While some scientists warn of genetic damage, others say the dangers are all in the mind. Your cell phone can fry your brain. At least that's what the British government thinks. All handsets sold in the United Kingdom now include a tobacco-style health warning advising users to limit time spent on calls. Many countries in otherwise mobile-mad Europe are considering a ban on advertising aimed at children, while communities across the U.S. have rallied to oppose cellular base stations.
Scientific opinion is divided, except over the obvious danger of driving while talking or dialing.
There's mounting evidence that energy blasted out by antennae does affect the human body in measurable ways, but there's no proof that it is actually harmful. Despite numerous studies, no scientist has yet demonstrated a link between mobile phones and brain cancer-the problem for which they are most often blamed, perhaps unjustly. But it isn't just phones, and it isn't just the brain. A loophole in U.S. law allows these data devices to avoid the strict safety standards applied to phones, even though they're often held next to the organs most easily damaged by radiation. If you plan to have children, you should do some research before putting a powerful microwave source in your lap.