It is not surprising then that the Air Force is already keenly aware of these problems, and has a number of projects under way to discover the exact effects of high-intensity radar pulses and microwaves on human and animal tissue. These projects are being carried out at our major universities, each specializing in one particular frequency. For example, the project at the University of California, under the direction of Prof. Charles Susskind, is primarily investigating the effects of 3-CM radar energy.
Test subjects are mice, ants, and yeast cells.
Thermal Effects Of great importance, and therefore under intensive investigation, are the thermal effects of such waves, and these have been measured rather precisely under a variety of conditions. It was found that the major heating effect took place immediately under the skin, but of course heat generated there is rapidly distributed through the body. The temperature of the mice was monitored continuously. The photograph shows zoologist Susan Prausnitz monitoring the temperature of a mouse suspended in the wire cage right in front of the waveguide just visible on the left. The mouse is slowly rotated to insure even radiation over the entire body.