Demagoguery and Science Illiteracy

Sen. Joe Biden has charged:

"If you care about [children with disabilities], why don't you support stem cell research?"

Where to begin...

Republicans do not oppose stem cell research. (Some) oppose embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cell research is as popular as ever among Republicans and conservatives.

What's the difference? Well, the former destroys a tiny human being, and the latter has shown actual results.

And neither would do much to help a whole host of birth defects including the one currently in the spotlight -- Down's Syndrome.

Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

There are those who think so. The thing is, cell phones operate on radio frequencies. The human body produces higher energy radiation than radio (i.e., infrared). Visible light is also higher energy than radio. In fact, you have to go to ultraviolet before you get electromagnetic radiation that affects human cells -- specifically, sunburn.

In this article, the researcher also talks about "electromagnetic fields" -- that bogey man from the late 80s. They've been shown again and again to cause no harm, but some people just can't let it go.

I can think of lots of reasons to turn off your cell phone. Cancer isn't one of them.

(Thus ends a glimpse of my day job.)