Technology Allergy or just Crazy?

[admin]

A group has banned together to try to stop Wi-Fi in public buildings because they experience negative physical symptoms they attribute to the electromagnetic field. The group is claiming that they have "EHS" or electromagnetic hypersensitivity which makes them sensitive to Wi-Fi and the electromagnetic field that they generate. Never mind that there isn't a city in the nation that isn't blanketed in wireless signals. Never mind that myriad of devices that they have used for years emanate the same energy without any adverse physical effects. But it is the Wi-Fi... Right...


Discuss "Technology Allergy or just Crazy?" here. Read the article.

[Nomo]

Arthur Firstenberg, the leader of this little group told a local TV station "If I walk into a room of a building that has Wi-Fi, my most immediate sign is that the front of my right thigh goes numb. If I don't leave, I'll get short of breath, chest pains and the numbness will spread." This sounds remarkably like a combination of a minor panic attack or perhaps some sort sort of somatoform disorder.

Myself, I tend to get twitchy and irritable when I'm in the presence of stupid people like this.

Maybe I should get a lawyer.

[Adam]

Work makes me unhappy. Maybe I should get a government job and start my lawsuit.

[Wayde Robson]

It all goes back to the EMF - cancer urban legend. Does EMF cause symptoms in your body?

Maybe, but if it does - there are atmospheric conditions and phases through which the sun goes that bombard us with far more than our cell phones, Wi-Fi etc.

I wonder if this guy who says he suffers these symptoms can tell when the sun is experiencing a surface flare that bombards the earth?

Cell Phone Radiation Urban Myth

[TLS Guy]

A group has banned together to try to stop Wi-Fi in public buildings because they experience negative physical symptoms they attribute to the electromagnetic field. The group is claiming that they have "EHS" or electromagnetic hypersensitivity which makes them sensitive to Wi-Fi and the electromagnetic field that they generate. Never mind that there isn't a city in the nation that isn't blanketed in wireless signals. Never mind that myriad of devices that they have used for years emanate the same energy without any adverse physical effects. But it is the Wi-Fi... Right...


Discuss "Technology Allergy or just Crazy?" here. Read the article.

This whole phenomenon reflects the poor eduction people are receiving in the physical sciences and didactic logic. As G.K. Chesterton said, "Ignorant people will come to believe almost anything."

[Adam]

"Ignorant people will come to believe almost anything."

I believe that.

[rnatalli]

Where do I get one of those tin foil suits? I hear they effectively block aliens from reading brain waves too.

[jamie2112]

I have oxygen free solid gold 20xbraided best sounding tin suits you can buy.It will even transmit signals to wi fi hotspots and you get a free doughnut as well. For only $20000 you can have the best wi-fi protection in the known universe. Go to Paranoia.com and click on the admit one button and wait for a miracle.

[Pyrrho]

From the article at:

http://www.crn.com/networking/208400676

Firstenberg, 57, added: "If I walk into a room of a building that has Wi-Fi, my most immediate sign is that the front of my right thigh goes numb. If I don't leave, I'll get short of breath, chest pains and the numbness will spread."

That should be easy enough to test. I think someone should test this guy. If real, he should be able to get better than chance "guesses" correct when exposed versus no exposure. The level of exposure, of course, should be selected based upon the levels at places he has claimed to notice the problem.

Here is an intriguing paragraph from the same link:

The World Health Organization, while acknowledging that some symptoms may be attributable to electromagnetic hypersensitivity, said little is known about Wi-Fi and its link to a possible allergic reaction.

That got me to search and find:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/

It seems unlikely that Mr. Firstenberg will really be able to detect anything, but I think giving him a chance to try, and showing him and others the results, might be useful.

Anyway, it is not a good idea to immediately assume that people are wrong about health effects of new things. They used to spray DDT in neighborhoods while children were playing outside. People used to believe it was safe. DDT is now known to accumulate in humans as well as the environment.

When a thing is tested, one never shows that it is safe; all one shows is that one has found no harm so far. There is no such thing as a test that proves that something is really safe. Who knows, maybe Wi-Fi will be found in a few years to cause problems. In the mean time, it is best to be neither alarmist nor overly dismissive; it is good to look into things to see what can be found out. And be willing to look at new evidence should it become available.

Some people reading the previous paragraph would be well-advised to re-read some of what I wrote before it before they respond (particularly the part about my guess about whether or not Mr. Firstenberg would be able to successfully demonstrate his claims).

[Pyrrho]

This whole phenomenon reflects the poor eduction people are receiving in the physical sciences and didactic logic. As G.K. Chesterton said, "Ignorant people will come to believe almost anything."

Many "audiophiles" demonstrate that G.K. Chesterton was correct. There is so much BS nonsense in audio it is amazing. Here is just one example:

http://www.gcaudio.com/cgi-bin/store...uct.cgi?id=190

There are plenty of members here who buy into other nonsense, though, of course, forum rules forbid me from mentioning anyone by name. Anyway, it would be practically impossible to get an all-inclusive list, as it is very common for people to be suckered into some foolish belief.