Author Topic: Ban mobile phones and wireless networks in schools, say European leaders.  (Read 6717 times)

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Offline firewalkerTopic starter

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Ban mobile phones and wireless networks in schools, say European leaders.
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Mobile phones and computers with wireless internet connections pose a risk to human health and should be banned from schools, a powerful European body has ruled.
A Council of Europe committee examined evidence that the technologies have "potentially harmful" effects on humans, and concluded that immediate action was required to protect children.
In a report, the committee said it was crucial to avoid repeating the mistakes made when public health officials were slow to recognise the dangers of asbestos, tobacco smoking and lead in petrol.
The report also highlighted the potential health risks of cordless telephones and baby monitors, which rely on similar technology and are widely used in British homes.
Fears have been raised that electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless devices can cause cancers and affect the developing brain.
The findings were seized on by campaigners who oppose the spread of wireless devices.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/8514380/Ban-mobile-phones-and-wireless-networks-in-schools-say-European-leaders.html

http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=/documents/workingdocs/doc11/edoc12608.htm

http://www.icems.eu/papers.htm

http://www.icems.eu/public_education.htm



I just heard the latest AmpHour and it popped up in my mind.

Alexander.
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Offline 8086

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Seems like they are too scared in case something does happen to not rule in favour of this proposal.

"potential" health risk is not the same as health risk. But they must be seen to be doing something, I guess.
 

Offline firewalkerTopic starter

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Every research I have read is somehow inconclusive. But every research had a "Protect the young kids" meaning. For mobile phones. And yes, imho a kid does not need a mobile phone!
Become a realist, stay a dreamer.

 

Online Mechatrommer

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the "harmful to human" is just a bullshit reason. but i dont like the class to get ringing everytime during teaching. and trust me not 100%, more of the time, the kids will use it to comm with their chicks. its "connecting people" matter.
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 

Offline the_raptor

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Quote
In a report, the committee said it was crucial to avoid repeating the mistakes made when public health officials were slow to recognise the dangers of asbestos, tobacco smoking and lead in petrol.

Ha ahahahahahaaha.

'cause we haven't been bathing in man made EMR for the last sixty years. How did we miss all those radio and radar techs, who got exposed to levels of EMR thousands of times higher, dropping dead from cancer?

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Fears have been raised that electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless devices can cause cancers and affect the developing brain.

"Fears have been raised that homosexual communists will sneak into our kids bedrooms and turn them queer."

Oh and protip: EVERYTHING affects the developing brain. Owning a phone does. Going to daycar^H^H^H^H^H^Hschool does. Watching crappy reality TV does. Terrifying your children with imaginary fears does. The brain is shaped by environmental input and has no "natural" shape or function.

On the other hand the link between respiratory disease and exposure to particulates (from cars and coal plants mainly) has been clear* for years and those aren't being
banned.

* With well done correlational studies and a clear idea as to the causal relationship. On the other hand no one has ever been able to show a causal relationship between non-ionising radiation and cancer. And it isn't like we haven't tried. Hell I would put the plasticisers used in the cases of mobile phones as a more likely candidate then EMR.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2011, 12:53:09 am by the_raptor »
 

Offline Ferroto

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Since it appears everything causes cancer nowadays I would like to present to the European parliament my findings that political fear mongering is a common cause of cancer......
...
...
...
...
...

*circkets*

Well I figured it was worth a shot.
 

Online Mechatrommer

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yea! electricity cause cancer, use fire. and carbon too, dont use pencil!
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 


Offline CircuitMart

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My BB girl Miss 18 loves mobile phone...

and my colleague's nephew  2 year old, seems to be bothered by wireless router signal in his own house...

Any way  people become stronger and stronger in China, as we have no powerful restriction for cottage
products, they even exported to South America and welcome by local people....

 

Offline the_raptor

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http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/mobile-phone-cancer-report-a-wakeup-call-teo-20110601-1ffs6.html

Dave.

That comes off as mostly a carefully considered and balanced piece, but the original decision is still in batshit insane country IMO. There might be a link between cell phone use and cancer, but to pick the EMR from the phone as the culprit is about as much science as saying it is because cell phones offend the Immortal God Emperor of Mankind.

If the EM was the problem they would have shown it causing cancer in tissue cultures (pretty much everything causes cancer in tissue cultures). AFAIK no one has shown that non-ionising radiation can cause cancer under any test protocol. On the other hand nearly all plastics leach carcinogens, holding a phone like that is also likely to transmit bacteria and viruses into the ear canal (which can cause cancer).

I am pissed off about this because even if there is shown to be no link between non-ionising radiation and cancer we will spend the next several decades having to tell retarded parents that the Wi-Fi router isn't going to kill their kids.

An international panel should be able to apply Occam's bloody razor.
 

Online Zero999

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It's not true that mobile phones cause cancer but I think banning them in school is a good idea for other reasons.
 

Offline PetrosA

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Maybe this is the EU's last desperate attempt to save Nokia from non-EU competition and it's takeover by Microsoft by banning the ubiquitous iPh*ne. If someone had told me five years ago when I left Poland that in 2011 Nokia would get bought out to save its ass, I NEVER would have believed it. How things change...

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Offline Simon

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I would ban phones in schools end off. Never mind the potential health issues. How about kids growing up properly and learning to function whithout these devices and paying attention in classes. Gee I'm still alive and I never got a mobile phone until I was about 20. Christ how did I cope without a mobile when I was 5 ???, there must be something seriously wrong with me because i didn't grow up with one of these things but i'm actually alive !!
 

Online Zero999

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I would ban phones in schools end off. Never mind the potential health issues. How about kids growing up properly and learning to function whithout these devices and paying attention in classes. Gee I'm still alive and I never got a mobile phone until I was about 20. Christ how did I cope without a mobile when I was 5 ???, there must be something seriously wrong with me because i didn't grow up with one of these things but i'm actually alive !!

I agree, ban them in schools because they disrupt lessons and give thieves an incentive to pick on children walking to school.
 

Offline Kiriakos-GR

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I agree, ban them in schools because those young cheaters , they do not open a book ,
and the only thing that they have in their minds, is how to cheat on the exams ..     ;)
 

Offline Ferroto

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I agree, ban them in schools because those young cheaters , they do not open a book ,
and the only thing that they have in their minds, is how to cheat on the exams ..     ;)
There are far easier and less obvious ways to cheat.

1) Take the label off of a bottle of drink without tearing it.
2) Remove residual glue with rubbing alcohol.
3) Write the answers on the inside part.
4) Use a little bit of contact cement to glue the label back on.

If you are useing a dark\non-transparent drink such as coca-cola the text will only be visible when you tilt the drink and the liquid level goes below the text. Seriously kids these days lack any imagination.

I DO NOT CONDONE CHEATING.  >:(
 

Offline Sionyn

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you know,
there are idiots who think their electro sensitive live in houses in the middle of woods, funny as there not effected when stepping outside bombarded with natural em radiation. reminds of that idiot 'vampire' on jerry springer who was sensitive to ev light except he wasn't effected by from mercury vapor lamps they had lighting the studio.

point is these people have no clue what their talking about all junk science they worry about radiowaves yet smoke cigarettes.

now as for radiowaves and cancer

« Last Edit: June 03, 2011, 01:06:54 am by Sionyn »
eecs guy
 

Offline ilikepez

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I don't know about banning cell phones from school. Seems like a knee jerk reaction to a technology that these kids are going to have to deal with every day for the rest of their lives.

Even when I was still in High School I had a cell phone, and used it to keep in touch with my parents and make scheduling easier. Of course they need to be shut off while they are actually in class, but between classes these kids should have them.

An eight year old girl in my state actually thwarted a kidnapping attempt by calling the police with her cell phone and using it to take pictures of the would be kidnappers face and car.

As for the whole EMR thing. I really don't know. What I do know is that things like cigarettes and asbestos clearly cause cancer and few studies fail to turn it up. So what does that say about the true dangers of EMR? I'd also have to imagine that fluorescent lights for instance generate a great deal of EMR and we have had people exposed continuously to this since the early fifties with no major outbreaks of cancers.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2011, 08:10:05 am by ilikepez »
 

Online Zero999

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As for the whole EMR thing. I really don't know. What I do know is that things like cigarettes and asbestos clearly cause cancer and few studies fail to turn it up. So what does that say about the true dangers of EMR?
A lot.

It's well known that high energy EMR (ultraviolet frequencies and above) cause cancer but the low energy EMR given off by mobile phones has too lower energy level to interfere with the DNA and cause cancer. The only effects on the human body are down to heating which the brain, eyes and testicles are sensitive to and there's no proof that the low power levels emitted by phones is enough to damage tissue by heating.

Quote
I'd also have to imagine that fluorescent lights for instance generate a great deal of EMR and we have had people exposed continuously to this since the early fifties with no major outbreaks of cancers.
Fluorescent lights do emit some UV radiation but much you get more exposure on a cloudy day in inter than sitting in an office lighted with fluorescent lamps.

I don't know about banning cell phones from school. Seems like a knee jerk reaction to a technology that these kids are going to have to deal with every day for the rest of their lives.
I've also noted it applies to wireless networks.

Shame, it means an electronics student wouldn't be allowed to use an RF module in their project. :(
 


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