Prompt's TechBlog

A friend of mine has a theory about the emergence of the chav. He believes that extended mobile phone use has caused tumours and damage to the brains of these people, leading them to act, talk and dress in a particular way. The reason for this theory? 'Chavs are always on their phones, aren't they?'

Clearly this is absolute hokum, lacking any kind of scientific basis or logic, but it's difficult, and infuriating, to argue with him - he just claims that there's no real evidence that says he's wrong.

So thank you Professor Naohito Yamaguchi of the Tokyo Women's Medical University. Professor Yamaguchi was lead researcher in a study that examined the effects of hand set radiation levels on the three main parts of the brain. The team compared 322 brain cancer patients with 683 healthy people and discovered no increased risk of brain cancer from regular mobile phone use.

The brain cancer patients all suffered from one of three types of tumour - glioma, meningioma, and pituitary adenoma. The researchers rated the participants according to daily mobile use and the number of years they had used a mobile phone. They also studied the radiation emitted from each phone and ranked the devices according to radiation strength. No connection between the devices and cancer could be found.

The anti-phone groups are unconvinced. Campaign group Mast Sanity claims that the research indentified an 'increase in glioma on the side of the head where the phone is used'. The research team put this down to reporting bias, but Mast Sanity believes it is evidence that can't be ignored.

It's a win for the pro-phones though, but more importantly it's a win for me. Forget the implications to society - I'm just looking forward to the next time I go for a drink with my friend and he claims there is no evidence to refute his theory.