On Mon, 27 Apr 2009, Lux, James P wrote:
There are so many physics things wrong with this, it's hard to know where to start.
Well said, top to bottom. I would make two tiny exceptions. One is that if high voltage arcs (even weakly) around insulators under the right circumstances, it spits out high energy broad spectrum noise that can induce arcs in other nearby near-circuits with enough cross-sectional area. Arcs (intermittant or otherwise) aren't unknown, and even relatively low voltage/current arcs give off enough energy to cause "static" noise on radios or (possibly) induce spiky overvoltages in nearby places where there are large conducting loops. So "radiation" no, but RF noise maybe. The other I haven't actually heard of in the literature, but perhaps you have. If there is arcing or a heavy corona in the vicinity of sharp points exposed to air, it does seem like the immediate vicinity of the defect might be able to produce e.g. ozone and/or nitrous oxide, both of them more dense than air, both of them highly oxidative (and hence capable of damaging tissue). Granted that epidemiological studies show marginal results at best -- more anecdotal evidence than anything reproducible -- I've often wonder if the little signal that might or might not be buried in the noise might not be due to collateral damage caused by chemistry locally catalyzed by the power line, not "radiation". Toxic molecules created by the large store of free energy, which might only happen at all at "problem" sites -- places where there is a defect that permits arcing -- and hence PRODUCE a spotty, anecdotal signal that disappears on studies involving well-maintained lines or varies seasonally enough to wash out the primary signal. Because this alternate explanation for an association between HV power lines and cancer occurred to me some time ago, I've tried to keep an open mind on the issue. Maybe you know of somebody that has looked into it and eliminated this possibility? I know that the signal itself is very weak (although studies that get what SHOULD be statistically significant results are not unknown, one is reduced to worrying about methodology). rgb Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:r...@phy.duke.edu _______________________________________________ Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf@beowulf.org sponsored by Penguin Computing To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf
