Let’s review – at one point scientists’ wives made them stop playing with their cellphones so they declared them to be damaging brains. The “official” news flew across the globe; nobody cared. Then, just like it was announced, they were again harmless. Then there were some independent studies showing they kind of did, when they really didn’t, as we will have found out later. Now however, it seems they most certainly do although chances are nobody will care, just like the first time.

The latest studies and, surprisingly enough, cellphone instruction manuals, once again say that cellphones might damage your brain. In fact, Blackberry creator RIM advises you to keep a distance  of about one inch, whereas Apple says no less than 5/8 inches, most probably because sucking your brains out has to include some proximity, otherwise iPad sales crash.

Apparently, brain-related cancer cases have not increased since the cellphones have arrived, yet a strange occurrence captured the scientists’ attention. Namely, 20-to-29 age group has seen an increase in the number of brain cancers whereas it dropped in the older population.

University of Washington’s Henry Lai has a hefty database related to radiation and damaged brain DNA and he pointed out an interesting thing – only 28% studies with cellphone industry funding show that there is some effect on the brain, whereas the same is found in 67% of independently funded studies.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we can just say that the industry, or most industries are corrupt, because that would be rude. We do however stand in awe of the in the big picture - species that is willing to pay much attention to what are only minute risks, while ignoring actual risks like wars, famine and ourselves. 

More here.