Are mobile phones safe?

Wireless technologies such as mobile telephones, wi-fi and Bluetooth, bring enormous benefits and convenience. And, with the exception of accidents caused by inattention, there have been no cases of any harm arising from use of this technology. Yet doubts remain. 

Since the communications frequencies used are known to be hazardous at high power many have asked whether the technology is absolutely safe at the low power levels used in practice. This talk looks at the issues involved from first principles, and the relevance of the Specific Energy Absorption Rate (SAR) is discussed and demonstrated.

Michael de Podesta received a B.Sc. (1981) and D.Phil. (1985) in Physics from the University of Sussex. After postdoctoral work at Bristol University he was appointed a lecturer at Birkbeck College in 1987 and lectured there and at University College London until 2000. 

In 2000 he moved to NPL where his work is mainly connected with thermal issues of all kinds including but not limited to: fundamental work in measuring the Boltzmann Constant; representing the UK on international committees; practical acoustic thermometry; optical fibre measurements of the temperature of molten steel; and thermography. 

Additionally he is an active Science Ambassador and, together with a large team of volunteer helpers, runs the Protons for Breakfast course. In June 2009 he was awarded an M.B.E. for Services to Science.