Health updates: Cell phone effects and why we cry

The following is new information on how cell phones affect the body and why we cry.

Cell phone effects now seen in thermographic imaging

Now for the first time, through the use of thermographic imaging, scientists can see the changes taking place internally after just a 15-minute phone call. Instead of dominant “cool” blues and greens that show up when you are not affected by cell phone radiation, after 15 minutes of cell use, reds, yellows and oranges can be seen which graphically display internal heating of your tissues and cells.

The jury is still out on how damaging these effects can be, but many physicians and scientists are suggesting that the heavy use of cell phones may be a serious health risk and are now urging people to use headsets to keep the antenna away from the brain. Time will tell whether there is any “safe” limit for cell phone use.

Until recently, scientists believed that cell phone-related interference with brainwaves and brain chemistry ended when the call ended. Now they know it can last for up to an hour.

New theory for why we cry

According to many scientists, crying is an evolved behavior exclusive to humans, but no one knows exactly why we developed the capacity to cry.

People shed tears when in pain, but what is the purpose of crying? A scientist proposes a new theory for why crying evolved: tears can act as a handicap to show that you have lowered your defenses. By blurring vision, tears reliably function as signals of submission and a cry for help.

The shedding of tears due to emotions is unique to humans. In the past, researchers suggested that crying helps carry stressful chemicals away from the body and that it allows babies to signal health problems.

However, when tears blur vision, they can also handicap aggressive behavior. As such, tears signal vulnerability, a strategy that can emotionally bind others closer to you. The use of tears could be to build and strengthen personal relationships.

Sources: Live Science August 28, 2009, Evolutionary Psychology 2009; 7(3): 363-370 [Free Full-Text PDF Report] and www.mercola.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 5, Oct/Nov 2009.