Panorama has been accused of giving a 'misleading impression' of the state of scientific opinion on Wi-Fi
Panorama report on Wi-Fi was 'misleading'
/v3-uk/news/1998150/panorama-report-wi-fi-misleading
03 Dec 2007, Matt Chapman , V3
A Panorama programme claiming that Wi-Fi creates three times as much radiation as mobile phone masts was "misleading", an official BBC complaints ruling has found.
Two viewers complained that Panorama exaggerated the grounds for concern and wrongly suggested that Wi-Fi installations give off higher levels of radiation.
A further complaint suggested that the programme misleadingly presented an experiment to test whether certain people were hypersensitive to such radiation.
Professor Michael Repacholi, who appeared in the programme, also complained that the scientific issues had been presented in an unbalanced way, and that the treatment of his own contribution to the programme was unfair.
The BBC ruling found that it was legitimate for Panorama to focus on the public health issues raised by Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency.
It also found that the results of an experiment on electro-sensitivity were correctly represented as inconclusive. However, the BBC report also identified a number of failings.
"The programme included only one contributor (Professor Repacholi) who disagreed with Sir William, compared with three scientists and a number of other speakers (one of whom was introduced as a former cancer specialist) who seconded his concerns," the ruling said.
"This gave a misleading impression of the state of scientific opinion on the issue."
Stewart claimed in the programme to have found evidence that low-level radiation from devices such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi could damage health, and called for a review.
The claims prompted a council body in north London to call for Wi-Fi use to be suspended in schools until an investigation had been carried out.
"I quite frankly think we are frying children's brains," said Labour councillor Emma Jones of Bruce Grove.
However, following the broadcast, a number of experts came forward to dismiss the claims.
Ben Goldacre, a doctor who runs the Bad Science website, stated that the programme makers had made melodramatic, misleading television instead of an informed documentary.
"In 28 minutes of TV you could have given a good summary of the research evidence so that people could make up their own minds. But that would not get you as many viewers," he said.
Les Hatton, a columnist on vnunet.com's sister title IT Week, wrote: "Many readers may be feeling that they need to wear tin-foil hats following the Panorama 'exposé' and the supposedly harmful effects on children caused by wireless networks.
"All I can say in reassurance is that this sort of mathematically dysfunctional scare-mongering drivel really makes me cross."
According to vnunet.com's sister title CRN, resellers reported record Wi-Fi sales in June despite the negative publicity generated by Panorama.
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Do you agree?
take down the towers!!!!
mercury gave us mad hatters disease, asbestos gave us cancer, agent orange, pcp, the titanic will never sink. Just a few examples of human indiscretion
. I am suffering from what I have discovered are symptoms consistent from poisoning from emissions from these towers. I think that these tele-communication companies know what the effects are and are working in co-operatively to cover the truth. e.g the INTERPHONE STUDY... Release the true findings prove me wrong...My son has seizures, two of my family dogs have died from seizures, my daughter has constant headaches and sore teeth( that go away when she leaves the area???? ( Now a possible tumor). My youngest also has unexplained ailments that become clearer when you add these emissions into the equation. Now at 45, I have suffered a stroke and along with all the multi system symptons I have, the only thing that makes sence is the micro wave pulses (non iodizing radiation posionining. ( I have timed the pulses by the high frequency buzz coming into my auditory cortex. They are cycles... WE ARE BEING MURDERED BY THIS and WE HAVE NO PROTECTION>> I would like to have my DNA checked for damage. I would like to have the prove so I could have those responsible brought to large jail terms.( Including government officials).
If we don't know long term exposure effects we should turn off the towers until we do,that seems to me, the human thing to do.............................................................
Posted by John, 10 Mar 2008
communications radiation
How long has radio or wireless been used for comms or radar or testing purposes? Even time team use radar for looking into the ground. All these are the same thing, electro magnetic radiation, you even get sunburn from it, your car headlights produce it. The intensity of the radiation and the frequency are the two big factors likely to be the cause of any effects it might have as there isn't much else to alter on it. The frequency determines what it is used for, visible light, tv signals and radar are all three very different frequencies out of a vast practical range and a theoretically infinite one (school physics levels here).
The intensity is determined by the strength of the source and the distance from it and is based on the inverse square law, double the distance from the source quarter the intensity, 4 times the distance one 16th the intensity, this means the radio mast 10 meters away is radiating you with a tiny fraction of the intensity your phone is next to your head.
Another factor in this is many millions of people over the last 70-80 years have worked all day with quite powerful radios right next to their bodies eg police, the forces, taxi drivers. Why has there never been an outcry till now regarding the dangers of powerful radio signals, they have been around along time. I personally use a mobile as little as possible and on loudspeaker so it isn't quite so close to most of me and usually carry it on the outside pocket of my bag, there may be a problem with emissions but so many tests have drawn a blank, I know alot of people who use mobiles but none with any effects from it. I am not qualified in any way to comment on any scientific tests carried out or on any medical conditions but I do understand the physics mentioned in this statement being educated to BSc level in engineering and some experience working with radar systems.
Posted by Ed, 06 Jun 2008
Whew... EM Radiation is safe then!!
The original Panorama report was extremely tedious. Basically because it had no hard science what-so-ever. Presenting an argument that WiFi microwave radiation is more damaging to human health than mobile telephone emissions is superious.
There is hard science to show that certain people (like myself) with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to radiation in general. The problem then comes that in very recent times human beings have become enveloped in a smog of EM radiation 24/7. When we sleep the body repairs cellular damage - so the 24 hour part is significant. Mobile phone frequencies (e.g. 3G bandwidth), HF satellite broadcasts, Tetra private police frequencies, the mains loop in homes/offices, personal WiFi/hotspots, etc, etc. The list is endless. In Evolutionary terms these changes all happened overnight.
Sure background radiation is there all the time but does not have massive spikes of amplitude at certain frequencies... The very frequencies that can disrupt the very operation of the cells in plants and animals. Introducing free radicals in peoples bodies that have a weakened endocrine/immune system (a not insignificant number of people in the UK) is a longterm recipe for disaster...
A mechanism for studying living cells and quantifying the actual longterm cellular damage in plants, animals or humans has to be developed... Only by doing this can the effects of these individual and combined sources of "EM Smog" be determined...
Obviously a lot of people are very interested not to see this
happen. Vested interests and corporate greed will no doubt win out in the end... Helped by all the idiots who rushed to defend WiFi routers after the original broadcast... Sure you may feel fine in the "EM Smog" but what about your children and their children... etc. We are talking about slow effects here...
Bob
Posted by Mr Bluetooth, 16 Jun 2008