But laptops are marketed as
lap top computers. Advertising and the media will more often than not, show people lying down or reclining on their lounge or bed, with the laptops right smack bang on their laps. For example,
VISA consumer support in the US:
Fair enough I guess - though, as I've said, there are a myriad other reasons why actually using a laptop on your lap is bad for overall health.
The study showed that 15 minutes is all it takes to heat up to levels that will affect male fertility.
I guess my question with that, then, becomes - is this a short term or long term effect? I would imagine that, yes, overheated testes result in dead sperm. However, they are constantly churning out new ones... does that 15 minute exposure just mean your next "shot" is a blank, or are you forever reloading with blanks?
Do you really think the general public is even generally aware of the risks and dangers?
Probably not... but if a 2 degree increase in temperature is enough to affect virility... well, by that standard, blankets are far worse.
Joking aside, I get the idea - a localized increase in temperature would not necessarily incite the body to start cooling itself, and thus could result in prolonged hot nuts; my question to that, though... the body is rather adept at maintaining a level of homeostasis. Have they compared this localized effect with, say, putting on a heavy blanket when cold? I've had nights where I'm too cool without one, and start to sweat with one - now, obviously, there is a difference between an increase in ambient temperature vs internal temperature, and the scrotum is designed to adjust the closeness of the testes to the body to help regulate heat (which, if I'm not mistaken, was a large part of the whole boxers vs briefs debate) - wouldn't instigating a mild increase of temperature by ANY means, not just exhaust from a laptop, cause similar results?
Why?
A lot of people would probably giggle at being told that
it could be dangerous to carry your smartphone in your front pocket too.. And how many people do you see carrying their smartphones in their front and back pockets? It is dangerous enough that some States in the US are looking at implementing legislation to
require phone sellers and providers to warn people about carrying it on one's person.
Except... (sourced from Wikipedia)
Cell Phone signal frequency:
Many GSM phones support three bands (900/1,800/1,900 MHz or 850/1,800/1,900 MHz) or four bands (850/900/1,800/1,900 MHz), and are usually referred to as tri-band and quad-band phones, or world phones; with such a phone one can travel internationally and use the same handset.
WiFi Frequency:
This list of WLAN channels is the set of legally allowed wireless # local area network channels using IEEE 802.11 protocols, mostly sold under the trademark Wi-Fi. The 802.11 workgroup currently documents use in five distinct frequency ranges: 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 4.9 GHz, 5 GHz, and 5.9 GHz bands.
So, we are comparing 900 to 1900 MHz, vs 2400 to 5900 MHz - plus, cell phone radios typically run between 1 and 2 watts, where as wifi radios are capped at 1 watt per FCC regulations (though the average, such as a WRT54G, are around 30mW - previously, the 2.4 GHz band was capped at, I believe, 50mW). Next, factor in distance due to the inverse square law. At this point, we are exceeding the level of math I have either the desire or time to do whilst at work.
"If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is ON and connected to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF [radio frequency] radiation," is part of the proposed language. Retailers would be prohibited from selling phones that do not bear the warning: "This potential risk is greater for children. Refer to the instructions in your phone or user manual for information about how to use your phone safely."
Berkeley might become the first city to adopt such an ordinance, but it's not the first place to try. Health groups and consumers have been campaigning for cellular safety regulations for years now.
With laptops, some studies have found higher than normal levels of radiation, while others have not. All suggest that more study needs to be done. So why would it make you giggle?
Indeed, it does. I'm not trying to say there is no risk (please, don't interpret it that way!) but it seems our priorities are all kinds of screwed up. Case in point - we are worried about the doses of radiation one might get from their cell phone or laptop, all while said person is inhaling a veritable cancerous cocktail from their Pal Mal and breathing air that has a concentration hydrocarbon emissions that would make a coal miner cringe (hyperbole warning). There are issues with schools near major roads with air quality poor enough to cause far more problems than these signals ever could:
https://www.epa.gov/schools/best-practices-reducing-near-road-air-pollution-exposure-schools
... and yet, these reports are continually derided and shut down by opponents, saying the regulations intended to help protect our kids lungs are "too costly" or "unnecessary".
If a laptop is connected to a wireless network, as they often are, it stands to reason that people might be concerned. They should certainly be concerned with tablets and their mobile phones. The
EPA in the US have advised that there could be danger involved and more study is required for more information.. For mobile phones and other wireless devices.
I think people have a right to feel concerned and this is something that should continue to be studied and monitored. And I certainly do not think that one should laugh at anyone who expresses those concerns. As I said, at least one study that I linked in a previous post, showed higher than normal elevations and they advised that further study was required.
Again, I apologize if I made it seem like I was dismissing the idea out of hand - I would, however, submit that the amount of exposure from a cell phone or laptop probably would not be enough to be an issue if not combined with other radiant sources, such as poorly shielded wiring, cell towers, etc.
The studies found that cooling pads also saw an increase in testicular temperature.
Certainly.
My kids desperately want gaming laptops so they can use their computers in their rooms or elsewhere. The answer is always "no". Not because of the cost, but because of the heat they generate and the fact that it would affect their eyesight and posture. And frankly, I am not comfortable with their sitting a computer in their lap for any length of time. They are also not allowed to use the tablet in their lap - it has to be on a table and for not more than 15 minutes at a time.
I think the lack of education and information available to the public when buying these sorts of devices is dangerous and probably leads to conspiracies and whatnot. I do think further studies need to be completed with regards to laptops and it needs to be monitored and studied continuously, especially where WiFi is involved. But just for the heat reasons, people should not be plonking them in their laps for any length of time.
Agreed - between the issues of posture, heat, et al, I can get behind renaming "laptop" to something else - perhaps "mobile personal computer" or "MPC"?
