Comments on: Suicide, phone masts and magnetic underpants

By: cailean

cailean — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:58:03 +0000

Hmm…very complacent stuff. There is plenty of rigorous scientific work showing the ill-effects of EM radiation.For example,here:
http://nomoremasts.blogspot.com
I’m covering this on a regular basis at:
http://inthesenewtimes.com
Sometimes it’s good to panic- like now!

By: Blaise

Blaise — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:50:12 +0000

According to the Wikipedia, suicide rates are higher in urban areas than in rural ones. If that’s true, it is relevant here. Phone mast density is proportional to the number of different frequencies needed, which is proportional to population density. So one would expect suicide rates to be higher in areas of higher phone mast density even if there was no relationship between the two.

By: Dequindre

Dequindre — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:15:08 +0000

I expect much, much more of this. Especially after a few more shoddy/cocked-up “studies” lend the patina of legitimacy to widespread panic. And perhaps some legitimate research on neurological effects of EM will be blown wildly out of proportion too, for good measure.
However it is interesting to consider what this tells about mass panics and the public’s longstanding unease with the mysteriousness of electromagnetism. Don’t we all know someone who is primed and ready to receive the electromagnetic explanation of their maladies? Don’t we all have a nutty uncle who will soon be insisting not to be seated by wall, as the strong currents may aggravate his knee?
I can foresee more and more flummoxed public officials, in labored, unintended debates over Maxwell’s laws with tin-hatted townsfolk.