On the IEEE tech talk blog, editor Tekla Perry reports on a new study that shows that holding a cell phone to the ear increases the metabolic activity of nearby brain tissue. She writes:
What this means for long term health is unclear, but it certainly supports the calls of those who want more research, and those who are practicing prudent avoidance by trying to select cell phones with the lowest radiation and limiting their talk time.
I’m not sure how relevant this study is to HT use, but my guess is that the transmit duty cycle is a lot lower for an HT user than a cell phone user. Interesting stuff, nonetheless.
Larry W2LJ says
Are Cell Phones Bad for the Brain?
Yes, but probably not because of the RF.
Dan KB6NU says
@W2LJ: I like that response. :)
Chris KC2SYK says
Lower duty cycle? Yes, a HT is half-duplex, but when you’re transmitting, you’re transmitting a full carrier at 5W. Cell phones on CDMA networks transmit data bursts in small timeslots with usually much less than 1W.
-Chris KC2SYK
Bob K0NR says
I have noticed that when people put a cellphone to their head, their IQ goes down by 10 points. Might be true about HT users? Not sure :-)
Bob K0NR