Are microwave ovens dangerous?

[Sig]

A tri-field meter in the presence of an operating one will give one pause.

What readings have you actually seen? If you're seeing anything over a few microwatts/cm2 you probably have a faulty microwave you should throw away. If you're seeing less than a few microwatts/cm2 why does that give you pause?
I have to say I'm equal opportunity when it comes to science deniers/conspiracy folks and this whole "radio waves are dangerous" trope that's completely unsupported by the data or even basic common sense is just as unsupportable as the climate change deniers and creationists on the right.

 

[Sprout]

What readings have you actually seen? If you're seeing anything over a few microwatts/cm2 you probably have a faulty microwave you should throw away. If you're seeing less than a few microwatts/cm2 why does that give you pause?
I have to say I'm equal opportunity when it comes to science deniers/conspiracy folks and this whole "radio waves are dangerous" trope that's completely unsupported by the data or even basic common sense is just as unsupportable as the climate change deniers and creationists on the right.

It was a long time ago. If I remember correctly, the needle was in the middle of the analog scale. It would rise as I approached the microwave and fall as I walked away.
With the meter, I also measured all the other appliances in my house. I discovered that even an appliance turned off (while plugged in) generated a field. All receptacles whether used or not generated a field. The high-voltage powerlines across the street generated a field when I was underneath them.

It made enough of an impression on me that when I rewired my house I twisted all wires to reduce the field and placed the twisted wire in grounded conduit to reduce the field again.

I also coated the inside of my house with clay-based paint.

It's a humble house yet has a very different feeling to be in then a typical dwelling. Even more so with the rise of wifi which didn't even exist when I made these improvements. This was easy to do at the time for we had gutted the house and removed all the internal walls to that all the common areas were placed to the south where we increased the glazing and sun exposure.

The increased solar income has repaid itself in unintended consequences. I feel better when I have ready access to the sun. It's how I chose to define my days.

Sunrise to Sunset, is my day where I'm making hay utilizing the energy that supports and surrounds us.

 

[vanzandt]

It was a long time ago. If I remember correctly, the needle was in the middle of the analog scale. It would rise as I approached the microwave and fall as I walked away.
With the meter, I also measured all the other appliances in my house. I discovered that even an appliance turned off (while plugged in) generated a field. All receptacles whether used or not generated a field. The high-voltage powerlines across the street generated a field when I was underneath them.

It made enough of an impression on me that when I rewired my house I twisted all wires to reduce the field and placed the twisted wire in grounded conduit to reduce the field again.

I also coated the inside of my house with clay-based paint.

It's a humble house yet has a very different feeling to be in then a typical dwelling. Even more so with the rise of wifi which didn't even exist when I made these improvements. This was easy to do at the time for we had gutted the house and removed all the internal walls to that all the common areas were placed to the south where we increased the glazing and sun exposure.

The increased solar income has repaid itself in unintended consequences. I feel better when I have ready access to the sun. It's how I chose to define my days.

Sunrise to Sunset, is my day where I'm making hay utilizing the energy that supports and surrounds us.

Interesting post.
Question. My radar detector goes off when pulling into my garage or starting the car when the ambient temperature outside (and in the garage) is approximately 54 degrees F. It never does it it at any other temperature. WTF is that about. Its intrigued me forever. Any theories? Note... it doesn't do it outside. Only in the garage.

Also note... the microwave would be right on the other side of the garage wall. I've always thought it must have something to do with that.

 

[Sig]

It was a long time ago. If I remember correctly, the needle was in the middle of the analog scale. It would rise as I approached the microwave and fall as I walked away.
With the meter, I also measured all the other appliances in my house. I discovered that even an appliance turned off (while plugged in) generated a field. All receptacles whether used or not generated a field. The high-voltage powerlines across the street generated a field when I was underneath them.

It made enough of an impression on me that when I rewired my house I twisted all wires to reduce the field and placed the twisted wire in grounded conduit to reduce the field again.

I also coated the inside of my house with clay-based paint.

It's a humble house yet has a very different feeling to be in then a typical dwelling. Even more so with the rise of wifi which didn't even exist when I made these improvements. This was easy to do at the time for we had gutted the house and removed all the internal walls to that all the common areas were placed to the south where we increased the glazing and sun exposure.

The increased solar income has repaid itself in unintended consequences. I feel better when I have ready access to the sun. It's how I chose to define my days.

Sunrise to Sunset, is my day where I'm making hay utilizing the energy that supports and surrounds us.

Just a bit on my background, I'm an electrical engineer by undergrad training so have done a bit of work with meters and electromagnetic fields. With that in mind, keep in mind a meter deflection is meaningless without knowing the scale. As your experiments indicated, any time electricity flows it creates an electromagnetic field. There is a large body of evidence that these fields don't harm humans at the levels below many microwatts/cm2, and your microwave, wires, and even high voltage transmission lines don't create fields above that level.
If you were seriously concerned about electromagnetic waves you'd need to build a faraday cage and live in it without electricity. Additionally, keep in mind that light is also an electromagnetic wave of simply a higher frequency than radio waves, so by increasing sun exposure you actually increased your exposure to electromagnetic waves!

 

[userque]

Interesting post.
Question. My radar detector goes off when pulling into my garage or starting the car when the ambient temperature outside (and in the garage) is approximately 54 degrees F. It never does it it at any other temperature. WTF is that about. Its intrigued me forever. Any theories? Note... it doesn't do it outside. Only in the garage.

Also note... the microwave would be right on the other side of the garage wall. I've always thought it must have something to do with that.

That is interesting. You don't say how strong the reading is. But if you have, or can acquire, the few skills needed to build a portable power supply for the detector (you could probably also buy one already built, I figure); you could walk around with it to see if you could pinpoint the source of the radar.

Let us know if you ever do.

 

[vanzandt]

That is interesting. You don't say how strong the reading is. But if you have, or can acquire, the few skills needed to build a portable power supply for the detector (you could probably also buy one already built, I figure); you could walk around with it to see if you could pinpoint the source of the radar.

Let us know if you ever do.

Its actually pegged on the signal strength. And if I point it to the outside, ie the towards the garage door, it goes down. I have never tried walking around with it though.... but to me the fact that when I point it outside it decreases eliminates it being the detector itself.
I eliminated any chance that it was some kind of temperature dependent control in the vehicle's EFI by plugging it into the other car...so thats not it.

I do have an extra 12V car battery I guess I could put some alligator clips on and splice into the power chord and walk around...

Its gotta be that microwave oven.

 

[userque]

Its actually pegged on the signal strength. And if I point it to the outside, ie the towards the garage door, it goes down. I have never tried walking around with it though.... but to me the fact that when I point it outside it decreases eliminates it being the detector itself.
I eliminated any chance that it was some kind of temperature dependent control in the vehicle's EFI by plugging it into the other car...so thats not it.

I do have an extra 12V car battery I guess I could put some alligator clips on and splice into the power chord and walk around...

Its gotta be that microwave oven.

Tried leaving the microwave unplugged? and seeing if it happens then?

 

[Pekelo]

If you want a margin of safety then leave the room while it is running and then wait at least one minute after it stops before opening it to get what you heated.

He is still eating cancerous food.

 

[Sig]

If you want a margin of safety then leave the room while it is running and then wait at least one minute after it stops before opening it to get what you heated.

What does the 1 minute accomplish exactly? Does a microwave continue to operate after it's turned off? That would be cool, some kind of machine that generates energy without inputting energy? Better than perpetual motion?

 

[Sprout]

What does the 1 minute accomplish exactly? Does a microwave continue to operate after it's turned off? That would be cool, some kind of machine that generates energy without inputting energy? Better than perpetual motion?

Monkey mind
control over lot's o folks
myself too