Warning Over School Wi-Fi Systems

[JohnDotCom]

Read this Latest Over Reaction? this morning, having spent most of the hours of the day with this and Mobile Phones wondering if I have completely scrambled my brain now.

Teachers are calling for a full scientific investigation into wireless computer systems, following reports of electromagnetic radiation among staff and students.

Symptoms include headaches, nausea, lack of concentration, memory loss and behaviour changes in children.
Around 80% of secondary schools and 50% of primary schools may already have wireless networks.
The Professional Association of Teachers says schools should be discouraged from installing wireless networks until the potential effects have been fully investigated.
Concerns are also being expressed internationally, with the Austrian Medical Association lobbying against the deployment of Wi-Fi in schools
Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency and a former chief scientific adviser to the Government, is privately pressing for an official investigation of the risks Wi-Fi may pose.
The concerns are not slowing down sales, with more than 1.6 million wi-fi terminals being sold in the last 18 months and a number of cities developing wireless networks across large areas.
Wi-Fi systems essentially take small versions of mobile phone masts into buildings, emitting the same kind of radiation.
Although virtually no research has been undertaken, campaigners fear they will have the same ill effects that the larger outside masts have.

[Zeb]

Even if it does make people ill......convenience and cost will still take precedence over health...always has so far....look at school dinners....

[salop75]

"following reports of electromagnetic radiation among staff and students."

How do they know its electromagnetic radiation and not the turkey twizlers, local powerline, mobile phone in their pocket or other factors. Except for the odd Science/Physics grad working in teaching are any of them qualified?

The whole thing is just plain utter nonsense, an excuse for the tabloids to sell papers and something else for school and PTA boards to go into blind panic about.

Of course the general question of whether low level electromagnetic radiation is bad for us is a good one. And with the near ubiquitous nature of WiFi it seems reasonable to question whether there are any ill effects. Scaremongering does'nt help. Proper scientific study can.


At the school my other half teaches at they are in range of several wifi networks from the local housing estate, strong enough that my other half uses the open ones for network connectivity :) How will they stop the WiFi from killing them? perhaps the design technology class can knock up some tinfoil hats :)


John

[BMC123]

On a slightly related matter, our local high school had a phone mast on top of its water tower since the day mobile phones were invented. This sat unnoticed and worked away for years, through the conversion to digital without a blip or single complaint, until one day that is some left wing moron (who was campaigning to get masts removed) spotted it and started using a local family (who's child was seriously ill) as a spokesperson, more or less blaming the mast for the child's illness (later proved totally wrong)
result, mast removed and phone coverage in the area reduced to almost unusable. The biggest complaint? from, the family with the sick child, as they could not use their mobiles any more :shrug:

[karlm]

Oh it's just getting worse and worse with all the radiation !!!!:SHOCKED:

Whatever you do don't tell these people they are also at risk in many of their local retailers who either have wireless networks for their stock control systems (those little hand held terminals you see in Tesco and the like don't run on fairy dust !!) or for their own internet access !!

They could of course stay at home safe but chances are if they don't have wireless broadband their neighbours do....anyone with a Wi-Fi laptop just switch on the card and search for local networks...my guess is you will find at least 3 !!!

I'm off to my lead lined box now.....:D

[salop75]

I'm off to my lead lined box now.....:D

I can do you a tinfoil hat cheap - 100% organic, low fat, low sugar, stops all known harmfull alien rays.

:)

[Simon]

Electromagnetic radiation is dangerous, eh? Maybe someone should tell them what electromagnetic radiation actually is. I think it's the use of the word "radiation" that has people scared.

I think people (and the media) are getting confused/forgetting the difference between ionising radiation and electromagnetic radiation. (NB: yes, gamma radiation is ionising and electromagentic radiation before anyone tells me.... ;))

Maybe we should tell them light is electromagnetic radiation.

[r44712]

I heard this report the other day and thought what utter nonesense. A teacher's headaches were miraculously 'cured' after the WiFi was turned off. Yeah, right.

There are electromagnetic waves all around us (including naturally occuring ones), not just where there's a receiver!

There would be a lot more mutant humans, etc., if the electromagnetic nonsenese were ever true!

[Departed]

Electromagnetic radiation is dangerous, eh? Maybe someone should tell them what electromagnetic radiation actually is. I think it's the use of the word "radiation" that has people scared.

I think people (and the media) are getting confused/forgetting the difference between ionising radiation and electromagnetic radiation. (NB: yes, gamma radiation is ionising and electromagentic radiation before anyone tells me.... ;))

Maybe we should tell them light is electromagnetic radiation.

No, don't do that! We'll have to switch off all the lights and work in dark rooms if you do.

People get confused because they belive that the media is trying to help them and infiorm them, rather than to shift copies. Headlines that non-ionsing radiation only cuases heating effects wouldn't sell papers!

BTW, has anyone noticed the nonsense about low energy bulbs being used in every light? I have low energy bulbs in all the lamps that get a lot of use. But many of my rooms only get the lights witched on for an average of maybe 30 seconds per day. Can anyone convince me that all of the bits, chemicals, electronics, and energy for a low energy bulb are actually better for the planet by saving 40 watts for 30 seconds every day? (to save the calculator, thats 0.18 kwH per year)

[selwonk]

Sh$t! Sh$t! Turn off the Radio 2 transmitter!

Load of guff IMHO

[Departed]

Symptoms include headaches, nausea, lack of concentration, memory loss and behaviour changes in children.


Well my OH thinks that Headaches, Nausea, and memory loss in staff are not a result of WiFi, but the current situation in schools and is related to lack of concentration in children caused by things other than WiFi. She also thinks that something that actually could produce behaviour changes in children would be a good thing.