NPR Science Friday re; wireless - today - 2-4pm

Via Patricia Burke

Today 2-4 pm Eastern   11-2 Pacific  NPR Science Friday re; wireless

https://undark.org/article/cell-phone-radiation-health-safety/

Of Science, Certainty, and the Safety of Cell Phone Radiation

NPR's Science Friday 4/20: on 5G, 11 am -1 pm PST. Includes a discussion on health effects

 

How to cover an issue when the stakes for human health seem so high, scientific questions still linger, and passions run so deep?

Last week, President Trump announced a new initiative to push forward the implementation of 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity for smartphones and other devices. Under the plan, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will auction off sections of high-frequency radio spectrum, and pour more money into rural broadband connectivity—all in the name of winning an international race to build wireless networks that could be up to 100 times faster than the current generation, 4G LTE.

How is this faster speed possible, and how quickly will it become accessible to consumers? Washington Posttechnology reporter Brian Fung explains the innovations that would enable greater rates of data transmission—plus the current progress of both the U.S. and international rollout. (Read an F.A.Q. on what 5G is all about with Fung below.)

But Harold Feld, a lawyer and consumer advocate, says not everyone will benefit equally from 5G as plans currently stand—including rural communities.

One of the top technology candidates for 5G relies on higher frequencies and bringing more smaller-signal base stations much closer to the people using them. But what does research say about how it will affect human health? Researchers review what the literature has suggested so far about non-ionizing radiation from 2G and 3G, including a 2018 study from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) that found an increase in tumors for male rats. The NTP’s John Bucher and Jonathan Samet of the Colorado School of Public Health join Ira to discuss the data, and the limitations of research to date. Plus, toxicologist and epidemiologist Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust provides a statement on the health concerns of 5G.

sorry for short notice!