Is it Unhealthy to Stand in Front of a Microwave?

YouTube Link

Have you ever had anyone warn you not to stand near the microwave as it is cooking? Watch as Mental Floss takes on the often heard warning, particularly in media presentations. Is it a wives' tale or not? -Via Laughing Squid


People are just terrified of the word "radiation" because they don't really know what it means, and remember those scary alpha/beta/gamma particles.

Meanwhile, light bulbs emit huge amounts of radiation... Probably more (over the course of a day) than your microwave, and without any shielding! Yet nobody is scared of reading lamps... Perhaps because it's extremely uncommon to call it "light radiation", unlike microwaves.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I don't stand in front of them anymore because one kinda exploded at my parents house. Mom was just heating up some peas and she had just walked away from it when it happened thankfully because there were little shards everywhere and she would of had a bad day if she was still looking in it. The microwave was just over a year old.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
The radiation emitted by a microwave oven is about the same frequency (but much lower in amplitude) as a mobile phone. Technically, EVERYTHING emits radiation ALL the time (infrared). In the video, using the warning sign for hazardous IONIZING radiation is either ingnorance or scare mongering.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
  1 reply
Login to comment.
Click here to access all of this post's 4 comments
Email This Post to a Friend
"Is it Unhealthy to Stand in Front of a Microwave?"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More