Cell phones can pop your popcorn for you

[Tsu]

Cell phones can pop your popcorn for you!

 

[russ_watters]

I hope those guys wore lead blankets over their genetals while they ran the microwave with its lid open under the table...

 

[Evo]

I hope those guys wore lead blankets over their genetals while they ran the microwave with its lid open under the table...

 

[rootX]

wow, people still don't know how to steal videos off from those websites

was there a microwave for real? I think they just used vibrations (I watched it four times..)

 

[gravenewworld]

it's real. cell phones use microwaves. if you have actually ever read the manual that comes with a cell phone you would probably read that manufacturers strongly recommend that cell phones should never be held in your pocket, but in an approved holster. Also, many physicians groups recommend that cell phones should be used with an ear piece (that is not blue tooth), rather than putting it directly to you ear.

 

[rootX]

it's real. cell phones use microwaves. if you have actually ever read the manual that comes with a cell phone you would probably read that manufacturers strongly recommend that cell phones should never be held in your pocket, but in an approved holster. Also, many physicians groups recommend that cell phones should be used with an ear piece (that is not blue tooth), rather than putting it directly to you ear.

I think he meant "microwave" not microwaves:
http://www.rollinwheelsofmphs.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/microwave.jpg

 

[russ_watters]

it's real. cell phones use microwaves. if you have actually ever read the manual that comes with a cell phone you would probably read that manufacturers strongly recommend that cell phones should never be held in your pocket, but in an approved holster. Also, many physicians groups recommend that cell phones should be used with an ear piece (that is not blue tooth), rather than putting it directly to you ear.

Every single bit of that is BS (I'm praying that that was a gag...).

1. Cell phones are the very, very low end of the microwave range. ~.8GHZ. Microwave ovens operate at ~2.4 ghz. Neither cell phone nor microwave oven radiation is ionizing. It can't actually do anything to you other than heat you (and I'm not sure a cell phone's frequency would work for that).
2. I don't know what cell phone manufacturers say, but cell phones put out up to 1 watt of microwave energy, omnidirectionally. To equal the power output of a microwave oven, you'd need 1,000 cel phones , packed into a 2 cubic foot box, with a farraday cage around it. There is no danger whatsoever from cell phone radiation. Doctors (credible ones, anyway) most certainly do not make any recommendations about cell phone usage.

Also, Hopefully everyone understands that I was joking and understands that that video was a hoax. I don't know how they did it, but they could not possibly have used a microwave oven. Microwave pop corn isn't heated by the microwaves, it is heated by the microwave-absorbing pad built-into the popcorn bag. So the video you were looking at was either a cut-and-paste job or they figured out a way to directly apply heat to the spot the popcorn was placed on.

 

[Phrak]

it's real. cell phones use microwaves. if you have actually ever read the manual that comes with a cell phone you would probably read that manufacturers strongly recommend that cell phones should never be held in your pocket, but in an approved holster. Also, many physicians groups recommend that cell phones should be used with an ear piece (that is not blue tooth), rather than putting it directly to you ear.

That's lawyers, and MDs, but have firemen yet expressed concern that cell phones might cause fires.

 

[Tsu]

snopes says its BS - should have checked with them first...

oh well... it's a fun video! If you really want to mess with a little kid, here's yer chance!

 

[TR345]

Every single bit of that is BS (I'm praying that that was a gag...).

1. Cell phones are the very, very low end of the microwave range. ~.8GHZ. Microwave ovens operate at ~2.4 ghz. Neither cell phone nor microwave oven radiation is ionizing. It can't actually do anything to you other than heat you (and I'm not sure a cell phone's frequency would work for that).
2. I don't know what cell phone manufacturers say, but cell phones put out up to 1 watt of microwave energy, omnidirectionally. To equal the power output of a microwave oven, you'd need 1,000 cel phones , packed into a 2 cubic foot box, with a farraday cage around it. There is no danger whatsoever from cell phone radiation. Doctors (credible ones, anyway) most certainly do not make any recommendations about cell phone usage.

Also, Hopefully everyone understands that I was joking and understands that that video was a hoax. I don't know how they did it, but they could not possibly have used a microwave oven. Microwave pop corn isn't heated by the microwaves, it is heated by the microwave-absorbing pad built-into the popcorn bag. So the video you were looking at was either a cut-and-paste job or they figured out a way to directly apply heat to the spot the popcorn was placed on.

If you were up to date, you would know that cell phones can double your risk of brain cancer. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343335,00.html

 

[binzing]

wow, people still don't know how to steal videos off from those websites

?What? All you need is a plugin in Firefox, so easy...

 

[russ_watters]

If you were up to date, you would know that cell phones can double your risk of brain cancer. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343335,00.html

From the article:

He believes this will be "definitively proven" in the next decade.

Good for him. When he proves it, let me know.

A good gut-check on whether something like this could be increasing the cancer risk would be to see if the number of brain cancers is rising - and with something like 90% market penetration for cell phones, if there is a link, we should see a rise. Well, we don't: http://www.boston.com/news/health/a...tumors_still_rare_cellphone_link_is_unproven/

According to the American Cancer Society, the incidence of brain cancer - the number of cases per 100,000 people - rose from 6 in 1975 to 7 in 1985, and then declined to 6.5 in 2005.

This is exactly like the hysteria in the '70s about power lines causing cancer (then, microwave ovens). That was basically a hoax created by a particularly nefarious reporter. But hey - it's a good way to make a living!

 

[Evo]

I thought microwave ovens had a preventative switch that won't let them operate with the door open.

And cell phones aren't strong enough, Russ is correct.

 

[Saladsamurai]

If you were up to date, you would know that cell phones can double your risk of brain cancer. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343335,00.html

Well, if Fox News reported on it, then it must be true.

Speaking of... did all the folks at Fox News kill themselves yet? I have been waiting for years for them to realize that their lives are meaningless... it's only a matter of time.

 

[Cyrus]

If you were up to date, you would know that cell phones can double your risk of brain cancer. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,343335,00.html

And the amount of BS they cause is through the roof!

I'd love to hear how the cell phones cause cancer when they don't even have enough energy to penetrate the skin.

 

[TR345]

Yeah shure, but I think I'll trust one of the worlds best neurologists more than you.

Also, discrediting something because FOX news reported it is kind of stupid especially when the French, and German governments as well as the European Environment Agency agree.

Also Russ, your claim that no credible doctor would warn about cell phone use is kind of bogus when one of the most credible brain doctors in the world does.

Believe what you want, but I'm not going to believe a bunch of people who have nothing to do with any kind of research on the subject over the worlds leading researchers on the subject, but that is just me.

Melissa Bondy who's opinions are expressed in the Article Russ posted, is not a neurosurgeon, let alone one of the worlds best one, she is an Epidemiologist. That is great, but she isn't one of the worlds best epidemiologists, and her expertise is not of the brain. Dr. Vini Khurana is a much more distinguished expert on the brain and on brain tumors, so I would take his word over hers. Also all she says is that it is questionable.

 

[Mindscrape]

I think I'll trust physics as an incredibly accurate model of the universe over neurologists misusing statistics, an often times incredibly inaccurate practice.

What is the energy it takes to mutate a cell? If I remember right it is a few eV. The radiowaves from cell phones will have energy of a millionth of an eV. Those electrons are never going to have enough energy to do anything. As an analogy, just one rock thrown across the amazon river will mean instant death (i.e. world cancer), but the catch is that you have to throw it yourself. Don't kid me, your arm isn't good enough to do that, you just don't have enough energy. You can even put a million people and line them all up across the river, nobody is going to get that rock across.

Give a physical argument, this is a physics forum after all, about why cell phones cause cancer and you may start to sway me.

 

[Cyrus]

Yeah shure, but I think I'll trust one of the worlds best neurologists more than you.

Then you're quite the fool. Did you not read what Russ wrote concerning the neurologists HYPOTHESIS?

Seriously, you don't know what your talking about. Stop quacking like a crackpot.

 

[TR345]

For one, I'm not certain anyone here yet fully understands how cell phones work let alone the impact they can have on your brain. I would rather trust people who are mainstream and have peer reviewed scientific journals than people who go around pushing their non-professional opinions on others.

 

[Cyrus]

For one, I'm not certain anyone here yet fully understands how cell phones work let alone the impact they can have on your brain. I would rather trust people who are mainstream and have peer reviewed scientific journals than people who go around pushing their non-professional opinions on others.

First of all, don't assume you know what others know or don't know. TWO, don't believe everything you hear, or you're a fool. This guy has NO proof of his claim. I don't care if his name is R. P. Feynman, that does not mean Jack-Sword about his CLAIM.

 

[TR345]

First of all, don't assume you know what others know or don't know. TWO, don't believe everything you hear, or you're a fool. This guy has NO proof of his claim. I don't care if his name is R. P. Feynman, that does not mean Jack-Sword about his CLAIM.

If you are going to debate, then at least make sense. Saying that I'm not certain anyone here knows exactly how a cell phone works isn't assuming I know what others know, it is the opposite.

Secondly, none of you have proof or evidence of your claims while he who actually knows what he is talking about has at least evidence.

 

[Cyrus]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2004-04-02-kantor_x.htm

Oh hey, that was hard. No it wasnt.

 

[cristo]

For one, I'm not certain anyone here yet fully understands how cell phones work let alone the impact they can have on your brain. I would rather trust people who are mainstream and have peer reviewed scientific journals than people who go around pushing their non-professional opinions on others.

If you read the article, as Russ says, the scientist says he "thinks it will definitely be proven".. this isn't proof. Sure, one shouldn't discount his views, but he doesn't really prove anything. Also, where you say here that he has "peer reviewed scientific [papers]", you should note that the news article in question says that "a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal." Thus, from all I can see, this work is not peer reviewed, and you should not try to tell us otherwise.

 

[TR345]

If you read carefully, I never said that the paper on this specific research is peer reviewed yet, I just said that the Dr. has had peer reviewed research papers. Sorry if that was misleading. I was just making an argument for his credibility.

 

[cristo]

If you read carefully, I never said that the paper on this specific research is peer reviewed yet, I just said that the Dr. has had peer reviewed research papers.

Unless he has peer-reviewed papers on the topic in question (i.e. whether radiation from mobile phones is damaging to the health) then this point is moot.

 

[TR345]

Unless he has peer-reviewed papers on the topic in question (i.e. whether radiation from mobile phones is damaging to the health) then this point is moot.

Who would you take more seriously, Einstein or some stranger who makes a claim that cell phone radiation cannot even penetrate the skin? That is my point, that this guy is one of the worlds leading experts on the brain, and I have a right to take his word over a random stranger.

 

[russ_watters]

I thought microwave ovens had a preventative switch that won't let them operate with the door open.

I'm sure it would be easy to bypass.

 

[russ_watters]

Yeah shure, but I think I'll trust one of the worlds best neurologists more than you.

Well if that's all it takes, then do a google and pick the opinion of ten or twenty other doctors that say it doesn't. The overwhealming opinion of medical professionals is that there is nothing there. But unfortunately, when one or two quacks comes to the opposite conclusion, it gets massive press.

Also Russ, your claim that no credible doctor would warn about cell phone use is kind of bogus when one of the most credible brain doctors in the world does.

That simply isn't the case.

Believe what you want, but I'm not going to believe a bunch of people who have nothing to do with any kind of research on the subject over the worlds leading researchers on the subject, but that is just me.

That's fine - but make sure you actually look for what the "world's leading researchers" say instead of picking one. The CDC, for example, says it's bogus. Denmark did a truly massive research study and found no link.

To sum up though, guys like the one in the article you posted will acknowledge two things:
1. They don't have difinitive proof of a statistical link (he said that himself, in the article).
2. There is no known mechanism by which cell phones could cause cancer (they say that less often - they usually just look at statistics, not mechanisms).

Statistical data mining is a dangerous game.

 

[russ_watters]

For one, I'm not certain anyone here yet fully understands how cell phones work let alone the impact they can have on your brain.

The functioning of cell phones is incredibly simple. They are basically just two-way radios with digitally encoded signals.

I would rather trust people who are mainstream and have peer reviewed scientific journals than people who go around pushing their non-professional opinions on others.

Fine - then at least look at what a good sample of those experts say, not just the one or two who screamed doomsday and therefore made it onto Fox news.

 

[russ_watters]

Who would you take more seriously, Einstein...

Einstein's papers were peer reviewed and published.

...or some stranger who makes a claim that cell phone radiation cannot even penetrate the skin? That is my point, that this guy is one of the worlds leading experts on the brain, and I have a right to take his word over a random stranger.

You are so missing the point. You do not have to trust me. You can trust the CDC! You can trust the hundreds of other scientists who have done studies that show no link and you can trust the hundreds of other scientists who can tell you there is no known way cell phones even could cause cancer.

Here's what the CDC has to say:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/factsheets/cellphone_facts.pdf

You'll notice that article says the same things I do. Some key words that I've mentioned before, like "non-ionizing" - make sure you understand what that means.