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Another 4K kinda day...
Mar. 31st, 2004 07:19 pmThe fact that I fell a bit short in yesterday's work was equalized by my making it up today (and more), by laying 4,000 words down on phosphor. That leaves a fairly manageable amount for tomorrow (in fact, it should go very quickly, since there would appear to be a large number of repetitive table entries at the back of the document).
That left a little time to investigate the health hazards associated with wireless access points, a subject that came up in a Gaim chat this morning.
* * * It turns out that the radio frequencies used by wireless networks to transmit and receive data are in the 2.4GHz frequency band, which is similar to the frequency used in - among other gadgets - microwave ovens (cell and cordless phones are also in this group).
As I noted in this morning's chat, the critical difference between a microwave oven and a wireless access point is the amount of energy employed by these devices. It's not unusual for a microwave to output 1000 watts of energy into the small, enclosed space where you put things to be cooked. And since the oven is not a completely sealed system (there is the door to think about) some energy will inevitably "leak" from the oven.
It turns out the maximum allowed microwave leakage is typically around 10 watts per square meter (W/m2) measured at a distance of 5 cm from any outside surface of the oven. That's a power density level 1/1000-th of that on the other side of the door (assuming the surface of the enclosed space is about 1000 cm2, or a tenth of a square meter) and it's something everyone pretty much lives with, including people with pacemakers, for whom such microwave power levels pose no threat.
That figure of 10 W/m2 is comparable to the radiation intensity of a cell phone, by the way.
Compare this to an intensity of 0.05 to 0.1 W/m2 for a typical wireless access point. That's 1% of 0.5% of the intensity outside a microwave or next to a cell phone.
Now factor in the fact that radiation diminishes exponentially with distance. If the intensity of a source is 10 W/m2 at a distance of 5 cm (our microwave), it is 2.5 W/m2 at a distance of 10 cm, and 0.025 W/m2 at a distance of 1 m. Doubling the distance from a wireless access point cuts the intensity by 75%.
Personally, I have no problem using either microwave ovens, cell phones, or wireless hardware.
Now there is generally no arguing with The Convinced. There is no technology that does not have its detractors, and I've heard quite a number of presentations on the evils of fluoride in the water, the conspiracy behind microwave ovens, the health hazards of cell phones, wireless phones, and computers (RF all over the place, man), the insidious effects of the long-term wearing of men's brief underwear... you name it. As it turns out, microwaves ovens and cell phones have a generally clean bill of health, which is probably A Good Thing™ considering the ubiquitousness of said items in our daily lives. I am not aware of any studies done with wireless networks, but it stands to reason that the lower exposure levels would tend to reduce whatever risks there might be (and most studies say: none) associated with their use.
Okay, I'll dispense with the soapbox.
* * * My mom called today to inform me that I could sign up for a month's worth of poetry at the A. A. Knopf web page. I "subscribed" myself while she read me a list of the kinds of poets that will be featured. I don't think I've heard of any of them, which is not terribly surprising. We'll see what develops. Knopf is a half-decent publisher.
* * * I did get outside for a walk for the first time in longer than I care to remember. I spent half an hour walking the loop down Carino, across Meadows, up Rifle, with a 100-yard final stage through an empty lot back to the house. I need to work myself up to an hour a day, come what may.
Cheers...
That left a little time to investigate the health hazards associated with wireless access points, a subject that came up in a Gaim chat this morning.
As I noted in this morning's chat, the critical difference between a microwave oven and a wireless access point is the amount of energy employed by these devices. It's not unusual for a microwave to output 1000 watts of energy into the small, enclosed space where you put things to be cooked. And since the oven is not a completely sealed system (there is the door to think about) some energy will inevitably "leak" from the oven.
It turns out the maximum allowed microwave leakage is typically around 10 watts per square meter (W/m2) measured at a distance of 5 cm from any outside surface of the oven. That's a power density level 1/1000-th of that on the other side of the door (assuming the surface of the enclosed space is about 1000 cm2, or a tenth of a square meter) and it's something everyone pretty much lives with, including people with pacemakers, for whom such microwave power levels pose no threat.
That figure of 10 W/m2 is comparable to the radiation intensity of a cell phone, by the way.
Compare this to an intensity of 0.05 to 0.1 W/m2 for a typical wireless access point. That's 1% of 0.5% of the intensity outside a microwave or next to a cell phone.
Now factor in the fact that radiation diminishes exponentially with distance. If the intensity of a source is 10 W/m2 at a distance of 5 cm (our microwave), it is 2.5 W/m2 at a distance of 10 cm, and 0.025 W/m2 at a distance of 1 m. Doubling the distance from a wireless access point cuts the intensity by 75%.
Personally, I have no problem using either microwave ovens, cell phones, or wireless hardware.
Now there is generally no arguing with The Convinced. There is no technology that does not have its detractors, and I've heard quite a number of presentations on the evils of fluoride in the water, the conspiracy behind microwave ovens, the health hazards of cell phones, wireless phones, and computers (RF all over the place, man), the insidious effects of the long-term wearing of men's brief underwear... you name it. As it turns out, microwaves ovens and cell phones have a generally clean bill of health, which is probably A Good Thing™ considering the ubiquitousness of said items in our daily lives. I am not aware of any studies done with wireless networks, but it stands to reason that the lower exposure levels would tend to reduce whatever risks there might be (and most studies say: none) associated with their use.
Okay, I'll dispense with the soapbox.
Cheers...
