So Cellphones Cause Cancer, Right? That Ain't What Science Says

(gentle music)

According to a lot of grandparents out there,

this is a very dangerous situation.

Cell phones give you cancer, they say.

Eat your vegetables, they say.

What year is it, they say.

The worry is that cell phones emit radiation

and that is certainly true, but the radio waves

that cell phones emit are low energy

as opposed to x-rays, which are high energy.

X-rays, of course, can damage your DNA,

but not radio waves.

Interestingly, radio waves can heat up tissue,

but nowhere near hot enough to cook your ear

or your brain, for that matter.

Now, how about studies?

Health organizations agree.

Research has found no conclusive link

between cell phone use and cancer.

For instance, in 2010, one study called Interphone

found no correlation and you might have heard

about a particular study last year that suggested

that cell phone radiation causes tumors in rats.

But the scientists said the critters

with up to seven times the amount of radiation

you would get from a cell phone.

I'm sorry you had to hear that, Oreo.

And do keep in mind that rats are considerably smaller

than human beings, which is all to say

you can reassure your grandparents that so far,

scientists have found no link between cell phone use

and cancer.

And maybe reassure them you're eating your vegetables too.

They'll like that.