Making waves

In the modern age we are living in electromagnetic waves are like stress — you just can’t suppress them completely. In the best case you can control them up to a certain extent and learn how to live with them, accepting the known or unknown risks.

For years we have been reading about the health hazard that waves generated by cellphones represent. Contradicting reports abound. Once we are told it’s perfectly ok and at other times we are advised to use cellphones carefully, to use wired earphones or to reduce the duration of the calls so as to minimise brain damage!

Microwave ovens are also on the risk list. These devices have been around for much longer than cellphones. The very first microwave oven models were seen just after World Word II but the real commercial success on a global scale came in the late 1970s. Despite repeated claims by the industry that the appliance is perfectly safe, you still read recommendation in the media that it is “better” to stay about one metre clear of the microwave oven when it is working.

The list of devices that rely on electromagnetic waves to operate is long and the above are only examples. Wireless Internet and networking (WiFi) are near the top of the list, especially that such usage is dramatically increasing these days. We’re constantly surrounded by the waves and the density gets higher with every new device that the IT and the high-tech industries introduce.

Losing sleep about all these hazards is pointless. Not using the devices is equally pointless. Besides, that good old sun itself is a major source of electromagnetic waves, as any scientist will tell you. Should you turn off the sun to be perfectly safe?

It’s a bit like radioactive materials. Radioactivity is not just produced by atomic bombs or nuclear factories accidents or leakage, but is present in nature. It’s all about the levels that are emitted. We are frequently exposed to radioactivity but at infinitesimal doses. Many surgical procedures and medical treatments involve radioactivity at some point.

Knowledge and awareness, however, can make a difference. Using devices that are designed and made by reputable manufacturers would guarantee the lowest possible levels of electromagnetic waves and emissions. Using cable instead of wireless, whenever possible, also adds a significant safety factor.

There is no absolute safety net against electromagnetic waves, but then again there are countless other environmental hazards nowadays we have to face. The non-biodegradability of plastics, among others, should make us worry at least as much as electromagnetic waves, if only for dramatically polluting the oceans. Not to mention the fact that, contrary to electromagnetic waves, plastics is an issue that could be addressed by mankind, even if the cost could be high.

Live with it all, it’s the only way.