Toxic Treadmill

The Health Impacts of Electromagnetic Radiation (Wi-Fi, Mobiles etc.)

An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Electromagentism

This introduction has been prepared as an accompaniment to an explanation of the detrimental health effects of exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation as used in wireless communication.

What is Electromagnetic Energy?

It's important to acknowledge that, at the most fundamental level, we don't know what we're talking about. The names and labels attached to things, and their effects, are just symbolic placeholders used for communication. Science has developed a very good understanding of what is going on and how things work, and mathematics is used effectively to describe and predict what will happen in very intricate ways. However, things like fields and energy are human constructs, designed to help us understand and manipulate the phenomena we experience as the external world. In essence, nobody knows what they are, just what they do. The language used to describe them can introduce troublesome conceptual issues. For example, saying a field permeates space, or even that it is the 'fabric' of reality, invokes a conceptual tangibility.

Now, I know what water permeating fabric can feel like. Fabric is a thing I can see, touch, and manipulate. And I know what water is made from. So, saying a field permeates space suggests that there is some stuff present in that space, but there isn't. We also think about space as empty, but that's not true either; there's something there, but it isn't stuff. Weird, huh? Some people don't hung up on this, they skip on, learn equations and heuristic language, and spend an entire lifetime working with fields without worrying about what they are. Or they simply accept that reality is not made of stuff, but scattered, non-physical information. It's important to acknowledge that many of us do get hung up here. Is a field in space, or is space a field? And what exactly is being farmed there? If the essence of everything is information, how is it stored? If we don't know what a field is made from, or what it is, what exactly are all these sentences and equations referring to? As with most things, we end up in infinite regress and circular arguments. Ultimately, we have to accept a conceptual paradox.

To probe deeper, you'd need to study post-doctorate level physics. Even then, there's plenty of debate, discussion, and disagreement among world experts. Perhaps this indicates something of great importance; we don't understand reality. Not individually, not collectively, and not scientifically. There's a mystery at the heart of everything we experience, and we should never forget that. It's unlikely that we'll ever gain complete knowledge because at the most fundamental level, we are only left with abstract ideas and concepts, notwithstanding their usefulness to us. However, therein lies the problem. We can use our conceptual understanding to do things, but there will always be uncertainty about unknown effects, especially with complex, multi-system interactions. And that has implications for health and wellbeing.

Electricity and Electromagnetism

Electricity is the movement of charged particles, giving rise to an electric current. Some definitions state that these charged particles are called electrons and these are the main types of charged particle flowing in electric circuits that power our homes, cars, and devices. However, this is only part of the picture. Any ion flow can transfer charge and carry a measurable current. For example, electrolyte solutions (e.g. brine -> Na+ / Cl-), biological systems and cells (e.g. trans-membrane ion movements -> K+, Na+, Ca2+, Cl- etc.), plasma (dual flows of electrons and cations such as H+, He+, O2+, Fe2+), and solid state batteries (Li+).

Key measures include amperes (amps) which indicate the strength of the electric current flowing, and voltage (volts) which is how much potential energy exists between two points. It's important to note that voltage alone is not electricity, but an indication of potential. It could be thought of as a chocolate bar with a set number of calories of stored energy, but it doesn't become energy until eaten (and metabolized); how much energy is converted, and what it does, will depend on multiple other variables involved in the system.

Electromagnetism involves the relationship between electric charges and their influence on the space surrounding them.

Electricity is the flow of electric charge. However, the influence of electric charge extends into the surrounding space, and this creates a field of influence—an electric field. The electric field, created by electric charge, will exist whether it is in flux or not; stationary electric charges, like that held in a battery, can have an electric field. In other words, an electric field exists where there is a difference in electrical potential across an area of space, and any charged particle within that space will experience a force.

Electric Current Visualization

The above illustration shows how an electric current passing through a conductor (e.g. a copper wire) creates both an electric field, and a magnetic field. Both extend far beyond the wire. The actual extension of these fields will vary, but they can extend a considerable distance, usually weakening with distance from the conducting material.

Electric fields can be shielded using a conductive material wrapped around the cable and connected to earth (a Faraday cage). This helps prevent the field from extending beyond the shielding, and reduces interference from outside electric fields. Shielding from a magnetic field is done by using material with high magnetic permeability which redirects field lines, preventing them from extending beyond the shielded area. (Magnetic permeability is a measure of how easily a material will align with an applied magnetic field; how easily the magnetic moments of its particles align).

The AC option will show how all of this begins to oscillate when the current itself oscillates. In reality, this motion will be much faster than depicted here. For example, a 60Hz AC electric current will complete sixty full cycles of oscillation per second. A full cycle means returning to its initial state.

Magnetic fields require moving electric charge (as per the green field lines above), or a magnetic material with particles that have permanently aligned magnetic moments (as per the interactive illustration below).

Magnetic Domain Simulation

This simulation shows a magnetic domain consisting of individual magnetic moments (arrows). Magnetic moments are vector values arising from the combined strength and direction of charges within a particle. The arrow points in the direction of flow of the force, which runs from magnetic south and points to magnetic north.

When aligned, the moments point in the same direction, indicating a magnetized state. When disordered, the moments point in random directions, representing a demagnetized state.

Please don't toggle too fast. This will confuse the moments and cause disarray!
(Please refresh your page if this happens.)

In summary, both electric fields and magnetic fields are created by charges:

• Electric fields are created by moving or stationary charges.
• Magnetic fields are created by moving charges (currents) or the intrinsic properties of charged particles, such as their spin or orbital motion (which make up the total magnetic moment).
• Electric fields can be detected by the force they exert on any charge, while magnetic fields are detected by their influence on moving charges or magnetic dipoles.

Electromagnetic Wave Animation

Photons and Electromagnetic Waves

Interactive demonstration of amplitude, pulse, modulation, and polarization

Electromagnetic waves have numerous variable qualities, with potential for highly complex combinations. All consist of photons, which are a conceptualization of the smallest indivisible unit of energy carried by the wave. While photons are often depicted as small dots or balls, this is not what they are; they are less distinct. Photons have no mass, and no volume, they are a measure of energy. Their exact nature is still open to debate, and doubt has been cast on the double-slit experiment with the 'discovery' of dark photons, so their wave / particle nature may be revised at some point.

The adjustable animation is intended as a conceptual illustration, the measures used are not scaled or scientifically accurate; a 1 watt LED bulb would emit roughly 5000 photons per complete wave cycle, or 500 trillion photons per second. While the examples used correlate with light waves, the concepts apply to the whole electromagnetic spectrum, including the radiation used for wireless and mobile communications.

Further helpful concepts

Dielectric

Dipoles

Language

Electricity

The word 'electricity' is derived from the Greek word 'elektron' which was a name given to amber because it can produce static charges when rubbed. Elektron is thought to derive from Phoenician 'elekron', meaning shining light. Ancient reference to El is often associated with the sun (considered a god by many cultures, similar to Ra in Egypt), so things involving brightness and light would be associated with it. Interestingly, 'kron' has linguistic connections to time and crown (krone, chronological, krona, kron), both things associated with the sun. The crown being the sun's corona (from an ancient word for garland or wreath), and the passage of the sun through the sky inspiring early observations and measures of time.

Magnet

The word 'magnet' is derived from a region of Greece called Magnesia where an ancient people called the Magnetes once lived. This area was situated between Mount Ossa and Mount Pelion, a mountainous region of coastline overlooking the Aegean Sea, and was the source of rock that had magnetic properties (lodestone). Mount Pelion is in a modern region also called Magnesia, but this region occupies a different space from the original, albeit with some overlapping areas.

Electric v electronic v electrical