[TowerTalk] High tension lines

[K6XN]

Alan and Team

I hope nobody will be offended by what I am about to say...if so...please
don't take it personally or just hit the delete key.

Many of these alleged "High Tension Studies" appear to suffer from the well
known illogic characterized in Law for hundreds of years as "post hoc ergo
propter hoc"...or..."after the fact therefore on account of the fact"
illogic. You experience this illogic every day by alleged experts, all
politicians, almost every con artist and every day TV advertising. It is
akin to a Jedi mind trick (remember Star Wars?) and works very well...this
is why it is used so often.

An illustration of this is the following example:

"It has been proven by thousands of tests that the beating of tom toms after
an eclipse will restore the sun".  

The above appeared on a sign posted on the first cyclotron I saw at the
University of California to remind scientists and grad students to not get
sucked into the illogic demonstrated by others at the time regarding various
ultimately discredited "scientific findings" (this was in the early 60's).

There may be a relationship between 50 Hz and or 60 Hz power line magnetic
fields and/or any other alleged disease (including but not limited to
cancer) but many of these "studies" wont pass the burst of laughter test
when examined for proof of causality other than "post hoc ergo propter hoc"
illogic as in the example of the use of tom tops to restore the sun.  :-)

73, Ted, K6XN

PS Perhaps we should all keep our tom toms handy...they may also work to
protect us from the 50 Hz...or was it the 60Hz alleged evil power line
cancer inducing powers and magic....and pass the Watneys...or was it
Guiness?? (room temperature 807s to you Yanks)  :-)  

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Alan NV8A
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 10:40 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Cc: Craig Clark
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] High tension lines

Perhaps somewhere in my collection of clippings I still have the article 
I found many years ago in the reputable UK _Wireless World_ publication 
(which has since changed its name, I think). I don't recall the author's 
name, but he argued that the confusing findings in studies of possible 
correlation between proximity to HV lines and the incidence of cancer 
was due to the failure to distinguish between 50Hz transmission systems 
and those using 60Hz. Somewhere between those frequencies, he argued, 
was some crucial turning point in the effect on the human body.

Alan NV8A


On 08/15/06 06:30 am Craig Clark wrote:

> With all due respect, there has not been a correlation of cancer to 
> high tension lines. In 1979, Brodeur wrote "The Zapping of America" 
> where he tried to correlate cancers to proximity to high tension 
> lines and electrical substations. He followed up with several other 
> long screeds in the New Yorker Magazine on the same subject. All were 
> long on emotion but short on science.
> 
> At Ham Radio Magazine, we supported quite a bit of research on RF 
> radiation and cancers working with some of the best in the field of 
> radio and  epidemiology. As I remember, this was the area Overbeck 
> was most concerned about due to his activity on the VHF/UHF 
> bands.  What we found was that non-ionizing radiation was unlikely to 
> cause any form of cancer. This is what you have around power lines 
> and HF amateur radio stations.
> 
> I know nothing about the medical reasons of susceptibility to 
> cancer.  I do know that Brodeur was manipulating facts to prove his point.
> 
> Finally, I personally would not locate my ham station anywhere near a 
> high tension line.
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