5 Tech Myths Debunked: Cell Phones Don't Cause Cancer & More
by Matt Smith
Myths are more common than most people will admit. They perpetuate
because they sound
like they could be true - and nobody has time to fact-check every last detail.
Eventually, as the myths are repeated time and time again, they sound more
factual than the truth.
Technology is as susceptible to myths as any other niche. The
complexity of the subject, combined with the rapid introduction of new,
unfamiliar innovations, creates a perfect breeding ground for misunderstanding.
Let's set these tech myths straight.
RAM Usage Is Bad
MakeUseOf will occasionally receive a question from a reader that
asks about how to reduce RAM
usage on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Their alarm is understandable. A
user browsing the web in Windows 7 might open their task manager to find over
six gigabytes of RAM used. "Ack!" they think, "no wonder my computer is so
slow!"
In truth, this relationship should be flipped on its head. RAM is
very, very quick. Mechanical hard drives and some forms of flash storage (like
most SD cards) are slow. By storing data that might be needed in RAM, a
computer can increase the load speed of frequently accessed software. If RAM is
not full of data, it's effectively doing nothing, so why have it sit
empty?
Smartphone users shouldn't worry for the same reason.
Background apps can negatively impact performance on an Android phone, but this
usually isn't because of memory. Instead, the culprit is usually an
app that's running in the background. Clearing memory appears to improve
performance only because the offending app is closed to free up space.
Improperly Unmounting A
USB Drive Will Delete Data
Windows has long sounded the alarm about improperly unmounting
disk drives. To this day, you may still receive warning messages when you
remove a drive that you haven't properly disabled through the operating system.
Given the alarm, you'd think that the consequences of disobeying would be
disastrous.
Not true. USB drives can be freely removed from a computer without
issue in most situations. I can attest to this personally. As part of my work,
I often have to move flash drives from one PC to the next, and I've never lost data from a
drive because of it.
So why the warning? Microsoft is playing it safe. Data corruption can occur, but only if
a USB drive is actively in use at the moment it is unplugged. Most users don't
do this. Still, Microsoft doesn't want to be on the hook for the 1-in-1000th time
it does occur.
And that's why the alarm is raised even when there's no fire.
You Don't Need An
Antivirus If You're Careful
Whenever I write an antivirus article I inevitably
receive a reply from some smart-alec who claims that you don't need an
antivirus if you're careful. Viruses come from infected files, right? So just
don't download them! You'll be fine.
Well, actually, that tech myths couldn't be more wrong.
A decade and a half ago, most viruses were distributed through infected files,
but they've become far more sophisticated since then. Worms, a
specific class of virus, can infect any vulnerable computer through networking
exploits. Other viruses spread using browser vulnerabilities. And still more
are designed to spread via USB drives or local networks.
Clever users might respond by claiming people don't have to worry
if their software is up to date. This too is no guarantee. Zero-day exploits
are common and even a patched system is a sitting duck. An antivirus may be
able to stop such an attack (even though it's unknown) by using heuristic
detection to raise the alarm when a file behaves suspiciously. Those without
antivirus, however, have no defense.
Cell Phones Cause Cancer
Many consumer technologies rely on energy and therefor emit or use
some form of radiation. Even radio waves are a form of radiation, and since
cell phones use them, there's been concern that having a source of radiation
close to our heads could cause cancer. This has been backed up by an alarming
report from the World Health Organization which
labeled cell phones a "Class B Carcinogen".
You'd expect that to be based on some fairly hefty evidence,
right? Actually, the WHO report is less damning than it sounds in headlines.
Class B simply means that a study has indicated that there might be a link, but the
link is too weak to be definitive. Meanwhile, numerous other studies have found
no link. This includes
a massive Danish study involving 350,000 people that was released in late
2011.
Further evidence against the risk of cancer can be found in what
we know of physics. Radiation comes in multiple forms, and humans only
need to worry about radiation energetic enough to damage DNA. Ultraviolet
rays from the sun, which can cause skin cancer, are over 400,000 times more
energetic than those emitted from cell phones. Low energy waves like radio
can't hurt DNA, and that means they can't cause cancer.
Everything Electronic
Causes Cancer
This means that what holds true for cell phones should hold true
for other wireless devices, as well. The rise of wireless networks has caused
distress about what all those waves bouncing through the atmosphere might do to
our cells. The answer is simple - nothing. Sleeping on a bed made of
wireless routers would be uncomfortable, but it's not going cause cancer.
Some users become concerned because of another alarming effect.
Heat. As electronics are used, they put out heat, and that heat is absorbed by
our bodies. That's why your thighs are warm after using a laptop.
Computers can be harmful if they're too hot, but the
problem isn't limited to electronics. Dermatologists have long known
that constant exposure to heat can cause scaly, discolored skin which is often
permanent. A hot computer can cause this - as can a heating blanket, seat
warmer, fireplace or oven.
While skin discoloration and minor burns can be a problem to a
handful of people, there's no evidence that normal, intermediate use of a
computer will cause cancer. The lesson from dermatology is simple. If something
is hot, don't hang around it too long.
Conclusion
This is merely a handful of tech myths. There are plenty more out
there, ranging from the believable to the utterly outrageous. Have you heard a
tech myth that you later found out wasn't true? Tell us about it in the
comments.
Image Credits: Laura
Billings, Unknown,
Arthur,
Ed
Yourdon
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