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    • 31 MAY 19

    Another take on Smart phone addiction: health tracking apps can trigger a nocebo effect.

    We all have read and heard about the increasing problem of cell phone addiction but here is another take on the problem. People getting so addicted to health fitness trackers that it becomes an obsessive preoccupation triggering the nocebo effect. To quote from the article:
    “For Golden, a 38-year-old patient advocate who began with an Excel spreadsheet and later used specialized apps, tracking initially helped her provide better information to her doctor. But she became focused on every possible factor that could make her headache worse. “I’ve seen people become very obsessed with it. I was at one point,” she says. “What did I do at lunch? What did I do at dinner? It can be all-consuming.” The symptom tracker doesn’t just reveal your highs and lows. It produces a state of anxiety–and possibly more pain”…AND… “Kelly Baron, a clinical psychologist and director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine program at the University of Utah, saw potential in using devices to coax people into better sleep habits. But then she began to see patients whose sleep issues seemed to stem from the trackers.” …SNIP

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    • 29 MAY 19

    It’s 3 a.m. Do you know what your iPhone is doing?

    From the Washington Post (Consumer Tech section) by Geoffrey Fowler
    Apple says, “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.” Our privacy experiment showed 5,400 hidden app trackers guzzled our data – in a single week.

    It’s 3 a.m. Do you know what your iPhone is doing? (Links removed)Mine has been alarmingly busy. Even though the screen is off and I’m snoring, apps are beaming out lots of information about me to companies I’ve never heard of. Your iPhone probably is doing the same – and Apple could be doing more to stop it.On a recent Monday night, a dozen marketing companies, research firms and other personal data guzzlers got reports from my iPhone. At 11:43 p.m., a company called Amplitude learned my phone number, email and exact location. At 3:58 a.m., another called Appboy got a digital fingerprint of my phone. At 6:25 a.m., a tracker called Demdex received a way to identify my phone and sent back a list of other trackers to pair up with.And all night long, there was some startling behavior by a household name: Yelp. It was receiving a message that included my IP address -– once every five minutes.Our data has a secret life in many of the devices we use every day, from talking Alexa speakers to smart TVs. But we’ve got a giant blind spot when it comes to the data companies probing our phones.You might assume you can count on Apple to sweat all the privacy details. After all, it touted in a recent ad, “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.” My investigation suggests otherwise…SNIP

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    • 24 MAY 19

    Can 5G phased array antennas generate Brillouin precursors?

    As published on Dariusz Leszczynski’s blog Between a Rock and a Hard PlaceBelow is the next in a series of Guest Blogs on BRHP. The opinions expressed in this Guest Blog are of Don Maisch himself. Publication of these opinions in BRHP does not imply that BRHP automatically agrees with or endorses these opinions. Publication of this, and other Guest Blogs, facilitates an open debate and free exchange of opinions on wireless technology and health. . . . In early 2002 the New York based technical publication, Microwave News published an examination of a rather arcane topic: Brillouin precursors. The issue at that time was non-ionising radiation from the phased array PAVE PAWS radar facility at Cape Cod , Massachusetts, USA. A Brillouin precursor is a very fast pulse of radiation, which when it enters the human body, may generate a burst of energy that can travel much deeper than predicted by conventional models. . . SNIP

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    • 23 MAY 19

    Watch out for Tesla’s autonomous cars and drunk drivers

    One of the prime reasons for the 5G rollout is its supposed ability to make a world of autonomous vehicles a reality by removing the imperfect human element. Well, so far, Tesla’s efforts to create the perfect driverless car are not going so well, according to Consumer reports. It seems that Tesla’s Autopilot artificial intelligence is on a par with a drunk driver way over the limit…

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    • 22 MAY 19

    Smart nappies will save you from getting poo on your finger

    While searching through the Internet for absolutely unnecessary and possibly dangerous ‘smart” devices that will be part of the Internet of Things (IoT) I came across this great example. No longer will you have to risk getting nasty baby poo on your fingers when you check to see if your baby has done a dump. Just wait for the message on your smart phone! Note where the bluetooth transmitter is placed. As the old saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words…. SNIP

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    • 18 MAY 19

    5G Networks Could Throw Weather Forecasting Into Chaos

    If you had a choice between a better, faster cell phone signal and an accurate weather forecast, which would you pick? That’s the question facing federal officials as they decide whether to auction off more of the wireless spectrum or heed meteorologists who say that such a move could throw US weather forecasting into chaos.On Capitol Hill Thursday, NOAA’s acting chief, Neil Jacobs, said that interference from 5G wireless phones could reduce the accuracy of forecasts by 30 percent. That’s equivalent, he said, to the quality of weather predictions four decades ago. “If you look back in time to see when our forecast scale was roughly 30 percent less than today, it was 1980,” Jacobs told the House Subcommittee on the Environment.That reduction would give coastal residents two or three fewer days to prepare for a hurricane, and it could lead to incorrect predictions of the storms’ final path to land, Jacobs said. “This is really important,” he told ranking committee member Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma)…SNIP

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    • 17 MAY 19

    Calls for review of 5G technology amid health concerns in Auckland New Zealand

    By Ripu Bhatia May 14 2019
    Excerpt
    The latest cellular network technology 5G could pose a risk to people’s health, critics say.

    Waiheke Local Board chairwoman Cath Handley has written to Auckland Council’s environment and community committee calling for an independent safety assessment of the fifth-generation service. “The board’s request is that a precautionary approach should be adopted until evidence of effects is fully documented and well understood,’ she wrote. “As the largest and most densely populated city in the country, Auckland should take a leadership role in ensuring the safety of the proposed network.”University of Auckland psychology professor Susan Pockett said radio frequency emissions were linked to many health problems. “Approximately 600 peer-reviewed research reports from a range of international scientists show us that radio frequency radiation is linked to infertility, diabetes, various kinds of cancer and psychiatric disorders,” she said. “The present situation is already bad and adding 5G on top of it will hugely increase the amount of radiation to which everyone is exposed and make the whole situation much worse.” A 2018 article by Pockett in the New Zealand Medical Journal said evidence existed that radio frequency emissions at some intensities could impact people’s health. “The biological effects of radio frequency emissions are clearly complicated, but there is no longer any reasonable doubt that under some circumstances, levels common in the present environment do have harmful biological effects.” The paper concluded until more was known about the effects, a “precautionary approach” in the rollout of cellphone and WiFi technology was justified. Overseas, more than 200 scientists have written to the United Nations and the World Health Organization expressing concerns about potential health risks from the technology…SNIP

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    • 15 MAY 19

    An example of bias in science reporting: 5G partnership between the New York Times and Verizon.

    From the CHEscience posting by Deborah E Moore, PhD. Executive Director, Second Look: To anyone who has any doubts about the NYT unethical connection with Telecom, here is an excerpt of the transcript from a January 2019 report on the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show on the Verizon website. The whole article can be found here: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/hans-vestberg-keynotes-2019-consumer-electronics-showOf course — a movie on 5G. Of course on 4G it takes you three to four minutes with a 90 minute video or movie it’s going to take you 10 seconds when you have ultra wideband. That’s a use case. But that’s to limit your — that’s not to limit yourself what you can do with it because there’s so much more you can do when you have that type of speed and through-put it’s a quantum leap compared to what we have today. I asked two iconic American companies to talk about how they can use it and how they view 5G. Very different from thinking about that you can download quicker. Because this is how we need to challenge ourselves to use these currencies to actually create something very new and transformative in the world we live in today. So the first iconic American company we have is the New York Times. I have the pleasure of inviting to the stage Mark Thompson, the CEO of New York Times. Mark, please come up on the stage. (Applause)…SNIP

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    • 13 MAY 19

    Is the 5G health effects issue just a sneaky Russian plot to damage America’s 5G rollout? The New York Times thinks so.

    That’s right folks, according to a New York Times article written by American science journalist, William Broad “Your 5G Phone Won’t Hurt You. But Russia Wants You to Think Otherwise”. Now, in Australia, 5G community concerns are trying to be dismissed by the promoters of the technology as just a result of media misinformation and needless worry, but in the the U.S., William Broad brings in the Russians, suggesting that any evidence on possible adverse effects from 5G technology is coming from Russia Today America (RT America), a global television news network based in Moscow, Russia and funded by the Russian government. It is no surprise that the Russian Government, using its propaganda arm, RT America, would like to spread fear amongst the American public and perhaps delay the rollout of 5G in the US. That’s what they are paid to do. HOWEVER for William Broad to then dismiss all evidence of 5G hazards as just Russian propaganda shows his own bias in scientific (mis)understanding of the issue. Understandable if he was a science advisor for President Trump but not for a science journalist writing for the prestigious New York Times. Read on….

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    • 09 MAY 19

    Statement from Ronald Powell PhD on 5G Networks (amended from an earlier posted version)

    The following statement from Ronald Powell PhD was written to oppose two bills before the Maryland General Assembly in the state of Maryland, USA, but the points raised are relevant for the rollout of 5G networks regardless of location.****************************Ronald M. Powell, Ph.D / February 25, 20195G and its small cell towers threaten public health. Implications for HB654/SB937 and HB1020/SP713 before the Maryland General Assembly.This message describes, as briefly as I can, the answers to the questions below. Kindly read what interests you. I present these comments as a retired U.S. Government career scientist (Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Harvard University).* Why is control of 5G secondary to stopping its deployment? *Why are both HB654/SB937 and HB1020/SP713 fatally flawed? *What makes Maryland a leader in MANDATING exposure to harmful radiofrequency radiation? *What is Maryland’s implicit policy on exposure to radiofrequency radiation? *Why is human health so vulnerable to harm from radiofrequency radiation? *What is the evidence of the harm caused by radiofrequency radiation? *What are the advantages and disadvantages of 5G*What should our telecommunications goals be? *Who am I?…SNIP

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    • 08 MAY 19

    Proposed Advisors for Japan and Korea’s planned NTP Replication study

    So, scientists from Japan and South Korea plan on doing a partial replication study of the NTP study which found exposure to radiofrequency radiation in male rats resulted in tumors in tissues surrounding nerves in the hearts. Unfortunately it seems they may fall for the old Procrustean Approach spin in the choice of potential expert advisors for the study. Even ancient Michael Repacholi is being wheeled out of his cryogenic chamber for his sage like words of wisdom. The one name missing from the list of potential expert advisors is that of Rodney Croft who would have been useful by claiming that the adverse effects found in the NTP rats was the solely the result of a nocebo effect…Louis Slesin (Microwave News) and Dariusz Leszczynski have written excellent articles on the proposed study. SNIP

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    • 05 MAY 19

    Is 5G Worth the Risks?

    In recent months there’s been a lot of talk about 5G – the next generation of wireless technology. 5G is being touted as a necessary step to the ‘internet of things’ – a world in which our refrigerators alert us when we’re low on milk, our baby’s diapers tell us when they need to be changed, and Netflix is available everywhere, all the time. But what we’re not hearing is that evidence-based studies worldwide have clearly established the harmful effects of human exposure to pulsed radiofrequency radiation from cell towers, cell phones and other devices – and that 5G will make the problem exponentially worse…SNIP

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    • 25 APR 19

    Are community concerns over the 5G network rollout based on unfounded anxiety or valid evidence?’

    Published on Daruisz Leszczynsik’s blog,Between a Rock and a Hard place, a paper by Don Maisch Phd …5th generation (5G) wireless technology, as the name indicates, is the next generation wireless communication network from 4G and 4G LTE. Once fully implemented it will predominantly operate in the millimetre (mm) radiofrequency band which will allow much higher data transfer necessary for driverless vehicles, the Internet of Things (IoT), faster video downloads as well as other applications, including military. The downside of 5G mmWave, however, is that the signals do not penetrate objects readily such as buildings and foliage, in comparison to the lower frequencies. This necessitates a far denser network of 5G small cell antennas which will be mounted on power poles, light poles, street furniture, bus shelters, etc. which in many cases will be close to homes, workplaces and public areas. In some cases internal antennas in buildings will also be used. This will result in higher chronic radiofrequency exposures to humans in these areas. The high number of small cells needed for an effective 5G network is causing community disquiet and that, combined with many scientific unknowns about the possible biological effects of prolonged exposure to mm waves, is resulting in increasing community opposition in Australia and internationally. As community opposition is most likely going to increase as 5G infrastructure continues to be rolled out nationally, the question arises: Is this opposition to 5G warranted or not?..SNIP

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    • 23 APR 19

    IARC Urged To Revisit RF Risk

    IARC Urged To Revisit RF Risk
    Animal Studies Prompt Calls To Upgrade Classification to “Probably Carcinogenic” or Higher
    April 22, 2019

    An advisory committee has recommended that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reassess the cancer risks associated with RF radiation. This should be a “high priority,” according to the panel’s report, which was issued last week…SNIP

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    • 15 APR 19

    International Symposium: Biological Effects of Wireless Technology, Mainz, Germany, October 2019

    An international symposium, titled; “Technical progress or progressive irresponsibility? Biological Effects of Wireless Technology” has been organised by a number of European organisations, a partial listing includes:

    The Competence Initiative for the Protection of Humans, the Environmental and Consumer Organization for the Protection against Electromagnetic Radiation, the European Academy of Environmental Medicine (EUROPAEM), Pandora – the Foundation for Independent Research, the Association of Building Biology and other partners. The event is sponsored by Stiftung für Kinder, Freiburg and Auerbach Stiftung, Tettnang. It will take place on October 4. – 6., 2019 at the Electoral Palace Mainz.

    Excerpts from the symposium announcement (detailed schedule of the symposium will be announced later):

    Cell phones, Smartphones, Tablets … Smart Home … Smart City … Internet of Things … The digital transformation of our society is expected to continue with the new 5G standard, largely through mobile and wireless communication. As a result, radiation exposure due to mobile and wireless communication technologies, their infrastructure and applications will increase enormously.

    What health risks are involved? What are the possible consequences for particular groups at risk, especially children and adolescents?…SNIP

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    • 08 APR 19

    New report on 5G implementation for the European Parliament mentions “unacceptable levels of human exposure to electromagnetic radiation”

    This in-depth analysis was prepared by Policy Department A at the request of the ITRE Committee for the European Parliament. It compares 5G deployment in the EU with other leading economies – the USA, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. On a range of indicators, the EU compares well. However, this is not a short-term race. 5G is more complex than previous wireless technologies and should be considered as a long-term project to solve technical challenges and develop a clear business case…SNIP… One aspect, for example, that is not well understood today is the unpredictable propagation patterns that could result in unacceptable levels of human exposure to electromagnetic radiation..SNIP

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    • 08 APR 19

    The new global arms race: 5G

    From the Washington Post, republished in South China Morning Post, April 4, 2019

    The six ex-commanders bluntly said Chinese 5G equipment risked espionage and disruptive cyberattacks on military operations, and ‘the time for action is now’
    The statement was timed to the opening of a Nato summit of foreign ministers in Washington

    Excerpt

    Former Pentagon leaders have joined current chiefs to warn about the risks to future US military operations posed by allies in Europe and Asia using Chinese technology in their 5G wireless telecommunications networks.

    In a statement Wednesday, six former officials noted that the immense bandwidth and super-high speeds of the coming 5G systems – up to 100 times faster than current 4G platforms – will make them attractive for the US military to use to share data with allies or transfer information in combat…SNIP

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    • 03 APR 19

    New 5G Network Spurs Health Concerns

    Excerpt

    The popularity and widespread use of wireless technologies has spawned a telecommunications revolution with increasing public exposure to broader and higher frequencies of the electro-magnetic spectrum as we transmit data through a variety of devices. The Telecom industry is promoting the replacement of our current cellular network, 4G (fourth generation) with a new generation of shorter high frequency 5G wavelengths to power the “Internet of Things” (IoT). The IoT promises faster data processing, amazing new gadgets and a lifestyle that mirrors science fiction. However, 5G will require a massive telecommunications network with many more cell towers–resulting in wireless antennas every few feet, greater radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and increasing concerns about health.

    Because this is the first generation to have cradle-to-grave lifespan exposure to this level of man-made microwave radiofrequencies, it will be years or decades before the true health consequences are known. There are still many questions about the safety of RFR in 2G, 3G and 4G wireless technologies. Informed health experts strongly recommend precaution in the roll out of 5G tech…SNIP

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    • 31 MAR 19

    Misunderstanding the factors in the modern day plague of burnout.

    In the below Washington Post article, the one glaring omission to factors leading to “burnout” is exposure to electromagnetic fields and chemical emissions from our muriad of wireless devices now used today. The problem of workplace burnout and EMR and chemical emissions as a contributing factor was recognised in Sweden back in the 1990s by the Swedish Union of Clerical and Technical employees in Industry (see: https://www.emfacts.com/norisk/) . It was also examined in a 1999 report by the Swedish Public Health Committee. Written by Prof Robert Olin and titled “New Diagnosis: an explanatory model for neurological illnesses”. Also, the book “The Invisible Disease: The Dangers of Environmental Illnesses Caused by Electromagnetic Fields and Chemical Emissions” by Gunni Nordstrom is an essential read for people concerned with burnout”..SNIP

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    • 27 MAR 19

    A historical revisit to ACEBR’s very questionable provocation testing

    Excerpt: In 2013 CSIRO scientist Dr. David McDonald won a COMCARE compensation case for crippling headaches, nausea and dizziness caused by using Wi-Fi and computers at work. Dr McDonald, was a mathematician who worked as a principal research scientist at the CSIRO for 15 years. He moved to the Victorian countryside to avoid electromagnetic radiation but later died from cancer. In 2011, as part of the case McDonald was asked to undergo a provocation study being designed for use in Australia by ACEBR (called ACRBR at the time) McDonald asked to see the testing protocol and it was provided under a request for confidentially. McDonald’s analysis makes for interesting reading indeed but his conclusions are telling and illustrate the dismal state of EHS research in Australia. To quote: …SNIP

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