When Shoes Were Fit with X-Rays

Re:When Shoes Were Fit with X-Rays by IggleSniggle on Tuesday January 01, 2019 @02:21PM (#18801734)

WHO has classified as “possibly carcinogenic,” which means “we don’t know, it’s hard to prove a negative.” Other things that WHO has classified as “possibly carcinogenic” are coffee, power-lines, and talc powder.

In other words, we haven’t proven that there isn’t a risk, and it’s worth doing more research to try and discover if there is a risk because it would be a pretty big deal if there is...but it’s not an easy thing to control for.

I don’t think we’ll have an answer to this during this century, unless it conclusively _does_ cause harm (current studies indicate that it does not).

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Re:When Shoes Were Fit with X-Rays by martin-adams on Tuesday January 01, 2019 @05:47PM (#18802895)

I think that is why I put these in the 50 year category before we'll know more confidently either way. Where we don't have a direct way to control the outcome because it's hard to simulate real word effects in a short period of time, we might see more causation effects over a 50 year period.

That said, I'm not saying they are carcinogenic, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. Short answer, I don't hold the phone near my head, I leave it out of my jeans pocket as much as possible, and have it on flight mode at night.

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Re:When Shoes Were Fit with X-Rays by userbinator on Tuesday January 01, 2019 @04:03PM (#18802346)

talc powder

Given the recent news about there being small bits of asbestos mixed in, one has to wonder if that was the actual reason for it being on the list.

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