FARK.com: (6661116) Mobile phones, which caused cancer, then didn't cause cancer, then caused cancer, then didn't cause cancer, then didn't cause cancer, then caused cancer, don't cause cancer

If you can read this, either the style sheet didn't load or you have an older browser that doesn't support style sheets. Try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

		Mobile phones, which caused cancer, then didn't cause cancer, then caused cancer, then didn't cause cancer, then didn't cause cancer, then caused cancer, don't cause cancer (news.com.au)		47
		More: Obvious, cancer risk, brain cancer, cancer mortality rates, University of Sydney, University of Wollongong, Marty McFly

• • •

1793 clicks; posted to Main » on 20 Oct 2011 at 10:36 AM | Favorite | share:

more» |

Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends!

shirt it!

Share this link:

URL:

http://fk.cm/go/6661116

Bookmark:

Article Comments close

47 Comments (+0 »)

FishyFred

2011-10-20 09:37:39 AM

Nick Naylor strikes again!

Walker

2011-10-20 10:37:43 AM

Stay tuned for next week when they cause cancer again.

bighairyguy

2011-10-20 10:41:43 AM

Many models cause smugness, which causes many people to wish cancer on the smug people, hence the confusion.

cbackous

2011-10-20 10:42:18 AM

FishyFred: Nick Naylor strikes again!

That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.

abfalter

2011-10-20 10:44:08 AM

They don't cause cancer. This is just snake oil nonsense.

MightyPez

2011-10-20 10:44:50 AM

abfalter: They don't cause cancer. This is just snake oil nonsense.

But wifi still causes migraines, right?

Prank Call of Cthulhu

2011-10-20 10:45:54 AM

Nonionizing radiation, which didn't cause cancer, still doesn't cause cancer.

litespeed74

2011-10-20 10:45:55 AM

It'll cause punchinthaface cancer if people don't hang up and drive...

meat0918

2011-10-20 10:50:27 AM

Prank Call of Cthulhu: Nonionizing radiation, which didn't cause cancer, still doesn't cause cancer.

Can I use this line, because there is a "Citizens for Safe Meters" meeting tonight, and they "leader" was quoted as saying there are health issues relating to the new wireless smart meters. I can buy the security issues, they will get hacked, but there are no legitimate health issues.

I want to make a little box with an LED and a button. The button turns on a little light after a few seconds. What I'll say is it detects the presence of electromagnetic radiation in the room, and see who starts getting a head ache.

Yes, I've been feeling more than a little evil against these Luddites lately.

cbackous

2011-10-20 10:51:57 AM

" Although we are constantly exploring the subject, currently there is no direct evidence that links cell phone usage to brain cancer."

tgambitg

2011-10-20 10:52:07 AM

MightyPez: abfalter: They don't cause cancer. This is just snake oil nonsense.

But wifi still causes migraines, right?

Only to people who are crazy. Numerous blind studies of people who are 'electrosensitive' or whatever word they are using this week, have proven that there really is no proof that anyone is sensitive to WiFi. They have proven that it is largely psychosomatic.

I do expect to see the usual suspects in this thread, bringing up misconstrued studies, poorly managed studies, and poor control group studies saying that there is a minute possibility, when, in reality, cell phones are the least of your worries. Almost all heating from a cell phone is dissipated on the surface, so the brain barely rises in temperature, and even then, walking outside on a sunny day without a hat will raise your brain temperature significantly more. You can't go against the laws of physics.

Children of Production

2011-10-20 10:52:26 AM

Whew! That is excellent news, subby. Now I'm suddenly craving some bacon and eggs and a hot cup of coffee. Time to break out the microwave and trusty melamine cookware!

Fuggin Bizzy

2011-10-20 10:52:52 AM

bighairyguy: Many models cause smugness, which causes many people to wish cancer on the smug people, hence the confusion.

Ha!!

meat0918: I want to make a little box with an LED and a button. The button turns on a little light after a few seconds. What I'll say is it detects the presence of electromagnetic radiation in the room, and see who starts getting a head ache.

You win too.

tgambitg

2011-10-20 10:54:01 AM

meat0918: Prank Call of Cthulhu: Nonionizing radiation, which didn't cause cancer, still doesn't cause cancer.

Can I use this line, because there is a "Citizens for Safe Meters" meeting tonight, and they "leader" was quoted as saying there are health issues relating to the new wireless smart meters. I can buy the security issues, they will get hacked, but there are no legitimate health issues.

I want to make a little box with an LED and a button. The button turns on a little light after a few seconds. What I'll say is it detects the presence of electromagnetic radiation in the room, and see who starts getting a head ache.

Yes, I've been feeling more than a little evil against these Luddites lately.

You know that your little 'detector' will always be 100% accurate too, because you can't escape from EMR. It's everywhere. Especially if you can see. Or are warm.

Splinshints

2011-10-20 10:59:10 AM

MightyPez: But wifi still causes migraines, right?

B-b-b-but "electronic smog" sounds so skeery!

FarkinNortherner

2011-10-20 10:59:24 AM

meat0918: I want to make a little box with an LED and a button. The button turns on a little light after a few seconds. What I'll say is it detects the presence of electromagnetic radiation in the room, and see who starts getting a head ache.

You're going to disprove their delusions of electromagnetic radiation effects by creating a machine which outputs electromagnetic radiation based on operator input? I'm no scientician, but I think I've spotted a few subtle flaws in your method.

MightyPez

2011-10-20 11:00:00 AM

tgambitg: MightyPez: abfalter: They don't cause cancer. This is just snake oil nonsense.

But wifi still causes migraines, right?

Only to people who are crazy. Numerous blind studies of people who are 'electrosensitive' or whatever word they are using this week, have proven that there really is no proof that anyone is sensitive to WiFi. They have proven that it is largely psychosomatic.

I do expect to see the usual suspects in this thread, bringing up misconstrued studies, poorly managed studies, and poor control group studies saying that there is a minute possibility, when, in reality, cell phones are the least of your worries. Almost all heating from a cell phone is dissipated on the surface, so the brain barely rises in temperature, and even then, walking outside on a sunny day without a hat will raise your brain temperature significantly more. You can't go against the laws of physics.

Oh I know. I just love the nutbars.

/Need to have the bumps on my skull examined

Shtetl G

2011-10-20 11:00:10 AM

I would like to know what the percentage of people who are diagnosed with cancer own cell phones? I'm just asking.

I'VE GOT QUESTIONS THAT THE MILITARY/INDUSTRIAL/MEDICAL/TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPLEX WILL NOT ANSWER. YOU CAN KEEP YOUR ANDROID IPAD IPHONES SHEEPLE. I'LL STICK WITH MY SMELLY CANCER FREE CARRIER PIGEONS.

Electrify

2011-10-20 11:00:32 AM

Not wanting to take sides, but I wonder how much science which claims that mobile phones are safe is paid for by the cellular industry...

Nabb1

2011-10-20 11:03:45 AM

Headline brings this to mind.

AcneVulgaris

2011-10-20 11:05:20 AM

They DO cause a lot of pointless babbling.

MightyPez

2011-10-20 11:07:41 AM

Electrify: Not wanting to take sides, but I wonder how much science which claims that mobile phones are safe is paid for by the cellular industry...

A privately funded study doesn't necessarily make it biased. The argument for people that say cell phones cause cancer is it gives off radiation. However the basic principal of cell phone technology is it uses a non-ionizing radiation, meaning it simply can't cause cellular degeneration or mutation.

Publishing a study about the correlation between cancer instances and cell phone use could be one page saying 'Don't be stupid" and it would still have better rigor than most of the anti-cell phone folks could produce.

groppet

2011-10-20 11:09:09 AM

So who can we sue now!?!?!?!?

Gordian Cipher

2011-10-20 11:10:13 AM

I'd still be happy to sell you a cellphone radiation blocking device, for only 8 easy payments of $29.99.

Call now!

JackieRabbit

2011-10-20 11:11:05 AM

I find that they cause stupidity in many people.

Random Anonymous Blackmail

2011-10-20 11:16:58 AM

Headline gave me cancer.

Knara

2011-10-20 11:17:36 AM

MightyPez: Electrify: Not wanting to take sides, but I wonder how much science which claims that mobile phones are safe is paid for by the cellular industry...

A privately funded study doesn't necessarily make it biased. The argument for people that say cell phones cause cancer is it gives off radiation. However the basic principal of cell phone technology is it uses a non-ionizing radiation, meaning it simply can't cause cellular degeneration or mutation.

Publishing a study about the correlation between cancer instances and cell phone use could be one page saying 'Don't be stupid" and it would still have better rigor than most of the anti-cell phone folks could produce.

imgs.xkcd.com

/oblig

Voiceofreason01

2011-10-20 11:18:43 AM

Gordian Cipher: I'd still be happy to sell you a cellphone radiation blocking device, for only 8 easy payments of $29.99.

Call now!

"it looks like a rock"
"it is a rock, but you don't see me with cell-phone-brain-cancer"
**blink, blink** "I'll buy six!!"

CeroX

2011-10-20 11:19:24 AM

So is the argument line for people who don't understand that the waves the cell phones use are simply too big to break apart DNA in the cell which is what really causes cancer?

meat0918

2011-10-20 11:20:50 AM

FarkinNortherner: meat0918: I want to make a little box with an LED and a button. The button turns on a little light after a few seconds. What I'll say is it detects the presence of electromagnetic radiation in the room, and see who starts getting a head ache.

You're going to disprove their delusions of electromagnetic radiation effects by creating a machine which outputs electromagnetic radiation based on operator input? I'm no scientician, but I think I've spotted a few subtle flaws in your method.

Intelligence is not their strong suit. They don't think light is dangerous.

It's WiFi and microwaves and government mind control via aluminum foil and chem trails.

Unfortunately, I am aware my little ruse, even after the reveal, would do nothing but reinforce their existing preconceptions about Wi-Fi, and possibly make them angry and maybe even a little violent that I had told them they were wrong.

tgambitg

2011-10-20 11:21:36 AM

CeroX: So is the argument line for people who don't understand that the waves the cell phones use are simply too big to break apart DNA in the cell which is what really causes cancer?

One guy in a thread a couple days ago mentioned dielectric heating as the cause, which is bunk, and I couldn't find a single study to back up his claim, but I found numerous studies that dielectric heating kills cancer. So there is that.

MightyPez

2011-10-20 11:29:31 AM

tgambitg: CeroX: So is the argument line for people who don't understand that the waves the cell phones use are simply too big to break apart DNA in the cell which is what really causes cancer?

One guy in a thread a couple days ago mentioned dielectric heating as the cause, which is bunk, and I couldn't find a single study to back up his claim, but I found numerous studies that dielectric heating kills cancer. So there is that.

Headline: Cell Phones Cure Cancer

MrEricSir

2011-10-20 11:34:04 AM

Gordian Cipher: I'd still be happy to sell you a cellphone radiation blocking device, for only 8 easy payments of $29.99.

I once saw a guy at the mall selling those. He was really pushy about it too, showing how you just stick this little rubber thing on to your phone and then you can measure the radiation with his (rigged) device to "prove" it was working.

The concept is laughably stupid since if it did work, your cell phone wouldn't be able to make calls or anything. But it did prove that the sales guy could have worked as a magician, since he was quite skilled at bullshiatting people.

Big Man On Campus

2011-10-20 11:34:43 AM

Human cellular damage begins to be possible at ~10^15 at power levels of sunlight on your skin.

Cell Phones broadcast around 10^10, at power levels of a light bulb in your house.

Cell phones can't cause cancer.

/science, how does it work?

tgambitg

2011-10-20 11:35:43 AM

MightyPez: tgambitg: CeroX: So is the argument line for people who don't understand that the waves the cell phones use are simply too big to break apart DNA in the cell which is what really causes cancer?

One guy in a thread a couple days ago mentioned dielectric heating as the cause, which is bunk, and I couldn't find a single study to back up his claim, but I found numerous studies that dielectric heating kills cancer. So there is that.

Headline: Cell Phones Cure Cancer

That needs that graphic of the media/research cycle that I can't find at the moment.

Someone get on that.

Jesus Christ it's a lion! Get in the car!

2011-10-20 11:36:39 AM

Only Banaphones give off ionizing radiation, thus regular cell phones cannot cause cancer...

XKCD Radiation Chart (too big to hotlink)

Brick-House

2011-10-20 11:55:10 AM

someone should tell this guy.

www.frigginrandom.com

Mr. Breeze

2011-10-20 12:04:12 PM

I don't know about brain cancer, but they do seem to cause brain damage.

Mr. Breeze

2011-10-20 12:05:24 PM

Big Man On Campus: [upload.wikimedia.org image 640x971]

Human cellular damage begins to be possible at ~10^15 at power levels of sunlight on your skin.

Cell Phones broadcast around 10^10, at power levels of a light bulb in your house.

Cell phones can't cause cancer.

/science, how does it work?

Man, if you had been around to explain that to all these scientists and researchers who have been working on this for years, they wouldn't have needed to waste so much time.

Wait, who the fark are you again?

tgambitg

2011-10-20 12:14:37 PM

Mr. Breeze: Big Man On Campus: [upload.wikimedia.org image 640x971]

Human cellular damage begins to be possible at ~10^15 at power levels of sunlight on your skin.

Cell Phones broadcast around 10^10, at power levels of a light bulb in your house.

Cell phones can't cause cancer.

/science, how does it work?

Man, if you had been around to explain that to all these scientists and researchers who have been working on this for years, they wouldn't have needed to waste so much time.

Wait, who the fark are you again?

Someone with a firm grasp on physics?

enricofermi

2011-10-20 12:29:14 PM

The battle for Mordor is ongoing

JackieRabbit

2011-10-20 12:54:53 PM

CeroX: break apart DNA in the cell which is what really causes cancer

No, it isn't. Cancer, which is a layman's term for a malignant tumor, is when cells start growing without check.

tgambitg

2011-10-20 01:03:47 PM

JackieRabbit: CeroX: break apart DNA in the cell which is what really causes cancer

No, it isn't. Cancer, which is a layman's term for a malignant tumor, is when cells start growing without check.

Which is caused by a mutation, caused by the breaking of DNA in the cell, at least in the case we are talking about. The only way for an external factor (not hereditary factors) to cause cancer is by damaging DNA in the cells and triggering a mutation which causes the cell to not follow it's sequences for cell death if abnormal growth is detected.

sandmanahoy

2011-10-20 01:33:04 PM

Duck season.

LesserEvil

2011-10-20 02:03:23 PM

Shtetl G: I would like to know what the percentage of people who are diagnosed with cancer own cell phones? I'm just asking.

I'VE GOT QUESTIONS THAT THE MILITARY/INDUSTRIAL/MEDICAL/TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPLEX WILL NOT ANSWER. YOU CAN KEEP YOUR ANDROID IPAD IPHONES SHEEPLE. I'LL STICK WITH MY SMELLY CANCER FREE CARRIER PIGEONS.

Couple of things...

CSB time first up... I was diagnosed with an eye tumor, as it happens n the inside of my right eye, closest to where I might have my cell phone/BT headset. There is no known cause for it. We are told that the radiation generated by a cell phone or even the BT headset is insignificant (XKCD had a comic on this, as well), but I know very well the effects of radiation, as I was told that a possible side effect of my treatment was - yes - cancer. I am also losing the vision in that eye, now a year after treatment, due to the effects of the radiation on the optic nerve. So who knows... maybe it was my using a cheap BT headset for a year or two that kicked cells in my my eyeball into mutating into cancer. At this point, I'm keeping an open mind.

As for the carrier pigeons, be aware that the dust generated by their dried feces will cause many adverse health effects, including cancer. ;)

Sometimes you just can't win.

heypete

2011-10-20 04:20:03 PM

MrEricSir: The concept is laughably stupid since if it did work, your cell phone wouldn't be able to make calls or anything.

Not to mention that if it did, indeed, block cell phone "radiation", the phone would kick up its transmitter power to even higher levels in an attempt to communicate with a tower.

In short, if the device worked as advertised, they'd have even worse service (as you said), and more "radiation" from the phone.

Pizzafark

2011-10-20 06:25:40 PM

Came in for XKCD, leaving happy

Displayed 47 of 47 comments

Redisplay/refresh comments

This thread is closed to new comments.