English: Diagram of the electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields of radio waves emanating from a radio transmitting antenna (small dark vertical line in the center). The E and H fields are perpendicular as implied by the phase diagram in the lower right. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Animated diagram representing the difference between radio waves modulated by amplitude and by frequency. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Radio Shack (Photo credit: OpalMirror)
Travelers are complaining about scanners at the airports and call this an invasion of privacy. But I ask you to consider something more important. Radio waves from various sources are used daily, and are beaming through us everyday. You don’t have to be at the airport. Police and other businesses are using radio waves to talk to each other and their dispatchers out in public. Just about everyone except me, have a cell phone and use it constantly. So when you think about it, these radio waves might seem harmless, but are they really? They surround us and pass through our bodies. Some have said that the are not dangerous because radio waves are too short to do any damage to our bodies, and others have said the exact opposite, so I guess it depends on who you talk to, and their knowledge of radio and microwave beams. When I was in the hospital last year, my doctor ordered 2 x-rays of my stomach. Later he told me that he would like to do another scan, but he was worried about my exposure already to the x-ray beams. I thought that was really nice of him to think about my health. The nurse explained to me about the number of x-rays in just one chest scan, and how dangerous they are. Today, x-ray technicians in the hospital use lead coats and step back behind a wall, but are they really being protected. Also, try and stay away from devices that put out beams like a microwave oven at home. I usually put my food in it, and then go to another room in my apartment until it beeps when it is done. You may think that I’m being silly, but I’m not. I once spoke with a guy who worked for Southern California Edison one of the power companies in southern California. He told me that what I was doing was a good idea. Most people put their food, popcorn, or beverage in the microwave, and stand right in front of it. I used to do that. This is probably one of the most dangerous things you can do. Sure, the microwave oven is built to suppress these waves, but they can’t stop all of them! They have to go out somewhere. If you really count all the radio, microwave, and other beams floating around us constantly, it would probably shock you! These are just a few examples of radio waves around us all the time, and our exposure to them. I didn’t even mention shortwave ham radio operators and their use of radio waves. So my question to you is : do you work in an industry where you are being exposed to x-rays, radio, or microwave beams? If so, aren’t you worried about it? I would love to read some of your responses should you decide to share them on this blog with others. Thank you. In the meantime shield yourself as much as possible. Take care of yourself. You only have one body!
Related articles
- TSA removes X-ray body scanners from major airports (arstechnica.com)
mike limon 