What's incredible about this experiment was that it was created based on other observations and questions about an entirely different problem. The girls noticed that if they slept with their Cell or Mobile Phones near their heads at night, they had problems concentrating at school the next day. The school had no specialized equipment and facilities for testing out such an experiment, so it was decided that they would test out Cell Phone radiation on plants instead.
Photo courtesy of Kim Horsevad |
These are what are known as KarseFrö (Lepidium sativum) or Garden Cress Seeds. There were six trays of the seeds which were put into a room without the effects of the radiation, and six trays of seeds which another room next to two routers. According to the girls, this way of experimenting emitted about the same type of radiation emitted by Cell Phones. Notice the healthy tray of seeds in the tray above which were grown in the room with no radiation influence from the Router whatsoever.
Photo courtesy of Kim Horsevad |
They waited about twelve days, observed, measured, weighed and finally took pictures documenting growth along the way. The results really spoke for themselves. These Cress Seeds above grown inside the room with the Router had not grown and many that did were mutated or dead.
Photo: Kim Horsevad |
From left to right: Lea Nielsen, Mathilde Nielsen, Signe Nielsen, Sisse Coltau, and Rikke Holm. The experiment secured these girls in the finals in the competition of "Young Scientists", but it was only the beginning as other outside interests have been impressed and want to repeat the experiment. Good for them and their teacher.
Researchers from other countries like Nederland (Netherlands), England and Sweden have shown interest. One of them here in Sweden is Olle Johansson, professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. He will now an attempt to repeat this experiment with a Belgian research colleague, Professor Marie-Claire Cammaert at the Université libre de Bruxelles, for trial. He had this comment about the girls below.
"The girls are within the scope of their knowledge and skills implementing and developing a very elegant job. The wealth of detail and accuracy is exemplary, choosing the right Garden cress is very intelligent, and I could go on."
"I sincerely hope that they spend their future professional life to researching, because I definitely think they have a natural aptitude for it. Personally, I would love to see these people on my team."
Olle Johansson
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Article Source from Dänemark
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2013/05/16/131324.htm
http://www.dr.dk/NR/rdonlyres/075641A4-F4D4-4ECF-834F-C0DAF2B8E1E1/5134851/Undersoegelse_af_nontermiske_effekter_af_mobilstra.pdf
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UPDATE: April 2014 from the USA
"Science Experiment by Grade-Schooler Shows That W-Fi Is Causing His Headaches and Deforms Growing Seeds"
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Photo - Smart Meter Education Network |
"An eight-year-old boy in Almont, Michigan was getting severe headaches when seated near the wireless projector in his classroom. They were so severe, he would come home crying from the pain. When he was seated away from the projector, his headaches stopped. For many people, who are even more sensitive than he is, increased distance from wireless device does not help, because the radiation is permeating the environment around them."
(Read further)
(original Story in Web-Archive)
Environmental Health Trust: Cell Phones And Wireless Radiation Can Lead To HeadachesThis young boy after he was removed from the negative classroom environmental resulting from the WIFI apparently was further intrigued and with the help of his mother who herself is a biologist. Their experiment went a little further in observations.
"Aiden Fitch found the same thing. He grew one set of seeds at home, next to a laptop computer without wireless. He grew the second set in a home that has wireless. The seeds grown next to the wireless router were deformed. The sprouts tasted different as well. Garden cress is a fast-growing herb with a peppery, tangy flavor and smell. The seed which grew in a home without wireless tasted strong and peppery—so much so that Aiden had to run for a glass of water. The Wi-Fi seeds tasted "like water," Aiden said.Wow, so the taste taste also was revealing. But there is more, he replicated his experiment after the Danish experiment and got the same results. I find this fascinating since I haven't really heard anything from the Swedish researchers who promised to do the same thing. He also used normal local appliances the average person would use. The links are above.
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UPDATE December 2016 - Dr. Magda Havas, PhD
"Microwave radiation from wireless devices harms plants"
https://magdahavas.com/microwave-radiation-from-wireless-devices-harms-plants
"Effects of Wi-Fi Radiation on Germination and Growth of Broccoli, Pea, Red Clover and Garden Cress Seedlings"
Bentham Science: "Effects of Wi-Fi Radiation on Germination and Growth of Broccoli, Pea, Red Clover and Garden Cress Seedlings: A Partial Replication Study"
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Images - Dr Magda Havas PhD |
Results: "The radiation from the Wi-Fi router did not affect germination of any of the species tested. However, there was a significant reduction in dry weight of the broccoli (86% of control) and peas (43% of control) exposed to Wi-Fi radiation at the end of the experiment (p<0.01). Wi-Fi exposure inhibited root growth of several species. It also caused root tips to turn brown and reduced root hairs of cress compared with the reference treatment. Broccoli seedlings closest to the Wi-Fi router grew away from the router; cress seedlings had larger leaves and were chlorotic compared with controls. Several small plants began to die and mould developed in those Petri plates."
Conclusions: "Radiation from Wi-Fi reduces root and shoot growth, contributes to chlorosis, alters size of leaves, and reduces fine root hairs in several on the species tested. Radiation generated by a Wi-Fi router, at levels well below international guidelines for microwave radiation, adversely affects plant growth and may interfere with a plant’s ability to protect itself from opportunistic mould."Interesting experiments and you can read further details abovee in the links I provided. They also used common household appliances we use today. No mention of any taste test differences. Too bad. Leave to kids to figure out more and push for more questions. Something further interesting is in the photo below and I've seen the same thing with other experiments. The plants exposed to WIFI do not like it and try and grow away frrom the direction of the WIFI radiation. Look below and see how they comment on this.
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Images - Dr Magda |
Plate 1: Peas after 30 days exposure to microwave radiation from a Wi-Fi router on the left and to no microwave radiation (reference) on the right. A. Side view. B. Aerial view of root system.
Plate 2: Broccoli after 28 days exposure to microwave radiation from a Wi-Fi router on the left and to no microwave radiation (reference) on the right. Arrow shows plants growing away from Wi-Fi router.
Plate 3: Garden cress after 28 days exposure to microwave radiation from a Wi-Fi router on the left and to no microwave radiation (reference) on the right. Arrow points to larger leaves and signs of chlorosis.
Plate 4: Red clover after 28 days exposure to microwave radiation from a Wi-Fi router on the left and to no microwave radiation (reference) on the right. Arrow points to fungal growth in seedlings exposed to Wi-Fi.
(Full Study Read)
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UPDATE January 2017 - SNOPES Lifted their Leg
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cress-wifi-experimentNothing much to really new to comment on here. As usual Snopes still claiming to be the last word on truth in our world basically lifted their leg again and trashed the Danish Student experiment, but also acknowledged the other plant experiments with brocoli, peas and Red Clover, but continued unimpressed. They briefly commented on Dr Magda Havas' work published in 2016, but remained unimpressed. Here is their final conclusion in summary:
"While this study did test the effects of Wi-Fi on other plants (broccoli, red clover, and peas) and purported to find negative effects on them, science is still waiting for a successful replication to the Danish cress study (as well as a replication of new results presented in this paper)."But it's here for everyone to read just to be fair, I guess. 😒
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UPDATE Early 2019 - "Smooth Feather Pioneers of Science"
"In the spring of 2019 we started creating a short film series, “PIONEERS OF SCIENCE” with the Sacopee Valley Middle’s School’s 8th grade science class taught by Steve Bridges about Wi-Fi and its potential health risks. The students have been amazing to work with and the first experiment we did exposing cress seeds to Wi-Fi was incredibly powerful and thought provoking. We’re looking forward to running a number of experiments and documenting our different discoveries."
Vimeo: Pioneers Of Science - Part 1This is probably one of the more enjoyable Vimeo videos I have seen in a long while. The teacher does a masterful job of explaining the experiment, allowing kids to draw their own conclusions. Kids are allowed to express their disbelief in the beginning and their riveted enthusiasm from the results at the conclusions and they come up with more questions than they had at the start. I'd like to give commendation for the instructor as well because he's teaching them real science. Unlike most modern academic and environmental non-profit education programs, there was no stupid political indoctrination ideology pushed, no motivating kids to engage in civil disobedient protest movements, etc. Just the pure innocence of learning something important and expanding their minds in a healthy normal direction.
You can watch the film below or click on this youtube link
http://pioneersofscience.org
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UPDATE: December 2019
Personal Breaking News Story about my own Houseplants
We have two house plants in our livingroom with two windows on a south facing exposure of the building. Facing the windows from a viewpoint of the Wide Screen TV, we have two lounge chairs with a plant next to both chairs. The chair on the left side has a wall between it and my chair, but the chair on the right (wife's chair) has our ComHem WiFi setup for TV, Phone Service & High Speed Internet Service.
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Image - My Wife - November 2019 |
In the beginning we noticed after a month after purchase that the plant next to the WIFI experienced periodic leaf drop, but nothing from the other plant. Later one left side of the plant completely dried up died and dried completely. Then the right side of the plant began to dry up and eventually died. The plant below is healthier with fuller lush foliage because it is furthest away from the WIFI and protected a bit by my chair.
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Image - My Wife - November 2019 |
Sadly this experience would probably not even come close to passing the SNOPES test for Factoidal Truth because, well, I'm not a scientist, researcher nor do I have any Alphabet Soup initials behind my name on a business card to advertise my credentials as being some kind of an expert in anything. 😒