Wednesday, November 25, 2009

PD? Phone Home...


As a naturally paranoid person, I've long suspected that my beloved cell phone is frying my brain. Quite the opposite, says this uncharacteristically cheery post from Viartis. According to the brief story there,
"...long term use of mobile phones actually reduced rather than increased the likelihood of Parkinson's Disease and dementia by 30% to 40%. The researchers offer no reason why this might be."

The explanation? Who knows? The theory is that the effect results from low strength magnetic fields produced by cell phones, similar to those used in experimental treatments now underway. And why, you ask, should magnetic fields have such an effect? I have no clue. Ask a neurophysicist. Preferably via cell call.

What I do know is people with Parkinson's can now add heavy cell phone usage to smoking, drinking coffee, and eating dark chocolate to the list of vices we wish had indulged in more often. Its unjust, it's annoying, it's downright weird. But we can console ourselves with this: At least Hitler didn't have a cell phone.

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