Electromagnetic Radiation

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Electromagnetic Radiation and Its Effect on the Human Body
In 1998 a Maryland neurologist, Dr. Christopher Newman, was diagnosed with brain cancer and he could no longer work as a result of his disease. He claimed that the Motorola cell phone he had in 1992 to keep in touch with his patients gave him cancer. Then in 2000, he filed an $800 million lawsuit against several wireless providers including Motorola Inc., Verizon Communications Corp., Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, and others. Within a month, the U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake dismissed the case due to lack of evidence. This case happened during a time where people were confused about how electromagnetic radiation affects the human body. Fast-forward to today and there is still confusion. A lot of people today feel like they are at risk from developing cancer from electronic devices like cell phones, microwaves, and laptops. That is simply not true.
It is the year 2014 and the amount of people estimated to be diagnosed with cancer in the US alone is about “1.6 million” (cancer.org). That is a 0.3% increase from last year. That really isn’t much, in fact since 1930 there has not been a significant change in the occurrence of cancer. The only cancer that has significantly increased over the years is lung cancer, which is probably due to cigarette smokers. The only reason it “feels” like cancer is on the rise is because there is better equipment to screen for it, and more people are living well into old age. This is important because the older you are the more you are at risk of developing cancer. Cancer is not some new type of condition, it has been around for all of human history.
So where did this misconception come from? It is not clear, but it definitely started as...

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...ects. For example, “Exposure to high levels of microwaves can have effects on health. Such exposure could lead to a painful burn or to the development of cataracts in the lenses of the eyes. These injuries are caused only by exposure to large amounts of microwave radiation, however, and the small amount that can leak from a microwave oven does not cause these problems” (“Radiation Exposure and Cancer”). This is why the United States formed the FCC. One of their tasks is setting guidelines and testing electronic devices, making sure consumers are not exposed to the extremes. This is why the devices in your home are relatively safe. That also includes cellphones “Neither cell phones nor cell towers have been conclusively linked to increased risks of cancer” (Radiation Exposure and Cancer). Statements like these are constantly being made after each and every experiment

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