There are some excellent thoughts and logic being expressed in this thread.
As one of the last "hold-outs" in America, having never owned one these- for a variety of reasons including the elevated risk of brain cancer, let me throw $.02 worth of commentary- maybe less (i.e. worth less than two cents to you, if you are a heavy user and do not want to hear it). Anyway, I hope everyone who uses one of these deadly devices will read this cautionary article, especially if you have **other risk factors**: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2008/tc2008085_412407.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_news+%2B+analysis The "other risk factors" could be simply growing up in an area where there is statistical evidence of high levels of cancer. This was one of my motivating reasons not to have a cell phone, but sometimes this geographical risk is unknown -- since the Medical profession (and the Chamber of Commerce) try diligently to hide statistics like these, as they can be prejudicial. lower land values, and lead to unwarranted conclusions (and large lawsuits). "Love Canal" was the tip of a larger ecological iceberg which is very slow-moving, and many will outlive the environmental risks that industry has added, since the toxic addition is usually moderate, and lessening as we learn how to control this kind of thing, but far from minor. And that is why the cell-phone controversy is so unique. It probably truly is a low-risk device in the abstract (no other risk factors) and to at least half the population. The most recent alarm above comes from the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, who warned school employees to limit their cell-phone use based on early unpublished data from scientific studies. I heard this same thing being expressed 15 years ago from others -- and as it was considered "alarmist" they never got the information published, for a variety of reasons. Horace mentioned that analogy with a microwave oven and that made me laugh in remembrance. A friend who is a brilliant thinker in most respects (that do not involve independent scientific appraisal) trusts government and companies to protect her, and being in real estate, she uses a cell phone to excess, as do many "networkers" whether for business or social or both. This is not a problem limited to young people. She happened to have an expensive gadget to check for radiation from Microwave ovens, because of an old scare some time ago, which is mostly resolved. When I out a new battery in her device, it does show -zero, nada, nothing- in the way of radiation near her microwave oven, but put it near her cell phone when she is talking - and it goes bananas - well into the "dangerous" range. Maybe the old rad-meter device is defective, or maybe not intended for cellphones, as she reassures herself. Maybe. To be honest, I have heard other reports that this is not always the case, depending on what meter you have. But then again, maybe the modern meter designs has been changed at the insistence of AT&T and the baby Bells etc. Billion$$ at stake. I suspect that if you have experienced other risk factors (and you may not even be aware of that) - then using a cellphone for even moderate amounts of time (30 minutes per day) is more far risky than anything else you may do in a normal lifestyle including smoking, excessive alcohol, high fat diet, sedentary couch potato - etc etc. Of course, you may die of something totally unrelated (and a few two-pack a day folks live to old age), all of which makes these kinds of subjects controversial and often even "political" ... (since Dems want to protect us from ourselves and the Right wing thinks it is an big anti-business conspiracy) ... -- but still - if controlling risk factors is important then this is one of the easiest (least-addictive, for men in particular) to deal with. Jones
