, billions would die from other causes, including starvation. Industrialization represented a massive increase in efficiency, productivity, standard of living, etc.
In the present case, our society has evolved into the "information age". Returning to the industrial age of yesteryear would carry a heavy price, because information technologies have also vastly improved efficiency, productivity, standard of living, etc.
Unfortunately, our politicians cannot be trusted to make intelligent decisions based on things like "cancer risk of cellphones". They will jump whichever way the paid lobbiests ask them to. Not even out of ill intent, but simply because these are complex mathematical and technological issues; areas in which your average politician has zero education or training.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 28 2016, @05:50PM
You don't need rats. We have a billion of these devices in use every day by a billion people. Any increase in cancers, even a very small increase, would show as a measurable rise in these cancers with a pool of a billion people. This isn't seen.