Hi Wendy, Have a look at this link : http://www.cinemablend.com/technology/Airplane-Mode-Not-A-Guarantee-For-iPhone-Use-6801.html
In theory any wireless communications are disabled in this mode, but that doesn't mean this has been accepted by all the authorities. From a physics perspective radio waves penetration is not causing significant damage. http://library.thinkquest.org/27930/spectrum.htm Mobile telephones Main article: Mobile phone radiation and health Mobile phone radiation and health concerns have been raised, especially following the enormous increase in the use of wireless mobile telephony throughout the world (as of August 2005, there were more than 2 billion users worldwide).Mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range, and some[35] believe this may be harmful to human health. These concerns have induced a large body of research (both epidemiological and experimental, in non-human animals as well as in humans). Concerns about effects on health have also been raised regarding other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks. The World Health Organization, based upon the consensus view of the scientific and medical communities, states that health effects (e.g. headaches or promotion of cancer) are unlikely to be caused by cellular phones or their base stations,[36][37] and expects to make recommendations about mobile phones in October 2009.[38] Taken from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation_and_health Besides this, your question raises some interesting issues. If there were health reasons sufficient enough for the government to force use to switch our phones off, then surely phones are not save and as such should be made illegal. If on the other hand they are save then why are they worried. My feeling is that the truth is somewhere in between. Personally I like to use my earphones when possible to give a little bit of distance between my head and the phones transmitter. It wouldn't surprise me at all if in 20 years time they come up with irrefutable evidence that mobile phone radiation is harmful to ones health. Not that long ago Radium was included in all kinds of beauty products (http://itotd.com/articles/654/the-discovery-of-radium/). Quite a lot of people who are smarter then me had a look at this and haven't come up with conclusive evidence sufficient enough to convince the government of the possible risks involved. In the end you have to make up your own mind what and who you believe. Also bear in mind just because you switch your phone off, there is still the rest of us who haven't. Have fun Alex On 15 Apr 2010, at 23:07, Wendy S. Austin wrote: > > Good morning all > > There has been some 'discussion' at work about leaving phones in the > 'Airplane Mode'. According to the health and safety people (Australian > Government Department), even when phones are in that mode, dangerous things > can happen to people using headset telephones should a call come in. This > seems illogical to me as I thought once the phone was in 'Airplane Mode' the > telephone part of the phone was turned off completely thereby making it just > an iPod sort of thing, if you get my drift. > > I have done some searching on the internet about this but can't seem to find > any answers. Does anyone here have any knowledge about it? At the moment > we are required to turn our phones off completely when in any area where > headsets are used, not allowed to put it into 'Airplane Mode'. > > With thanks. > > Wendy > in Hobart > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Unsubscribe - <mailto:wamug-unsubscr...@wamug.org.au> > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Unsubscribe - <mailto:wamug-unsubscr...@wamug.org.au>
