May 23-28 Safe Tech International News and Notes

Northern Lights Precision Ag Blackout, Circadian Rhythm, Schools, EU Car EMF Survey plans

Image courtesy Bob C:  Electric line to house running through dead tree.

The West reports that Chronobiology was discovered in the 1800s by an astronomer studying leaves, but Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda’s recognition of Time as Energy dates back thousands of years. Recent studies of the circadian rhythm are still in their infancy, but I believe they are one key to unraveling RF injuries, including new findings about skin. (See studies below.)

Reminder: if you click on the title, (May 23-27 Safe Tech International News and Notes) it will take you to the on-line version which is wider, faster for scrolling, and better for your eyesight. If you click on the name of the substack, it will take to you the archive.

The US and UK observed holidays over the weekend but there was still a steady news stream. We will send more news and upcoming events tomorrow.

NEWSLETTERS: 

Europeans for Safe Connections May 2024 Newsletter: ESC invites you for an exciting conference in Germany Fascinating programme and speakers Lectures in three languages See the full programme here Car survey ESC working group Technical Solutions have created a survey for the car dealers in Europe. We want to ask them questions about electrosmog in non-electrical cars – like: Is it possible to cut off all radio frequency emissions? And many more questions. Results will be posted on ESC website. More at link. https://esc-info.eu/?na=v&nk=182-6b08d52697&id=18

NEWS AND NOTES:

ACTIVIST/ADVOCACY Keith Cutter: Interview with Dr Donna DeSanto Ott Regarding Electromagnetic Poisoning Pennsylvanians for Safe Technology   57 minutes

Interview with Dr Donna DeSanto Ott Regarding Electromagnetic Poisoning

CELLPHONES: Even Advertisers Are Telling You to Get Off Your Smartphone More marketers are tapping into modern fears and discomforts, rather than selling consumers the perfect life. Technology is a growing target. Heineken last month introduced what it calls the Boring Phone, an early-00s style flip-to-answer- device featuring a keypad, flashlight, FM radio, low-resolution camera and not much else. With an ability to make calls and send texts, but under no circumstances access social media, the phone is designed to be a portal back to the days when people would socialize in person without continually maintaining parallel lives on the internet.[] The advertisers are tapping into a concern over the role of technology in society, and particularly in the mental health of young people, that has grown as social media and smartphones have become omnipresent. Even Snapchat is running an ad campaign positioning its social-media app as an “antidote to social media.” [] But marketing executives are treading gently, tending toward humor rather than activism, partly because their brands are at least as present in the digital world as any extremely online person. They advertise on the same social-media platforms that their campaigns suggest absorb too much of consumers’ time. Meta Platforms, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, generated $36.5 billion in revenue in the first quarter of this year, up 27% from the period a year earlier, almost entirely from advertising. “We’re obviously not anti-tech, but what we do know is that consumers want to detox from their smartphones to dial up their social life and enjoy real world connections,” Heineken’s Nasser said. The Boring Phone campaign isn’t designed to get people buying more beer by leaving them twiddling their thumbs at the bar, but to more indirectly bolster the brand’s association with the joy of socializing, he said. Hinge at the end of last year began its latest push to get young people to put down their phones and hang out in person under the marketing banner of “One More Hour.” The company promised as part of the campaign to donate $1 million to social clubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City that provide Gen Z with opportunities to connect in-person.  Hinge also published a physical book of things to do without a screen in time for the annual “Global Day of Unplugging” in March. Suggestions include birdwatching, reading, and “lying in a park doing nothing.” Even Advertisers Are Telling You to Get Off Your Smartphone - WSJ

CELLPHONES SCHOOLS UK: MPs urge under-16s UK smartphone ban and statutory ban in schools MPs have urged the next government to consider a total ban on smartphones for under 16-year-olds and a statutory ban on mobile phone use in schools as part of a crackdown on screen time for children. The education committee report said the next government should work with Ofcom, the communications regulator, to launch a consultation on new measures for use of smartphones – handsets that allow people to easily download apps and view websites. These would include: a “total” ban of smartphones for children under 16; parental controls installed on phones by default; and controls in app stores to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content. The report also says the government should consider enshrining in law a ban on mobile phone use in schools in England. In February ministers issued guidance for headteachers that “prohibits the use of mobile phones” throughout the school day. The report called for a formal monitoring regime to gauge the impact of the ban and to keep in reserve the option of making it statutory. “If results show that a non-statutory ban has been ineffective in 12 months, the government must move swiftly to introduce a statutory ban,” said the report. The report added that the next government must launch a consultation before the end of 2024 on whether 13 is an appropriate age for children to allow social media platforms to access their personal data online – and open a social media account. The minimum age for opening an account on most major platforms in the UK is 13. Pointing out that the age of consent in the UK is 16, that a child cannot drive until they are 17, and that the voting threshold in England is 18, the report added: “The next government should recommend 16 as a more appropriate age [for the age of digital consent].” The report cited research showing a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022 and a study showing nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in an addictive manner. It also flagged research from the children’s commissioner for England showing that 79% of children had encountered violent pornography online before the age of 18. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/25/mps-urge-under-16s-smartphone-ban-statutory-ban-schools

CELLPHONES: Satellites Directly to Cellphones AT&T and satellite company AST SpaceMobile announced a partnership to provide satellite cellular service directly from satellites to cellphones. This will provide a service that is much needed for the billions of remote users who are not in the range of a cell tower. This is an emerging industry that is still being referred to be different acronyms. Direct-to-Device, or D2D seems to be emerging as a popular term. The FCC has been calling this Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS). Others have been referring to this as Direct-to-Cell Phone. The company claims that the large satellites will be able to process up to one million simultaneous calls. The satellites will also be able to provide some broadband capability. AST is also using both low- and mid-band frequencies to increase connectivity options to and from users. Backhaul will likely be accomplished through links to AT&T ground stations. The first AST launch will include five satellites in July or August that will be operational in about three months after launch. The satellites will be circling the globe at a high speed, and initial customers will only be able to make calls when the satellites are overhead. The company needs at least 45 satellites to provide constant connectivity, and over time, will likely keep adding satellites to improve overall capacity. Satellites Directly to Cellphones | POTs and PANs (potsandpansbyccg.com)

CELLPHONES NETHERLANDS: This ‘Offline Club’ Locks Away Customers’ Phones, Offering a Break From Notifications Amidst Their Busy Lives “Swap screen time for real time.” So reads the slogan of the Offline Club, a company based in the Netherlands that promotes offline human connection. The founders of the club are three Generation Z friends: Ilya Kneppelhout, 27, Valentijn Klok, 27, and Jordy van Bennekom, 28. “We are of the opinion that real life is much more valuable than virtual life,” Mr. Kneppelhout told The Epoch Times. “That our time on the planet is very scarce. And that we shouldn’t be spending it behind a screen, but in the real world because the memories that we are going to have at the end of our lives are not going to be texts or Instagram posts—they’re going to be real interactions with real people.” Inspired by the success of their digital detoxes, Mr. Kneppelhout and Mr. van Bennekom started Offline Getaway: an offline experience that houses 10 to 12 people out in nature together. The first Offline Getaway was held in October 2022. They conducted several more getaways in 2023. The company has also learned to navigate the delicate balance of not counteracting its mission while promoting itself online. A week after The Offline Club started its Instagram account, two of their reels went viral. In a month, they had amassed 125,000 followers on social media. Responding to the flood of messages on Instagram has been difficult for Mr. Kneppelhout since he usually does not use Instagram on his phone. Describing technology addiction as “the new smoking,” Mr. Kneppelhout has three digital detox tips for those wanting to mitigate screen time: turn off notifications, buy a real alarm clock instead of using a phone, and leave phones at home more often This ‘Offline Club’ Locks Away Customers’ Phones, Offering a Break From Notifications Amidst Their Busy Lives | The Epoch Times

CHILDREN SOCIAL MEDIA, Jon Haidt: How Apple, Google, and Microsoft Can Help Parents Protect Children The case for device-based age verification The solution? Device-based Age Verification, which was discussed as “Age check” in Chapter 12 of The Anxious Generation. Device-based Age Verification could provide the control that parents want without the complexity that prevents the widespread use of current parental settings. The rest of this post will describe Device-based Verification in more detail, including the ways it would support the adoption of current legislative kids' online safety proposals by mitigating current criticisms. If the full principles from our report’s design recommendations eventually become law, whether through state or federal action, the feeds of those using these “age-check” designated devices will:

• No longer be optimized for engagement but rather prioritize explicit preference or judgments of quality. 

• Strangers will no longer be able to contact them. 

• Applications will no longer use known dark patterns to encourage greater usage than these device users want.

Most importantly, this will happen for all applications on this device, regardless of the amount of data that any one application has or doesn’t have about the device owner. Expecting parents to be involved in every decision necessary to create a safe online environment for their children is unrealistic.

How Apple, Google, and Microsoft Can Help Parents Protect Children

CHILDREN SOCIAL MEDIA SCROLLING TO DEATH: How Media Impacts Our Kids Many parents ask the question; How does tech and social media use really affect our kids? This is answered today with special guest Kris Perry of the Children and Screens Institute. HERE. 44 Minutes

COMIC RELIEF Down with Tech: Technoskeptic recommended standup comic Nathan Macintosh Short Outtake: Contactless Delivery Stand Up 6 1/2 minutes HERE, includes delivery drivers, self-check-out, automated vehicles from his full video Down with Tech - (lots of vulgarity and possible offensive material) (Future careers: social influencer, robot cleaner; nerds run the world - the jocks were warning us; Apple- put back the USB port!)

CONSERVATION: THE GUARDIAN UK: Think before you click – and three other ways to reduce your digital carbon footprint The invisible downside to our online lives is the data stored at giant energy-guzzling datacenters 1. Think before you click, (I started with small changes to reduce my data use – unsubscribing from unwanted newsletters and deleting unused phone apps.I also avoid firing up generative AI for simple answers – it uses an estimated four to five times the energy of a conventional web search) 2. Clear the virtual clutter 3. Minimise cloud storage (By next year the digital industry is set to become the fourth-highest electricity consumer in the world, behind China, India and the US). 4. Keep devices for as long as possible McLean, who wrote a book about the high environmental impact of digital activity, warns that the burden of digital pollution can’t fall to individuals alone. “We need to be part of a systemic structural shift,” she says. “And that means taking individual opportunities to intervene but also demanding and expecting our governments to better regulate corporations and shift to carbon-neutral options.” Think before you click – and three other ways to reduce your digital carbon footprint | Internet | The Guardian

DATA CENTERS: Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, says new natural gas plants will be needed to meet rising electricity demand from data centers, while the state studies how this booming sector will impact Virginia’s transition to renewable energy. “The data center industry is about 2 percent of global carbon emissions. … In about two years, I think it will surpass the airline industry.” Beginning in 2010, Virginia exempted data centers from sales and use tax for many of the key components of their business as long as they met certain criteria: They had to invest at least $150 million in their facility, create 50 new jobs in the locality where it was sited and pay at least 150 percent of the prevailing annual average wage. The exemption remains Virginia’s largest economic development incentive. “There is no realistic way that we can serve all this growth, keep our customers’ power on around the clock, and only do it with renewables,” said Ruby, the Dominion spokesman. “That is just not realistically possible.” https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24052024/virginia-data-center-market-electricity-demand/

EARPODS HEALTH HEARING: Long-Wear, Noise-Canceling, and Wireless: How Earphones Damage Our Hearing Earphones may be convenient, but convenience doesn’t come without a cost. ““Having said all that, now I notice that when I put my AirPods in my ears and have nothing playing, they emit a high pitched tone that I would say exactly replicates the tone of my tinnitus, leaving to me believe that the AirPods actually caused my tinnitus,” the user wrote. Since the thread was published in 2019, over 3,200 Apple users have responded with “Me too.” []The American Osteopathic Association estimates that 20 percent of teenagers today will experience hearing loss, partially due to their headphone and earphone use. A review published in the International Journal of Audiology found that about 6 percent to 60 percent of earphone users show symptoms of hearing loss, including hearing difficulties and tinnitus.[] The only study investigating Bluetooth’s potential effects on ears was a randomized controlled trial with 12 patients. The researchers found that Bluetooth exposure did not affect participants’ ear nerves, though cellphone exposure did .[]  Some people are more sensitive to the radiation emitted by wireless products than others. This is known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity. People with this condition may experience fatigue, insomnia, tinnitus, and headaches when exposed to this form of radiation. https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/long-wear-noise-canceling-and-wireless-how-earphones-damage-our-hearing-5614488

EMF: NEW SUBSTACK: From the UK: Ethernet Mum - Microwaves are for ready meals, not children. Here's why, and what you can do about it Of all the spurious arguments defending the non-ionising type of microwave radiation emitted by mobile phones and devices/telecommunications base stations/WiFi against accusations that it causes harm, the most nonsensical has to be ‘but we’ve been using microwave ovens for decades’ (followed closely by ‘but it’s classed alongside pickles in the carcinogens list’ - more on that another time). After that comes the mythical, disproven ‘but non-ionising radiation doesn’t damage cells.’ I actually heard the first two arguments used by a councillor in a ‘debate’ on the subject in a city hall in a major UK city. These are the people in charge of the big decisions that govern our daily lives. Would you put your child in a microwave oven, shut the door and turn it on? [] Yes, of course we all want our internet. It’s fantastic - I’m using it now, but I’m not getting microwaved thanks to a very high-tech cable that cost about £10. Here.

EMF KEITH CUTTER: EMF harmonizers, Neutralizers, Blockers, Reducers, and Subtle Energy Devices Are they an effective strategy for reducing personal exposure? Here

ENVIRONMENT MEGA: “Make Environment Great Again Blog” Barb Payne- short and sweet post Smartwashing Yeah, it’s a thing. – MEGA = (great-environment.org) (check the other creative posts too -)

5G: Why one top wireless industry analyst is turning off 5G Mike Thelander, of wireless network research company Signals Research Group (SRG), doesn't want 5G on his phone anymore. His 5G connectivity problems are getting worse 'and I had enough of it.’ Why one top wireless industry analyst is turning off 5G (lightreading.com)

6G; To 6G and beyond: Engineers unlock the next generation of wireless communications One complication posed by using higher-frequency bands is that many frequencies have already been reserved for satellites. "Elon Musk's Starlink works in those bands," notes Olsson. "The military—they've already been crowded out of many lower bands. They're not going to give up radar frequencies that sit right in those bands, or their satellite communications." As a result, Olsson's lab—in collaboration with colleagues Mark Allen, Alfred Fitler Moore Professor in ESE, and Firooz Aflatouni, Associate Professor in ESE, and their respective groups—designed the filter to be adjustable, so that engineers can use it to selectively filter different frequencies, rather than have to employ separate filters. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-05-6g-generation-wireless-communications.html

HEALTH/LIFESTYLE THE POWER COUPLE: How tech takes our "third place" How we can regain the U-shaped curve of happiness On this episode, we discussed: When did “play-based” childhood become “phone-based?” When do children’s brains undergo a second re-wiring? How we can combat the global epidemic of loneliness What is the U-shaped curve of happiness? We are more powerful than we know. Roman & Bohdanna  Here. 38 minutes (podcasts every Friday)

HEALTH LIFESTYLE JON HAIDT: The Global Loss of the U-Shaped Curve of Happiness Happiness used to be U-shaped by age, with middle age the least happy. Not anymore. Young people are now the least happy. In the rest of this article, we will outline the changes in the well-being of the young, and especially that of young women, that have resulted in the global disappearance of the U-shape in happiness and the hump shape in unhappiness. We present evidence for this negative relationship between age and mental health in 82 countries. (40) The Global Loss of the U-Shaped Curve of Happiness (afterbabel.com)

HEALTH: ADHD diagnoses are rising. 1 in 9 U.S. kids have gotten one, new study finds ADHD is an ongoing and expanding public health concern, according to researchers studying the disorder. One million more U.S. children were diagnosed in 2022 compared to 2016, a new study shows. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/126567525/your-health

HEALTH: Ultrasound waves zapped at the brain are being used to treat everything from hand tremors to addiction https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-ultrasound-zapped-brain-tremors-addiction.html

HEALTH: Circadian Disruption: The Root of Acid Reflux & GERD? What no doctor has told you about acid reflux (36) Circadian Disruption: The Root of Acid Reflux & GERD? (substack.com) (does not mention RF or blue light but added in comments)

HEALTH RESEARCH: Synchronization between central circadian clock and circadian clocks of tissues preserves their functioning Two complementary research articles reveal that central and peripheral circadian clocks coordinate to regulate the daily activity of skin and muscles. The coordination between the two clocks (central and peripheral) guarantees 50% of the circadian functions of tissues, including vital processes such as the cell cycle, DNA repair, mitochondrial activity, and metabolism. Synchronization between the central brain clock and peripheral ones prevents premature muscle aging and improves muscle function, suggesting new strategies to tackle age-related decline through circadian rhythm modulation. The peripheral clock of the skin integrates and modulates brain signals. In the study published in Cell Stem Cell, the team has demonstrated that the skin circadian clock is pivotal in coordinating the daily physiology of this tissue. By integrating brain signals, and sometimes by modifying them, this coordination ensures the correct functioning of the skin. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240502141155.htm (is this a mechanism of harm of RF/EM F?)

HEALTH RESEARCH 2016: Non-thermal microwave radiation-induced brain tissue dehydration as a potential factor for brain functional impairment September 2016 International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 5(4):188-195 September 2016 5(4):188-195 DOI:10.14419/ijbas.v5i4.6430 Based on our previous finding that metabolically controlled cell hydration is sensitive to the changes of physicochemical properties of cell aqua medium, which take place upon the effect of weak physical signals, including microwaves with non-thermal intensity (NT MW), it has been hypothesized that cell aqua medium serves as a primary target for NT MW effect on brain tissue. “Taking into consideration the facts that water structure is extra-sensitive to EMF [11], [36], [37] and cell membrane permeability for water is higher than for ions [16], [34] it is predicted that EMF-induced water influx through the membrane should precede the ionic one.  Therefore, we have suggested that EMF-induced changes of thermodynamic activity of water on cell membrane, generating water fluxes through the membrane, could serve as a primary messenger through which the modulation of cell metabolic activity is realized [36], [37].” “Thus, on the basis of the obtained data it can be concluded that NT MW radiation changes physicochemical properties of skin and sub skin water contents, which in its turn leads to the activation of R Na+/Ca2+ exchange. The latter is accompanied by the increase of intracellular contents of cAMP in healthy (young) animals,and leads to cell hydration which is a result of stimulation of oxidative processes-induced release of endogenous H2O. Whereas, in non- healthy (old) animals the cAMP-dependent activation of oxidative processes is in a dysfunctional state and NT MW radiation leads to neuronal dehydration because of the activation of R Na+/Ca2+. As Ca2+ has multisided poisoning effect on neurons, we suggest that NT MW radiation serves as a potential factor leading to the brain functional impairment, especially when brain metabolic activity is depressed (e.g. during aging)” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308507050_Non-thermal_microwave_radiation-induced_brain_tissue_dehydration_as_a_potential_factor_for_brain_functional_impairment#:~:text=As%20NT%20MW%20radiation-induced%20activation%20o%20f%20R,brain%20metabolic%20activity%20is%20depressed%20%28e.g.%20during%20aging%29 September 2016 International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 5(4):188-195 DOI:10.14419/ijbas.v5i4.6430

HEALTH: Humans Have Multiple Body Clocks. Synchronizing Them Could Delay Aging. The intricate dance of circadian patterns may help slow the march of time. Interestingly, the team also found that if the clocks were not in synch, the main clock would take over regulation of the skin, but would carry out its usual processes on an “opposite” schedule. In the press release, the team uses the example of DNA replication. Usually, if everything is going to plan, DNA replication mostly happens at night when it is less subject to radiation from the Sun that could potentially cause mutations. But if the central clock dominates the skin’s behaviors, DNA replication would mostly happen during the day. “It is fascinating to see how synchronization between the brain and peripheral circadian clocks plays a critical role in skin and muscle health, while peripheral clocks alone are autonomous in carrying out the most basic tissue functions,” Aznar Benitah, an author on both studies, said in a press release. Synchronizing Your Circadian Clocks May Slow the Aging Process (popularmechanics.com)

Note: The new ‘findings’ could be mapped out against the meridians of Oriental Medicine. Referring to the day-night darkness and light cycle, Gerad Kite explains, “[ ] during daytime the body is active on the outside and resting on the inside; whilst during night-time it reverses – active on the inside and resting on the outside.” Nighttime RF exposures force the body to interact with the external environment in an off-rhythm manner. Triple Heater (Skin) controls the fight or flight response and can be activated at any time. Is RF altering the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

RESEARCH: A switch for the internal clock: Exploring quantum biology for novel medical therapies In their study, the researchers exposed mouse cells to therapeutic nuclear magnetic resonance (tNMR) to investigate the long-suspected effect of weak magnetic fields on the internal clock of mammalian cells. Due to the significantly weaker magnetic field and lower radiofrequency, tNMR treatment is entirely non-invasive and has been used for two decades in treating conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and wound healing. Previous findings by the Oulu group had shown that oxygen deprivation can influence metabolism and the internal clock, with oxygen radicals playing a significant role. The interface between the physical magnetic field and the living cell proved to be the oxygen radical superoxide. Since the internal clock, like the oxygen signaling pathway, plays a central role in diseases such as heart attack, stroke, or cancer, these research findings expand the medical treatment spectrum. Article: https://phys.org/news/2024-05-internal-clock-exploring-quantum-biology.html  Study: Therapeutic nuclear magnetic resonance and intermittent hypoxia trigger time dependent on/off effects in circadian clocks and confirm a central role of superoxide in cellular magnetic field effects

INDUSTRY 6G and Request for Comments: With 5G at 50% completion, NTIA is jump-starting 6G deployment with questions on a range of issues At last week’s Connect X in Atlanta, panelists in multiple sessions estimated that 5G had been rolled out across approximately 50% of America. However, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) wants to jump-start 6G deployment. It requests public comments to guide executive branch policies on the next generation of wireless communications technology development. [] The NTIA said that secure and reliable telecommunications are essential for the United States’ economic competitiveness. As 5G deployment progresses, the industry is already planning for 6G, which is expected to provide pervasive connectivity across digital and physical domains, enhancing economic growth, national security, and societal well-being. Various organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union and the U.S. NextG Alliance, are authoring 6G visions. https://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2024/with-5g-at-50-completion-ntia-is-jump-starting-6g-deployment-with-questions-on-a-range-of-issues/ Request for Comment: https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/File%20Uploads/6G%20Wireless/6g_frn_final.pdf

INDUSTRY: Small Cells Are a Big Deal Small cells are just like macrocells, only smaller. Instead of being installed on towers, mobile network operators mount small cell radios and antennas on street furniture such as light poles, utility poles or infrastructure provider structures. Fiber connections provide backhaul and the local utility supplies the power. In a WIA Connect(X) 2024 panel last week titled, ‘Densifying the 5G Network with Small Cells,’ panelists discussed the growing need for small cells in 5G networks and some of the challenges in getting them deployed. “It’s rarely about coverage, it’s about capacity for us,” says Richard Bolt, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Sr. Director Engineering for Georgia/Alabama. He says that Verizon has a large, small cell deployment in metro Atlanta ranging from 5G ultrawideband to 4G low band for macrocell offload, capacity augments and fixed wireless access. “Depending on the purpose, they’re designed a little differently,” he says. Common challenges include siting, fiber connectivity and power. There is typically no battery backup at small cells. And when street poles get hit by cars, it can take two to four weeks to replace those. “That’s a problem for customers that rely on their fixed wireless connections,” Bolt says. https://insidetowers.com/small-cells-are-a-big-deal/

LEARNING/SCREENS VS PAPER: Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning In kids, studies show that tracing out ABCs, as opposed to typing them, leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material. "There's actually some very important things going on during the embodied experience of writing by hand," says Ramesh Balasubramaniam, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced. "It has important cognitive benefits." A slew of recent brain imaging research suggests handwriting's power stems from the relative complexity of the process and how it forces different brain systems to work together to reproduce the shapes of letters in our heads onto the page. Research suggests kids learn to recognize letters better when seeing variable handwritten examples, compared with uniform typed examples. This helps develop areas of the brain used during reading in older children and adults, Vinci-Booher found. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/11/1250529661/handwriting-cursive-typing-schools-learning-brain

PRECISION AGRICULTURE: Northern Lights Cause Precision Ag Blackout A solar storm hobbled precision Ag equipment, showing the pitfalls of "high-tech" farming machinery. In covering the struggle for a right to repair agricultural equipment, one common story or theme has been the decision by many farmers to ditch pricey but fickle late model “precision” agricultural equipment for “dumb(er” models from the 1980s or 90s, before tractors, harvesters and other gear bristled with sensors, cellular modems and GPS navigation. (Matthew Gault’s story in Vice from 2020 describes this phenomenon well.) One of the recurring themes in those stories is that farmers want equipment they can rely on, and fix themselves when things break (as they often do), while manufacturers are determined to lure farmers with impressive precision ag features, but then lock down their equipment in ways that frustrate simple repair and maintenance, while maximizing recurring revenue. “This is a significant event because it's going to undermine all the confidence that this tractor telematics (conveniences) have led people to embrace,” Kenney wrote. The effects of the outage will likely be felt far into the planting season as farmers look to leverage GPS-enabled features on their equipment. “When you head back into these fields to side dress, spray, cultivate, harvest, etc. over the next several months, we expect that the rows won't be where the AutoPath lines think they are,” Landmark wrote to its customers, referring to the John Deere GPS guidance tool.  “It is most likely going to be difficult - if not impossible - to make AutoPath work in these fields as the inaccuracy is most likely inconsistent. (courtesy Amy and Sarah)

Northern Lights Cause Precision Ag Blackout

PRECISION AGRICULTURE:  Precision Agriculture Has Its Cassandra. His Name Is Kevin. The push to embrace precision agriculture is transforming food production in the U.S. It’s also turning farmers into software-bound tenants of OEMs, warns Kevin Kenney. But is anyone listening? Precision agriculture, once broadly adopted, promises to further reduce the need for human labor to run farms. (Autonomous equipment means you no longer even need drivers!) However, the risks it poses go well beyond a reduction in the agricultural work force. First, as the USDA notes on its website: the scale and high capital costs of precision agriculture technology tend to favor large, corporate producers over smaller farms. Then there are the systemic risks to U.S. agriculture of an increasingly connected and consolidated agriculture sector, with a few major OEMs having the ability to remotely control and manage vital equipment on millions of U.S. farms. That includes the risk of disruption due to cyber attacks on precision farming hardware, software and services - an issue that agricultural equipment makers are scrambling to address, but reluctant to discuss. Finally, there are the reams of valuable and proprietary environmental and operational data that farmers collect, store and leverage to squeeze the maximum productivity out of their land. For centuries, such information resided in farmers’ heads, or on written or (more recently) digital records that they owned and controlled exclusively, typically passing that knowledge and data down to succeeding generation of farm owners.  Fertilizers and Seeds have gone up exponentially in price over the past 30 years of the ‘Electronic Era’ (1995 - present). fields have not, Tractor Costs have also gone up faster than inflation, ‘Large equipment makers have evolved into Tech Firms, It’s probably more profitable to get the data off a new tractor vs actual profit on manufacturing the tractor.  This is the main problem…data theft.  The FTC should immediately start an investigation into John Deere and the rest of the ‘Tractor Cabal’ to see to what extent farmers’ farm data security and privacy are being compromised.  This directly affects national food security because if thousands- or tens of thousands of tractors’ are hacked and disabled or their data is lost, crops left to rot in the fields would lead to bare shelves at the grocery store.  I would first recommend the USDA come forth and demand a choice for farmers, for example: to use firmware they bought rather than the ‘factory installed’ firmware provided by the OEM. This ‘2nd choice’ would, for example, allow a farmer to establish connectivity with his or her own cloud and/or trusted advisor’s server.  This isn’t ‘Rocket Science’.  The USDA should be embarrassed to spend $4 million in Grant Funding for the AG Data COOP but not make sure the precision ag data is secured prior to sending this data to its cloud storage server. Farmers deserve better. In fact, I worry that it may be too late already because over 10 years of data has already been taken from farmers under the terms of John Deere’s MTG-Telematics and similar End User License Agreements (EULAs). Here.

SCHOOL CELLTOWER: Arizona: Students at Desert Sage High School built a wall to shield their school from a T-Mobile 5G cell tower. They raised funds partly through a Go Fund Me page  Article from Safe Tech Tucson: https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/Desert-Sage-School-now-protected-from-cell-tower---CDC---upcoming-events.html?soid=1139290024680&aid=oGN5TtrKFj8 Also, their funding page: https://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=YkvYin&m=g.7Obs7XV2cZQoU&b=ElpXNUvjJRZBDEdMJwMUFA The project got national coverage in an article on the Building Biology Institute website and a supportive post from the Environmental Health Trust: "Desert Sage High: Shielding students from cell tower radiation".

SCHOOL CELLTOWER School That Let T-Mobile Install 9 Cell Antennas Near Playground Locked Into 31-Year Contract A private school in San Diego signed a contract with T-Mobile to install hidden antennas only 20 feet above the school’s playground. Parents said they didn’t find out until a parent accidentally saw them while the school was closed for a holiday break. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/rock-academy-tmobile-cell-antennas-playground/

SCHOOLS CELLTOWERS: Schools Are Signing Cell Tower Deals — Without Telling Parents Telecom companies are approaching school boards across the U.S., offering to install wireless towers in exchange for what initially appears as a lucrative income stream for the often cash-strapped schools. But the deals often favor the telecom companies, and the towers can pose health risks, experts say. Big Telecom companies are approaching school boards across the U.S., offering to install wireless towers at schools in exchange for what initially appears as a lucrative income stream for the often cash-strapped schools. But are these deals as good as advertised or do they contain risks for schools — and children? On this week’s “Defender In-Depth,” Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D., and Jenny DeMarco, who has a master’s in education, told host Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., that cell tower contracts, far from offering “easy money,” often lock in school boards for decades at unfavorable terms. Burdick, a reporter for The Defender, is writing a series of investigative articles on wireless exposure at schools. DeMarco is communications director for Virginians for Safe Technology and co-founder of the National Call for Safe Technology. Burdick said legal wireless radiofrequency (RF) exposure limits are outdated. They added that school districts often fail to inform parents before signing such contracts, while environmental impact studies are typically not conducted. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/cell-towers-schools-defender-podcast/

SPACE: Botched SpaceX Engine Test Results in Spectacular Fireball Yesterday's test of an upcoming Raptor engine went sideways, causing the test stand to be engulfed in flames https://gizmodo.com/spacex-raptor-engine-test-anomaly-fireball-explosion-1851498711

SPACE New NASA Mission Tracks Microscopic Organisms in the Ocean and Tiny Particles in the Air to Monitor Climate Change The spectrum of colors viewed by the PACE satellite can identify different phytoplankton species in the ocean and a variety of aerosols in the atmosphere, helping researchers identify threats to the health of people and the planet. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology that observes a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum of the ocean, land and the atmosphere, PACE is able to detect the unique pigments of different phytoplankton groups. Unlike previous satellite technologies that were used to observe the planet in six to eight colors, PACE’s hyperspectral sensor, the Ocean Color Instrument, can produce images in more than 100 different colors, from the ultraviolet to near infrared. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23052024/nasa-microscopic-organisms-ocean-satellite/

TOWERS AND ANTENNAS FRANCE: Village near Nice fights ‘Wild West’ spread of 5G internet masts ‘Owner of the land next to us was offered €1,000 a month to site a mast,” says local man AN ARCHITECT is campaigning against what he calls a ‘Wild West’ of phone mast installations after learning of plans to build one five metres from his bedroom window. Patrick Giraud, who lives in the hills above Nice, has been fighting for a year to stop the 5G mast going ahead. He has so far succeeded, with the support of neighbours and local and national politicians. Planning work on the site was halted after the mayor of his commune of Saint-André-de-la-Roche (Alpes-Maritimes) used his municipal police powers. However, it is unclear if the operator, Free, has to obey this. Several official websites say that a mayor’s police powers do not extend to banning masts. Mr Giraud said: “Telecom operators can install masts anywhere, as long as they are not higher than 12m and they do not take up more than 5m2 on the ground. They do not even have to own the land – the owner of the land next to us was offered €1,000 a month for the mast.” What angers Mr Giraud especially is that, he says, just 500m away, there is another mast shared by three operators. However, Free told local authorities it does not wish to join the partnership. A law exists that operators must justify not sharing other masts in ‘rural’ areas if mayors ask them https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/village-near-nice-fights-wild-west-spread-of-5g-internet-masts/659039

TOWERS ANTENNAS INSTALLER FATALITY: Tower tech, a healthy climber and MMA fighter, suddenly passes while on a Verizon modification project Tower tech Shane Magee, 28, was a picture of health, physically fit from climbing towers and frequently exercising and training as a competitive mixed martial arts fighter. Sadly, he suddenly died while performing a routine installation in Pennsylvania. https://wirelessestimator.com/articles/2024/tower-tech-a-healthy-climber-and-mma-fighter-suddenly-passes-while-on-a-verizon-modification-project/ (what kind of investigation takes place when this occurs?)

TOWERS ANTENNAS: La Jolla DPR Committee wants more information about proposal for 5G antennas in bell tower, Dish Network is working on a lease agreement with La Jolla Presbyterian Church. The lease term being sought was unavailable, but “typically, the wireless carriers are looking for a 25-year lease because they spend so much money upfront that it takes several years to break even,” Reynolds said. The project also was discussed at the May 13 La Jolla Planned District Ordinance Committee meeting, where parents expressed concerns about the possibility of children who attend the church’s preschool and play at the La Jolla Recreation Center across the street being exposed to electromagnetic fields, or EMFs. https://www.lajollalight.com/news/story/2024-05-23/la-jolla-dpr-committee-wants-more-information-about-proposal-for-5g-antennas-in-bell-tower

WILDFIRES: Video of May 20 Evolutionary Conversation — How Empowered Local Communities Can Effectively Address Urgent Electrical Wildfire Safety Risks in an Age of Climate Turbulence and Wireless Cell Tower Proliferation, Save Lives, and Protect the Environment The video of May 20 webinar on Electrical Wildfire Safety Risks, ( https://www.bbilan.org/blog/may-20-evolutionary-conversation-wildfire-risks-in-an-age-of-climate-turbulence-and-wireless-proliferation ) along with links to many resources mentioned in the webinar  2 ¾ hours

UPDATES

UPDATE: EMF/RF: Government Exposure Limits for Wireless Not What You Think They Are Thousands of Studies Show Harm Below Government Limits by Angela Tsiang has been updated at Substack to reflect current information about the FCC.

UDATE: The Battlefield of Digital Addiction Guest Post by Sean Carney has been updated on the blog at Safe Tech International