Poll: Cell/Mobile Phone Cancer - What a Surprise.

[DirtyMagic]

Isn't this news like old as hell?
People were flipping over this years ago as far as I know.

Sure it probably causes a case of cancer somewhere.
Then again, so do baby kittens. PROBABLY.

 

[GonzoGamer]

"Why don't you wrap some tin-foil around your head. Call phones don't cause cancer. How can you get cancer from radiation, that's what they use to kill cancer. I mean c'mon"

Do you understand how wavelengths work? Gamma rays are used against cancer, as these have a very high wavelength, thus carrying a lot of energy. Microwaves have a much lower wavelength, so don't have as much energy.

Sorry, but this whole thing just makes you sound ignorant.

Do you understand how mocking works?
That's what you all sound like.

 

[Grand_Arcana]

It's unlikely that the amount of radiation produced by cell phones would put you at significant risk of cancer. As someone had stated earlier in this thread, the studies are too inconclusive to take this with great severity. Cell phone radiation is, most likely, "generally safe".

 

[Febel]

I love how you've not given any "No, it doesn't cause cancer, shut up" options. Seems you're stacking the deck a bit so yeah I'm not voting.

 

[mireko]

The World Health Organization hasn't suggested cell phones cause cancer, they've only really said the possibility hasn't been ruled out. Here's a better explanation of their report.

Honestly though, if you "knew" about this from before I have to question your judgment. We're talking about non-ionizing radiation, and there's no known mechanism by which it could damage your DNA or cause cancer. I'm not saying it's impossible (there are a ton of conflicting studies on the subject), it just wouldn't be something you could "know" without extensive testing.

[sub]Most contemporary evidence points to "no, they probably don't cause cancer" anyway.[/sub]

 

[navyjeff]

Something to consider:

If X causes cancer, then increased use of X in a population will cause an increase in cancer rates over time.

Cell phone use has increase more than 1000-fold since 1990. Cancers like this take years to develop, but there should be some positive correlated increase in cancer incidence over time, if a carcinogen is more widespread. What have we seen? NO significant increase in these cancers in the past 20 years. None. It's been pretty much flat (about 0.07 cases per thousand).

The study that the World Health Organization was a survey of studies. In the entire set of studies, only one found any significant result. Statistically, one possibly positive result in over a dozen studies is not significant. Furthermore, there is no known mechanism or physical process for low-power microwave transmission to cause cancer.

The WHO report does NOT say cell phone use causes cancer. It said they have slight evidence that it might. That's a huge difference. The "news" outlets are distorting science again.

Brain and neurological cancers for the state of Minnesota.

Here's a good article explaining it better.

 

[Spacewolf]

"Why don't you wrap some tin-foil around your head. Call phones don't cause cancer. How can you get cancer from radiation, that's what they use to kill cancer. I mean c'mon"

Do you understand how wavelengths work? Gamma rays are used against cancer, as these have a very high wavelength, thus carrying a lot of energy. Microwaves have a much lower wavelength, so don't have as much energy.

Sorry, but this whole thing just makes you sound ignorant.

Do you understand how mocking works?
That's what you all sound like.

Yes raise valid points and you sound like someone who thinks MMR gives you autism your a very logical person arnt you

 

[A Pious Cultist]

I'm resisting the urge to post a a great big "Fuck you OP" for making all of the options downright insulting to anyone whose thoughts on the matter differ even slightly. That kind of mocking is normal reserved for arguments over whether the secret reptillians are putting mind control drugs in our children's water supply.
Radiation within the cancer causing spectrum is safe if within small doses. Otherwise we'd all be dead every time we took a plane somewhere, or ate a banana, or were in the same room as our own, Carbon-14 containing, bodies.
Radition outside of the cancer causing spectrum (i.e. non ionising) which microwaves fall into is to be considered harmless until such time as we have actual non-anecdotal proof.

What-ifs arn't good reasons. If "But what if they do" was a valid reason we'd be busy being cured by homeopathy and acupuncture.

 

[Yopaz]

I refuse to vote because the options for "I am surprised" or "No they don't" both are written in such a manner that voting for it is voting for "hurf durf i'm an idiot".

Gimme sources that have CONCLUSIVE evidence or gimme an option on the poll I'd be willing to use.

Really, you guys need sources? It?s all over the news today. It was in every paper this morning. You really got to be burying your head really deep in the sand to miss it. Do a Google News search on ?cancer? and it?s the first thing that pops up.
Here, pick a source:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cancer&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#client=safari&rls=en&q=cancer&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=nws&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=e3a82e8a0599a82a&biw=792&bih=143
I thought I was putting selections for anyone who is still in denial and doesn?t think they?re an idiot. The most common excuse I usually hear when someone is trying to deny the fact that an industry is poisoning them:
?I just assume they don't want their consumers to die.?
And that?s up on the poll. Then again, if you?re in denial AND you can?t tell which selection is least mocking then maybe you should just say "hurf durf i'm an idiot".

I can't really see what you get so worked up about. It's not like this is news, it's not like the industry is deliberately poisoning the masses, or hiding stuff. I can't remember when I first ehard that cell phones may cause cancer, and that is what WHO says now too. It may cause cancer. It's not smart to call in areas with bad reception because that makes it a lot worse.
For those who use their phone 30 minutes per day, every day for 10 years have increased chance of getting cancer. It's not like they even come with new information this time around. There's no need to get worked up about this. Sure be aware of that you should text when you can and don't talk more than you have to, but other than that you should be safe.

 

[omega 616]

Remember when your phone screen was green and the best thing on it was snake? When was that? 'cos thats when I knew about this.

I am not even joking, this is so old I thought everybody knew about it, like "smoking isn't good for you".

Talk about being behind the times, it's like me not knowing most meme's.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I refuse to vote because the options for "I am surprised" or "No they don't" both are written in such a manner that voting for it is voting for "hurf durf i'm an idiot".

Gimme sources that have CONCLUSIVE evidence or gimme an option on the poll I'd be willing to use.

Really, you guys need sources? It?s all over the news today. It was in every paper this morning. You really got to be burying your head really deep in the sand to miss it. Do a Google News search on ?cancer? and it?s the first thing that pops up.
Here, pick a source:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cancer&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#client=safari&rls=en&q=cancer&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=nws&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=e3a82e8a0599a82a&biw=792&bih=143
I thought I was putting selections for anyone who is still in denial and doesn?t think they?re an idiot. The most common excuse I usually hear when someone is trying to deny the fact that an industry is poisoning them:
?I just assume they don't want their consumers to die.?
And that?s up on the poll. Then again, if you?re in denial AND you can?t tell which selection is least mocking then maybe you should just say "hurf durf i'm an idiot".

I can't really see what you get so worked up about. It's not like this is news, it's not like the industry is deliberately poisoning the masses, or hiding stuff. I can't remember when I first ehard that cell phones may cause cancer, and that is what WHO says now too. It may cause cancer. It's not smart to call in areas with bad reception because that makes it a lot worse.
For those who use their phone 30 minutes per day, every day for 10 years have increased chance of getting cancer. It's not like they even come with new information this time around. There's no need to get worked up about this. Sure be aware of that you should text when you can and don't talk more than you have to, but other than that you should be safe.

Yea. I don't really see any reason to get all worked up either. It's not like I'm burning my phone and telling everybody to do the same. In fact, my original point was that this isn't big surprising news.
I'm just curious as to what people think of it and it seems that many just don't think... or read.

 

[Yopaz]

Yea. I don't really see any reason to get all worked up either. It's not like I'm burning my phone and telling everybody to do the same. In fact, my original point was that this isn't big surprising news.
I'm just curious as to what people think of it and it seems that many just don't think... or read.

I didn't bother to read through all the posts, and it's kinda hard to see sarcasm when it's written. I guess we agree in any case though. Whole thing's just stupid. I guess they had to compensate for the world not ending.

 

[Bags159]

Blatantly biased poll is biased. Where my option for "Meta analysis of countless years of data is either inconclusive, shows no correlation or shows only tenuous correlation".

Also, to OP who seemed SHOCKED that we asked for a source of his info (Someone clearly has a touch of the dumb today) I clicked the google search link you posted and the most recent news story is entitled "Why you still shouldn't worry about cellphones and cancer" [http://blogs.forbes.com/matthewherper/2011/06/01/why-you-still-shouldnt-worry-about-cell-phones-and-cancer/]

The comparisons being made between phones and microwave ovens are patently absurd. You may as well be comparing a Campfire to the Sun because "Well they're both sources of heat!", SO many experiments have been done to show whether a cellphone can cook your brain like microwave oven and it turns out that, no, you can't talk to your breakfast and heat it up.

Plus, this INTERPHONE study was published last year in which the conclusion was that there was no credible evidence of a link. Suddenly that conclusion changes, without really any explanation as to why that conclusion has changed, and all of sudden NOW its gospel? NOW its news?

When the paper was published originally [http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100517/full/news.2010.246.html] Notice how none of the numbers have changed, only the conclusion.

Also, The final nail in this sensationalist coffin, What the WHO have actually done is reclassify cellphones to put them in group 2b of things "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (that is, things which limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals). Other things in this group?

- Coffee
- Pickled vegatables
- Working in a dry cleaner
- Talcum Powder

Things which are considered more deadly? (IE group 2A, still not group 1)

- Being a hairdresser
- Using a sunbed

Your Cellphone will not give you cancer. Sorry.

This. I was about to come in and say something along these lines... but your post is a bit better researched than mine would have been.

I actually reported the OP for making such a horrific post.

 

[ezeroast]

surely this is VERY old news. They have been talking about this since the mobile phone was 1st on the market

 

[GonzoGamer]

Yea. I don't really see any reason to get all worked up either. It's not like I'm burning my phone and telling everybody to do the same. In fact, my original point was that this isn't big surprising news.
I'm just curious as to what people think of it and it seems that many just don't think... or read.

I didn't bother to read through all the posts, and it's kinda hard to see sarcasm when it's written. I guess we agree in any case though. Whole thing's just stupid. I guess they had to compensate for the world not ending.

I still think there is a danger but it's from the same thing we've known about for ages: microwaves.
And they're suggesting the same measures that were prescribed years ago: wear an earpiece. Not anything I need to re-arrange my life over.
Still (and No I'm not saying phones are as dangerous as smoking), It's annoying to see the phone companies continue to deny it much in the same way the tobacco industry did for so long. It just shows how rare corporate integrity is... not that I should really expect any from phone companies.

 

[Yopaz]

Yea. I don't really see any reason to get all worked up either. It's not like I'm burning my phone and telling everybody to do the same. In fact, my original point was that this isn't big surprising news.
I'm just curious as to what people think of it and it seems that many just don't think... or read.

I didn't bother to read through all the posts, and it's kinda hard to see sarcasm when it's written. I guess we agree in any case though. Whole thing's just stupid. I guess they had to compensate for the world not ending.

I still think there is a danger but it's from the same thing we've known about for ages: microwaves.
And they're suggesting the same measures that were prescribed years ago: wear an earpiece. Not anything I need to re-arrange my life over.
Still (and No I'm not saying phones are as dangerous as smoking), It's annoying to see the phone companies continue to deny it much in the same way the tobacco industry did for so long. It just shows how rare corporate integrity is... not that I should really expect any from phone companies.

I have never seen the phone companies here deny the fact that there is any danger in it. So I guess that's more of an American thing. What they tell us here is that they know the danger is increasing with worse reception, so they are now trying to improve the reception as a response to this. So I am guessing you are more annoyed because of this because we have laws that make it illegal for companies to hold back such scientific results, even if they are inconclusive. If they were trying to say there were no danger at all I would be annoyed with them too.

 

[Sharalon]

Of course cell phones cause cancer! Everything does! Anyway I choose "This is why I don't talk to people."

 

[GonzoGamer]

Yea. I don't really see any reason to get all worked up either. It's not like I'm burning my phone and telling everybody to do the same. In fact, my original point was that this isn't big surprising news.
I'm just curious as to what people think of it and it seems that many just don't think... or read.

I didn't bother to read through all the posts, and it's kinda hard to see sarcasm when it's written. I guess we agree in any case though. Whole thing's just stupid. I guess they had to compensate for the world not ending.

I still think there is a danger but it's from the same thing we've known about for ages: microwaves.
And they're suggesting the same measures that were prescribed years ago: wear an earpiece. Not anything I need to re-arrange my life over.
Still (and No I'm not saying phones are as dangerous as smoking), It's annoying to see the phone companies continue to deny it much in the same way the tobacco industry did for so long. It just shows how rare corporate integrity is... not that I should really expect any from phone companies.

I have never seen the phone companies here deny the fact that there is any danger in it. So I guess that's more of an American thing. What they tell us here is that they know the danger is increasing with worse reception, so they are now trying to improve the reception as a response to this. So I am guessing you are more annoyed because of this because we have laws that make it illegal for companies to hold back such scientific results, even if they are inconclusive. If they were trying to say there were no danger at all I would be annoyed with them too.

We might have a similar rule here but I don't think so. If we do the loophole is that the companies only need to discuss the findings of their own studies. All of the studies sponsored by the phone companies say that there's "no conclusive evidence" and don't elaborate beyond that. The independent studies tend to always be a bit more revealing. It's more than just the phone industry too. The government is still trying to get the tobacco industry to admit that tobacco is bad for people.