Re: Microwaves for You (SMTP Id#: 510) - Reply

["William G. Nabor" <wgnabor@uci.edu>]

In Message Fri, 7 Mar 97 10:03:50 -0600,
  Bob Flood <bflood@slac.stanford.edu> writes:

><snip>
>Anyway, wouldn't the body respond to a microwave-induced higher temperature
>in the same way it does to a fever?
>
Uh, no.  During a fever the body adjusts its internal thermostat higher and
allows the internal temperature to increase above 98.6F (to, say, 102F - a
decent fever temperature).  It does this by shivering and not sweating.
Exposures to microwaves ought to cause the body to act like severe sun
exposure: heat stroke at one extreme end and a mild feeling of warmth at the
other extreme.
     As for the discussion on the rate of heat loss, I fail to see the
point.  After coming in out of the hot California sun last weekend, it felt
good to enter the house at 68F, until I cooled off, then it was too cold.
Therefore, if I had a microwave heater on when I entered the house and
adjusted the field so as to exactly compensate for the heat loss at
 _whatever_ rate I was losing it, wouldn't I continue to feel warm
and wouldn't the cool house continue to feel good?
     Until I fried my eyeballs, which is what I think is the main point.
The safety issue has not been explored.  I am not saying that there is a
hazard, but can somebody point to a study where a significant number of
people have been microwaved in their homes without problems?
>Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are mine alone.
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William G. Nabor
University of California, Irvine
EH&S Office
Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
WGNABOR@UCI.EDU
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