Expert: Carlo Segre - 4/13/2011

Question
Hello, i am a high student and i am doing a project on electromagnetic waves. I would like to know the effects of these waves on people and how are people working to come up with a solution to the problem. Also will electromagnetic waves be a conflict for the next generation of pupils coming after me.

Answer
Dear Fancisco:

This is an ill-posed question because electromagnetic radiation is a broad class of phenomena and therefore no blanket statement can be made.  The electromagnetic spectrum includes visible light, which is not harmful, ultraviolet light which has been shown can be relevant to skin cancer, then there are x-ray and gamma rays as well as microwaves and infrared radiation.

Not all of these is harmful and some are beneficial.

So your question is probably better written as whether there is evidence that microwaves are harmful to humans.  Microwaves are the kind of electromagnetic radiation which is used for cell phone communications.

Now that we have the question correctly, I have to tell you that there is no conclusive study showing that there is an effect of microwave radiation on the human body.  Studies involving effect on humans are very hard to do in an unbiased and conclusive way and as far as I know none have been done on this topic.  Of course, if you read the popular media, you might read a sensational story about the ill effects of microwaves on humans but that is not where real science is reported.  You need to see whether such a study is published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and second, you need to see that the results of the study have been confirmed by other researchers.  Only after that can three truly be a conclusive effect.

So, to the final part of your question, it is not clear that there is a problem at all and so it is not likely that we will do anything until a link has been established.  As for conflict, I am sorry but that is a question that does not make sense.  Electromagnetic radiation is not something that someone fights over and so there would be no reason for conflict.

Cheers,

Carlo