Cell phone facts

Since the cell phone popcorn story was a dud, here are some hard numbers on the amount of radiation put out by various phone models.

Keep in mind that the radiation generated by cell phones consists of radio waves... and we're continuously bombarded by them from a whole host of sources, such as radio stations. The frequency used by most models is at the low end of the microwave range, but the real issue is that we're holding the transmitter close to our head, maximizing the potential of the waves to interact with our brains.

The radiation is non-ionizing, meaning it's not strong enough to dislodge electrons from atoms, and certainly not strong enough to break the bonds that hold DNA together. The concern is that either the radio waves themselves or the heat that they can induce in living tissue may somehow affect the chemical workings of our brain cells.

Our cells are quite temperature sensitive, and our bodies work hard to maintain a constant body temperature. Interestingly, when I cut my hand badly enough to require stitches a month ago, I had noticed that the nails on that hand seemed to grow faster than the other hand. A few weeks later, I learned in my anatomy and physiology class that one of the ways that inflammation helps wounds heal is by increasing blood flow to the injured area, resulting in a localized temperature increase. Higher temperatures speed up most chemical reactions. So if you talk on the phone a lot, there's the possibility that any resulting increase in temperature in your brain tissue might lead to undesirable biological changes.

While scientists search for the answers, think about getting a headset. :-)