Specific Absorption Rate?

[Penguin-Guru]

I'm not very familiar with how this works but I am curious how the Pyra will compare to mass market electronics like cellphones, Game Boys, and pagers. There are some people who are very paranoid about radio exposure and I, for one, am too lazy to sort through all the scientific studies to formulate an opinion of my own. I imagine at least one or two other people are or will eventually also be curious about this. Does anyone know whether SAR testing will be a part of the CE/FCC testing E.D. mentioned recently? The Wikipedia article for SAR says that maximum ratings are defined by those organisations, but I don't know how how precise the certification tests will be.

Commentary on whether or not this should actually be a point of concern is welcome.

 

[slaeshjag]

A professor at my university did a thesis on this subject eons ago, regarding on what effects low energy RF has on humans or life in general. Basically, we don't know "you're all guinea pigs".

I'm not too concerned, I'll mostly keep it near large hunks of flesh with lots of mass to absorb the mostly small bursts. If you're paranoid, get a (wired) headset if you talk into the phone much. Might be a good idea to get one regardless, if dignity is of your concern.

 

[levi]

Ah, so this is about radio heating affects, and other possible affects on the human body. I'd expect government testing to be pretty exacting. I do wonder if the Pyra will be tested as a phone, because it's been seen that theoretically at least there is a way to taco-talk on it. I don't expect very many people at all to actually use it that way though, and instead hold it in their hands or put it in their pocket while talking on a headset.

Interesting reading about microwave hearing effects linked from that page. It's not something I've ever experienced to my knowledge though.

 

[TrashyMG]

lead lined suit to be extra safe.

 

[Grench]

Meh - don't use lead. Spin tiny gold threads with cotton into a set of full body underwear. Personal Faraday cage. New meaning to under armor.

 

[TrashyMG]

Meh - don't use lead. Spin tiny gold threads with cotton into a set of full body underwear. Personal Faraday cage. New meaning to under armor.

Wow you can afford gold thread and a Prototype pyra...

 

[Penguin-Guru]

I'm not actually that paranoid (about this), I figure I've already spent enough time on phones and around radio towers to do any harm likely to be done. That said, knowing the actual rating would provide some closure and an interesting comparison to mass market engineering. Also, I have a friend who bought a phone specifically because of its low SAR rating, just on principle. I'll post a few links in case you all are interested. It may all be ridiculous scare-mongering but some people definitely believe it. I haven't really looked too deeply either way, just thought it was interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_hypersensitivity

https://www.rfsafe.com/bluetooth-radiation-dangerous-cell-phone-radiation/

http://www.electricsense.com/1010/b...-learn-nowhere-else-–-is-it-really-dangerous/

http://www.electricsense.com/10088/dirty-electricity-dave-stetzer/

http://www.bioinitiative.org/table-of-contents/

http://citizensforsafetechnology.co/uploads/scribd/Manzetti_&_Johansson_2012.pdf

https://www.jrselectrohealth.com/about-jrs/

 

[Grench]

Are there actually any cases where someone without instrumentation can reliably 'detect electricity' on a statistically significant basis? Like what a cell phone's radio emits - yes, we can all hear the high tension wires when we walk under them.

 

[canseco]

From the wikipedia link:

A systematic review in 2005 showed no convincing scientific evidence for symptoms being caused by electromagnetic fields.[2] Since then several double-blind experiments have shown that people who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity are unable to detect the presence of electromagnetic fields and are as likely to report ill health following a sham exposure as they are following exposure to genuine electromagnetic fields, suggesting the cause in these cases to be the nocebo effect.

 

[Penguin-Guru]

That is reassuring, but what exactly did the study test? Some amount of some kind of E.M. exposure is obviously significant, but I haven't found any conclusive information on those tolerances. In the back of my mind, I can't help but worry about E.M. effects on physiology, since I don't really know much about either and they are both important to me. It's not like this will actually affect my Pyra purchase and use, but I am curious.

 

[TrashyMG]

I'd worry more about that large star 1.496×10^8 km away from Earth which is producing a ton of harmful radiation.

 

[Penguin-Guru]

I mean, there isn't much to do about that... The power level by frequency would definitely be different from a pocket device, and it's not like radiation from the sun somehow negates radiation from other sources. At least not to my rudimentary knowledge of physics.

 

[sm0kew0n]

I mean, there isn't much to do about that

Put a hat on....

 

[Grench]

I'd worry more about that large star 1.496×10^8 km away from Earth which is producing a ton of harmful radiation.

I have this great new product! It uses existing technology! It transports energy without wires! It generates enough power to fuel the entire planet with up to 10 times the current population level! The fuel source will not deplete itself for billions of years! It can regulate the Earth's temperature! It converts matter directly to energy!

 

[JonnyH]

I have this great new product! It uses existing technology! It transports energy without wires! It generates enough power to fuel the entire planet with up to 10 times the current population level! The fuel source will not deplete itself for billions of years! It can regulate the Earth's temperature! It converts matter directly to energy!

All yours for the low cost of 1.989 × 10^30 kg Hydrogen!

 

[slaeshjag]

Where can I buy one?

 

[Grench]

Where can I buy one?

They are free for the taking. Local pickup only.

 

[Binky]

Radio/microwave emissions from consumer-grade telecoms kit are definitely not a problem. Wifi is limited to 100mW transmission power, and only half of that is going towards you. The most that will happen is that your blood will get heated at a rate of 50mW or so (you're heating yourself at a thousand times that right now, just by being alive).
Most importantly, microwaves are not ionising.

As people above point out, you should be far more worried about UV exposure from the sun (which is ionising, and delivers vastly more power) - or crossing the road, if it comes to that.

One thing that genuinely can have odd psychological effects is high frequency audio emissions from poorly designed electronics. Some cheap switchmode power supplies whine right on the upper limit of my hearing range, and are really very unpleasant to sit near for long periods of time.

 

[levi]

Yeah, I've had quite a few PSUs that whistle when scrolling text especially.

 

[sm0kew0n]

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2128534-should-you-worry-about-heavy-phone-use-causing-cancer/