Can Cell Phone Radiation Damage Your Brain? - The Elevator Situation

Do cell phones cause brain tumours? And what would happen if you took your mobile phone into an elevator?

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:38 How mobile phones work
01:51 Is microwave radiation harmful? - how microwaves affect our body
02:51 Do mobile phones cause brain tumors?
05:00 Impact of elevators on mobile phone radiation

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Summary:

In order to transmit information wirelessly, cell phones rely on the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

There are 2 ways to study the health effects of microwaves: experiments in the lab and experiments in humans. A key step in the development of cancer is damage to our DNA. From a pure physics perspective, microwaves are too weak to break the bonds between DNA molecules. So it is very unlikely that microwaves could trigger the development of cancer.

When it comes to experiments in humans, it would be unethical to expose people to large amounts of microwave radiation. So we cannot answer this question directly. Instead scientists have used indirect methods to study the effect of mobile phones on our health. One type of indirect study is called a case-control study. These studies are difficult to interpret because they rely on people's memories of what they have done years ago. Still, case control studies have not shown a consistent relationship between mobile phones and brain tumors.

Another type of study looks at the population from a birds eye view. We know that there has been massive adoption of mobile phones over the last 20 years. If mobile phones do cause cancer, then we should see a dramatic increase in the number of people being diagnosed with brain tumors. Studies have shows that even with a follow up period of 15 years, there hasn't been a significant increase in brain tumor rates.

A key safety mechanism that helps protect us is that there are strict international limits on the amount of microwaves that a mobile phone is allowed to emit. In normal use mobile phones only emit about 35% of this limit. But in an elevator, the amount of radiation can increase substantially.

In an elevator, the signal from a mobile phone is block by the metal construction of the elevator, the thick concrete that makes up the elevator shaft, and all the concrete and steel ros in the main building. To compensate for this, a mobile phone increases the power of the microwaves in a desperate attempt to maintain a connection to the base station. Also, the elevator is a big metal box. So there microwaves can be reflected off the walls and become trapped.

Computer simulations of this kind of situation shows that the maximum amount of radiation emitted by a mobile phone could exceed the safety limit by 3.8%. This is not enough radiation to fry your brain, but it is stil more radiation than you need to be exposed to.

So overall, it is a good idea not to use your cell phone in an elevator.

#cellphones #microwaves #docunlock

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Further reading

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[DocUnlock]

Are you worried about radiation from mobile phones? Or are you reassured by the studies that have been done so far. Let me know what you think!

[hoodvin]

Man why just 8.8 k subscribers, you need to have at least 5 million.

[robertarmstrong]

Really good content, subbed after watching the "Does Protein Powder Work?" video! Here is a thought for improvement.

In your protein powder video, you gave direct statistics from the meta analysis you referenced, which I personally loved as I did not have to go look at the study myself. In this video, and im only in so far as the rats and mice exposed to microwave radiation while typing this, no direct statistics were given this time around.

I think it would be cool to reference the statistics directly from the studies you find, saving the viewer some time. Obviously this is coming from a lazier side of me, but I believe having a video that lays out all information before the viewer not only looks better, but would set your videos apart from the others in your sector as you dont just cite your sources, you give the info right to the consumer.

For me personally, when it comes to educational videos, the more detail the better :)

Edit: poor grammar

[filipdjurkovic]

I really like your real objectivity and attitude that some things we do not yet know. You lack scientific arrogance (that can be seen in some colleagues) and nerdiness. That makes me happy

[denisskenderovic]

As a 3rd year Med Student, I trust your research and won't look up any more videos to further make me anxious. Have a good one!

[Naiuhz]

Except my uncle is banned from family dinners ever since the incident

[catm]

I like how informative and non-biased your videos are on so many different intriguing subjects! I saw Kurzgesagt mentioned which makes me smile they’re a good channel so it’s nice to see more channels (like yours) taking a page from their book unlike other ones such as that infographics show or other fake video mill companies that push for views and subs. Keep up the good work💜👍🏻

[yashagnihotri]

Your videos are interesting and knowledgeable too! We'll support you go ahead ✌🤝

[AnimeshDas]

Excellent piece of information.
Is it the same when I am in a poor network closed room?

[enigmaticloremaster]

The NTP and Ramazzini phone study both showed rare cancers in rats and mice.

[dvdv]

"The sun also emits microwaves."

Brain: *imagines millions of microwave machines being sent from sun to earth and most of them being blocked by earth's atmosphere. Lmao. :)

[dilshangamage]

when calling without handsfree i get headache. great video

[buzzik]

Hi Doc! Could you make a video on dairy re: hormonal effects, if any? And also for beer (hops)? Many thanks for your work!

[_Super_Hans_]

From the UK I've never seen these signs or even heard of this

[jeffk]

I use TMobile which uses wifi calling. So whenever my phone is at home it only has to reach my router.

[tmtonymendola]

I had a hemorrhagic stroke, 11 years ago (actually it will be 11 years on April 30th, 2010) of disability for me. Do you recall a Spaulding Ball? It was pink and filled with air. And my house was brick. If you bounced it a thousand times, at high speed, (as a controlled experiment) you would see some brick-dust. If you had a machine that bounced a billiard ball, it would become apparent that as the ball wore out, so would the wall. Now, microwaves, are very small, like ultra-miniature billiard balls. But bouncing at your brain, well, enough said! There are oxygen molecules, hydrogen molecules in your brain. That quick bouncing movement evidently affects you, your brain. Sure it is not radioactive! But that ultra high speed of the sound converted to whatever, as it goes very high speed to a cell tower, also goes to the brain, your brain! Like if someone, like in a subway, is talking or even has the cell phone turned on, it is toxic. If you use it, eventually there will be some repercussions to your brain!

[puneetj]

Which software you use for animations?

[no-delg]

If neurons don’t regenerate how a tumor arrive i know glial cella supporting cells but there is contradiction

[tmtonymendola]

In a subway, the signals bounce to and fro, as people even have their cell phones on! And for sure it effects the electrons of the hydrogen (and oxygen) molecules in your brain! The smaller the particle...haven't you witnessed a helium balloon? .The air is more heavy than helium! But the microwave energy is an even smaller particle size. The energy effects the particles that you call you, especially the brain! In my first classes of physics, chemistry and biology well, that is enough for now! By the way, all my computers are wired, going to a plugged-in router and plugged-in modem. But I am disabled in a wheelchair. I just didn't know! I had early cell phones, one after another, like a 2nd generation cell phone, an AOL Flip Phone!

[cjbonz]

Finally, find a channel for medical aspirants