Gamma, Gamma, Go-Go Pod Brain

An Unexpected Odyssey in the Realms of INEQEX

I love my Apple AirPods pro. I have used them merrily for years now. Without question, they are, bar none, the best listening experience I have ever had.

This is why I was so disappointed to stumble into the following video, which claims the AirPods Pro release rather superfluous levels of EMF.

There are articles dating back to 2017 raising concerns about the radiation coming from Apple AirPods. Regulatory agencies recognize that too much EMF radiation exposure is harmful, which is why they put in place limits like Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR, which products like cell phones are legally required to disclose.

It is always possible that there are unforeseen consequences from exposure to all manner of environmental contaminants, including radio, television, 5G and other newfangled paraphernalia. Both Marie Curie and her husband Pierre allowed themselves to be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation before they realized what they were dealing with. There are examples of early uses of X-Rays to help get the perfect shoe fit. Or the engineer who noticed an early microwave transmitter could melt the chocolate bar in his pocket. We know that poorly understood ramifications of technology can have negative consequences when not taken seriously enough. The history of Margarine is a lesson to all.

Yet again we find ourselves in a situation where I can find an abundance of arguments supporting either theory I prefer on the Internet. Indeed, confirmation bias ensures that this precisely is what all of us do. Humans decide what we want to believe, then we seek our resources to buttress our thinking.

But I want the truth.

In the video that started it all, the speaker is holding RF meters. The device on the left is the Acousticom 2 Microwave Radiation Detector. It makes the beeps and clicking noises in response to the RF signal. It displays the peak levels of electromagnetic fields from 200 MHz up to more than 8000 MHz (8 GHz). This is a similar video using a similar device where you see the device more clearly and hear the clicking noises in the presence of an RF source. 

The other device is Extech 480836: RF EMF Strength Meter, an RF Meter for measurements in the 50 MHz to 3.5 GHz frequency range.

These are precise devices, and so it’s no surprise that they picking up a signal. Bluetooth does work over the Radio Frequency spectrum at 2.4 GHz (2400 to 2483.5 MHz) which is within the range of both of these meters.

But this is a typical hand-held Geiger counter:

It is used to detect the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei which emits the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically shorter than those of X-rays, with frequencies above 30 exahertz (3×1019 Hz). It’s really for gamma rays.

Gamma rays are on the extreme high end of the EMF spectrum, on the opposite side of visible light from Bluetooth's frequency, which is in the microwave range of frequencies.

None of this means I am qualified to assess the health risks of the RF signal from wearing Airpods over long periods. But in a world where the best I can do is trust that there are professionals whose job it is to assess the health risks of technology such as this, I am increasingly skeptical. The FCC, like all Platonism, sounds like a great idea on paper. But hope is not a strategy unless you’re counting on the promises of Jesus.

People are rarely malicious or enthusiastically evil. As a rule, they are only weak. They follow incentive. There are good reasons why makers of Bluetooth technology have incentive for users to live long, happy lives. More so, it would be silly to think we shall find clear information in anecdotal write-ups and videos on the Internet. But, when the best you can do is trust that the government and industry can protect you, it is a good time to remember that Jesus knows.

All the days. All the paths. They are written in his book.

That said, I have a long habit of not standing next to microwaves. If I’m going to be consistent, I probably need to look next at what it takes to get a good set of Air Tubes.

Or maybe I’ll just make more of my own music for a time.