Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

[Phys-l] Your comment(s) please.



Dr. H!

The below is in response to a New Scientist article I posted on the PHYS-L list. One may read all, archived.



https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/archives/2006/06_2006/msg00212.html



https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/archives/2006/07_2006/msg00024.html



bc


He may have asked hospitals to report -- still anecdotal study, but the
more anecdotes collected the more likely valid.


Unfortunately the more anecdotes does not necessarily make it more valid.
This is one of the big problems with anecdotal evidence and is why it must
be confirmed by statistical evidence. Humans are very good at manufacturing
patterns where none really exist. There have been plenty of medical
practices that doctors have anecdotally reported to work, but in the end
they have been discredited by statistical studies.

And of course we are all working from conjectures gleaned from information
from the popular press. So why should metal produce greater injury? At
first glance one would think it would either have no effect, or the
opposite. After all a steel frame around you provides the path of least
resistance so that the current does not tend to go through you. One
possible explanation might be that the lower resistance of the metal object
might have more current flow through it preferentially and it might then
heat up and produce local burning. Cell phones are mainly plastic on the
outside and do not have large amounts of metal so it is hard to see how they
have much effect. What about dental fillings?

So far I think there has been plenty of smoke and mirrors, but little hard
evidence. Unfortunately it is easy to convince the public with this type of
evidence.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l